The summer camp aimed at empowering girls through music wrapped up Sunday with sets by eight enthusiastic young bands making their debut and rocking the stage for impressed fans. (Story, photo gallery)
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When the Wealthy Theatre screen lifted to reveal The Electric Darlings, the audience – filled with parents, siblings and relatives – was more than ready for the empowering afternoon of music, and of course, girl power.
The Girls Rock! Grand Rapids camp, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering girls through music, closed out its week-long journey for the fourth year in a row at the theater on Sunday.
The annual performance showcased a diverse, eight-band lineup of girls ages 8-16 who all shared one thing in common: They were all ready to rock. From the “electric” opening five-piece to The Rockin’ Black Bobcats, equipped with a talented “one-armed” drummer, to the “anti-Trump, political grunge rock” PB + Jaguar Jamz, the girls proved they could write and master a song in a single week.
“I learned a really valuable lesson this week when coaching my band,” quipped Sara Jean Anderson, band coach and humorous host for the afternoon. “I learned never to promise children anything, never to assume they’ll forget about something, and to never, ever, ever underestimate, by any means, your children.”
In addition to the unique instrumental instruction from area musicians, band sessions and workshops provided to the girls, volunteer committee member Steffanie Rosalez said there was another important lesson: “To teach girls that their ideas and opinions are valid and important, teach them how to use their voice, how to respect other people and how to recognize their own power.”
VOLUNTEERS PASSING ON SKILLS TO BUDDING MUSICIANS
Rosalez was one of a handful of excited volunteers, band coaches and counselors who helped the girls organize and rehearse their own songs for the camp’s wrap-up performance on Sunday.
“When I was young, there was no place for me to learn musical skills. I would have loved something like this when I was a kid,” said fellow volunteer Lena Nieboer. “Also, just being a songwriter and a musician, being able to pass those skills on to other people is rewarding.”
Now, GR!GR provides that safe environment for girls who wish to get involved with the community and learn music, with no prior musical experience required.
Each band’s ensemble included a set of keys, at least one bass and electric guitar, drums and vocals. After assembling and getting help from coaches, the girls chose a band name, wrote a song and created a band logo for their own band T-shirts, which were screen-printed right outside the theater for purchase.
Oh, and they recorded all of this music on an album, which will also be available for purchase in October.
The bands delighted the crowd with their enthusiasm and witty bios and lyrics, including the amusing closer We Don’t Believe In Humans and My Granny’s Ghost, who sang “Granny’s ghost is coming for you, to pinch your butt and take you to the zoo.”
At the end of the show, the volunteers took a moment to thank everyone involved, and the entire camp joined each other on stage to sing the GR! GR camp theme song to celebrate the positive cause and what volunteer Lizzie Grathwol called “the next generation of female musicians in Grand Rapids.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Girls Rock! GR Showcase 2016
Photos by Taylor Mansen