MILWAUKEE — At one point, many people have thought it would be pretty cool to be a rock star. They could shred on the guitar or bang on the drums in front of sold our arenas. Most people don't take the steps towards doing that. But for one group of ladies, who have never even played an instrument, they are being turned into rock stars in just three days.
It started by picking an instrument: guitar, piano, drums, bass, or vocals. Then on Friday, the ladies were split up among each other to form a band. By Sunday, even though most have zero musical experience, they will be fully fledged rock stars. They've even got a big gig to prove it.
“I am always so excited when other people do it. I wanted to give myself permission to just do it and be imperfect and just splash it out anyway," Pushy Muldowney, an aspiring guitarist, said.
She is part of the Ladies Rock Camp at Mount Mary University. It's a woman and gender-expansive music camp that teaches people how to play an instrument and perform in a band in just three days. It's a packed weekend of rehearsals. It all culminates with a concert Sunday night.
“Listening to the music I like. I think about how it's making me feel, and I want to participate in it either by playing it or by making it my own somehow," Muldowney said.
This camp is for adults. There is also a week-long camp for children ages 8-17. It’s organized by the nonprofit Girls Rock MKE. This is about inspiring women through the power of music and the camaraderie of a band. The camp focuses on musical education, performance, and leadership skills.
“The purpose of Ladies Rock Camp is to create a bonded space for women and gender expansive individuals to freely express themselves and come together in community and use music as a tool for their own self-discovery," Mary Jo Hickey, the Executive Director of Girls Rock Milwaukee, said.
The goal isn’t to teach technical proficiency. What’s important is expressing yourself in a new way, overcoming a fear, and building new friendships.
"So when we use music to express ourselves, we have to dig in a little bit further inside and in doing that process in collaboration with supportive peers and mentors, it is transformative," Hickey said.
The camp is led by local musicians from around the Milwaukee area. Former campers also come back to volunteer and ensure others are impacted they same way they were.
“The community that it brought to me and the feeling that I got from being in the program, I knew that it was something I wanted to help others experience as well," D Kirschling, a former camper turned Assistant Camp Director, said.
So even though the sound started off a little rough, they will be playing like Joan Jett or Haley Williams in just a few days. The final concert is at Radio Milwaukee. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Admission is $10.
Listen to the future rock stars by watching the video below...
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