by Susie Wyshak

Learning guitar and playing on stage has been a life long dream and nightmare at the same time. I mean, how could a chick who can't even remember beginning guitar lessons and only sings in the shower get on stage at a club? But when I heard how  Oakland's Ladies Rock Camp's tuition would benefit girls needing scholarships for Oakland's Girls Rock Camp, my hesitation melted away.

I had no idea what to expect upon arriving for Day 1 at the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts. Who'd have known that 48 hours later, the Center would feel like home and I'd be among a group of long-time friends. Or that I'd feel like the confident rocker I've always wanted to be (despite only two electric guitar lessons).

About 40 other women of all ages, colors and walks of life took part
in the camp, some on scholarship thanks to generous supporters. From
the happy smiles, I think they shared an equally positive experience as
mine. However our experience is nothing compared to how this camp transforms the lives of girls from around the Bay Area.

A Little Backstory

For those unfamiliar, Bay Area Girls Rock Camp is an Oakland-based non-profit organization that empowers girls through music creation, education and performance. They offer an annual Ladies Rock Camp as a fundraiser to help support the scholarship fund for the girls. 50% of the girls who attend Bay Area Girls Rock Camp receive need-based financial aid. Ladies Rock Camp is modeled after the Girls Rock Camp: participants learn instruments, form bands, and write and perform an original song. The girls do this in one week, whereas we ladies had to do it in just 2.5 days!

The Ladies Rock Camp echoed a unique aspect of the girls' camp: Equal
distribution of campers from districts all over Oakland and from across
the Bay. "We try hard to have a diverse group of girls in terms of race,
socio-economics, age, neighborhood, musical ability," says Anna Luisa
Petrisko, Development and Outreach Director. "We think about this a lot
and believe it's part of our mission to serve a broad base of girls. We
reserve spots to make sure the camp achieves this diversity. It takes a
lot of work, but it's worth it. We consider ourselves a social justice
organization. We're not just trying to combat gender inequality. Our
workshops address more than sexism - but racism, ageism, size-ism, and
class-ism as well, and we talk about how those things work together to
create oppression. We give girls the tools to respond and address
different kinds of discrimination they see in the world."

Many of the girls would likely never meet. The camp helps these diverse participants mix with fun exercises like a "speed dating" exercise, in which we quickly chatted  with women playing complementary
instruments, to find possible band mates. Says Anna: "Girls who like all different types of genres attend Girls Rock Camp, and
all of a sudden you have a band who is hip-hop/metal hybrid."

Instant Positive Transformation

A number of the women at Ladies Rock Camp clearly blossomed, shedding
shyness during our mere two days of practice. It's the same for the
girls, says Anna Luisa, "We always survey girls after camp. Between
95-98% say their confidence and self-esteem has increased, not just in
regards to music, but in their life overall."

How is this quick transformation possible? Through all we accomplished in just a few hours:

• Learned an instrument of our choosing - keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, or voice.
• Formed a band and learned about all the dynamics that go into working together
• Picked a genre and wrote a song collaboratively
• Learned to sing and play at the same time
• Played on stage at the Starry Plough

Seriously, this is what pride and confidence is made of.  

Music is Just One Benefit

Initially this program brought the Jack Black comedy School of Rock to
mind. OK I thought of it over and over. However much like in the movie,
rocking is a small aspect of this program. Aside from the musical
experience, direct quotes from campers show how the camp truly transforms
girls' lives:

A safe place to be free: "At Rock Camp I honestly don't care what people think of me. You don't really have to care what people think of you. You don't have to impress anyone because you know no one will judge you."

Confidence: “I’ve been speaking up more in class and with my friends.  I still wouldn’t call myself loud, but I do make a point of talking when I have something to say, which I didn’t really do before Girls Rock Camp”

Self-esteem: “Thank god for girls rock camp.  If not for the camp, I would be another plain Jane, focused mainly on fitting in and being “normal.”  Now I always try to be myself, even when people around me make it difficult.”

Friendship: “Being more confident has helped me make so many more friends here than I expected I would have!  Being outgoing has made me fit in at [my new school] and enabled me to be friends with people from all friendship groups.”

Lasting Positive Benefits and Intern Program
Bay Area Girls Rock Camp offers a junior counselor / mentorship intern
program for girls ages 15-18 who have previously been to rock camp."Just
the fact that they're coming back to give back shows how much they
gained from the experience." says Anna Luisa.

A few girls in the community have formed bands, after their
experience learning how to form and sustain a band. Anna Luisa
enthusiastically told how "one girl came to us when she was 17. She was
quiet and didn't have a band at the time but was an excellent musician.
Now, two years later, her band is gigging all the time. She's the front
person - singing and playing her instrument. It is so cool to see that
evolution in confidence."

Now Enrolling Campers and Volunteers

The Bay Area Girl's Rock Camp - a member of a now worldwide alliance of
similar non-profits - is entering its fourth season, with 3 upcoming
sessions of summer camp, to be held at Oakland School for the Arts in
Downtown Oakland.  They're now enrolling girls ages 8-18 and you can
apply online at http://www.bayareagirlsrockcamp.org/pages/programs.html  

Volunteers are the foundation of Bay Area Girls Rock Camp's success.
Whether band managing, cooking, cleaning, teaching music, or doing
whatever needs to be done, the helpful and enthusiastic (and very cool)
volunteers took care of us campers and soaked in our collective pride.

Bay Area Girls Rock Camp is looking for volunteers for this Summer,
both girls and guys. Most don't require musical experience! 

Donations are Welcome

Check the website for the many ways you can contribute to this program which makes Oakland a better place for happy girls and good music.

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