START 'EM YOUNG: Girls Rock S.B. intern Abby Jackson-Gain (left) coaches vocalist Mia.

“Love the music you make, and love yourself for making it,” is the motto behind Girls Rock, the Santa Barbara-based summer camp and after school program that combines music education and performance with seminars on self-esteem and self-empowerment and strives to help young girls find their voice through music. As attendees, the girls receive instrumental instruction and participate in workshops that teach them how to form a band and write songs. At the end of each session, the girls perform a showcase concert for family, friends, and other attendees.

Director Jen Baron is a passionate individual whose goal for the camp is “to promote an environment that fosters self-confidence, creativity, and teamwork.” She hopes that Girls Rock will challenge gender stereotypes, encourage collaboration and tolerance among peers, and provide a comfortable space for girls of all backgrounds to express themselves. The non-profit is currently in its third year and has already received a great reception from the community.

In a world where there are so many standards we feel we must live up to, it can be hard to be who you truly are at times. At Girls Rock, campers are “given the freedom and encouragement to create art without permission, without perfection, without peer pressure. And in that messy, liberating process of creating something that’s truly theirs, these girls figure out that they are enough in all that they do,” says Baron.

This month and next, Girls Rock is holding an online fundraising campaign. Their goal: to cover the costs of the camp and provide 65 scholarships to girls in need. Baron has set that price at $5,000, which the group is hoping to raise by Monday, July 7 through online crowdfunding site indiegogo.com. However, they also offer alternative possibilities for support. Girls Rock welcomes donations to a wide range of instruments and items that are used in the music making process, such as electric guitars, drums, cables, drumsticks, recording equipment, and much more. In addition, you can also get involved by spreading the word about Girls Rock through the group’s Facebook page. For more info, or to learn how you can help, call (805)-861-8128, visit girlsrocksb.org, or email girlsrocksb@gmail.com. To donate, visit girlsrocksb.org/keep-girls-rock-rockin.

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