I am so excited about Girls Rock Camp!!!!!!!! Steve took me to see the documentary about the camp at the Tower Theater back in June, and I can't stop thinking it. In case you didn't click on my hyperlink, Girls Rock is a summer camp based in Portland, Oregon. Basically, they take girls at all levels of music experience, help them choose groups ("rock bands"), give them private lessons, and  help them write an original song. Then, at the end of the week, the campers participate in a showcase concert, performing for their friends, family, and the community. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!??!?!?!

Also, they are 501(c)3 non-profit organization with lots of scholarship assistance for girls who can't afford tuition. 

From their website:
We want to eradicate all the limiting myths about music and gender that make girls afraid to speak up, sing out, and make noise. We want to abolish all the obsolete traditions that restrict many girls' and women's free musical expression and obstruct their access to the world of music. We seek to demonstrate—through lessons, mentorship, positive examples, and the shared experiences of the staff and volunteers—that every genre of music from the heaviest to the most delicate, and every technical job and creative endeavor in the music industry, is available to any girl or woman who wants to explore it.

I had a really strong emotional connection to this film. Not so long ago, I was one of those girls who played the drums and sometimes felt out-of-place making music. I often felt intimidated by jerky boys who didn't want to "play with a girl." I eventually found solace with Brickle, my girl band from college. I made music with two amazing women (Briana and Minda) and one incredible, enlightened, opened-minded male bass player (Dave). I can't begin to describe how empowering it is to make music, to play the drums in a rock band, and to play shows in front of big (and semi-big) crowds. 

The camp has locations in other cities around the world, all organized by woman rockers who are dedicated to empowering the next generation of female musicians. There are camps in Washington DC, Portland, Brooklyn... 

Can anyone guess what city still needs a branch of Girls Rock Camp? I am seriously considering organizing a Las Vegas chapter. I have one colleague who is willing to collaborate on this. Anyone else willing to lend a hand for next summer?