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Nothing compares to Prince
Gender-bending genius left behind treasure trove of music
Many of us are still trying to wrap our heads around the fact that Prince is gone.
Through the disbelief and mourning, many have started to look back and take stock of just what a peerless musical legacy Prince left behind. Itās stunning in its quality and quantity, its influence and diversity. Prince was rockās most prolific artist, a studio wizard, songwriting genius and master musician.
We all know the massive hits, but dig deeper and thereās just as much to love.
Iāve chosen 25 of his best deep cuts āĀ some of the best pieces of studio work heās ever released, yet much of it will be new to you unless youāre a die-hard. For every āKiss,ā there are a dozen other tracks that youāll love as much. These are presented chronologically.
1. āGotta Broken Heart Againā (from āDirty Mind,ā 1980)
A combination of styles, the songās a charmer that brings a little tenderness to the hard-edged āDirty Mind.ā
2. āAnnie Christianā (from āControversy,ā 1981)
Prince creates the kind of new wave synthesized background youād expect from a Berlin album, and layers it with squealing guitar effects, and a strident vocal in which he accuses Annie Christian of multiple high-profile murders. Itās a uniquely unsettling song that is one of the first examples of Princeās ability to go far beyond the slick R&B/Pop sound of his first two albums and tackle more diverse subject matter.
3. āAll The Critics Love U In New Yorkā (from ā1999,ā 1982)
This track is hidden away on the double-album masterpiece ā1999,ā although an edited version did appear as the b-side to āLittle Red Corvette.ā The song is basically just a wicked groove, a funky beat and a popping bass over which Prince sing/speaks a set of sardonic lyrics. The hook sung during the repetition of the title brings in a sharp melody and flashes of keyboard.
4. ā17 Daysā (āWhen Doves Cryā b-side, 1984)
Although its partner b-side from āLetās Go Crazy,ā āErotic City,ā was unquestionably the most infamous and popular of the two, ā17 Daysā seems to rest in its shadow. It shouldnāt. ā17 Daysā has a wicked groove of its own, especially from that elastic bass, and a tense and effective vocal by Prince. With its vaguely trippy nature, ā17 Daysā is an obvious foreshadowing of the full-blown psychedelic to be heard soon on 1985ās āAround the World in a Day.ā
5. āNew Positionā (from āParade,ā 1986)
This taut slice of kinetic funk is built largely by Prince as a solo recording. Thereās not much to it, but there doesnāt need to be. Prince plays the frenetic percussion anchored by a clanging steel drum, between which coils a wildly gyrating bass line.
6. āPower Fantasticā (Recorded 1985, not released until āThe Hits/The B-sides ā1993ā)
It required an unconventional recording set-up to get the right sound, but Prince managed to capture the elegant vibe he was seeking. Itās a one-take jaw-dropper with the Revolution recorded as a track for the possible follow-up āParade,ā presumably to be called āThe Dream Factory,ā but Prince disbanded the Revolution and the follow-up never materialized. Happily this dreamy, elegant ballad was finally made available when it was added to the āB-sidesā disc to a 1993 combination.
7. āThe Ballad of Dorothy Parkerā (from āSign āoā the Times,ā 1987)
A surreal slice of Princely quirkiness from arguably his finest album, āThe Ballad of Dorothy Parkerā has a stripped down vibe ā basically just a few ornate lines of piano and pulses of keyboard all riding a dry and strangely off-kilter electronic pattern on the Linn Drum machine in lock step with a quivering bass.
8. āAnna Stesiaā (from āLovesexy,ā 1988)
Widely considered by Prince fans as among his finest pieces of work, āAnna Stesiaā is the emotional centerpiece of āLovesexy.ā It builds slowly from a stark piano intro to the stirring chorus at the end repeating, āLove is God, God is Love. Girls and boys love God above.ā Both the vocal and musical arrangement are complex, and Prince delivers one of his most impassioned vocals.
