Camp Encore/Coda

What Camp Encore/Coda does

Camp Encore/Coda, legally Music On The Pond LLC, is a privately held summer music camp located at 50 Encore/Coda Lane in Sweden, Maine. Founded in 1950 by Phil and Ruth Saltman and relocated to its current Maine site in 1960, the camp has operated continuously for more than 70 years and is currently owned by Cara Bergantino, who purchased the business in 2021 after rising through the ranks from camper to staff to Director. The camp serves approximately 100 young musicians per session (grades 3-11) with a 2:1 staff-to-camper ratio, offering overnight and day-camp sessions ranging from two to six weeks across 11 musical disciplines including orchestral, jazz, rock, chamber, vocal, musical theater, and composition.

The core product is an all-inclusive residential music education experience. Tuition bundles room, board, rehearsals, private lessons (one hour weekly on a primary instrument plus 30 minutes on a secondary), ensemble participation, master classes, performances, recreational programming, out-of-camp trips, and supplies. Specialized tracks include an audition-only Conservatory Program for grades 7-11 (two hours of private instruction plus Master Class) and a Prelude program for younger campers. There is no proprietary technology platform; enrollment runs through campmanagement.com, an e-commerce gear store runs on Inksoft, and the only other digital surfaces are standard social media channels.

The business model is direct-to-consumer, multi-stream, and seasonal. Primary revenue comes from session tuition (e.g., $4,500 for a 2-week Staccato session, $6,250 for 3-week Session I, $10,250 for the full 6-week season, and $3,375-$7,700 for day camp), with secondary revenue from an off-season wedding and event venue rental business, a small merchandise gear store, and tax-deductible scholarship donations processed through the American Camp Association. Marketing is community-led and event-driven, relying on word-of-mouth referrals, school-year outreach to state and district music programs, on-site tours, and direct enrollment. The camp is American Camp Association accredited and positions itself on a non-competitive, values-driven philosophy that emphasizes community, accessibility, and musical growth over competition.

Name

Camp Encore/Coda

Legal name

Music On The Pond LLC

Website

https://encorecoda.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Camp Encore/Coda is a privately held, 70-plus-year-old residential summer music camp in Sweden, Maine, serving roughly 100 young musicians (grades 3-11) per session with all-inclusive overnight and day-camp tuition across classical, jazz, rock, vocal, and theater programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Summer Music Camp & Youth Music Education

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Camps (Band, Choir, Instrument Intensive) (EDAMALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI)

Keywords

• Summer music camp
• Youth music education
• Residential overnight camp
• Private music instruction
• Ensemble performance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New Sweden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Summer Camp Tuition: All-inclusive tuition model covering room, board, rehearsals, activities, private lessons, special events, camp store purchases, out-of-camp trips, laundry service, and instrument supplies. Multiple session options ranging from 2-week to 6-week sessions for overnight and day camp.
2. Gear Store: E-commerce gear store operated through Inksoft for camp merchandise and supplies.
3. Wedding & Event Rentals: Venue rental services for weddings and events at the camp facility during off-season.
4. Donations & Scholarships: Tax-deductible donations processed through American Camp Association to support scholarship programs for campers with financial need.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Camp Encore/Coda operates a residential summer music camp in Sweden, Maine, delivering immersive multi-week overnight and day camp sessions to young musicians in grades 3-11. The offering bundles room, board, ensemble rehearsals, private lessons, master classes, performances, and traditional recreational activities (waterfront, sports, arts & crafts, evening programs) into an all-inclusive tuition model across 11+ musical disciplines.

