Camp's School of Rock Beats All

Camp's School of Rock Beats All

Camp's school of rock beats all

by Philip Rossman-Reich

The Birmingham News

Published on: 06/29/08

David Allinder sat in the middle of the Shades Valley High School auditorium as band members took their places on stage, plugged in their instruments and began playing the unmistakable tune of "Come Together" by The Beatles. He nodded his head with the rhythm and listened intently.

The camp director praised the band for doing a good job. He then offered advice. "You're performing a foot in front of you," he said. "There's going to be 400 people here. You've got to perform out here." He pointed to the empty auditorium around him. By the end of Friday, it would be filled with parents and friends preparing to watch the group perform the song in front of an audience for the first time.

It would be easier if the members of Six String Misery were professional rockers. But they are not. The band consists of 11-, 12- and 13-year-old students at Camp Jam. They were among 53 students 7 to 17 who took part in the weeklong rock'n' roll camp that culminated Friday in the live performance. "Friday is what they worry about all week long," camp counselor Will Cash said. "Many of them have never performed before. This is their first `dream come true' moment." The campers got to realize part of their dream in the final day's concert. But it took a lot of work to get there.

Each band practiced and prepared for the big show throughout the week. The members worked with instrument-specific instructors to improve individual technique and as a band in a recording studio to fine-tune their performance. "I think the biggest drawing card is the chance to work with other musicians," Allinder said. "They're playing with CDs and MP3s. But this is their first experience playing in a band." Allinder said many of the participants from the camp's first year, last summer, returned this year. A few stayed together with musicians they met last year and formed bands of their own, he said.

The campers put in the work and got to see the rewards in the final day's concert. Guitar player Christian Perkins, 15, said he signed up because the camp seemed like a good experience and a good place to meet people and have a good time. "It gives you the experience of a real-life band scenario," Perkins said. "Then you get to show everyone what you learned Friday night."

For many it was a fun week full of music. For some it was a chance to improve as musicians and get to work with a band for the first time. "They get better as individual players," said Greg Gumina, a camp administrator. "They get a lot of stage time and they can play loud. They make some friends and they get to be in a real rock'n' roll band."

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