Girls Rock Camp wraps up tonight with an evening performance at The Charlotte Street Arts Centre.
It’s been a busy week at The Ville for the young women involved in this year’s Girls Rock Camp. Over the past week, participants have experienced jam sessions, workshops and explored the wide world of song writing, all under the direction of some of the region’s most inspiring musicians and music lovers.
“The week has been pretty intense, to say the least, but it’s also been a highlight of the year for me,” said Motherhood’s Penelope Stevens, who worked alongside Jane Blanchard, Erin Bond and several guests to deliver the camp’s five days of programming. “Each day after rock camp, I can’t shut up about how proud I am of my campers and all the things they’ve been doing. I think my friends are exhausted of hearing me brag about how awesome my girls are! But I’ve never seen a group of girls and women come together like I’ve seen throughout the week at Girls Rock Camp. The songs they’ve written are inexplicably cheeky, smart, and ferocious. Every song they write is my new favourite song!”
This year’s camp included 14 students between the ages of 11-18, most of whom have never had the opportunity to play music or even hold an instrument until this week.
“There’s been a bit of a learning curve,” said Stevens. “On the first day of keyboard lessons, I asked the girls to put their finger on the C key, and none of them knew what I was talking about, so I knew we were starting from scratch. It’s been so inspirational to watch them push themselves to try new things every day. Every single one of them is hungry for music. Like, we have to force them to take snack and bathroom breaks or they won’t stop all day!
“There have been many tears, but none from the campers. They’ve all been from the instructors,” said Stevens. “Whether it was GP (Girl’s Power) singing “We are the Power Girls, we are strong together, we are not afraid!”, young girls sharing misogynist experiences they’ve had in school, or new drummers learning their first paradiddle, there have been a lot of significant moments shared.”
The camp wraps up tonight with a performance at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre. Come out and celebrate the debut performances of Violet Shades, GP and Platinum Generation.
“The girls are really excited for their showcase,” said Stevens. “They’ve got their outfits planned, stage banter prepared, and they’re ready to rock! I’m sure they’ll absolutely kill it, but I guess that’s besides the point. They’ve all learned to trust and support each other, and I think they’re starting to understand the power they have. So it’s already a win!”
NB Girls Rock Camp Final Showcase | August 25 | Charlotte Street Arts Centre | 7 p.m. | View Event
