Girls Rock!

By Kathy Garner, M&M TIPster

Athens has an amazing music scene. With bands such as REM and the B52s hailing from this area, doesn’t it make sense that it is also home to a camp for musicians?

The Girls Rock camp is a non-profit organization, dedicated to empowering girls ages 9-15 through learning how to play guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, or sing. Currently, it is only a summer program. However, they are looking to extend it to an after-school, weekend, and winter vacation program, as well as a separate camp for older campers (the main program lists having these or a variation on their website, but the local program does not).

Originally started in Portland, Oregon, the Girls Rock camp alliance’s main goal is to empower young women regardless of race, neighborhood, ethnicity, or socio-economic background. While girls are encouraged to bring their own instruments, they keep a cost-free rental program for their instruments, as many are beginners. They also keep drum kits and amplifiers on site, though these are not for rent. The camp also has a string of core values, including respect, positive approaches to fighting sexism, and diversity.

Kathy Garner, 15, is a sophomore at Ursuline Academy in Dallas, Texas.