TVD is tagging along with Girls Rock! DC this week and sharing the Rock Star summer camp experience almost in real time.
It’s Day #3, which begins with a . . .
Morning Scream: At Girls Rock! we have a pretty jam-packed agenda in the morning: daily announcements, theme-based skits, rehearsing the camp song, stretching …and the list goes on. It’s all a part of what wakes us up and gets us in the mood to rock out! And out of all that we do in the morning, nothing is more successful at getting us there than the morning scream!
Band Art Intro: The art room is now in full swing. At camp, making your band’s art requires an education in female artists from around the world. This morning, campers learned about Guerilla Girls to introduce them to the concept of feminist art and creating a new identity via masks. Local artist and Education Director of Artisphere, Lisa Marie Thalhammer, showed them a video of the Guerilla Girls speaking about their activism.
Later on, Elianna, a Painting, Drawing and Composition professor at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, showed campers images from Barbara Kruger, Dada, and Hannah Hoch. The art room runs Wednesday to Friday so the campers have plenty of time to create logos, costumes, merch, and props before the Camper Showcase on Saturday.
Instrument Classes: Some campers have musical experience, others do not. Unfortunately, music programs are often the first programs to be cut from school curriculum. And, that’s where we step in.
Campers learn music theory, chords and popular songs in their instrument of choice (apparently, the bass girls are into Bad Romance by Lady Gaga.) Instrument Class is 1.5hrs every morning, and campers are put into groups based on their musical experience.
DJs: Here at Girls Rock Camp, DJs have the advantage of having the same instructors for Instrument Class AND Band Practice. Because of that, the instructors and campers quickly form a bond and are able to make tough choices together (“Does Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ really need to start your set? Yes, it does.”)
Making Beats Together: While our campers do learn one instrument and work with their band to create a song, there’s still something special about being a part of a large group rhythm. This year, we have a workshop for just that.
The workshop leaders brought in hand drums, shakers, tambourines, buckets, and large jars with different amounts of water. Workshop leaders started a beat, and the girls kept the beat and added their own flare to it.
