About Point CounterPoint

  • Eight people pose together, smiling on a wooden deck in front of a red building with a sign reading BIG RED—capturing classic Camp vibes in the background.
  • A group of children sit in a circle on the floor of a dimly lit room with bunk beds and string lights, engaged in lively Point CounterPoint conversation.
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  • Two young musicians perform a Point CounterPoint duet on violin and cello outdoors, as a small audience watches among trees and potted plants, some standing and others seated.
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Who We Are

Point CounterPoint is a chamber music camp on Lake Dunmore in Vermont that offers a serious chamber music program balanced with a traditional camp experience. At PCP participants of all ages reconnect with music, nature and one another while disconnecting from the digital world. Coached rehearsals, daily private practice time, weekly performances, off-campus nature activities and years of fun camp traditions fill each session.

Our Mission

Point CounterPoint’s mission is and has always been to promote chamber music skills and musical excellence among young string and piano performers.

At Point CounterPoint, we believe in the value of connection: through campers working together to create beautiful music, through meaningful one-on-one lessons with music professionals, and through shared meals and activities in an “unplugged” environment. Together in nature and free from online distractions, our campers make friendships built in music, many of which last for years.

Point CounterPoint offers five youth sessions between June and August, each with a different age range and different music director.

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  • Six musicians perform chamber music in true Point CounterPoint fashion; four string players are seated with their instruments as two pianists play a grand piano in the background.
  • Three young musicians, part of Point CounterPoint, play string instruments—two violins and a cello—on a wooden porch in front of a red building.
  • Four people play string instruments outdoors on a wooden deck surrounded by trees, with sheet music in front of them and a lake in the background—a classic Point CounterPoint moment amidst nature.
  • Three young musicians seated and playing string instruments—cello and violins—with sheet music stands in front of them, evoking a Point CounterPoint dynamic, as a grand piano sits in the background.

Why Chamber Music?

Chamber music (small groups of 2-6 performers) is a special kind of musical ensemble. Playing in a chamber ensemble enables every player to work in harmony with others, yet have an individual voice.

At PCP, we know that chamber music:

  • emphasizes teamwork in a small group setting;
  • focuses on the equality of all performers in the success or outcome of the piece, thereby eliminating the “first chair mentality;”
  • fosters problem-solving among campers in an ensemble, without relying on adults to mediate between them and solve their issues;
  • exposes the students to a wide variety of music by great composers, including music they may not experience in a conventional school setting.


We also believe that regardless of how interested and passionate young musicians are about learning and playing chamber music, they need time to relax and recharge their batteries. Our non-music activities are meant to provide the fun and relaxation that you would expect from a summer camp experience.

PCP History in a Nutshell

Point CounterPoint was founded in 1963 on the shores of Lake Dunmore in Leicester, Vermont by the late Edwin Finckel. Through many different owners and directors, PCP has continued to offer amazing musical opportunities to our campers. You can read more about Point CounterPoint’s long and celebrated history on our History page.

  • Five women stand in front of a red wooden building, smiling at the camera. One holds a sign that reads Lake Cabin #2, capturing a cheerful moment during their Point CounterPoint retreat.
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Bosphorus Music International Music Academy

Bosphorus Music Academy partnership

Point CounterPoint is proud to partner with the Bosphorus Music Academy, run by Session 4 Director Beste Tiknaz. Bosphorus Music Academy offers a variety of musical education including private-lessons, chamber group coachings, masterclasses, and more! Accepted PCP campers attending the trip abroad to Sile, Türkiye will be staying in dormitory style accommodations, take part in various music activities, and non-musical social events. Contact us to find out more!

Our Staff

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Jenny Beck

Executive Director

Jenny Beck started as the Executive Director of PCP in 2008. She will be one of the first people to greet you on opening day. And watch out. She always wants a hug – from both returning AND new campers. That is just the way she is.

Jenny has been passionate about camp, music and kids since she was one herself. Although she claims she is not a musician, Jenny met her husband, Steve, on the piano bench as accompanists to their junior high school jazz band.

Most summer days, you will find Jenny in her office, The Coop, or in the kitchen. She likes to know everybody and always wants to know what is going on, and somehow, she does! Jenny loves to sing. It won’t take you long to learn her favorites. And when Amadeus, PCP’s resident owl, swoops in at a campfire, please make sure she is aware of the owl’s presence; she probably will get tears in her eyes. It happens.

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Kerrith Livengood

assistant Executive Director

Kerrith Livengood (Assistant Executive Director) began working for PCP in 2025. Before that, she worked as Managing Director of New Music On The Point (and still does). She now knows all the “classical” names for the practice rooms at PCP, as well as all the “contemporary” names that are used during NMOP.

Kerrith enjoys keeping things organized, managing the counselors, and even helping out with rehearsals at PCP, but mostly her job is to keep campers in line, so Jenny doesn’t have to. She brings a lot of “weird mom” energy to the camp, being a mom of a teenager AND a composer and electronic musician. If you hear a mysterious flute at PCP, it’s probably her.

  • A wooden cabin room at Point CounterPoint with four bunk beds, a table with chairs, and exposed ceiling beams. Mattresses are bare, and a blue paper lantern sits on the table.
  • Red wooden cabins are situated at the edge of a grassy field, surrounded by tall trees and dense greenery on a sunny day, offering a peaceful retreat much like a hidden gem at Point CounterPoint.
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Facilities

Our campers (and counselors!) live in rustic but comfortable cabins. Our oldest cabins (Log Cabin and Emerson) date back to the origins of the camp itself. Each cabin has its own up-to-date bathroom with showers.

It’s a PCP tradition for campers to leave their mark! Graffiti going back generations covers the bunks and cabin walls at PCP. Many returning campers and alums enjoy finding their writings and drawings from years past.

Lake Dunmore

Lake Dunmore is a natural freshwater lake on the Western edge of the Green Mountain National Forest. Quiet and beautiful, Lake Dunmore is home to loons that nest on a small island (you can paddle past it from camp). Point CounterPoint sits on the southwest corner of the lake, and we spend lots of time every session enjoying it.

  • A wooden dock extends into a calm lake, surrounded by trees and watched over by Point CounterPoint’s green mountain in the background, all beneath a partly cloudy blue sky.
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Directions

Location

Point CounterPoint is located on a beautiful lakefront property 9 miles north of Brandon and 10 miles south of Middlebury.

We are a four-hour drive from Boston and six hours from New York City. Participants traveling by air should arrive into Burlington, VT, one hour north of camp. Participants traveling alone can be met by camp staff at the airport, rail or bus station in Rutland, VT, or Port Henry, NY. Please contact us well in advance of camp to arrange pick-up for campers traveling solo!

Directions

Driving SOUTH from Middlebury, VT. On Rt. 7/Ethan Allen Highway Turn LEFT (East) onto Route 53. After 1.3 miles, bear RIGHT onto WEST SHORE ROAD. After 1.7 miles, TURN SHARP LEFT onto ROGERS ROAD (becomes Hooker Road). Camp is 1.4 miles on the left.

Driving NORTH from Brandon, VT. Drive 1.5 miles NORTH of the Rt. 7. Turn RIGHT (East) onto FERN LAKE ROAD. In 1.6 miles turn LEFT (North) onto HOOKER ROAD. Camp is 1.4 miles on the right.

Point CounterPoint
1361 Hooker Road
Leicester, VT 05733