Parents these days are pressured very hard to make sure their children not only succeed, but excel in most every undertaking. In order to accommodate such unbridled success in all aspects of their lives, specialized education is needed. This is why parents of children in the school band will go out of their way to send their kids to programs such as the musical theater camp.

Such a place represents an excellent opportunity for many students to hone existing skills, or develop new ones. Music has the power of impacting people in a deeply spiritual way. While a great deal of the skill required to make such pleasing sounds comes naturally to many musicians, there is still a great deal that any student must be taught in order to be regarded as a master.

In the 50s and 60s young people bemoaned these camps and felt abandoned by their parents, many of whom would take vacations out of the country while their kids were gone. However, it turned out that these kids benefited a great deal by being artsy campers every summer. As those students were approaching adulthood, they found themselves availed to opportunities in Hollywood that they had not anticipated.

These camps embrace an attitude that all students have hidden talents which they work to bring to the surface in their lives. Fear is the primary force which prevents most people from stepping up to embrace a role of authority, or perform in front of their peers. A little encouragement and confidence building goes a long way to bring these kids out of their shell.

These children are often fortunate enough to receive instruction from famous musicians that we all listen to every day. In fact, these celebrities take a strong interest in the future of these kids, and the music industry as a whole. One might even wonder how the kids get over being star-struck enough to actually learn anything.

Students are often given the choice at the beginning of their stay to decide what they wish to focus on for the season. One child may opt to learn an entirely new instrument or style of music. Another child might want to spend the season focusing on dance, acting. Or even mime.

Some might believe that it is somehow cruel or unfair to push children to succeed year round. They might be half-right, but if you ask the kids who attend these summer programs these days, they will tell you that they have got it made. Not only are they first in line to attend schools like Julliard when they finish their public education, but they have a greater chance of making it in the acting world, wherever that takes them.

Now that there are no stuffy counselors trying to force clans of teenagers to play repetitive notes for hours on end, these campers have come to embrace the experience. Every summer they get to look forward to specialized learning at the hands of an established and talented individual. Even the most famous celebrities sometimes take an interest in helping these kids to succeed.