9. āThe Question of Uā (from āGraffiti Bridge,ā 1990)
Forget the movie ā the soundtrack is high quality.Ā āThe Question of Uā is basically one exquisite verse over a trippy groove, followed by Princeās guitar histrionics, rhythmic clapping, soaring background vocals and exotic lines of keyboard. Beautiful.
10. āAnd God Created Womanā (from āLove Symbol,ā 1992)
Prince turns the biblical story from Genesis into a gorgeous soul ballad with a touch of a Latin/jazz vibe. Princeās nuanced vocal is beguiling and the vocal arrangement throughout the song is nothing short of magical.
11. āPheromoneā (from āCome,ā 1994)
One of Princeās darkest and most extreme dance tracks, āPheromoneā boasts a truly massive beat and a throbbing bass. Prince sings the lurid lyrics in a hard falsetto from the point of view of a highly aroused man surreptitiously peeping a couple in the process of enacting a violent sexual fantasy. Itās a stellar track, disturbing in its way but loaded with power and an unusually dangerous vibe for a Prince song.
12. āShhhā (from āThe Gold Experience,ā 1995)
Prince scored a hit for young vocalist Tevin Campbell with āRound & Roundā from āGraffiti Bridgeā in 1990. Campbellās next attempt to record a Prince tune, āShhh,ā wasnāt as successful. In exasperation, Prince transformed the song into a rock behemoth with some of the most stunning guitar the man ever recorded, plus some of the most devastating, come-hither, sexually charged vocals of his career.
13. āThe Same Decemberā (from āChaos & Disorder,ā 1996)
Prince handed Warner Bros. two albums of āolderā material in 1996 for them to put out as they chose to complete his contract ā āChaos & Disorderā and āThe Vault.ā āThe Same Decemberā is a buoyant guitar rocker that would have soared into the Top 20 had it been released a decade earlier.
14. āWhen the Lights Go Downā (from āThe Vault ā Old Friends for Sale,ā 1999)
A long, R&B/jazz flavored slow-jam with booming bass and some jaw-dropping instrumentation, itās clear that Prince didnāt have it in him to turn in subpar material even for contract filler. Prince nails his sweet falsetto, which doesnāt come in until after two minutes of sublime Latin-groove instrumental introduction.
15. āThe Love You Makeā (from āEmancipation,ā 1995)
This powerful gospel-flavored rock ballad ratchets up the intensity as it approaches a breathtaking climax. Often a stunner in live performance, āThe Love You Makeā sounds entirely more authentic than almost anything else on āEmancipation.ā
16. āComebackā (from āThe Truth,ā 1997)
āThe Truthā is an all-acoustic album included with the āCrystal Ballā box set of previously unreleased material. Because of its hard-to-acquire status, āThe Truthā has not been widely heard. The highlight is the short but exquisitely beautiful āComeback,ā a song presumably written by Prince for his late son. Not often does Prince allow something so nakedly personal to be heard by his audience and the song is worthy of its stature as a touching goodbye.
17. āWasted Kissesā (from āNew Power Soul,ā 1998)
This track is indeed a hidden gem ā you have to scroll through the CD to track 49 to find it, but itās well worth the extra clicks. Itās about as bitter a Prince song as youāll ever hear. We hear gunshots, an ambulance, medical personnel and a flatline all the while Prince is singing, āWhy did I waste my kiss on you, baby?/Why did I waste my kisses on you now.ā Itās as strange and as chilling a song as Prince has ever released.
18. āI Love U, But I Donāt Trust U Anymoreā (from āRave un2 The Joy Fantastic,ā 1999)
Princeās performance here is emotionally authentic and shows a naked vulnerability weāre not used to hearing from him.
19. āShe Loves Me 4 Meā (from āThe Rainbow Children,ā 2001)
āThe Rainbow Childrenā seems to be Princeās version of a concept album inspired by the teachings of his new religion. It seems nobody really understood any of it but Prince himself, but that hardly matters. āShe Loves Me 4 Mā is a classic mid-tempo Prince pop tune built on the lovely interplay between a glistening order and Princeās guitar. It stands along with anything he has done.
