Readers, if you’re wondering why I’ve been a little sporadic with posting this week, there are two totally logical reasons. 1) I was out of town for a wedding in Michigan this weekend and couldn’t get Internet connection from my hotel room (but did have a personal jacuzzi, so it’s all good). 2) More importantly, I’ve been getting ready for the first session of Girls Rock Camp Austin (GRCA), which kicks off today. I’m teaching a history workshop with my girl Kristen and, as someone who feels strongly about grassroots organizations dedicated to helping girls rock, I think you should definitely go to Saturday’s showcase. Here’s a little bit of info on GRCA:
GRCA is a non-profit organization that heads two summer sessions, each a week long, in which 50 girls from ages 9 – 16 learn to play instruments, write songs, form bands, and perform in front of an audience.
Each camp session culminates in a showcase at which bands perform original material they wrote and practiced throughout the week. The showcase is open to the public – and I would love to see friends from work come out and cheer on the girls.
Here are the details:
The showcase is on Saturday June 27th at The Parish.
Doors open at 1 p.m. and the performances begin a little before 2 p.m.
There is suggested donation of $5 at the door.
On top of hearing some great music and supporting girls’ artistic endeavors, the showcase will display some of the girls’ other creative work, including zines, posters, and buttons, as well as camp T-shirts, handbooks, and more. There will also be a silent auction for autographed rock items both classic and contemporary (from Spoon to Loretta Lynn), gift certificates from local merchants, SXSW wristbands, and much more.
You don’t need to sign up or do anything in advance – just come to the show.
Also as added incentive, Best Buy was gracious enough to lend us some equipment for the summer sessions this year. Thanks to this GRCA was able to fund more scholarships, allowing a greater number of underprivileged girls to attend camp. Our contact at Best Buy is advocating for the company to actually donate the gear and equipment, but so far he has encountered some resistance from the top. Apparently some of the top people from Best Buy will be at the showcase, and we hope to convince them to donate it all. Therefore, we want to pack The Parish as much as possible. All the more reason to come and support Girls Rock Camp!
And if you aren’t in Austin but wanna get involved, here is a list of affiliates in other parts of the United States, as well as Canada, England, and Sweden.
