“Jump in and feel it

Your invitation to freedom

Enjoy this moment

Believe, Wonder, Love”

Jump In

words and music by “Wonderlove”

 

 

This past weekend just about killed me.

 

 

“Ladies Rock Camp” rolled around on the calendar and I had signed on to teach Vocals and be an all-around volunteer. It sounds simple, I know. And maybe that simplicity of idea is what keeps me coming back every year. I mean, my job is to show up, teach Vocals, and be of service wherever else I’m needed. No big deal, right?

 

 

On Friday morning, I cajoled Mister into dropping me off at a fellow volunteer’s pad for a carpooling session. It was 7:30am. Lauren and Beth were ready to go and just as excited as I. We’ve all been through this before and know how rewarding it is. The 3 of us climbed into Lauren’s car and we hit the road, with downtown L.A. in mind. Traffic was, well, it was traffic, so we arrived at Camp just at 8:30 and headed up the stairs to greet the other volunteers.

 

 

This summer will mark the 5th year of Rock & Roll Camp For Girls L.A. As that camp has always been held at the same location (same for Ladies Rock Camp), the joint has become quite familiar. Climbing the stairs to the school is such an easy experience. It brings me comfort, and makes me smile. That was a pretty good start to the first day.

 

 

We volunteers got in, went over the schedule and the campers started arriving. We all dove in together and there was no turning back. Before I knew it, those chicks had formed bands, popped their instrument cherries, started writing their original songs and jumped head-first into songwriting. The day flew, and by the time shadows were cast by the downtown buildings, the entire camp was dancing and singing to live band karaoke! At 9:45, we all vacated the premises and headed home for the night. Lauren, Beth and I were pretty tired. We did talk on the way home, but not nearly as much as we had that morning. Day 1 down.

 

 

Mister again dropped me off for Saturday morning’s carpool. Lauren, Beth and I were a wee bit more sluggish than we’d been the previous day. As it was Saturday, there was zero-point-zero traffic, so we flew along the 101 to downtown L.A. It was grand!

 

 

Saturday of Ladies Rock Camp is similar to Wednesday of Girls Camp: there are a lot of breakdowns. You’re exhausted. Really exhausted. For the campers, emotions run high and there’s a tremendous amount of anxiety and fear: the showcase is only 1 day away. Will the songs get finished? Will the various parts be learned? Will it all come together? There are always a ton of questions and what-ifs. And there is always only one answer: yes. Yes, the songs will be finished. Yes, the parts will be learned. Yes, it will all most assuredly come together, and brilliantly. I don’t know how it works. It just does. In that regard, the lady campers are no different from the girls. And as the volunteers who’ve watched this again and again, it’s up to us to keep the boat steady. We provide the calm. We show – through our behavior – that there’s nothing to worry about. I like to think it helps. I certainly hope it does anyway.

 

 

So Saturday saw more instrument instruction and band practice, as well as through various workshops and panels. Late in the afternoon, it was time for a stage run-through for all the bands. That’s when the nerves really get going.

 

 

And you know what happened? They were fine. No, they were great. They all got up on that giant rehearsal stage and rocked it. Ladies who’d never ever played their chosen instruments just wailed! And it was awesome. It prepared them for the real showcase and helped to explain the process. For me, it was a revelation when I witnessed 2 bands step up and into their greatness. You see, both of those bands were formed without vocalists. But do you think they let that stop them? Noooooooo. Those gals just grabbed microphones and let rip. In harmony, I might add. I was grinning from ear to ear and felt so inspired. Yes, they were afraid. And yes, they did it anyway. I know I could use some of that Rock Camp Gusto in my life. How about you?

 

 

After the run-through, it was time for dinner and our big old Rock Camp Jam night. There may have been beer involved as well. Ahem. Let’s just say it was an awesome night and I was more than a little tired at its close. Day 2 down.