20. āReflectionā (from āMusicology,ā 2004)
The final track from Princeās 2004 comeback āMusicologyā ā a year in which Prince launched his first major U.S. tour in ages and also saw him steal the show at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, āReflectionā may be the musical highlight ā a charming piece of nostalgia set to gentle acoustic guitar, like a photograph faded with time.
21. āLoveā (from ā3121,ā 2006)
ā3121ā earned Prince his first No. 1 album in America since the ā80s, and itās easy to understand why. Itās a super-slick and modern collection of first-rate pop and R&B, and āLoveā is one of the albumās highlights. Although it was never a single, the song has an irrepressible groove, jittery keyboard, a strong melodic hook and Prince sounds his confident best.
22. āAll the Midnights in the Worldā (from āPlanet Earth,ā 2007)
Princeās 2007 album āPlanet Earthā was the first to prominently feature old Revolution mates Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin substantially in 30 years. Itās a gentle song that doesnāt fit with much of what Prince has been doing in recent years, which is no doubt part of its luminous charm.
23. āFuture Soul Songā (from ā20ten,ā 2010)
ā20tenā is generally not regarded as one of Princeās finest efforts, but itās not nearly as bad as some would have you believe. There are indeed gems, like the electronic powerhouse āBeginning Endlessly,ā the lithe and funky āSticky Like Glue,ā and especially the gorgeous ballad āFuture Soul Song,ā with an old school groove, sumptuous keyboards and with Prince shifting from his soulful slower register during the versions to his most feathery falsetto for the chorus.
24. āWay Back Homeā (from āArt Official Age,ā 2014)
āMost people in this world were born dead, but I was born alive.ā Itās a line impossible to forget and impossible to argue. āWay Back Homeā is Princeās transcendent ballad from his triumphant 2014 release āArt Official Age,ā a smart collection of fresh pop and R&B. The vocal harmonies and the sincerity in Princeās voice make āWay Back Homeā the standout. Itās sheer beauty and heart on an album loaded with terrific songs.
25. āRevelationā (from āHITNRUN Phase 2,ā 2015)
The final Prince album during his life was released in December 2015, āHITNRUN Phase 2.ā Happily, itās an album worthy of his catalogue. āRevelationā is the type of stripped-down ballad that Prince can crunch out by the dozen, but theyāre all different and usually worthy of attention. He is careful to keep the song melodically interesting ā heās not trying to create a boring Top 40 hit. He delivers a superb falsetto and a blistering guitar solo. On the strongest track from his last album, Prince could still bring it at the highest quality.
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āTigerā burning bright: an interview with Mary Timony
Todayās female-driven music scene wouldnāt be the same without her
Itās hard to imagine what the current female-driven music scene would be like without Mary Timony. From Sleater-Kinney to Haim, from Angel Olsen to Mitski, the influence of Mary Timony is in every note being played, every word being sung. On her new solo album, āUntame The Tigerā (Merge), with its sly nod to Joni Mitchell, Timony has brought her many years of musical experience to the fore, resulting in what is easily her most accessible release. Beginning with the incredible six-plus minute opener āNo Thirdsā and continuing through the first single, āDominoes,ā and gorgeous numbers including āThe Guest,ā āThe Dream,ā and āNot The Only One,ā Timony is assured to keep listeners purring along. Timony made time for an interview shortly before the album was released.
BLADE: Mary, Iād like to begin by talking to you about your musical lives in D.C. and Boston. I went to college in Boston in the early 1980s and was constantly amazed by the bands of the era such as Mission of Burma, Human Sexual Response, and āTil Tuesday. I moved to D.C. in the mid-1980s to go to grad school, and at the time, the music scene there was dominated by go-go music, and a smaller indie music featuring BETTY and the late Tommy Keene, among others. What do you remember about the music in D.C. as someone who grew up there?
