Who would give money to this thing? I've never heard of anything so yuppified and ridiculous.

Jimmy Hendrix did not go to "rock camp."

On top of that, anyone who wants their kids picking up the values and activities of typical "rock stars" --- most of which lead to diminished brain cells --- has some serious issues. Paying hundreds of dollars for one's daughter to learn how to preen in front of an audience and be taught how to look cool seems like the worst possible use of a parent's money.

I have to strongly disagree with the previous post. These camps are a wonderful way to encourage more girls to get involved in this male-dominated field. Would you discourage girls from basketball camp because Michael Jordan didn't go? Computer camp because it wasn't necessary for Bill Gates? Piano camp because Bach got by without it?

The previous poster might be interested in the list of workshops offered on the girlsrockcamp.org website. They include daily instrument instruction as well as sessions on:

* Live Sound

* Roadie

* Self-Defense

* Book Your Show

* Band Art: Merchandise & Promotion

* Zine Writing & Publishing

* Songwriting & Arranging

As a female musician in a rock band, I know firsthand that the skills need to be successful are far more than simply knowing "how to preen... and look cool." In addition to the musicianship, business acumen, and media savvy needed for success in the music industry, potential "rock stars" also need a strong sense of self-sufficiency, confidence, and independent spirit - exactly what these programs are cultivating.

Perhaps if Jimi had gone to a camp like this he would have developed the skills, focus, and support system to manage a long and productive career in music rather than let success drive him to a far-too-early death.

Artists are often messed-up people, especially if they are good. If Monsieurs Hendrix, Gates, et al were groomed since early childhood to be prodigies it's safe to say their edges would be completely blunted. It's fine to send your children to baby-boomer-ego-stroking camps to learn useless skills, but it will in no way increase any of these girls' chances of becoming a "rock star."

However, it is true that many mediocre, over-saturated-with-enrichment-lessons kids will be churned out of computer camp, laywer camp, CEO camp, and music camp. You can't teach talent, but you can assuage the egos of the talentless with sufficient amounts of money.

Josie & The Pussycats didn't need no stinkin' camp. They came up OLD SCHOOL. And they sewed their own kittycat costumes, too.

Wow, second comment in one night, again defending girl-centered programs.

I don't get it.

I don't get why folks like commenter below are so negative. I'm sure not every parent who sends their girls to these camps want them to become full-blown rock stars with drug problems or Hendrix (or Lindsay Lohan) aspirations.

How about the veritable, tangible benefits that come from learning how to play an instrument? They are well-documented. Some (documented here: http://musiced.about.com/od/beginnersguide/a/pinst.htm) include learning self-discipline, stress relief, and self-accomplishment.

I took piano lesson for YEARS as a kid, and I was also in my high school marching band, jazz band, steel drum band, chorus, and orchestra. I loved, lived, and breathed music.

But not only did I play the flute and xylophone ("girlie" instruments, according to some), I also played the guitar. Loud.

Problem? None of the girls I knew played loud music, and the boys were either intimidated or exclusive or didn't know how to handle me. So I never got the chance to play in a 'real rock band' or learn how to work with a small group of people creating and playing our own music.

My favorite part of this program is that it allows girls to play with other girls "in a supportive environment." When I was in college, I attempted to play in a jazz jam session with about 10 other guys. It was awful and unsupportive - I felt like a tokenized anamoly. I continued to take jazz guitar and jazz piano but I felt like my male teachers didn't see me as someone who was 'really' interested, someone they could 'really' jam with. (And no, this was in the 90s, not the 60s.)

I think camps like this are fabulous. Man, I wish I had that opportunity.

What's the difference between this and tennis camp? Or art camp? Or band camp? Yeah, it's all girls, but there have been all girl camps for a long time. And they're usually about psycho-educational development. Like these.

You just learn how to play electric guitar for the sake of learning how to play electric guitar--it's as simple as that. It might be a little less competitive when vulnerability is taken out of the quotient. Hell, getting up to sing in front of people is scarey enough.

Kids have more choices these days. If a rock camp had been around when I was a kid I would have surely skipped summer school home ec and wood shop for this stuff.

There's a Girlz Rhythm N' Rock Camp in Central Ohio. Ladyfest Ohio threw a huge weekend benefit for the camp--primarily so that girls from low to middle-income households could attend. It's quite offensive to suggest that it's just for yuppies. It's for everybody's girls.

Here's a link: http://www.girlzrhythmnrockcamp.com/

I don't know if strutting or drug use is a quotient in realizing your potential. Developmental and educational programming is far more about realizing your potential these days.

If it doesn't hurt, then let it rock!

Girl's rock camp is such an over-excess of middle class whiteness that it's scary: can you imaine a hip-hop camp: "Yo bitch, shake that booty jus' a little more!" Rock-n-roll is about rebellion, certainly not the conformity of a fucking sleep-away camp that probably costs a pile and imparts what? I went to music "camp" as a child - a day program for boys and girls - and guess what: that's where I learned - from older kids, how to get wasted on weed - it's been about 30 years since, and I long put away my "ax" - but I'm still getting wasted. And, as one poster said, if rock is male dominated, R&B certainly is not - so why is this an issue that needs to be adressed? Can you imagine an R&B camp - for boys only? as an empowerment tool? Feminists would snicker - and well they should. Don't get me wrong - people will do as they please, but this is nothing more than a place for girls hang out and play rock star - a silly endeavor that shows, once again, why the feminist movement is for wealthy white chicks who are far (as far a george bush) from the concerns of most women (and people in general).