On April 25th, three bands will take to the stage at Chicago’s Color Club. With distinctive styles such as folksy Americana to indie pop punk, they’ll wow the crowd with two wholly original songs and one cover. Anyone who has ever played music knows that a three song set, especially with two originals, isn’t the easiest task. Now imagine that writing the songs, learning the various parts, and even building relationships between bandmates, all has to happen in just seven weeks.
That’s been the case for members of Let’s Rock! Chicago: Extended Play which serves as an extension of the Girls Rock! Chicago music education program.
COLÓN: I always said like Being in a band is something I would do like in another life or in an alternate universe or something. Cause like just the task of it was like really daunting.
That’s Elí Colón, a current participant in the Let’s Rock Chicago Extended Play program and the guitarist for the band Sweet Thorns
COLÓN: But when I saw this program I was like, oh that’s perfect. Like it streamlines it for you cause it, like you find people and then you have like a time frame. And then, like, even though the timeframe is challenging it at least gives a little bit of structure.
For Colón, his band Sweet Thorns, and the rest of the participants in the program, Girls Rock Chicago! is there to provide them with mentorship as well as the resources necessary to accomplish their goal of putting together a small set for a concert. But these goals aren’t limited to this specific event. In fact, this program is something of an anomaly since most of Girls Rock Chicago’s programs aren’t targeted towards adults at all.
LEAHY: Girls Rock Chicago is primarily a summer camp for girls, trans and gender expansive youth, ages eight to 16 at camp. Youth come together to form a band.
That’s Madeline Leahy, the Operations Manager for Girls Rock! Chicago
LEAHY: They take instrument lessons, they write an original song together, they record and perform their song all in one week. They get to record in a professional studio, and our campers perform at venues like Talia Hall and Lincoln Hall. So how many eight year olds get to say they’ve played Talia Hall?
But the problem is, that takes a lot of money. For instruments, instruction, studio time, as well as the cost of making it accessible.
LEAHY: We don’t turn campers away for lack of funds. We grant around 30% to 40% depending on the year of campers, some amount of financial aid.
So how does this get funded? Well partially from benefit events, which is where Let’s Rock Chicago comes in. All the proceeds from this event go towards funding for the youth programs at Girls Rock Chicago.
In addition to an opportunity to play a show, program participants also get the gratification of helping the gift of music go on for another generation
MCINTOSH: I wish that there had been more programs like this when I was that age.
That’s Hayes McIntosh, who is the bassist for Sweet Thorns.
MCINTOSH: to be able to like even just get the confidence that comes with Participating in a camp like this. So, um, I think it’s really cool that it exists and I’m really happy for the kids that get to participate in it.
Sweet Thorns vocalist Savannah Romero agrees.
ROMERO: Being able to know that I am contributing to give people the opportunity that a lot of us didn’t have, like growing up. I think that that’s like, that’s just such an amazing thing.
In fact that sentiment was shared across pretty much all the band members I interviewed. A lot of them would have wanted this supportive and uplifting space to explore creativity and expression when they were younger. While they can’t change their own past, they can help change the future of others.
But that’s not to say that it’s easy work. There are quite a few challenges facing our magnificent musicians. Firstly, there’s figuring out how to communicate and bond as a band since all of the members prior to this program had never met before. And then there’s also scheduling. With the intricacies of full time jobs, childcare, and other facets of life, finding a couple chunks to work on your set can prove to be trying. And then there’s songwriting. All the bands have to write two original songs, which on paper may seem easy but in reality it’s often a different story.
MCFEE: I’ve never written a song before in my entire life. Like I always have melodies in my head and, you know, I write for a living as a lawyer, but you know, not as much on a creative basis.
That’s Ericka Mcfee, who besides practicing law is also a member of the band Retrospex. While Mcfee may have been initially critical of her songwriting abilities, she later warmed up to the idea.
MCFEE: So I just like, was able to just sit down, knock out something. And I’m like, okay, well, it’s a first draft, you know, no big deal. And then, you know, I said, I could always edit it. And then when I look back at it, I’m like, oh, I’m actually impressed myself because I don’t hate it.
That song that McFee wrote will be one of the ones performed on the 25th in Retrospex’s set.
Sometimes, life just ends up throwing a curveball, as is what happened with Elí Colón and the rest of Sweet Thorns.
COLÓN: Our drummer had a personal emergency, so, our original drummer, so she had to drop out.
Which meant a few drummer-less rehearsals, but it eventually led the group to Stevie Rezac.
REZAC: I just saw an ad on Instagram that was like we need a drummer emergency and I was like, okay so I didn’t actually like apply like for the specific program.
But despite coming into the program late and not knowing the other three members, Rezac was able to click immediately with the rest of Sweet Thorns.
COLÓN: And it was like, Oh, this sounds complete now.
And while yes there are these points of struggle, ultimately there is also a lot of joy and triumph.
ROMERO: When we came up with the band name for the first time we just kind of kept saying it We’re like wait like sweet thorns like that sounds cool. And then we were like “Wait, what if that was our band name,” and then that was like the day that we like officially had said that that was the name that we were going to go with and we were just like all like jumping and like glee and stuff.
Similarly to Romero and the rest of Sweet Thorns, Retrospex has also had some highlights as mentioned by Stephanie Buelander, the drummer and a vocalist for the band.
BUELANDER: I’m excited for the show, but I’m really nervous because I feel like it has been like a time crunch too, because like we’ve only been really, you know, getting together, like once a week for a few hours and like, you know, but it’s been, it’s, it still has been fun.
As the show date gets closer and closer, the question of the bands respective futures has come into question. Some may wonder if there’s a life beyond Let’s Rock! Chicago Extended Play.
Sweet Thorns already has an answer to that question.
ROMERO: When I was starting in the Program i’m like, oh it’s only gonna last for like seven weeks and like when it’s over like i’m not gonna see them anymore, but Nah, we’re like this.
That’s Romero again.
ROMERO: Yeah Like let’s play book club. Let’s like We’re like, we’re just very determined and excited to like continue and like make more music together.
Stevie Rezac agrees.
REZAC: To me, it wasn’t just like, “Oh, like we’ll finish this program and that’s cool.” It’s like, “Oh, like I joined a band and we’re gonna do so many projects together.”
Currently, Sweet Thorns has entered DePaul’s Battle of The Band’s. Hopefully, they will have many more gigs to come.
And even if this is the last hurrah for some of the bands in the program, many are still thankful for the experience Girls Rock Chicago has given them, including Stephanie Buelander.
BUELANDER: They’re giving us enough room to be creative and meet on our own and actually be a band, but also they’re there for support. And they’ve always been there.And anytime we’ve had questions for anything, cause that’s like what their whole point is. And I think they’re the really fun thing about this organization that I’ve noticed is like, they just, they want to provide the same. Fun environment that they do to the kids to us because all of us are kids at heart.
So whether it’s for the badass musicians of today or the rockstars of tomorrow, Girls Rock Chicago! Is here to help them hit the right notes every step of the way.
Girls Rock! Chicago’s Let’s Rock Chicago Extended Play show will be held April 25th at 7:30 pm at the Tavern in the Color Club in Chicago. Tickets are 15 dollars and the website will be taking donations to fund next year’s youth programs until the 25th as well.
For WNUR News, I’m Sophia Casa.
