Lyrical summer
Piano Lesson
Youngsters from all over are going to camp to learn how to write, record and perform like a star
Nowadays, instead of going to camp to learn how to swim in the lake or make braided key chains, kids ages 7 to 16 are getting firsthand knowledge from the pros on how to play flaming guitar leads and command an audience. Welcome to Rock Star Camp.
The camp is nestled among the ponderosa pines and California black oaks in the Pali Adventures campground near Running Springs -- 74 acres dotted with cabins, horses and even a lake atop the San Bernardino Mountains.
It's a breeding ground for hopeful Bonos and Kelly Clarksons, who spend a portion of their summer vacation learning to write songs, record them and perform live.
"I wish they had something like this around when I was a kid," said Rock Star Camp Director Michael French, 36, a Los Angeles recording engineer.
He's one of four staffers assigned to the Rock Star Camp. "Whether a kid is musically inclined or not, this is a chance to really learn about songwriting and experience what it's like to be involved in music full time."
The camp started in 2003, one of 12 Pali camps dedicated to everything from cooking to learning how to be a Hollywood stuntman. All of the 75 counselors who work the camps are experts in their chosen fields.
The camp offers one- or two-week sessions for 10 to 12 campers. The future rockers, who come from all over the country, work on music from 9 a.m. to noon and then take a lunch break before spending the afternoon and evening with more traditional activities such as playing sports and hiking with kids from the other camps on the grounds.
The rock 'n' roll mornings usually begin in a studio equipped with two control rooms, replete with top-flight recording gear, a slew of amplifiers, keyboards, guitars, basses and electronic drums.
French said that on the first day, campers can choose to go solo via the singer/songwriter route or they can put together a band among themselves. Either way, the first lesson is a basic exercise in lyrics.
"We like to start off with something really easy, so we'll ask them to describe their morning or what they did the night before and write it down in a way that can be sung," French said. "If that doesn't work, we just ask them to pick a subject that they feel passionate about."
Joel Simonoff, and Jesse Port, both 9, a mini Beavis and Butthead from Los Angeles, decided to co-write a tune, "30 Minutes to Lunch," about their harsh feelings toward their first-grade teacher. The two shaggy-haired youngsters, armed with acoustic guitars, performed a live rendition of the power-chord-driven number with enough punk attitude to make Johnny Rotten proud.
"I want to be a musician big-time," Jesse said, while noodling up and down his guitar's fret board like a seasoned veteran. "This camp is awesome because I learn stuff, and then I practice it until I know it perfect."
After the lyrics have been nailed down, the more accomplished musicians can try to put a chord structure together on the guitar or piano and begin working on melodies.
Those who aren't familiar with instruments get together with one of the counselors to talk about how they want to approach the music, and together they begin composing the track.
Once everything is set, the songwriters go into the studio to begin tracking. Brittany Perez, a 16-year-old from Boynton Beach, Fla., worked with producer/counselor Joerg Stoeffel to get the Gwen Stefani vibe that she had in mind when she wrote her song.
"I wrote all the lyrics, and then Joerg and I worked on the music to get what I was looking for," said Brittany, who wants to be a professional singer. "It's got a good party feeling."
When the songs have been recorded and mixed, it's time to begin rehearsing for the show that takes place on an outdoor stage during the last night of camp. It's performed in front of the all the Rock Star campers as well as about 200 other kids on the premises. The bands perform as a unit, and the solo artists are backed by a house band of counselors. Those who suffer from stage fright have the option of not performing.
"We practice by making them sing in front of each other, and if you sing to a handful of people without getting nervous, you can do it on stage," French said. "We'll never make anyone do anything they don't want to, but so far, everyone's performed."
French said he isn't aware of any former campers who have gone on to achieve rock-star status, but the camp has been around only a few years.
Drew Holliday, 17, a budding drummer from Ventura, started out three years ago as a camper and returned this year as a junior counselor.
"I learned so much here, and now I'm getting a chance to share that," he said.
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