Backstage at the Bottom Lounge was a flurry of activity on August 2.
Performers lingered in the halls and dressing rooms of the West Town concert venue, jittery with excitement and nerves. The DJs were already on the stage, hyping up the crowd. The drummer for the first band rushed by, her pink tutu bouncing uncontrollably as she weaved around bystanders and guitars. As she stood at the base of the stage, she smacked her drumsticks together, and the two pieces of plastic turned fluorescent blue.
Just because she hasn’t reached her 10th birthday doesn’t mean she hasn’t mastered the art of showmanship.
Her band, The Tie-Dye Rockers, was the first to perform at the 2014 Girls Rock! Chicagoshowcase, a culmination of the summer camp’s weeklong mission to inspire young girls to put down the Barbie and pick up the bass guitar.
“Girls aren’t encouraged to work with technology or play with certain types of instruments,” saysMelissa Oglesby, co-founder and outreach director for Girls Rock! Chicago. “We create an environment that tells them, “Yes, you can.’”
During the camp, girls form a band, learn an instrument, write a song, perform it live, and record it in a studio. It’s a whirlwind week, but it leaves campers with a satisfaction that can’t always be found at a traditional summer camp.
“It gives them confidence in themselves when other people tell them it’s not cool to be that way,” says Emma Theeke, 16, of Batavia. As one of the first campers to attend Girls Rock! when it started in 2006, Theeke has now graduated to junior counselor. Over the past eight years she has witnessed girls arrive at camp shy and reserved, but return the next year bursting with confidence because they have spent the year embracing the empowering message of the camp.
“I like to say that it’s a unique way for girls to learn about an instrument while learning about themselves,” she says. “Girls are told they can’t be smart, authentic, musical or artistic. We throw that out the window and encourage you to be yourself regardless.”
Girls Rock! Chicago officially opened its doors to 16 girls ages 8 to 16 in August 2006. After the week was over, one of the groups, The Jagged Tulips, was asked to perform at the Estrojam (now the Decibelle Music & Culture Festival), a Chicago-based festival dedicated to female musicians.
The next year, enrollment nearly quadrupled.
Since then, the camp has split into two summer sessions, allowing more young girls to attend the camp and reap the benefits of surrounding themselves with strong, creative peers.
And the timing couldn’t be better. According to the New York University Child Study Center, a girl’s sense of confidence and self-worth will drop drastically around nine years old, right before she enters the brutal, emotional minefield that is middle school.
“I think being a girl in the world is pretty hard and stays hard for a long period of time,” Oglesby says.
Girls Rock! Chicago encourages girls to develop a creative outlet for dealing with the stress of growing up, reminding them that being different is not only acceptable but something to celebrate. Because the camp runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for seven days, the leaders also make sure to incorporate female-centric life lessons like self defense, discussions about the portrayal of women in the media, and presentations by the Chicago Women’s Health Center about gender.
“There’s not only one way to be,” Oglesby says. “It’s not the 1950s. We don’t all have to wear dresses and heels. There are many different ways to be a woman in the world.”
“For me, [the benefit of the camp] was the empowerment,” says Ava Polzin, 17, of Libertyville. “It’s a group of creative girls together in a space with no creative boundaries.”
The connection between music and confidence is one of the reasons why Girls Rock! Chicago tries to make sure all girls can attend the program, regardless of their family’s financial situation. The camp is set on a sliding scale, and ranges from free to $425.
“We don’t turn anyone away,” Oglesby says. “More than half the girls get full or partial scholarships.”
Because Girls Rock! is mostly a volunteer-run organization, funds come from donations, a three-day long Ladies Rock! camp (though they haven’t held one for a few years), fundraisers and grants. The group also has a relationship with the Pitchfork Music Festival. For the past 10 years, Girls Rock! leaders have volunteered at the event in exchange for donations.
The camp attracts a variety of girls, and while some live and breathe music, others are just beginning to experiment with creative self-expression. Regardless, the camp is a beacon for girls who are motivated and self-aware, the kinds who quote Picasso, utter questions like “Is this bagel vegan?” and start cultural exchange programs before hitting puberty. It’s the kind of place where the counselors have tattoos and radical hairstyles, post signs declaring the bathrooms to be gender neutral, and remind campers that being a girl isn’t just special—it rocks.
