So if you’re anything like me, you felt like it was nearly impossible to avoid all of the hoopla surrounding the Disney Channel’s movie “Camp Rock” (featuring the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, and several other Disney ‘stars’). They sing, they dance, and they are all perfect! There is never a hair out of place or a problem without a solution (that is only five seconds away)…it is a movie. What kind of message does this send to the children (and unlucky older siblings) watching the show? It is possible to be a rock star with the right kind of money or uncanny luck. In other words, it’s not really going to happen for anyone.
However, this kind of message is completely negated by Misty MacFarlane’s Girls Rock Camp. The camp encourages and develops “self-confidence, strength, and empowerment through the medium of a chosen instrument-guitar, bass, drums, or vocals.” In this camp attended by girls, grades 6-12, there are no close-ups with a camera or princess beauty treatments. They work hard and rock harder! The experience is not about becoming famous, but exploring what it means to be a girl. Throughout their stay, campers see how to find a place for themselves. This could mean a place with accepting people at school, or on a larger scale, society as a whole. Each instrument is an outlet for all frustration, confusion, sadness, happiness, and any other emotions a young girl may have. They are shown how to use their voices and be not just seen…but heard. To witness this journey, even through a documentary, is a powerful thing. The growth accomplished over the course of a week is amazing. I personally wish that there were more camps like these and that I had been able to attend one when I was younger. The camps and all of the counselors’ hard work bring a whole new meaning to the phrase “Rock on!”
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