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Music has always been a way to help children develop their creativity. By combining history, science and math into a single entity, the fundamentals of song require cooperative dedication as well as subjective design. This is the concept behind a new nonprofit initiative, Girls Rock Philly.
Loosely based on an international program that started almost seven years ago in Portland, Ore. — Chicago, New York and nations such as Canada and the United Kingdom have similar initiatives — the new local organization was established as the next step.
"We are sister camps — an independently run chapter of the same camp," local founder Beth Warshaw said about the separate groups. "Philadelphia was both a big enough and small enough town to start up in."
These programs stand apart, as they are exclusively for girls. The Philadelphia founders are dedicated to bringing rock ‘n’ roll camps to females in the Greater Philadelphia region who are aspiring musicians or interested in music.
After having their first meeting in September, the five members of the board of directors and volunteer advisory council are now laying down the fundamentals, planning out details for a weeklong August day camp that caters to 10- to 18-year-old girls.
"There is a very talented and diverse group of women meeting regularly and volunteering their time," Canary Promotion and Design press contact Megan Wendell, who also has been volunteering her time designing fliers and promoting the camp, said of the directors and council.
Aiming to raise funds to secure a specific venue and gather camp supplies, the group is holding its first benefit, a formal called Shake and Shiver, 8 p.m. Saturday at The Parlor, 1170 S. Broad St. According to Warshaw, the group sought out sites in South Philly and beyond for any venue with space. The Parlor — run by the Headlong Dance Theater — was perfect for their first event, Warshaw said, as it has played host to concerts, parties and various performances, such as the recent Philadelphia Dance Project’s Dance Dualities. Another plus to this South Philly spot was the free rein Girls Rock Philly founders were given with its confines. "It’s a great space we were able to make our own," Warshaw, 26, said.
Open to a 21-and-older crowd, tickets range from $7 to $70 and can be purchased at the door. (Attendees may donate any monetary amount they can afford.) The winter wonderland-themed affair will include performances from another nonprofit, Girls DJ Collective, and DJ Adam Sparkles, as well as food, drinks and a holiday photo booth. Small Change Collective, a group of area filmmakers, also will show an eight-minute trailer for the documentary "Girls Rock!" that features three kids from the Portland camp.
According to Wendell, who also has a musical background, other fund-raising initiatives, such as a silent auction in April, are in the budding stages. The program also plans on having events available for all ages in the near future.
This endeavor, Warshaw said, is a huge concept on a small scale — about 75 to 100 girls of varying musical levels will be able to participate in the camp on a first-come-first-serve basis. Parents must complete a questionnaire about their child’s musical interests. The camp costs $400, but the nonprofit already has some scholarships set up through donations and grants.
The campers will be split in 10 to 20 bands of two to seven people, with each group focusing on different skill levels.
With a concentration on music and instruments (no previous experience is necessary, however), the all-girl setting enables participants to be creative in a comfortable atmosphere on any instrument they choose — from guitar to keyboard to drums to vocal instruction. Representatives from Girls DJ Collective — some of whom are board members — will offer DJing and running turntables as another instrument available to camp-goers.
The girls also will learn about non-traditional forms of media and women’s historical legacy in music. They’ll get a chance to strut their dance moves on stage, too. A band coach will help the groups throughout the process.
Along with musical training, the girls are encouraged to write lyrics, play their own songs and design logos for T-shirts and various merchandise for their groups.
"The model is to not just teach women about music education, but help promote good decision-making, self-esteem, personal enrichment and development," Julie Gerstein, of Third and Queen streets, said.
After interviewing Portland’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls founder Misty McElroy and the West Philadelphia-based Girls DJ Collective for an article, Gerstein became familiar with the cause and interested in lending a hand. Volunteering with the local organization’s outreach committee, the former Bella Vista resident believes in making a difference among youth within a safe environment.
"It’s a really great way to imbue girls and women with tools that will empower them throughout their lives whether they stick with music or not," the part-time DJ said.
Working with the New York Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls program since its inception in ’05, Warshaw experienced a sense of togetherness for those involved.
Now, she is already seeing that same unity here in Philly. "It’s a really diverse group of girls — people who know each other and other musicians forming a really good network," she said of the organization as a whole.
Even though applications haven’t been distributed to local kids yet, some have already expressed interest.
Staying true to the wholly female environment, everyone involved, including volunteers from South Philly, instructors and band coaches, are women. Positive feedback from previous camps exemplified the benefits of same-sex conditions. "Boys and girls have different energies," Warshaw, who lives in Center City, said.
Allowing creative thinking in a boy-free atmosphere provides more timid individuals an outlet to communicate their emotions. "Once they were able to express themselves and get on stage, we saw a whole different side of them — they were more excited and confident overall," she said of girls involved in the New York camp.
A public weekend showcase follows the completion of the summer camp each year, giving parents, family and friends a chance to see and hear each band. Signature apparel and accessories of each group also are on sale at that time.
Many bands formed at other camps have sustained throughout the year into the next summer, and both Wendell and Warshaw have high expectations for the Philadelphia chapter. "We plan on having the camp every year," Wendell said.
Although Girls Rock Philly doesn’t have a concrete office just yet, it’s officially up and running on www.girlsrockphilly.org.
Some basics are still being hammered out, but Warshaw, who engineers bands for WXPN and plans on visiting the Oregon camp in February, hopes the local organization will spawn results similar to its predecessors.
"We’ve seen a lot more self-expression and self-awareness," she said. "[The girls] were worried less about pleasing other people and more about creating what they wanted."
