Summer Rock Camp at Girls Rock! Des Moines is open to cis-female, trans and non-binary youth ages 7-18. No musical experience needed!

Rock Camp space is limited to 48 participants per band camp. We offer six instrument groups (Aux, Guitar, Bass, Keys, Vocals, and Drums) and divide participants evenly between the six instrument groups to form 8 bands, by age.

Rockers will form bands on their first day of camp! Next, they receive instrument instruction and collaborate to write one original tune, and learn a curated cover tune. At the end of camp rockers perform an exciting public showcase!

Bands will be mentored by at least one band coach and have support from a band manager throughout camp.

Rockers also have the opportunity to get creative with crafts, zines and band logos, and learn from our variety of workshops ranging from Audio Engineering to Songwriting, and the Herstory of Women & Folx in Music.

We wish to give every camper their first or second choice, however, some years certain instruments are way more popular than others, which means we have to do a little extra work to make it all fit! We want to create a balanced and instrument-diverse camp! So, if you are a returning rocker, give yourself a little push to try out something new! Or, let the Fates decide… meaning we’ll pick an instrument for you to rock out on.

You cannot change your instrument preferences after you send in your application or during the camp session.

Yes! Summer Rock Camp youth have access to our full, FREE Instrument Library including guitars, bass guitars, keyboards, drums (and even less conventional instruments like the theremini & keytar!)

We set up all the necessary gear so campers can focus on having fun and making music.

If your student wants to take their instrument home to practice, they can check gear out of the Instrument Library- Reach out with questions info@girlsrockdsm.org

Two weeks: June & July sessions available.

Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm (Showcase performance on following Sunday)

Early Drop-off begins at 8 am

Late Pick-up ends at 5 pm

Let us know if you need any arrangements for drop-off/pick-up or carpooling; we are here to support you!

Please commit to the full schedule!

Rock band camp is a 10-day, all-day, music program. Please be sure to review the schedule to ensure your camper is able to commit to the full schedule. We program every minute of the schedule with purpose and absence is disruptive to both your experience and that of your bandmates.

Orientation
Before camp, there will be a mandatory orientationfor guardians and campers. Orientation offers a look into the two weeks, and allows youth to try instruments, and an opportunity for staff to place rockers into bands. This orientation will be announced in our welcome packet after you fully register.This will be an opportunity to ask questions, try out different instruments, and learn more about the work GR!DSM does year-round.

For full details on our Pay-What-You-Can Sliding Scale, click here.

Tuition for Summer Rock Camp is on a sliding scale ($1 - $1600) and based upon annual household income. 

There is a $25, non-refundable, application fee. If you need assistance with this fee, contact us. 

Everyone gets to participate in camp, period!

In our 10+ years of camps, we have never turned anyone away due to a lack of funds, and we never will.

The majority of your camp tuition goes directly to paying camp staff a living wage.

If for any reason you decide to cancel your registration, a $50 cancellation fee will apply.

Tuition for Rock Band Camp covers: 

• Individual Instrument Instruction (20-minute lessons, 7 days)

• Full Band Clinics (2)

• Band coaching (45 minutes x 2 times a day x 10 days)

• Workshops and Classes (5 classes, 26 total sessions)

• Visiting artists

• Showcase

• Lunch, snacks, and beverages

• Lunchtime Performances From Regional Bands

• Camper's Band Logo T-shirts

• Recording, Mixing, and Production of our Camp Album

• Professional Band Photos

• Swag Bag (bag, stickers, notebook, water bottle, patches, pen, etc.)

Girls Rock! Des Moines’ Summer Rock Camp is a two-week-long empowering music program that offers band formation and rehearsal, individual instrument instruction, educational workshops and classes, visiting artist performances, and an exciting showcase at the end of camp.

Mon-Friday camp will be at GR!DSM Headquarters. The special showcase venue will be announced at the beginning of camp!

Girls Rock! Des Moines Headquarters

at Windsor Presbyterian Church, North doors, Upstairs

6301 University Avenue,

Windsor Heights, IA, 50324,

United States

Registration opens Jan. 1st for all Girls Rock! Des Moines Summer Camps -- Register using CAMPBRAIN.

With CampBrain you can create a login to build & manage multiple campers’ information, once; next year, click a few boxes and you are all signed up for camp! With CampBrain you can make payments, check balances, upload documents securely, order extra t-shirts with your rocker's logo, and enjoy the ease of all camp information being accessible 24/7, in one spot.

Upcoming camp dates are posted as soon as they are available so you can start planning your summer.