MARY TIMONY: Thatās interesting. We kind of did a switcheroo. Iām from D.C. and I moved to Boston. (In D.C.) I learned, as a teenager, about rock shows and rock music from being involved in the punk scene, the post-hardcore scene of kids here. Those are the shows I went to in high school. Basically, the Dischord (Records) bands and stuff. I saw every single Fugazi show from when they started in ā87. Before that, whatever was happening in 1985, hardcore shows by Swiz and Soulside and Kingface and I loved Ignition. Other than that, I would go see bluegrass out in Virginia and I loved go-go. I would go to see (go-go bands) Rare Essence and Trouble Funk. I was very into that stuff; that was really exciting. I think I liked go-go the most out of all of it, actually [laughs]. I would go to DC Space and 9:30 (Club), mostly for local (acts). I don’t think I ever saw BETTY, but I was a teenager then.
BLADE: Was the active music scene in Boston in the early 1990s part of the appeal for you when it came to relocating to Boston to attend Boston University?
TIMONY: The reason why I went there was because I wanted to go to a music program that was in a big university, in case I didn’t wanna study music the whole time, which is exactly what happened. I studied classical guitar for a year and then I didn’t really like the program much, so I transferred to study English. I found out about the (Boston) music scene from friends. We went to The Middle East (nightclub) and TTās (T.T. The Bearās nightclub). Then after college, I ended up living right down the street from The Middle East and I was there constantly.
BLADE: Good old Central Square! As a performer playing in bands including Autoclave, Helium, and Ex Hex, and as a solo artist with her own band, itās not unreasonable to say that Mary, you are someone who plays well with others.
TIMONY: [Big laugh.]
BLADE: What makes you such a good team player?
TIMONY: I didn’t know I was [laughs]. I’ve gone back and forth between doing solo stuff and being in bands. Mostly, I’ve done projects where I’ve written a bunch of songs and I’m trying toā¦I haven’t done a ton of collaborative stuff really. Ex Hex was fun because it was more collaborative. Wild Flag, the same thing, totally 100% collaborative in every way. But Helium was really my thing, but I got some great people that totally influenced it. I’ve always been doing my own thing but tried to find really good people. Music really is about connection. Itās never as good if it’s only one person’s vision. Usually, if it’s good it’s good because of the connection between the musicians. Music is a social art form, I think.
BLADE: āUntame The Tigerā is the title of your new album. In 1999, Joni Mitchell titled her album āTaming The Tiger.ā Are you, in any way, making a nod to Joni?
TIMONY: A little bit because I am a huge fan. I have been since I was 18. But, it sort of came to me because I have a song called that on the record and I’m sure that probably came from ripping off Joni Mitchell. Then I just thought thatās a cool name for a record. Then I thought, āOh, shit!ā [Laughs] Itās already been taken! Then I thought about it and then I forgot about it. Then I thought about it again and finally, I was like, āItās OK. It’s a little bit different.ā And I love her!
BLADE: Iām currently reading Ann Powersā book āTraveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell,ā which comes out in June.
TIMONY: Oh, I’m definitely going to have to read.
BLADE: Yes, please add that to your reading list. āUntame The Tigerā is your first new solo studio album in 15 years. Are there things you write and sing about on your solo records that might be out of place on an album you would record with another one of your musical outfits?
TIMONY: Yes. That’s why this ended up being a solo record. I guess it was because of the tuning of my guitar. They were more or less finished songs. I wanted the songs to sound kind of acoustic. I also wanted to play with a bunch of musicians who I really love. All those things just made it seem like a solo record. If I’m writing for a band, like Ex Hex, which is basically the other band that I do right now, they’re not finished. I bring them in (to the band members) with that band in mind.
BLADE: I love the lush instrumental section on āThirdsā and the psychedelic sounds of āLooking For The Sunā and āThe Guest.ā Were there things you were listening to while writing the songs for āUntame The Tigerā that were inspiring to you?
