'Ladies Rock Camp' and NAMM Foundation Grantee 'Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls' Programs Featured in USA Today

| November 19, 2010

A twice-yearly fundraiser called "Ladies Rock Camp" was featured in USA Today Nov. 19, 2010, and outlined how the unique program can transform adult women who have never played a instrument in their lives into a member of a rock band in three days! It's all for a good cause. The program supports a music-making program for girls in Portland, Ore. that the NAMM Foundation also provided a grant to in 2009 called "Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls." This camp offers girls a place for them to learn an instrument, form a band, write an original song and perform in front of an audience. 

The mission of the camp for girls is to build their self-esteem through music creation and performance. By providing workshops and technical training, the program creates leadership opportunities, cultivating a supportive community of peers and mentors, and encouraging social change and the development of life skills. 

The Ladies Rock Camp fundraiser does pretty much the same but proves that even "aging rock 'n' rollers" exude a certain youthfulness," says the article. 

According to USA Today, participants of the Ladies Rock Camp fundraiser select an instrument (guitar, bass or drums) on day one, and by that afternoon they are in a rock band! On day three, the bands perform original songs in a local club. There's no experience necessary--about half of the campers have never played a musical instrument. 

The article states that Alumna Lori Pesavento, 54, a classical violist and counselor who took up the electric guitar, calls the camp "an amazing bonding experience" that "inspired me to take a break in my life to discover what the next phase will be."

The NAMM Foundation continues to support programs such as Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls and music making programs for people of all ages to continue its mission of advancing active participation in music making across the lifespan. For more information about Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls, visit www.girlsrockcamp.org.