With the academic year winding down, it's never too early to start preparing for summer camps.
The 16th annual Southern Girls Rock Camp is accepting applications for both volunteer instructors and campers to attend the July 24-28 day camp at MTSU for girls and nonconforming youth ages 10 to 17.
Managed by the Murfreesboro-based nonprofit group Youth Empowerment through Arts and Humanities, the camp's mission is to create a positive, self-affirming place for girls to express and empower themselves through music and associated creative activities.
To watch a recap video of last year's camp, go to https://youtu.be/qVKcZvbwX1M.
Jess Hawthorne, YEAH's outreach director, said the camp's traditional association with MTSU is one of its strongest drawing points, helping to attract both volunteers and campers over the years.
"Almost all of our volunteers have attended MTSU or graduated from there," Hawthorne said. "Our campers go to camp and then they feel like MTSU is their home away from home."
Yet some volunteers are drawn to the camp from out of state, noted Hawthorne, a 2003 MTSU alumna who majored in music business with an entrepreneurship minor.
"We do have some that come from New York," she said. "We have some that come down from Philly, just down for the week to participate."
The usual workshops in guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion and voice will be part of the 2018 camp, but other newer offerings include a ukulele workshop and a workshop at which campers can build their own working guitar pedals.
Hawthorne also hints that some premier performers whose names she is not at liberty to mention will be in attendance.
"We do have some really talented local musicians and some coming from out of state to ... do a performance for the kids," Hawthorne said.
Tuition is $320 per camper, but scholarships are available. To apply for scholarships, go to https://tinyurl.com/y9wc7jsc. To apply to volunteer, go to https://tinyurl.com/y9sxwobf. To register as a camper, go to https://tinyurl.com/yb6jrkoc. For more information, send an email to office@yeahrocks.org.