TIMONY: I was listening to a lot of music, a ton of stuff. I don’t ever try to purposely emulate anything very often, but I can’t help it. I’d rather be influenced by stuff without really thinking about it too consciously. I always have loved listening to The Left Bankeās instrumentation and The Moody Bluesā string parts. Most of the string parts come from trying to emulate The Moody Blues [laughs] or The Left Banke. I’m obsessed with The Left Banke.
BLADE: āWalk Away RenĆ©e,ā right?
TIMONY: Yes. This guy, Michael Brown, was such a genius. He wrote so much stuff as a teenager. His dad was a string arranger. Anyway, I love those string parts. I was listening to this prog-rock band The Strawbs and this early (Ronnie) Dio band Elf. (The Flying) Burrito Brothers and The Byrds, too. I love Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span. Richard Thompson and I was really obsessed with Gerry Raffertyās early solo record called āCan I Have My Money Back?ā I love that record. I was listening to it a ton when I was arranging the songs.
BLADE: Why was the song āDominoesā selected as the first single from āUntame The Tiger?ā
TIMONY: I don’t know. I let other people tell me [laughs]. I really hate sequencing records and I hate choosing singles. Iām just too close to it. I can’t tell what people are going to like or not. A lot of times, the ones that I like are not the ones that other people like. I asked (the people at) the label and they suggested that. I think it’s more poppy sounding. Dave Fridmann mixed that one and āDonāt Disappearā and heās a genius mixer. and these mixers are always very pleasing and accessible sounding. I think that has something to do with it, too.
BLADE: Earlier, we talked about your long history of playing music with others, which reminded me of your guest spot singing āAll Dressed Up In Dreams,ā written by gay singer/songwriter Stephin Merritt for his band The 6thsā āWaspsā Nestā album.
TIMONY: Heās such a genius!
BLADE: How did that come about?
TIMONY: When I moved to Boston, for a year I lived with Claudia (Gonson of Merrittās band The Magnetic Fields), who is his drummer. I lived in a group house in Cambridge. I was friends with Claudia, and Stephin lived a few blocks away. She told me he was making this record with guest singers they wanted to go over and sing on it. I went over there one day and he taught me the song and I sang on it. I think he’s one of the best songwriters of the last 50 years or whatever.
BLADE: I completely agree. As someone who has collaborated with Stephin, are you aware of an LGBTQ+ following for your own music?
TIMONY: I don’t know. I think maybe a little bit. Iād love that. I love everybody who can connect with it, because all I’m trying to do is connect with people.
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Sherry Vine is turning 60 ā and sheās not quitting anytime soon
Legendary drag queen coming to D.C. for new show, āSmoke and Mirrorsā
There are many things Sherry Vine is proud of. Throughout her 33-year-long career, the drag queen has accomplished so much ā sheās released music, launched her own variety show and toured across the United States and Europe.
But what she loves the most about her career is making people laugh.
This calling to be a comedy queen started before her formal drag career. In high school, she remembers taking part in the musicals, and Vine would find joy in making people laugh by wittily changing song lyrics.
āThen it just evolved into doing that as the act,ā Vine said in an interview with the Blade.
From the beginning of her career, sheās made singing live parodies a central part of her performance as a drag queen. And for her 60th birthday, she knew she wanted to put on an extravaganza.
Vine is coming to the Woolly Mammoth on March 9 while on tour for her new show āSmoke and Mirrors,ā performed and written by her. Itāll include new parodies, from Bruce Springsteen to ABBA. The D.C.-based drag queen Tara Hoot will be a special guest at the show.Ā
Thereās a lot that led up to this milestone year for Vine. It all started with developing her character more than 30 years ago.
Developing Sherry Vine
Vine describes her persona as a down-on-her-luck showgirl from Las Vegas with a heart of gold.
She was always obsessed with stars like Joey Heatherton and Stella Stevens. Not to suggest those stars are down-on-their-luck showgirls, Vine said, but she wanted to evoke a sex kitten mentality. Her character eventually morphed into what it is today from these inspirations.
But at first, Vine said she thought she had to look funny to be funny.
āI didn’t care about the makeup. I didn’t wear big breasts. I just thought I had to look like a clown,ā Vine said.
