This summer, girls and gender non-conforming youth looking to get their rock ‘n’ roll on can do so with the return of a summer day camp from Rock Camp for Girls* (RC4G*) Peterborough.
After a hiatus since 2019, the program is being revitalized this summer from Monday, July 28 to Friday, August 1. Now built on collaboration with administration from Sadleir House and program leadership from Trent Radio, the rock camp will inspire girls and non-gender conforming youth aged 10 to 14 to explore rock music, gain confidence, and build a community of rock ‘n’ rollers.
Inspired by the Girls Rock Camp Alliance, Jean Greig connected with other female musicians in 2006 to bring Rock Camp for Girls to youth in Peterborough. Since then, RC4G* Peterborough has been creating inclusive spaces for both girls and for gender non-conforming youth (symbolized by the asterisk) by facilitating community programming and performance opportunities though summer camp, monthly jam sessions, workshops, and mentorships.
“The goal is to create space to empower girls to take part in rock music and punk rock music,” says Trent Radio’s director of programming and “Rock & Roll Fairy Godmother” Jill Staveley.
“We can go back to the riot girls in the late ’80s and the early ’90s trying to fight to include women and girls and people who are in traditionally marginalized communities.”
As a female musician herself, Staveley says it’s important to have a rock camp for girls and gender non-conforming individuals, not to create an exclusive community but to create “a safe space for people who traditionally don’t have access to take up space in the music communities.”
Working as a sound technician and musician, she recalls times when she was treated “differently” than men in the same spaces.
“I would get asked to play shows because they needed a chick band, they needed to make sure they had girls at their show, and I didn’t feel like a musician,” she says.
“I think there has been progress that’s been made in terms of equity in music communities, but there’s always work to be done to make sure that everybody’s included — especially (so) that young people feel seen and heard and supported and know that it’s their right to take up space — and then try and provide opportunities for them to do that.”
When registering for Rock Camp, campers will be asked to select their top choice for an instrument (electric guitar, electric bass, or drums) they would like to learn to play throughout the camp. On the first afternoon, they will be put into bands (each with two guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer) to write an original song they will perform at the end of the week.
Running from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day at Sadelir House in downtown Peterborough, the camps will begin with a workshop in the morning, before campers are split into groups and given lessons on their chosen instruments. The workshops and lessons are led by a “Rock Squad” made up of music professionals and former campers.
In the afternoon, each band will get together and practise their original songs. Throughout the week, there will also be other arts and craft activities, such as making band shirts.
“It’s a lot of stuff happening, but it’s really this focused space where campers get to hands-on play for a lot of the day, which is really great,” Staveley says.
As the campers are connecting and writing songs, the goal of RC4G* is to instill a sense of confidence in the musicians.
“Rock ‘n’ roll is not just a genre of music — it’s an ethos and it’s a way of approaching life,” Staveley says.
“For everybody, and especially for young people across the board, there’s a lot of pressure to be very good at something before you let anybody see you do it. I think building confidence comes with creating spaces where humans can learn and remember that it’s okay not to be good at something when you first try it.”
To that effect, Staveley assures that none of the campers need to have any experience or already know how to play the instrument they select. While campers who do own an instrument can bring it if they wish, instruments will be supplied at the camp.
“I think most people who sign up for Rock Camp are probably terrified of doing it,” Staveley notes. “But once they get there, they recognize that it’s really important to create spaces of learning and it’s important to try things that are scary.”
“We spend a lot of time at camp focusing on community building and healthy relationships. It’s about this rock ‘n’ roll way of life of being community minded, trying to empower and uplift the people around us, and to convince ourselves to take risks and know that it’s okay not to be perfect.”
Once campers have built that confidence by the end of the week, they will perform their original compositions with their band at what’s called the “Big Gig.” Campers can invite their friends and family for the show, which will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, August 1 in the John K. Muir Dining Hall at Sadleir House.
“It’s really fun and a very high-energy moment,” says Staveley. “The pride on the campers’ faces as they get up and then celebrate each other and share what they’ve learned is a really intense and powerful moment.”
Registration for Rock Camp is priced at $300 for the week, with a $50 e-transfer deposit required when registering. There are funds set aside for camper subsidies on a sliding scale, which campers can apply on the registration form available on Google Docs.
Staveley especially encourages youth who don’t know how to play an instrument to give Rock Camp a try.
“If there’s someone out there who is intrigued but they’re nervous that they can’t play, or they’re nervous that it would be too hard, those are the people who should sign up,” she says.
“You don’t have to be good at something when you first try it out. If you’re interested in the camp at all, but you think it’s not for you because you don’t already play an instrument, come to camp and realize you are a powerful human being who’s got a lot to offer the world.”
While RC4G* is not currently accepting instrument donations, those interested in supporting the camp can make a difference by supporting the camper subsidy fund. To do so, email Staveley at rc4gpeterborough@gmail.com.
For more information on Rock Camp, follow RC4G* on Facebook or Instagram.
