Across the USA, there are a number of camps set up by an Atlanta-based non-profit organisation that exists to empower girls aged 10-16 to express themselves through rock music.
The girls -only music camps were set up to encourage girls to let go and, through encouragement and professional volunteers, form a band, perform, write lyrics, learn basic rock instrument chords and go crazy-wild like boys and at the end of the camp the winning band would get to perform at a high-profile venue. This is something I know my nieces would LOVE!
Often at first shy and withdrawn, the organisers say the girls don’t take long to open up and shine on stage. The only thing once they have formed bands and friends seems to be agreeing on who will be the lead…surprise…a task that sounds like the UN might need to be brought in to negotiate!
Although the camp encourages all genres of music, the camps were first set up as an antidote to the rock industry in particular which is often regarded as a boys club. In the UK, PJ Harvey was one of the only female rock singers almost for an entire decade! The over-all aim of the camps seems to be to encourage girls to consider rock bands as long-terms careers which is commendable but perhaps the difference between girl rockers and boy rockers is that girls eventually grow up and don’t think that smashing guitars and hotel rooms is cool but daily showers are? I think the best thing that these camps seem to do is show girlie girls that they can have different emotions and desires and it’s okay. The London branch of the music camp seems to have closed, does anyone know if it will be re-launched?
I read an article about the girl rock camps on the NY Times website and I simply loved this quote from one of the participants at the rock camp:
“I don’t respect Justin Bieber, but I really, really like him.”
Bubbly