When she moved to New York City in 1992, she was surrounded by queens who balanced being funny and gorgeous simultaneously. That was eye-opening for her, she said.
Now, she relishes surprising people, she said. Sheās been told she looks ātoo prettyā to be taken for a comedy queen, but thatās OK with her.
āI want to walk out on stage, and anyone who’s never seen me, maybe they’re like, āOh, she looks good,āā Vine said. āAnd then I started singing about poop and penis and they’re like, āOh my gosh, she’s so stupid.āā
When she was starting out as a drag queen, Vine reflected that she didnāt envision doing drag as a career. She remembers not wanting to commit to it. She wanted to be a movie star, she said.
āI kind of fought it. I loved it,ā Vine said. āBut I was like, I’m not doing this as a career.āā
But once she let go of fighting it, her career exploded. She got connected with RuPaul and was on two television specials in the 1990s. That support was crucial, Vine said, and helped her believe in herself more.
āI was like, āOh, OK. If this person thinks that I have something, then maybe I do,āā Vine said.
Drag has changed ā a lot
The drag scene has changed drastically. Vine credits a lot of this transformation to āRuPaulās Drag Race.ā
āWhen we started doing drag 30 years ago, no one in their right mind would have been like, āI’m going to do drag so I can make a lot of money and be famous,āā Vine said.
Before RuPaulās iconic single “Supermodel (You Better Work),ā one of the only examples of drag the average consumer saw was āMrs. Doubtfire,ā Vine said.
āYou had to have a passion for it,ā Vine said. āYou had to have a calling.ā
When Vine started, drag was a fringe art form that had an audience of mostly gay men.
Nowadays, itās mainstream. Drag is enjoyed by a much wider audience, and is more of a way to become famous. When Vine was coming up in the industry, there were few ways to get on TV and in films as a drag queen, short of playing a character that was murdered on āLaw & Order,ā she said.
But even though drag has evolved and grown in popularity, Vineās advice to drag queens has stayed the same over the years.
āDon’t try to do something because you think someone else is doing it successfully,ā Vine said. āFind what you do, and then exploit and explore that.ā
Looking back, looking ahead
Out of her multi-decade run as a drag queen, Vine said sheās most proud of the longevity of her career. There are a few people who have been in it as long as she has ā Lady Bunny and Miss Coco Peru, for example. Few others have made it as long as Vine, she said.
She stresses that she canāt take credit for creating things, but she takes pride in being one of the first drag queens to go viral on YouTube in the 2000s. Her āBad Romanceā parody, released in 2009, racked up more than 6 million views over the years.
In the next few years, sheās looking into doing more television and film projects. Her latest show, āThe Sherry Vine Variety Show,ā just wrapped filming its third season. Creating this show is fulfilling a childhood dream of hers, she said. Itās an homage to āThe Carol Burnett Show,ā which Vine grew up watching.
Whether itās performing on camera or onstage, Vine doesnāt see herself quitting anytime soon.
āI love performing and drag as much now as I did 33 years ago,ā Vine said. āSo I don’t see ever stopping.ā
To get details on how to buy tickets to āSmoke and Mirrors,ā visit woollymammoth.net/productions/sherry-vine.
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Girls Rock! DC empowers young people through music, social justice education
Organization founded in October 2007
Girls Rock! DC, an organization operating at the intersection of art and activism, is dedicated to empowering young people through music and social justice education.
Since its founding in October 2007; Girls Rock! DC has been creating a supportive, inclusive and equitable space that centers around girls and nonbinary youth, with a special emphasis on uplifting Black and Brown youth. At the core of Girls Rock! DC’s mission is a unique approach to music education, viewing it through a social justice and equity lens.
“It’s a place where people can come explore their interest in music in a safe environment, figure out their own voice, and have a platform to say it,” Board Vice Chair Nicole Savage said.
This approach allows D.C.’s young people to build a sense of community and explore their passion for social change through after-school programs, workshops and camps.
