Nothing in DC has impressed us more here at TVD than the annual Girls Rock! DC Summer Camp which puts instruments into the hands of young girls from across DC—sometimes for the very first time—and which fosters the self-awareness and self confidence of burgeoning female rock stars.
It’s a week that builds both community and musicianship, culminating with the Girls Rock! DC Showcase when the campers take the stage at DC’s venerable 9:30 Club this Saturday, August 13 for a concert and exhibition of the talents and skills the young attendees have mastered over the course of the week.
TVD will be tagging along all week with the campers and sharing the experience almost in real time as we chronicle Girls Rock! DC 2011.
So, grab your leather jacket and let’s get going. It’s Day #1!
Weekly Schedule: Welcome to the first day of Girls Rock! DC 2011! Today’s theme, “Getting to Know Each Other” focuses on building community as the campers interview each other and begin to form their bands. Each day the schedule is jam-packed with music, workshops, and fun.
Band Interviews & Selection: The first day at Girls Rock! DC! As DJ crew select records, instrumentalists and vocalists work hard to uncover what makes the perfect bandmate; her favorite color…animal…? Or maybe that look in her eye that says she’ll rock really hard on electric guitar?
A little while later, organizers do their best to play matchmaker, and if you’ve made it to the 9:30 Club for our Camper Showcase any of the past three years, you’ll agree: the system works.
PJ Harvey Room, where art workshops will be held. Each room is named after a woman who rocks, exposing the campers to positive images of legendary and groundbreaking female artists who are paving the way for girls who rock.
Instrument Instruction: Thanks to the generous donations of instruments, each camper will spend the week learning a specific instrument. This is her first time playing guitar, but you’ll see her playing with the confidence of a veteran on Saturday at the 9:30 Club.
