SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — The traditional tour of live sets across Syracuse returns today to R.O.C.K. Camp after three years off due to COVID-19. This year marks the 12th time the Redhouse Art Center has offered R.O.C.K. Camp for Central New York teens interested in showcasing their musical talents.
Over the two-week long experience kids ages 13-17 are able to collaborate with fellow musicians to create original music in their new bands. They only had eight full days to practice before beginning the tour of popular live music venues in Syracuse.
R.O.C.K Camp, (stands for Recording Studio Access, Original Songwriting, Community Tour, Kickstarting Careers) does everything in their power to provide campers with the most authentic experience possible. From composing four songs, recording them in studio, designing band posters, and all other aspects of the creative process.
Redhouse’s education department coordinator Ben Borenstein is thrilled to see the campers thrive on stage. Before the headline event at Funk n’ Waffles the vibes were high as they did their final practice for their set. “The part that I love to see is the students supporting each other in this type of rehearsal time, where they all get to play the songs that they’ve written in their separate bands for each other,” Borenstein said. “It’s just great to see how much they support one another. It’s not a competition because it’s a nice, supportive group.”
After not performing in front of a live audience the last three years during R.O.C.K. Camp, this marks the first time many of these musicians have had that experience. Borenstein recognizes the nerves of some of the campers but knows how big of a step this is in their music careers.
“They haven’t had a lot of experience in live audience, but a lot of them have home studios. So, for them being shut inside and recording at home, it becomes just a solo project. Being able to gig with each other is a huge, huge step,” Borenstein said.
One of the star up-and-coming musicians is 15-year-old Mira Grimm who has lots of experience already in front of audiences. Mira grinned ear to ear knowing that it would be the first time she toured while in R.O.C.K. because for the first three years she had to do it virtually. It was difficult for her to connect with the audience because she feeds of the energy that the crowd provides.
“With the virtual thing, I couldn’t do that I couldn’t see their faces. So, it just kind of made me just like, neutral the whole time. I had no adrenaline being up there on stage,” Grimm said. “This isn’t anything new for me performing, but it’s just fun though. I’m excited.”
If you’d like to see the campers in action, the tour rolls on at noon Thursday with stops at the Everson Art Museum, Salt City Market, and Hanover Square.
