Amber Bauer hosted the first Rock Band Camp in Vermilion at Parkview Alliance Church from August 27 – 31. Children were exhilarated with the opportunity to try all kinds of different instruments and focussed heavily on performance. Participants coming from as far away as Saskatoon and Edmonton practiced charting with the Nashville Number System, and had various workshops and air bands. “Air bands teaches them about stage presence. This is a lot of fun and encourages them to think about what instruments they may be interested in practicing in the future,” said Amber Bauer. Participant, Taylor Sneep liked that she was given tips on playing her ukulele, as well as learned new skills on the drums, organ, and singing. Nine-year-old Cassie Cameron said, “Rock Band Camp was a lot of fun! During air bands we got to make our own instruments and perform. There was a lot of practicing, and everyone got to pick new instruments. I enjoyed my first time on the drums.”
The camp has been held in Vancouver for the past six years, but this was its debut in Vermilion. It was directed by Amber Bauer with the assistance of Vancouver’s Kenton Wiens, and her mother Bonnie Bauer. “Music is my whole life. Having grown up in a small town, I would have loved something like this, but only played classical until I was in my 20’s. I love seeing the children who only take solo lessons participate. It is more likely that they will continue to play throughout their lives, because when they learn to play with others in a band it is fun and exciting; there’s life in it. These children learned to play six songs in five days, and none have ever played in a band. Children are capable of more than we think,” said Amber Bauer. On August 31, participants led a concert for their families featuring live renditions of current and timeless music. Their energy was electric as they played and sang together as a band. Many of the participants had never played before, and switching instruments between songs appeared seamless. “I would like to thank Parkview Alliance Church for opening their doors to us, Kim Morritt for the photography, Kenton for his assistance, my mom for her 30 plus years of experience, and the participants. We’ve had a blast!” said Amber Bauer.