Product overview

Camp Encore/Coda is a summer music camp in Sweden, Maine offering a comprehensive suite of programs centered on music education and performance. The core product is its residential overnight camp with multiple session options (3-week, 6-week, and 2-week Staccato sessions) and a day camp alternative. Musical Programs span 11 disciplines including Jazz, Classical, Rock, Vocal, and Theater, with specialized tracks including the audition-only Conservatory Program for advanced students and a Prelude program for younger campers. Private Lessons provide one-on-one instruction while Recreational Programs complement the musical curriculum with sports, waterfront, and arts activities. The organization also generates ancillary revenue through Wedding & Event Rentals and a Gear Store. All programs operate during summer months with sessions from June through August.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Overnight Camp Sessions All-inclusive overnight summer music camp sessions covering room, board, rehearsals, activities, private lessons, special events, camp store purchases, out-of-camp trips, laundry, and instrument supplies. Available in 2-week, 3-week, and 6-week durations for campers finishing grades 3-11.
• Day Camp Day camp option available for Maine locals or families with housing near camp, offering 2-week, 3-week, and 6-week sessions with musical programs and recreational activities but without overnight accommodation.
• Musical Programs (11 Disciplines) Comprehensive music education offering 11 program areas: Chamber Music, Choral, Composition, Guitar and Bass, Jazz, Musical Theater, Orchestral, Piano, Rock, Vocal, and Wind Ensembles. Personalized scheduling is built around each camper's experience level and goals in a non-competitive environment.
• Conservatory Program Audition-only intensive music program for intermediate and senior campers finishing grades 7-11, providing 2 hours of weekly private instruction, a 2-hour Master Class, chamber music participation, and performance opportunities. Originally designed for students preparing for college auditions.
• Private Lessons One-on-one private instruction: one-hour weekly lessons on a primary instrument/voice and 30-minute weekly lessons on a secondary instrument/voice. Taught by music faculty or experienced counselors pursuing music degrees, with written evaluations provided at the end of summer.
• Recreational Programs Non-musical camp activities complementing the music curriculum, including Arts & Crafts, Sports (Volleyball, Soccer, Basketball, Ultimate Frisbee, Water Polo, Tennis), Waterfront (kayaking, paddle-boarding, swimming), Evening Activities, TripDays, and FunDays.
• Wedding & Event Rentals Venue rental services for weddings and events held at the Camp Encore/Coda facility in Sweden, Maine, primarily during the off-season.
• Gear Store Online merchandise store operated through the Inksoft platform, selling Camp Encore/Coda apparel and gear to current and alumni families.

Quantifiable outcome

• At least 50 hours of large ensemble rehearsals per session for full-season campers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• American Camp Association (ACA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with American Camp Association (ACA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity, to process all scholarship donations. ACA issues receipts directly to donors and provides recurring donation options. EIN/Tax ID of ACA: 35-0962419. ACA also conducts safety reviews and policy monitoring as part of camp accreditation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI): BU-affiliated summer music program in Lenox, Massachusetts offering intensive classical, voice, and composition training for advanced high school musicians. Comparable target audience (grades 3-11 advanced students), but with stronger institutional backing and college-credit pathway.
• Idyllwild Arts Summer Program: California residential arts summer program offering music, dance, theater, visual arts, and film for grades K-12. Comparable all-inclusive residential model and multi-arts curriculum breadth.
• Interlochen Center for the Arts: Premier multi-disciplinary arts camp in Michigan offering summer programs in music (classical, jazz, composition), theater, dance, visual arts, and film. Direct competitor to Camp Encore/Coda for serious young musicians, with a much larger brand, larger scholarship endowment, and broader program portfolio.
• Chautauqua Institution Summer Schools of Fine & Performing Arts: Historic New York summer arts education program offering music master classes and performance opportunities for young students. Similar legacy heritage and Northeast footprint but operating at much larger scale as part of broader Chautauqua Institution.

Direct peers

• Kinhaven Music School: Long-running summer music school in Weston, Vermont focused on classical chamber music for young musicians. Closest direct peer to Camp Encore/Coda - small cohort, residential, intensive instrumental training with similar tuition model and New England footprint.
• Point CounterPoint Music Camp: Vermont-based summer chamber music camp for string, piano, and wind players, featuring intensive ensemble work. Comparable small New England residential music camp with similar pedagogical philosophy and pricing model.
• Rocky Ridge Music Center: Colorado-based summer music camp offering chamber music, piano, and composition programs for young musicians in a residential setting. Comparable small-cohort, intensive classical-focused model and similar pricing structure.
• Perlman Music Program: Highly selective summer string music program in Massachusetts for advanced young string players. Comparable intensive chamber music focus and similar high-touch faculty ratio, though narrower instrument focus.
• Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music: New Hampshire-based summer chamber music program serving string players and chamber ensembles. Comparable small, focused classical music camp model with similar pedagogy and intimate cohort design.
• Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp: Large Michigan summer arts camp offering band, orchestra, jazz, choir, and visual arts programs for young musicians. Similar all-inclusive residential model with multi-week sessions, comparable staff-to-camper ratios, and analogous musical program breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/campencorecoda
• Facebookfacebook.com/campencorecoda
• Instagraminstagram.com/encorecoda
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/camp-encore-coda

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Camp Encore/Coda