Norwood Junior and Senior High School Musicians Embark on Annual Summer Band Camp Retreat-August 23, 1971

Four busloads of enthusiastic junior and senior high school students, accompanied by a moving van fully loaded with musical instruments, departed Norwood yesterday afternoon for a week-long musical retreat at Camp Kehonka in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, situated along the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. The annual excursion marks the kickoff for the upcoming school year’s music program, immersing approximately 150 young musicians, teachers, and chaperones in a rigorous schedule combining intensive daily practice with traditional camp recreation.

Led by Norwood Public Schools Music Director Paul M. Alberta, alongside junior high music department heads Craig Caldwell and Harry Morris, the campers dedicate at least six hours every day to musical instruction and ensemble practice. The remainder of the schedule is filled with swimming, boating, sports, and games. A spirited highlight of the week is the annual softball showdown between senior boys and the faculty-chaperone team—a contest that Music Director Alberta quipped provided “more injuries than a football camp.”

The annual event is sponsored entirely by the Norwood Parents’ Music Association, which sets camp rates, maintains self-sustaining operations, and provides financial scholarships for students unable to afford the $60 tuition fee. Association President Edward J. Finn noted that the group awards three annual music scholarships—including a $600 top award and two $300 grants—to outstanding student musicians. Finn’s own family reflects the program’s deep roots; his daughter Leslie previously captured the $600 scholarship, and his daughter Jennifer currently plays flute as a junior high music major.

Music education occupies a celebrated place in Norwood’s schools, a standing Director Alberta attributes directly to dedicated parental advocacy. “Ten years ago a group of parents got together and pushed for it,” Alberta explained. “They are responsible for the large number now on the music staff.” Today, instrumental instruction begins in the elementary grades using flutophones, expanding into middle and high school where students can declare a music major granting five periods of instruction per week. Across the district’s concert bands, stage bands, and marching units, student participation is thriving; high school band membership totals around 200, with projections reaching 250 in the coming years.

Norwood musical ensembles have earned widespread acclaim, including straight “A” ratings at the annual Southeast District Music Festival. Among the program’s proudest milestones are the high school stage band’s prominent performances alongside bandleader Stan Kenton at Colonial Ten Acres in Wayland, appearances before the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and recitals at the Boston Conservatory of Music. Reflecting on the community’s dedication, Alberta expressed immense gratitude for local volunteers, including Jack Cotter of Norwood, who donated a Jacobsen Brothers moving van to safely transport the heavy instruments north, and praising supportive spouses like his wife, Dorrie, who noted that many local parents intentionally align their family vacations with band camp week. (Reporting by Mrs. Kathy Salzberg, Correspondent).

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger