The NY Times is running a series called “Notes from Music Camp” which, I assume, will follow some young musicians as they attend The Perlman Music Program‘s summer camp. The first article in the series could be subtitled “The Stage Mothers” as it focuses on the sacrifices the mothers make for their budding Itzhaks and Midoris. “Every bit as competitive, protective, ambitious and self-sacrificing” as tennis moms (who apparently also go all out for their little Martinas), these music moms spend hours chauffering, thousands on instruments, and probably not a few lungfuls of air on words of encouragement and phone calls to get their kids into elite auditions. One mom is planning to drive containers of Korean food to her daughter every weekend of camp. One teen won’t be going to camp because of a hand injury (my guess is that she practiced too much under stress; perhaps a prescription of less “encouragement” from mom would help?).