Empowering the voices of young women through music camp

With school out, parental attention during this time of year often turns to summer camps.

A particularly musical one taking place over the next week (June 9-14) is the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls San Diego.  The camp, which is celebrating a decade of amplifying youth voices, offers a diverse range of musical options for girls to enjoy.

One woman who knows this camp very well is a downtown native who first took part in the camp during its inaugural year in 2015.

Lori Rodriguez not only spent time as a camper, but she also returns now to serve as a staff member and mentor to young campers. She has used her camp experiences and talents to learn a variety of musical instruments from vocals to the guitar and keys, even getting comfortable playing a ukulele.

“Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp is incredible,” Rodriguez said. “I grew up with incredible mentors that gave me amazing opportunities like joining the San Diego Youth Chorus and performing with Jason Mraz. The community that’s built within camp has a very strong foundation from every first day for the girls.

“Everyone’s a bit nervous at first but by Friday we see so much passion and confidence from the students we teach. This camp saved my life, and my first year, the identity class that was taught, gave me the courage to come out to my family. I felt okay knowing if I wasn’t accepted by them, I would be accepted at Rock Camp.”

Now that she has gone through the camp and knows the ropes, Rodriguez is a good source of advice for young girls coming in for the first time.

“Some advice I would give to the girls this year is to make friends as soon as possible,” Rodriguez added.

“My first bandmates have remained my friends the past 10 years. They’re always there for me when I need them and it’s amazing to have a friendship documented through camp, to see how much we’ve grown up. Having a friend at a camp makes the nerves quiet a lot more, and you’ll always have someone to talk to.”

The weeklong camp, which is hosted at Montgomery Middle School in Linda Vista, welcomes youth ages 8–17 for five days of songwriting, instrument instruction, and creative collaboration. 

It culminates in the 10th Anniversary Camper Showcase, taking place Saturday, June 14 at 11 a.m. at Music Box in downtown San Diego, where campers will perform their original songs live on stage. Tickets are $12.