Deep in the forest lies a clearing. Deep in the redwoods lies a haven. For all who journey, all find solace. All find passion. All find a resonance of glee and wonder. All who journey to Cazadero find what lies nowhere else. The world melts away. Musical exhilaration unites. A community converges on the ideals of expression.

The drive winds away from civilization into the uncharted forests. The trees are a thousand years old.. They know of your ancestors’ time. Deep in the forest is a revelry. I’d quickly find love for the very community that took me in, the Cazadero Music Camp.

The forest sings with our instruments. Every morning, the wilderness greets us with the same refreshing call. The forest heals our consumerist-plagued lives; the forest thanks us for including it in our festivities. On concert day the trees reverberate the essence of our hard work; the trees teach us to sing.

With the benevolence of euphonious music comes an absence of pressure. No student is paralyzed with anxiety when it comes time to perform; every student gains a fierce determination and a courageous mindset. I learned to find strength in this mindset and focus on passion instead of nervousness.

Our ensembles invite the stranger to become who they’ve always longed to be.

The entire world melts away when each member becomes part of something bigger than themself. The passing observer is enticed to revel in the reverberating joy. The ensemble spews emotion. It breathes in feeling. Each observer brings their own experience to their perception.

The moment I join this reverie is the moment I disconnect from the mundane. It is the moment I may forget about my ailments. The moment I contribute to this tapestry of sound is the moment I may too enlighten, the way the composer meant us to.

My gratitude for the Cazadero Music Camp community is a perpetual reminder that it has shaped me for the better. I’ve learned how to diagnose and direct my emotions. I’ve developed skills in public speaking and can speak to a crowd clearly and confidently. I’ve learned to focus on my passion for a performance instead of the angst of possible mistakes. Cazadero taught me how to rise above negative feelings and strive for growth through perspective and ardor.

To work at the camp is to give thanks to the community that shaped me so dearly. When I started as a counselor, the delight I had experienced as a camper only extended. I got to teach the lessons that had enlightened a younger me.

And the forest lives in us. It teaches us to bound headfirst into what is thrown at us. The trees sing to us, and we sing back. I learn to discard my anxieties, and I learn to reemerge. The trees coax me to become what I dream of being.

This cycle of rehearsal and performance taught me many life-applicable traits. When making a mistake, hold your head as high as when you hadn’t. It only becomes a mistake when the audience perceives it as such and sees you wilt in despair. Appreciate what you have. Performances don’t last forever. Each little moment is anticipated, lived, and then is gone. Appreciate the experiences you are privy to receive. Live each moment firmly in that moment. Live in emotion. Feel deeply.

Alas, after two weeks, each session ends. We journey back to the sovereign lives we lived before our benevolent holiday. We wonder at the experiences we’ve been lucky to have.

Now I may too live with Cazadero. My performance anxiety is cast away the moment I pick up my instrument. I empower myself fearlessly to pursue what drives me. I will tackle challenges like the trees’ roots tackle the earth.

I may lift myself up and sing.