Can you recall the first time you felt truly heard? The joy of expressing yourself freely, the excitement of being part of a community that understands and celebrates you, and the empowerment of finding your voice?
At Girls Rock! Chicago, we’re proud to collaborate with our youth to create these special moments through the power of music.
Girls Rock! Chicago was founded in 2005 to empower girls and women through music and address gender equity in the male dominated space of rock music. For nearly 18 years, GR!C has challenged ideas about who plays music, takes up space, and gets loud. Year after year, GR!C continues to create so many joyful memories on stages and in studios, launch life-long friendships, and inspire countless youth to be their most authentic selves.
Earlier this year, GR!C announced that we are taking action to find a new name for our organization. Our staff and board are diving into the deep work to create a new brand that will strengthen our mission, expand our impact, and especially amplify the voices of those for whom the word ‘girl’ does not fit. While we’re still in the beginning stage of this transformation, the feedback and encouragement from our supporters has affirmed our confidence about this big change in our organization’s identity, impact, and future.
We want to express our deepest gratitude to our supporters and community who have helped GR!C empower girls, trans, and gender expansive youth through music for 17 years. It is because of your generosity and commitment to our mission that Girls Rock! Chicago has the opportunity to evolve and create a new chapter. We are so excited to build a more intentional, inclusive, and impactful Girls Rock! Chicago where more youth and folks of all ages feel a greater sense of belonging and ownership in our work.
Your gift can ensure a bright future for not just our organization, but the youth who need a brave space to fearlessly create and build community. Please donate today to ensure that Girls Rock! Chicago will continue to amplify youth voices. With a tax deductible gift of any size, you can help us reach our goal of $5,000 by December 31, 2023. A gift of $150 or more includes an exclusive GR!C tote bag with “Protect Trans Kids” screen printed by our Youth Action Committee.
Whether or not you can make a gift, we hope you will join us at community-wide meetings around our name change and ask that you spread the word about our programs and mission. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow our social media channels for meeting announcements and our progress in the coming year.
Please join us on this journey to turn the page to the next chapter of GR!C’s history – and thank you for bringing our organization and our youth to this exciting time!
Rachel Rosen Memorial Fund
Rachel Rosen was born and raised in New York but chose Chicagoland to raise her two sons with her husband Dan. A lifelong lover of music, in 2014 Rachel finally traded sides from the audience to the stage, joining up with friends to form a cover band. Rachel sang and played guitar, and brought a fierce passion and amazing energy to every show, every rehearsal, every backyard informal jam. It was a fitting coda to a remarkably inspiring life, filled with adventure, art, music, devoted friendships, and intense love for her family.
In January 2020, Rachel passed away after more than a decade fight against breast cancer. One year later, her family and friends established the Memorial Fund in her honor to help Girls Rock! Chicago continue to empower young musicians from all over the Chicago area, regardless of ability to pay. This fund will cover a variety of needs – from helping support a diverse and talented volunteer pool to purchasing gear and equipment. Please honor Rachel’s legacy and help support Girls Rock! Chicago.
We hope everyone is taking good care of themselves and their loved ones during this time.
We wanted to take a moment to address the COVID-19 outbreak and our plans for this upcoming summer camp season.
We are closely monitoring this rapidly-evolving situation and adhering to recommendations from the CDC, federal, state, and local governments as we prepare for our camp season. We are continuously assessing the impact that this virus will have on our organization and our community.
At this moment, we are carrying on with our plans to hold two sessions of rock camp this summer as regularly scheduled. We will be in close contact with applicants, volunteers, partners, and our community with updates or changes as this situation evolves.
You can learn more about CDC recommendations for protecting yourself and your neighbors here. We care deeply for our rock camp family and our neighbors and will do everything in our power to keep you safe and continue delivering quality programming.
Stay safe and healthy,
Girls Rock! Chicago Staff & Board
Welcome our new Operations Manager, Madeline Leahy!
We are thrilled to announce that Madeline, an extraordinary gear coordinator and camp organizer, is ascending into a new role as our Operations Manager! Welcome, Madeline!
Madeline grew up in a small suburb southwest of Chicago. Her deep love of music was clear by age 5 when she would sing the National Anthem and “The 12 Days of Christmas,” and insisted on starting from the beginning when her older sister interrupted her, pleading with her to stop.
She earned a Bachelor of Music degree in the Contemporary, Urban, and Popular Music program at Columbia College Chicago where she honed her songwriting and vocal performance skills.
Madeline first came to GR!C as a guitar and keyboard instructor and as a band coach. She soon found herself wanting to help at camp by looking after GR!C’s gear as a Roadie and then later as a Gear Coordinator.
Madeline is excited to serve Girls Rock! Chicago in a new capacity as Operations Manager and is dedicated to GR!C’s mission of fostering and developing the creativity and self esteem of girls, trans, and gender expansive youth through music. You can email her at madeline@girlsrockchicago.org
We also wish to extend a fond farewell and thank you to our out-going Operations Manager, Ryan Cameron. We are so happy to have had you as part of our team and we wish you the best of luck on the East Coast!
Lets Rock! Returns This Fall - Registration Now Open!
Do you wish you had Girls Rock! Camp when you were younger? Do you want to learn the basics of a rock instrument and play in a band? Let’s Rock! Camp is for you! This is your chance to collaborate with other folks to form your own band and write an original song in a safe and judgement-free space. By the end of the long weekend, you’ll feel ready to perform your song at one of the best music venues in the city, The Promontory! Empower yourself and all of your bandmates, just like Girls Rock! Chicago campers do!
NO MUSICAL EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY!
Dates Friday, October 11th – Monday, October 14th, 2019 Where Camp: Jose De Diego Community Academy (1313 N Claremont Ave, Chicago IL) End-of-Camp Extravaganza: The Promontory (5311 S. Lake Park Ave W, Chicago, IL)
