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If you don’t get someth<strong>in</strong>g right on <strong>the</strong> first few<br />
tries, don’t say, “I’m sorry.” Say, “I rock.”<br />
That’s a rule at <strong>the</strong> non-profit Girls Rock camp <strong>in</strong> Jacksonville, which is July 29 through August 2 at<br />
Douglas Anderson School of <strong>the</strong> Arts. In its second year, <strong>the</strong> camp is at full capacity with 45 girls ages 9 to<br />
16. Dur<strong>in</strong>g just one week, <strong>the</strong>y will pick up <strong>in</strong>struments, form bands and write and perform songs, all while<br />
build<strong>in</strong>g confidence and positive self-identity <strong>in</strong> a non-<strong>com</strong>petitive environment.<br />
The campers will perform <strong>the</strong>ir orig<strong>in</strong>al songs dur<strong>in</strong>g a showcase at <strong>the</strong> Florida Theatre at 3 pm, Saturday,<br />
August 3. Tickets are $15.<br />
Alicia Canessa, one of <strong>the</strong> camp’s founders and organizers, has noticed that young girls often apologize<br />
when <strong>the</strong>y’re not at fault. “The rule makes you see that you apologize sometimes just for tak<strong>in</strong>g up<br />
space,” she says. “If you’re constantly apologiz<strong>in</strong>g as simply as you would say, ‘hello,’ to someone, it<br />
<strong>com</strong>pounds this idea that you don’t have a voice or have much value.”<br />
The Jacksonville camp is one of more than 40 camps <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational Girls Rock Camp Alliance,<br />
which boasts <strong>in</strong>fluence from Austria to <strong>the</strong> U.K. to Iceland. Canessa, who has a bachelor’s degree <strong>in</strong> sociology<br />
from <strong>the</strong> University of North Florida, became <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> Girls Rock for its gender-responsive ideology<br />
and social goals. The mission is to embrace self-empowerment and to promote a reality where gender, race<br />
and socio-economic status do not determ<strong>in</strong>e who can or can’t undertake endeavors like music.<br />
In addition to <strong>the</strong> music lessons, <strong>the</strong>re will be workshops on basic physical and emotional self-defense,<br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g Z<strong>in</strong>es, do-it-yourself media promotion, screenpr<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g, and image and identity.<br />
“We’re try<strong>in</strong>g to create social change. Our vessel is music and self-expression,” Canessa says. The<br />
music <strong>in</strong>dustry is male-dom<strong>in</strong>ated, mak<strong>in</strong>g it an apropos focus for a camp that encourages girls to venture<br />
outside <strong>the</strong>ir safety zones and to take risks.<br />
24 JULY 2013 | eu jacksonville monthly<br />
rory Penn<strong>in</strong>gton<br />
photo by barbara georges<br />
photo by krab stiq<br />
Girls rock Jacksonville<br />
By HeatHer Lovejoy<br />
At <strong>the</strong> beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>the</strong> camp, <strong>the</strong> girls may not always speak <strong>the</strong>ir m<strong>in</strong>ds or feel <strong>com</strong>fortable. Creat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
an environment that facilitates personal growth helps <strong>the</strong>m get past those fears. “By <strong>the</strong> end, [<strong>the</strong>y’re] shar<strong>in</strong>g<br />
th<strong>in</strong>gs about <strong>the</strong>mselves and help<strong>in</strong>g each o<strong>the</strong>r,” she says. “You see it. It’s evident how <strong>the</strong>ir attitudes<br />
and behavior change… <strong>in</strong> a very positive way.”<br />
Rory Penn<strong>in</strong>gton, 10, attended <strong>in</strong> 2012 and will be attend<strong>in</strong>g aga<strong>in</strong> this year. Her mom, Jenny Kalota,<br />
noticed that her daughter ga<strong>in</strong>ed confidence and conquered some of her stage fright after last year’s camp.<br />
“She’s still a little shy, but she’s opened up more. She’s def<strong>in</strong>itely more <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> music,” Kalota says.<br />
A month before <strong>the</strong> camp, Rory has already been bra<strong>in</strong>storm<strong>in</strong>g band names like The Echos and The<br />
Good, The Bad and The Rock ‘n’ Roll. Last year, she played guitar, and now she wants to learn keyboards.<br />
She admits to be<strong>in</strong>g nervous on <strong>the</strong> first day, but she says that went away when she “started to meet more<br />
people and get to know <strong>the</strong>m better.” She’s not so nervous this time around. Instead, she’s focused on<br />
“gett<strong>in</strong>g better at <strong>in</strong>struments” so that she can try out for LaVilla School of <strong>the</strong> Arts next year.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g camp week, <strong>the</strong> staff and volunteers are all female. A group of local musicians are help<strong>in</strong>g out,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Rob<strong>in</strong> Rutenburg, Summer Wood and Naarah Strokosch of <strong>the</strong> folk band Four Families, Alex E. of<br />
Wildlife Society, s<strong>in</strong>ger-songwriter Elizabeth Russell and hip-hop artist Cherub “Chopp” Stewart.<br />
“Rock” may be <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> camp’s name, but <strong>the</strong> girls aren’t limited musically to one genre. With a diverse<br />
group of musicians volunteer<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>the</strong>y can explore whatever type of music <strong>the</strong>y enjoy. “They can’t really<br />
make mistakes, especially with <strong>the</strong> music, because it’s a very creative collaborative situation,” Canessa<br />
says. “These girls, <strong>the</strong>y let loose. When <strong>the</strong>y’re <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> bands, it’s fantastic.”<br />
For more on <strong>the</strong> Jacksonville camp and <strong>the</strong> Girls Rock Camp Alliance, go to girlsrockjacksonville.org<br />
and girlsrockcampalliance.org.<br />
WHEN: 3 pm Saturday, Aug. 3 WHERE: The Florida Theatre, 128 E. Forsyth St., Jacksonville<br />
TICKETS: $15 INFO: girlsrockjacksonville.org<br />
photo by barbara georges