 

 

On Sunday morning, Mister dropped me off for the final carpool. Lauren, Beth and I barely spoke at all as we cruised across the city’s empty highways. The previous 2 days had been long (8:30am to almost 10pm), but this one was going to separate the girls from the gals: the showcase wasn’t due to start until 9pm. All of us stood strong and hit it hard.

 

 

While the lady campers were going through band practice, final workshops and band photos, we volunteers were wearing multiple hats. Not only were we helping the bands wherever they needed us, but we were also breaking down the camp itself. For on Monday morning, school would be back in session and that place had to look the way we’d found it. That meant taking down all the vibe, cleaning up after ourselves, returning desks and chairs to their homes, getting gear to the club for the showcase and packing away the rest of our gear and equipment. I can’t speak for all the volunteers, but let me say for myself how glad I was to have been P90-X-ing for so long. I put my muscles and stamina to good use, y’all. And then some.

 

 

I caught a ride to the club with excellent volunteer and Drum Instructor, Danita. We both were pretty quiet on the way, as we were dog-tired and knew the night was young. Once there, all volunteers got to work to get the club and stage ready. As my two co-vocal-instructors were working hard at other duties, I grabbed all the vocalists (including the chicks who decided to sing while playing other instruments) and we headed backstage for warm-ups. That was fairly quick, as I didn’t want to keep them from their bands for too long. I knew there was nervous energy to be shared with their fellow campers. So after our quick warm-up session, the gals headed back into the club. Speaking of the club, it was filling up fast. And that was beautiful, y’all. Spouses, partners, family members, friends – so many folks came out to support the lady campers. I was mightily impressed. As I looked around the club, smiling, the lights began to dim. The show was beginning…

 

 

Mornings at Rock Camp begin with Punk Rock Aerobics. This serves to loosen up the campers (and the volunteers), as well as warm up our bodies for the day’s activities. For giggles, we start our showcases the same way. So as we all began following Captain Chaska’s on-stage moves, I looked around the club. Men, women, old, young – we were all doing the routine and there was no judgment. As far as I could see, all were participating and that was cool. Personally, I booty-bumped a rather famous attendee and he just smiled. Why not? We were all smiling, moving our bodies to Enya and Salt-n-Pepa. And then the bands took the stage.

 

 

One after another, they blew my mind.

 

 

They blew their own minds!

 

 

And perhaps most importantly, they had fun.

 

 

Yes, every single dollar of their tuition went to pay for young campers’ scholarships at summer camp.

 

 

Yes, they did some things they’d perhaps never done before.

 

 

And yes, they (hopefully) experienced growth.

 

 

And they did it all while having fun. I smiled that night and I’m smiling now.

 

 

At the end of the evening, Baker Jen offered to give me a ride home while Lauren and Beth soaked up the last of the Ladies Rock Camp glow. I accepted the ride and Jen’s fine company. When I got home, I washed my face and brushed my teeth as quickly as I could. It was 1:10am when I crawled into bed.

 

 

I fell asleep thinking that I had survived, and about that day’s closing ceremony, which took place just before we left the school and headed over to the club for the showcase. Each lady camper shared something personally significant that was experienced over the weekend. Then we volunteers took turns doing the same. Amazing, deep, joyful, heartfelt words were spoken. Vulnerability was firing through the air. So was safety. And support. We knew we could be honest with each other. We knew we could expose our souls. When it was my turn to speak, I told how each year, when I’m driving to Rock Camp for Girls or Ladies Rock Camp, my inner critic yells at me, telling me I don’t belong there, that I have nothing to offer and that I simply don’t measure up to the other amazing, awesome volunteers. I fought back tears, then I said that this was the first year I’ve actually thought that maybe I do belong there. That maybe those chicks are my tribe, and that maybe I’m part of theirs. This was the first year my inner critic didn’t outweigh my hope, my self-belief. Just before I left the club, many amazing volunteers approached me, hugged me and told me I absolutely do belong. That I am a crucial part of the tribe. And I believed them. For the first time, I really did believe them.

 

 

Best Ladies Rock Camp ever.

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