Community

Girls Rock! Phoenix

One of the things I’m most proud of is that I’m one of the founders of Girls Rock! Phoenix, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering girls, trans, and gender nonconforming youth through music. We’re a grassroots community organization, but we follow in the footsteps of other girls rock camps across the country and throughout the world. Every summer we run a week-long camp where kids (ages 8 - 17) learn an instrument, join a band, write a song, and play a show.

While girls are often taught to be quiet and make themselves smaller, we believe in teaching our campers to be loud, take up space, and that they don’t need anyone’s permission to play music and form a band. We focus on process rather than product and lead by example, showing campers that other girls are collaborators, not competitors. Camp workshops include everything from learning DIY screen printing and self defense, to rock herstory and body positivity. All our camps are sliding scale, and inclusive of all abilities. Our programs encourage experimentation in art and life, and enable kids to find their voice. The important thing is that they know they can do it, and they don’t have to do it alone.

Girls Rock! Phoenix was the recipient of the 2019 Mayor’s Arts Award for Innovative Arts Organization.