Camp Amped!

By Kristina Robinson and Amber Palmer
M&M TIPsters

"For a month out of the year I get to listen to people making music and having fun,"said Laura Ford, the camp coordinator of Camp Amped.
Fun is in the air four weeks in the summer at Nuci’s Space for Camp Amped. Teenagers in Athens, Georgia, with songwriting ability, creativity, and good communication skills have an amazing opportunity to expound upon their musical education. Kids between the ages of 11 and 17 can apply for Camp Amped, a two week summer day camp located in Nuci’s Space. Nuci’s Space is a non-profit health and music resource center that works with Athens School of Music. Along with teaching the kids about music, Camp Amped teaches them about being in the music scene and the pressures of being a musician.
Camp Amped was started in 2007 so that young musicians could meet, connect, and play together as bands. Most kids at this age would be unorganized and have to set up gigs, practices, and practice space on their own; but Camp Amped gives teens an easier way to do this.
There are two summer sessions, June 7-19 and July 5-17, for teens to work with local musicians. Students have the amazing opportunity to write, perform, and record their own songs. They receive a CD of their songs, a picture of their band, and a T-shirt of the camp at the end of the two weeks.
Teens wishing to participate in the camp must turn in an application, interview in person at Nuci’s Space, and have basic knowledge of their instrument. Competition is fierce since there are limited spaces available. Each camper is placed into two different bands to ensure that they get a feel of working with different types of people. There are four ensembles, which include a bassist, a drummer, at least one guitarist, and up to two other members per session. Guitarists especially have a lot of competition due to the large amount of players in Athens. According to the organization’s web site, applicants who sing or double on other instruments may have a greater chance of being accepted into the program.
However, even if you aren’t accepted to the summer program, there is a Camp Amped after school program during the rest of the year. You still have to apply, but it’s for a longer period of time. There are twenty spots per semester (13 weeks) which include four drummers, four bassists, and at least eight guitarists, with some extra spots for keyboarders and vocalists. The after school program meets as a group once a week, and then as a band on another day. Also, the camp encourages students to reapply if they don’t make the summer program.
For more information, you can go to http://www.nuci.org/ , the Camp Amped FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, Flicker, or YouTube pages, or you can visit their blog at http://www.nucisspace.blogspot.com/.



Amber Palmer is a rising 9th grader at East Paulding High School in Dallas, Georgia.


Kristina Robinson is a rising 9th grader at the American International School of Johannesburg in Johannesburg, South Africa.