Reporting on certain causes is a pleasure because there are many amazing programs that help inspire young minds, hearts, and souls. I caught up to get the deets on a program that inspires many young girls nationwide and could use help keeping the dream alive. Beth & Erica gave me the low down at FYF on the Rock n Roll Camp for Girls...
Tell me about your organization?
We’re a non profit organization that teaches girls thru 17 how to play music and gain self esteem through music. We have a summer camp that’s a week long. They get to choose an instrument, form a band, write a song, and then at the end of the week they get to perform live at a local venue. This was our first summer and they played at the Troubadour.
How did it go this summer?
It went great! We had a whole bunch of local musicians come in and teach the girls. We had a lot of younger girls come in and learn instruments for the first time. The whole environment was so inspiring and so encouraging, it was a positive all around experience.
http://www.rockcampforgirlsla.org
Where was the camp located?
The camp was downtown at a catholic school. Immaculate Conception School. They donated their space in exchange for some scholarship slots for their students. It worked out great and we were excited to work with them and hope to continue doing so in the future.
Will it be a yearly camp?
Yes. We hope it will expand so we can make it an after school program and make it all year around.
Do you get out to many festivals?
Yes and we go where we can get the word out, we’re constantly looking for campers and volunteers.
How did you begin?
The original camp started 9 years ago in Portland. It’s just an amazing, successful program that’s spreading all over the country and is international as well. We finally go tit started here in LA by two local musicians, Mona Tavakoli and Becky Gebhardt for the band Raining Jane. http://www.myspace.com/rainingjane They had been teaching in Portland and Seattle camps and brought it down here.
Any other ways to donate?
Check out our website and we have video clips from the camp this summer, so you can see them learning. There’s some clips of the showcase and we’re gonna release a DVD of the showcase. All our merch and the DVD should be available on our website soon. That’s our goal.
How else can people help?
Also, since 60% of our girls this summer are on scholarship, we are looking for volunteers to help with fundraisers or volunteer at camp. We also provide all the instruments for the girls so we’re getting that from donations and loans during the week of camp. Anyone who wants to donate, it's tax deductable! There is a roll for everybody who is interested in what we have to do.
We are also doign a fundraiser in the spring called Rock n Roll Ladies Rock Camp which will be ladies over 18 can do the same program as the girls, just compacted over a weekend. It will be a fundraiser, so their tuition will help a girl who can't afford to go over the summer!
http://www.rockcampforgirlsla.org
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