[Photos by BROOKE BOCAST]
Thursday August 7, 2008
DEAR PHAWKER,
Today was really good. My band, Electric Bliss, made a lot of progress in our song. Today the instructors and counselors performed another skit during assembly. This one was great. It was about cleaning up your band practice room and taking care of your gear. They first acted out the skit by leaving the lights on in the room and throwing their quarter-inch cables on the ground and tangling then up. So in response to the skit one of the band coaches Elaine taught us how to warp our cables correctly so we do not damage their ‘internal organs’. Haha… So Elaine if you’re reading this….Twist and wrap, twist and wrap.
After assembly, we headed off to instrument practice. Next, we had a workshop called Self Defense. At first, we
were all thinking that it would be about karate or something. When we walked in, we met our instructor. She wasn’t large or overly athletic. She explained to us that in order to be a strong woman we have to be able to protect ourselves and learn that we deserve an entire seat on a bus. Also, that we didn’t have to be strapping women, just assertive. We learned how to walk when you are walking alone, and some self defense techniques like a foot stomp on some one behind you, and a power stance to be ready in an attack. I think every woman should take a class like this — very empowering. Afterward, we had lunch and continued making buttons in the Band Art room.
When lunch was over, we went to another workshop. It was called ‘What’s That Sound?: Effects and Pedals.’ It was so mind-blowing. I know that’s a strong word, but it was so cool. I never knew that you could use so many pedals and make your guitar sound so different. I have to say my favorite was called the Synth Wah. It made the guitar sound wavy or it could repeat what you just played to sound as if it was two guitars playing together. It was the best. Our last event of the day was band practice. I am so happy with our song so far. I think we are really getting somewhere. Sadly, my day of workshops is over, but I am looking forward to tomorrow to finish our song and to perform in the Showcase on Saturday!
xo,
Jenn
Editor’s Note: This week, on the campus of Girard College, Girls Rock Philly! is holding their summer Rock Camp for girls ages 9-17. The campers get their choice of concentrations in guitar, bass, drums, vocals, keyboard and DJ’ing. Our beloved neophyte rock diva, 14-year-old Jenn W. (Roxborough represent!), is on the scene and will be sending us dispatches from Rock Camp all week.
