Girls Rock Philly Singing in the Key of G(irl)

The Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Nirvana, Coldplay, and Death Cab for Cutie among others all have one thing in common. Everyone in the band is a guy. Think of all the other bands you like. Chances are there is not one girl in them. One organization is working to change that.

Girls Rock Philly (GRP) is a non-profit organization that brings the love of music to girls ages 9-17. Every August Girls Rock Philly holds a weeklong day camp, which takes place at Girard College, for young rockers. The camp offers instruction in vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass, and DJing. Talent and skill levels of all kinds are welcome. A girl could never have even picked up the instrument prior to camp week or she may have been playing for over five years. On the first day, they form bands with other campers. At the end of the week a showcase is held featuring the songs the bands created; this year it took place at the Trocadero. The campers also recorded their songs at XPN’s studios. A CD release party for the 2010 GRP album The Key of G(irl) took place in the afternoon on Saturday November 6th at Johnny Brenda’s.

A typical day at GRP consists of morning assembly, instrument instruction, workshop, lunch, workshop, band practice, and an afternoon assembly. Erica Rubin, 16, has been attending the camp for the past three summers and has had only positive experiences.

“I've attended I think every workshop they have offered there... History of Women in Music, Touring & Booking, Non-Traditional Instruments, Live Sound, Pedals & Effects, Band Merch Making, etc. etc. etc. All of the workshops are really interesting, and are taught by some of the coolest ladies out there,” said Erica.

GRP is not strictly about music according to director, Beth Warshaw-Duncan. “GRP also stresses that we are an empowerment through music organization. Our point is to encourage girls to try new and challenging things, increase their confidence, and ask for help (and help others) when they need it,” she said. “It's about taking something that girls and women have traditionally been told they couldn't do, and have been marginalized when they try, and saying yes to it and ourselves.”

Erica agrees with Warshaw-Duncan. “It has helped many girls, myself included, be proud of who they are, and learn that they can play music just as well as any guy,” she said.

Campers are not the only ones reaping the positive benefits of being involved with GRP. Andrea Kuhar has been volunteering since 2007 when the first camp was held, and said it has changed different areas of her life.

“It has really really inspired me to not be afraid to make my own music. It introduced me to the members of Creatures of Prey…, it also introduced me to Corey [Duncan] who invited me to play in Oh! Pears. So basically, yes, Girls Rock has provided the majority of things I find worthwhile in life. I feel really driven to keep working with young people, especially girls, and am now in school studying education to be a teacher in Philly,” said Kuhar.

Natasha Rodriguez, volunteer since 2008, commented on how she sees the camp helps young girls. “I think everyone's recognition that getting up on stage to perform something within 7 days of having learned it is something most people never do, and that alone is a major accomplishment, not to mention that the girls frequently rock our socks off,” she said.

Now going into its fifth year, the volunteer run organization has seen tremendous growth. They have more than doubled in camper size, going from 20 campers in 2007 to approximately 75 this last summer. Girls Rock Philly is now a part of the Girls Rock Camp Alliance, which links together all the Girls Rock camps of the world together. The first camp started in Portland, Oregon and now has spread to cities across the globe.

GRP recently acquired a new practice and office space that past campers can use to rehearse with their bands. It is a great improvement from their old practice space, according to Kuhar. “It was a small room, seemed like it was sweltering in the summer and freezing in the winter,” she said of the old space on Delaware Avenue. The new practice space is still undergoing some construction but will be completely ready soon.

Warshaw Duncan said, “We have a real place to meet, hold workshops & orientations, hang out, teach instrument lessons, and even hold some bigger mixers and all-ages events down the road.

The organization is also working to pay some of its dedicated volunteers. “GRP's immediate plans (for the next couple of years) are to grow our budget enough to be able to provide someone with a salaried job managing our programs,” said Warshaw-Duncan.

Erica sums up what the mission of all the camps is about. “I love how inspiring it is. GRP and all of the other girls rock camps around the world are doing something truly extraordinary and revolutionary for young girls,” she said.

"...Timber!" in Clark Park

The green thing is to plant trees not cut them down. It might be surprising to learn that Clark Park has chosen the latter. The park, located at 43rd Street and Baltimore Avenue in West Philadelphia, has been undergoing major renovations since the beginning of August. The organization behind the changes is Friends of Clark Park, a non-profit and volunteer group that works to maintain the park. According to a press release issued in early August by the group, “The main goal is to improve drainage in the park.” Though this comes at the expense of ridding historically old plants.

Some are not so happy about hundred plus year old trees being destroyed. Malwina Andruczyk, 24, has worked at the farmers market every Saturday for a few years and is not pleased with the recent alterations in scenery at the park. “I don't like that so many trees were cut down in the park. What I heard is that they cut down the maple trees and left the sycamores because maple is an invasive species. However, maple trees are also the ones that turn beautiful colors in the fall,” Andruczyk said.

Nissa Blocher, who lives within walking distance of Clark Park, is upset that the Friends of Clark Park did not seek the community’s opinion. “I think many people feel, as I do, a sort of ownership of the park,” she said. “It feels slightly invasive that someone is digging it up without any input from me. However, I have confidence that their intentions are good. The park certainly needed some improvements.”

The Friends of Clark Park website states the renovations will be finished by the end of November.