GIRL REPORT | Chicas Rockeras SELA: A Rock N’ Roll Camp For Girls

By Isabel P., Girl Reporter

Band mates and I (middle) with our coach and manager.

Chicas Rockeras SELA is a camp for girls between the ages of 8-17. This was the inaugural year that Chicas Rockeras was in South East Los Angeles. This camp shows and encourages girls to play instruments and express themselves.

A selfie with Alice Bag, punk rock singer, musician, author, educator and feminist archivist! She was lead singer and co-founder of The Bags, one of the first wave of punk bands to form in the mid-1970s in LA.

Participating in this rock camp was the best experience I ever had. In camp, I learned to played drums and learned a lot of different ways to incorporate drums into different genres of music.

When I walked into camp for the first time I felt ecstatic, my adrenalin was pumping and I just wanted to play drums. The volunteers welcomed every girl with kindness that made me feel like I belong with this group. Making friends wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Most girls were shy but I tried to get to know them.

The camp has a theme song that makes you wonder what kind of person you want to be. It makes you feel positive about yourself.

“WHO ARE YOU?”

“WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE?”

“TODAY IS YOUR DAY LISTEN AND SEE”

“YES WE CAN (YES WE CAN)”

“WITH CHICAS ON YOUR SIDE”

“YOUR MOMENT HAS ARRIVED”

When it was time to choose band mates I thought no one was going to pick me and I would end up with a group that didn’t have the same idea for a band. Fortunately, I met three amazing girls.

Monica, Michelle and Martha.

We clicked instantly and we knew that the band was going to be great. Throughout the course of the week we had instrument practice, band practice, special performances from volunteers, and workshops.

The workshops that we participated in were Song Writing, Gender Identity, History of Music in Los Angeles, Women Who Rock, T- shirt Logo Design, Silk Screening, and Self-Defense. My favorite workshops were the History of Music in Los Angeles, Women Who Rock and Silk Screening.

Women who rock introduced us to female musicians that rocked their era. Artist like Joan Jett and Alice Bag were two of many women rockers that made a change in the punk industry. Being women, they influenced and were idolized by many young girls.

At the end of the week all the bands preformed at a showcase where family and friends could come and watch the girls play their instruments. Everyone was loving and kind to each other and we all were like one family. After the camp, I felt that I had learned a lot, not just with learning a new instrument but I learned a lot about myself, the history of music and life lessons that can be used in the future. I also learned some valuable skills such as leadership, team work, collaboration, and communication skills.

I enjoyed everything this camp had to offer and I will use all these tools and tips in the future. I hope to return again next year.