Rockin’ girls
hit the right notes

By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

In the 22 years they’ve been inducting performers into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame, only about 20 acts with prominent females have made the cut.
But for every Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, Bonnie Raitt and Patti Smith, there seem to be countless Elvis Presleys, Bob Dylans, Mick Jaggers and Neil Youngs.
A group of Philadelphia-based women in music don’t think that they are members of an inferior gender when it comes to rock music. So they’ve created a summer camp to give young women the artistic opportunities that may be lacking for them in traditional venues.
Girls Rock Philly debuted from Aug. 6 to 11 on the Girard College campus in North Philadelphia. The inaugural program attracted more than 20 campers, ages 10 to 18, from all areas of the region and all walks of life, as well as a similar number of adult counselors, instrument instructors and band coaches.
The collection represented an eclectic mix of ethnicity and skill levels, but all had at least two things in common — a love of rock and an interest in expressing their femininity through it.
"We’re focused on encouraging the growth of the next generation of female artists, helping them be creative and find their voice, and doing it in an environment that is deficient," said Aimee Miller, a counselor and the development coordinator for the non-profit camp.
That "deficient" environment that Miller referred to is the male-dominated rock ’n’ roll community.
There always have been, and always will be, great female stars and role models in the business. But as rock in the broadest sense is synonymous with hard-edged music, women seem to have a hard time convincing men that they’re hard enough to play it.
"We want (girls) to learn that they can rock just as hard, if not harder, as guys in music," Miller said. "That’s really the spirit of it."
It’s an idea that’s been catching on in cities across the country. Girls Rock Philly founder and director Beth Warshaw brought it to her hometown after seeing it in action in New York, where she volunteered for a couple of years at the Willie Mae Rock Camp.
The first known camp of its kind started in Portland, Ore., in 2000. Other camps have since opened in Chicago, Tennessee and Canada.
"There’s an alliance of camps, so we all sort of share technical support, but each is an independent organization," said Miller, a Torresdale native and 1991 Nazareth Academy graduate.
Warshaw tapped her own network of friends to build the local organizing committee last fall. Miller, for example, works with non-profit groups and is a former music journalist with some singing experience of her own.
Many of the camp counselors and instructors are working musicians. Their appeals to business and individual sponsors struck a favorable chord — more than two-dozen companies offered goods, services or financial support to the program. Two fund-raising events were hits, including a DJ party and film screening in December along with a concert and auction in April.
Musicians loaned their personal instruments and equipment for use by the girls throughout the week. Some of the more experienced campers had their own equipment, naturally.
Jess Pagliaro, 16, of Rhawnhurst, was one of the veteran musicians. She’s been playing the guitar for almost five years but has had to pursue her rock ’n’ roll dreams largely on her own.
"I tried the (marching) band at school, but it wasn’t what I was into," Pagliaro said. "I know friends who play instruments. We’re trying to start something up. Then I got into (camp) and met three really cool girls. We’re going to try to stick together."
At the start of camp, the girls were split into working bands that spent much of the week developing original songs in preparation for a weekend concert showcase. The groups included guitar, bass, drums and vocals.
Campers spent mornings at instrument practice and afternoons in band practice. Also, daily workshops covered various topics, from setting up and breaking down equipment to designing their own promotional T-shirts.
Antoinette Irving’s main musical background entering camp was in a school choir, but the 16-year-old Frankford resident took to the bass guitar in a hurry.
"It’s understated. People think it’s not very important at first, but it keeps the band together," said Irving, who grew up a fan of rhythm and blues, then developed a liking for rock music.
"This is like a sorority of people who love rock, and they teach you to appreciate it," she said. "You come here and learn so much about the history of women in rock, like Pat Benatar, Sheila E, Joan Jett and Courtney Love."
Pagliaro, who is the only musician in her family, likes a harder sound too, like punk and heavy metal.
"I like anything with a good rhythm and a good beat to it," she said.
The camp’s organizers tried to design a curriculum that allowed the youths to determine where they wanted to go. The only requirement was that the girls invest their own thoughts and feelings into the process.
"We’re teaching whatever the girls like and want to learn," Miller explained. "Rock is a very diverse genre of music that grew out of very diverse genres of music." ••
For more information about Girls Rock Philly, visit www.girlsrockphilly.com
Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@phillynews.com