School's out: Montreal rock camp lets kids shred all summer long
In a dimly lit Verdun basement, groups of pre-teens have set aside their bathing suits and skateboards to dive into their passion for rock and roll.
Like an echo of their parent's musical tastes, the players thrash their instruments to the sound of Deep Purple or AC/DC.
“I like Guns and Roses and Led Zeppelin,” says 12-year-old drummer Paul Anthony, while keeping the beat to Ozzy Osbourne’s Crazy Train.
“I like pop, I like rock, but I don't like pop rock,” quips 12 year old bassist Tennessee Rose Rupnik, while holding an instrument bigger than she is.
The School of Rock in Verdun welcomes children from all walks of life. It's a summer camp with outdoor activities, but the magic takes place when they enter the studio.
“It's a day camp. They want to go to the pool. They want to go to skateboarding and everything, but when they are committed to the music, they there's no stopping them,” explains camp counselor Stephane Heroux, who teaches music in schools the rest of the year.
Inaki Arsenault Bertolini used the summer camp excuse to try something he hadn't learned in music class.
“I learned mostly classical piano,” explains the young boy, taking a break from playing the Deep Purple classic Highway Star, “but I thought it was boring.”
“I wanted to switch to guitar, but the keyboards made me realize rock and roll is what I liked.”
Some of them came to the camp without a musical background, but discovered the power of rock while building friendships with other young musicians.
Tennessee Rose Rupnik says she spent two weeks at the camp and made friends along the way.
“It's really cool because I already know the drummer, she was in my band the other week, so she's one of my really good friends. I met Clara too, on bass, and she's really nice”
The bands learn to play in groups. Some come up with their own songs and get to record them, too, before producing a music video. On one recent sunny weekday, they took the show on the road to Wellington Street, which turned into a pedestrian mall for the summer.
They entertained the lunch crowd for about an hour, even though most had only rehearsed for a few days.
School of Rock founder Patrick Mainville says he was inspired by the Hollywood comedy of the same name.
“You can be without skills,” he said. “We'll put it to your level, so you can enjoy playing with the other bands.”
“The secret is to learn to play music by playing songs”
The crunch, feedback, and sharp twangs are all music to parent's ears.
“They’re not left on their own” explains parent Melissa Maya Falkenberg, who says she signed-up her daughter because everyone in her family loves music. “They take courses, but most of all, my daughter tells me she feels free when playing music”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
RCMP not investigating possible foreign interference cases related to Chiu, Dong: Duheme
Canada's federal police force is not investigating any possible instances of foreign interference in the cases of former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu and Liberal-turned-Independent MP Han Dong, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.