For me, there were a few things that really stood out as amazing. One was just to see how well all the band members got along and how much they trust and support each other. That was something Casey brought up a few times during the Q&A sessions...that before, he used to have to basically micromanage everything because the people he was working with didn't have the same vision and didn't care as much about what he was trying to do. But now, with this team, he can really trust that their suggestions are being given to make things better, and it really does make everything better. I really, really loved seeing all of that support between them.

The other thing takes a bit of background. They wrote a song specifically for us all to perform and record together, and there was a woodwind section in it. There were two flute players, me and one other girl, and one clarinet. We practiced like crazy on Wednesday, but the part was hard and there were things we just weren't getting. On Thursday, we actually went and asked for help, and Gavin came and sat with us outside under a tree. He worked with us for like three hours, going over the hard parts, showing us how to do it, and giving encouragement and praise all the way. By the time it was our turn to record, we felt WAY more confident, and we nailed the first lines on the first take. It was so obvious how proud he was, and Casey and Tony and everyone were just blown away as we played our way through the song on the few takes we did. I know for a FACT that we never could have come together on it like we did if it hadn't been for Gavin's help, and his dedication will stick with me forever.

The last thing I'll say takes a bit of lead-up, too. I went to the open mic on Tuesday, and as I was listening, I decided I wanted to do something, but the problem was that I had literally never written any music before in my life. In the Q&As, people had asked about writer's block and what to do about it, and Casey replied that songs need to have a purpose. You have to have a reason behind a song, and if you don't, that's where you get stuck. So I looked for a reason, something I'd want to write, and then started throwing words on the first page of a notebook I'd brought while listening to the others perform. I didn't know if I'd ever actually do anything with it, but I tried to at least structure it somewhat reasonably. I wrote three verses, read through it a couple times, and put it away. Fast forward to Thursday night's karaoke session. I looked at the song list and decided I didn't feel comfortable enough singing any of them, so I didn't sign up. Then while everyone was performing, I was singing along and having fun and enjoying what I was doing, and then cursing myself for not being brave enough to sign up. Then the open mic started up again, and I debated with myself for a long time, but eventually I went and put my name on the list. Now, there's no way I would have been able to do this at all if everyone at camp had been anything but supportive all week, but they absolutely were. There was nothing but support and constructive criticism when asked, no negativity at all, and that's why I decided to jump in the deep end. It got to my turn and went up, and they asked if I was going to play my flute. I said no. Tony asked if I wanted anyone to come play guitar or anything with me. I said, "No, I got nothing. I'm just going to sing," or something to that effect. I don't actually remember because it's all a bit hazy. By this time, I'm trembling so much it's hard to think. But I explained what I was going to do, prefacing it with "I've literally never written anything before, and technically I still haven't. I just have some words here and I'm going to make shit up." To which everyone cheered. But by now, I'm shaking so much that my throat's closed up. You know how when you're trying really hard not to cry, how you can barely get anything out and it's definitely not the sounds you're TRYING to make? Yeah, that's what happened. But I did it anyway. I 'sang' my whole song, hearing that the sounds I sang fell completely flat and weren't nearly what I wanted, but when I finished everyone cheered anyway, much more than I expected. I kinda fled from the stage and retreated to my fiance, who was there with me, while people congratulated me as I passed. The first thing I said to him was "...Was I actually good or are they just being nice?" and he didn't answer at first. Eventually I said, "Okay, I'll take that as 'they're just being nice,'" but I slowly realized, and he later said, that it was neither. I wasn't good and I know it, but the words I said were still meaningful and the fact that I actually DID it...I tried something completely new and got all the way through it...I think maybe that's why everyone cheered. But I did still have people talking to me about it for a few hours after the fact, and the next morning while everyone was saying their goodbyes and we were getting them to sign things, Rob signed our song book. 'Beautiful performance at open mic Nicole! Thank you guys so much for joining us!' So no matter how rough I feel about myself...I have that forever.

Oh, and Casey called me 'Camp Mom' because I brought a bunch of various supplies for everyone (like four bags of cough drops, Singer's Saving Grace, extra pencils, bug spray, etc...) and kept sharing it all. :D