First Ever Gala!

GALA AMBASSADORS

Aijia Grammer Carrie Lombardi Ngoc Hoang-DelVecchio
Patty Schemel Rebecca Agbe-Davies Sara Bareilles

On Thursday May 3rd, entertainment and music communities came together for a special evening under the stars at the storied Houdini Estate in Laurel Canyon in support our First Ever Gala! and our mission of empowering girls through music.

Guests arrived at the estate to a sunset-lit cocktail reception on the upper courtyard, and enjoyed interactive camp experiences demonstrated by campers like mini-button making, a shout out wall honoring inspiring women, and camper band showcase videos. Entertainment was provided by magician and board member of the Women Magicians Association at the Magic Castle, Simone Turkington.

Echoes of “We Rock L.A.”, our camp theme song, resonated through the canyon as guests made their way into the garden for the dinner and program while catching up with old and new friends.

Music and Empowerment were the unifying threads of the evening as Camp Co-Founders and Co-Directors Mona Tavakoli (who also served as Emcee) and Becky Gebhardt kicked off the evening’s program with a warm and enthusiastic welcome.

Both the campers and guests were brought into the same safe and inclusive space that allows for freedom of expression and creativity – the norm at summer camp. For one night, we shared stories of why nurturing and fostering today’s youth is important, especially at this time in history, and what is needed to service even more of the youth in Los Angeles (a dedicated space, expanding curriculum, etc.)

The evening culminated in an intimate performance from long-time friend of camp, GRAMMY nominated artist, and this year’s Tony Awards Host Sara Bareilles, who mesmerized attendees while performing all of her hits plus a haunting version of “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”–ending her set with a powerful rendition of “Brave” featuring a camper choir which garnered a standing ovation.

SETLIST

Uncharted
Love Song
(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay
She Used to Be Mine
Hand Me My Armor, featuring Raining Jane (world premiere)
Brave, featuring Raining Jane and camper choir

VIDEOS

PHOTOS

Photos by Andie Mills Photography and Sarah Haywood.

ABOUT ROCK N’ ROLL CAMP FOR GIRLS LOS ANGELES

We strive to nurture self-esteem and self-expression in girls, in a world that doesn’t always give girls permission, space, or tools to do so.

Our programs are designed to promote collaboration, build confidence, and celebrate unique and diverse voices.

Through mentorship and the transformative power of music, we hope to inspire girls to be their best selves – to rock in life.

We challenge the old paradigms of who gets to make music and who gets to make noise, we hope that our programs will help make the world a more equitable place.

Rock n’ Roll Camp for Girls Los Angeles is a project of Community Partners, a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity.

To learn more, visit our website: http://www.werock.la

GET INVOLVED

VOLUNTEER: Learn more about volunteering in our programs by clicking here.

DONATE: Support our mission to keep our programs accessible to all aspiring campers by donating here.