The organization’s roots trace back to the first rock camp for girls in August 2001 in Portland, Ore. Similar camps have emerged worldwide since then, forming the International Girls Rock Camp Alliance. Girls Rock! DC is a member of this alliance, contributing to the larger community’s growth and advocacy for inclusivity in the music industry.
Girls Rock! DC’s annual programs now serve more than 100 young people and 20 adults, offering after-school programs and camps. Participants receive instruction on the electric guitar, the electric bass, keyboards, drum kits and other instruments or on a microphone and form bands to write and perform their own original songs. Beyond music, the program includes workshops on underrepresented histories in the music industry, community injustice issues and empowerment topics that include running for office and body positivity.
“I’ve been playing shows in the D.C. music scene for about six years, and I feel like Girls Rock! DC is the perfect amalgamation of everything that I stand for,ā said Outreach Associate Lily MĆ³nico. āSo many music spaces are male dominated and I think there is a need for queer femme youth in music.ā
The organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is evident not only in its leadership but also in the way it creates a safe space for queer and nonbinary individuals. Language is a crucial component, and Girls Rock! DC ensures that both campers and volunteers embrace inclusivity.
“It is a very open and creative space, where there’s no judgment,” Zadyn Higgins, one of the youth leaders, emphasized. “It is the first time for a lot of us, to be in a space where we’re truly able to be ourselves.”
In creating a safe environment, Girls Rock! DC implements practices that include name tags with preferred names and pronouns, along with pronoun banners that help kids understand and respect diverse identities.
“It’s really cool to watch these kids understand and just immediately get it,” said Higgins.Ā
Girls Rock! DC is also more than a music education organization; it’s a community where individuals can embark on a transformative journey that extends beyond their initial participation as campers. Many start their Girls Rock! DC experience as enthusiastic campers, learning to play instruments, forming bands and expressing their creativity in a supportive environment. The organization’s impact, however, doesn’t stop there. This inspiration leads them to volunteer and intern within the organization.
The unique progression from camper to volunteer or intern, and eventually to a full-fledged role within the organization, exemplifies Girls Rock! DC as a place where growth is not confined to a single week of camp but extends into an ongoing, impactful journey. It’s a testament to the organization’s commitment to nurturing talent, empowering individuals and fostering a lifelong connection with the values for which Girls Rock! DC stands.
One of the highlights of Girls Rock! DC is its summer camp, where kids between 8-18 learn to play instruments, form bands, write songs and perform in just one week. Higgins shared a poignant moment from a showcase,
“To see them go from, like, crying a little bit about how scared they were to going out on the stage and performing their little hearts out was so sweet,” said Higgins.
Nzali Mwanza-Shannon, another youth leader, agreed that the camp is the highlight of the program.
“The summer camp, I’ve met so many friends, and it’s always kind of scary coming up to the end, but after we get to perform and everything, I’m so grateful that I’ve gotten the opportunity to perform and meet new people and be so creative and do it all in a week,” said Mwanza-Shannon.
Forty-three young people who showcased their original songs and DJ sets at D.C.ās legendary 9:30 Club attended the first Girls Rock! DC camp in 2007. They performed to a crowd of 700 enthusiastic fans. The organization since then has grown exponentially, with each passing year bringing more energy, vibrancy and fun to the camp experience.
Since the pandemic, however, the organization has struggled financially, experiencing a funding shortage as well as reduced growth in attracting new members.
Augusta Smith, who is a youth leader and a member of the band Petrichor, expressed concern about the potential impact on the unique and friendly environment that Girls Rock! DC provides.
“We’ve kind of been really slow and barely making enough money. And this year, we’re having a funding shortage,ā said Smith.
The impact of Girls Rock! DC extends beyond musical skills, fostering leadership, self-expression and a passion for social change through creative collaboration and community power-building. Mwanza-Shannon hopes to be a part of Girls Rock! DC for a long time,
“I want to keep on meeting new people,ā said Mwanza-Shannon. āI want to keep on being able to perform at these different places and have different experiences.”