Playback - Winter 2009 - (Page 27)

NAMM Foundation Grantee Profile: GIRLS ROCk INSTITUTE • PORTLAND, OREGON WHAT BEGAN AS A ONE-WEEK SUMMER DAY CAMP FOR GIRLS HAS SINCE TURNED INTO A THRIVING YEAR-ROUND MUSIC INSTITUTE WITH AFFILIATE CAMPS AROUND THE WORLD. In the 1990s, the Pacific Northwest became famous for its alternative music scene, with Nirvana leading the way. Now local bands with names like Blubird, Pom Pom Meltdown and The Gossip are grabbing the spotlight and calling attention to an innovative music program. The Rock ’n’ Roll Camp for Girls was created in Portland, Ore., in 2001 with the goal of encouraging girls to learn and express themselves through music. An instant hit, the camp’s founders then launched the Girls Rock Institute, a year-round after-school initiative. The two programs now offer instrument instruction, band formation, band practice, workshops, private lessons, coaching, an internship program, hip-hop classes and a resource for recording and distributing music. To raise scholarship money for girls wanting to attend rock camp, organizers created Ladies Rock, a weekend camp for women 19 and over. Participants at both camps learn to play an instrument (or improve musical skills they already have), write a song and perform it at a showcase. Ladies Rock camps generated $35,000+ for scholarships in 2008. Founders also launched the Girls Rock Camp Alliance in 2006, connecting similar camps around the world to share ideas and resources, and work toward a common mission of helping build girls’ self-esteem through music education and performance. Affiliates include camps in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Sweden. The Portland camps continue to flourish, with waiting lists of eager girls and women. Contributing to this growth might be Girls Rock! The Movie, a limited-release rockumentary tracking four budding artists attending the camp as they prepare for the final showcase. Released last year, the film is now playing in select cities and will be released on DVD January 27. And, in June, the organization published Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls, a book of tips on how to “start a band, write songs, record an album and rock out.” Programs such as the Girls Rock Institute align perfectly with NAMM’s mission to serve its Members by increasing interest in music making and helping create more active music makers. To learn more about The Girls Rock Institute and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls, visit www.girlsrockcamp.org. Supporting Music Making for Older Adults The NAMM Foundation recently presented a program grant to the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts for their efforts to expand music-making opportunities to older adults. The presentation took place in Philadelphia, Penn., during the Guild’s 71st annual conference. L-R: NAMM Board Member and President of Hoshino USA Bill Reim; National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts (NGCSA) Executive Director Jonathan Herman; NGCSA Trustee Emilie Roy Corey; and NAMM Foundation Executive Director Mary Luehrsen. WINTER 2009 27 http://www.girlsrockcamp.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Playback - Winter 2009

Playback - Winter 2009 Contents From the President NAMM Events Music in the News A New Year... a New Look at Technology Commercial Retail Reps in the Field Washington Watch International New Domestic Members NAMM Foundation Music Notes Resources Viewpoint

Playback - Winter 2009

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