By Kennedi Johnson
There are certainly plenty of amazing girls who rock, but in a male-dominated music industry, it’s hard to deny that we need to nurture more rockin’ girls. That’s where the Girls Rock Camp Foundation comes in. Since 2014, the organization has provided funding and support to Girls Rock Camps nationwide. On Friday April 29, the Foundation will present its first annual “Girls to the Front” gala at LA’s Chateau Marmont.
The event will be hosted by writer, comedian, and Golden Globe-winning actress Rachel Bloom. Singer-songwriter and the Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto will be the event’s VIP dinner host. Ditto will be accompanied by singer-songwriter ZZ Ward and indie pop duo Tegan and Sara. There will also be a special performance by the LA-based sister rock group HAIM.
“Girls to the Front” will honor the pop songwriting duo Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter. Michaels and Tranter have collaborated together on Justin Beiber’s “Sorry” and Selena Gomez’s “Good for You”. They have also been sought out by many other renowned musicians including Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Courtney Love and John Legend.
In addition to Michaels and Tranter, Ethiopia Habtemariam will be honored at the event. Habtemariam is the President of Motown Records, the President of Urban Music, and Co-Head of Creative at Universal Publishing Music Group. Her accomplishments have landed her on Billboard’s highly acclaimed “40 under 40”, “30 under 30”, and “Women in Music” lists.
The event’s star-studded honorary committee is worth mentioning as well: Kristen Bell, Margaret Cho, Marianne Faithfull, Kathryn Hahn, Kathleen Hanna, Cyndi Lauper, Reba McEntire, Rose McGowan, Yoko Ono, Katy Perry, Chloe Sevigny, Carly Simon, Tegan and Sara, and AGI’s Marsha Vlasic.
The Girl Rock Camp Foundation’s benefit organization are the Girls Rock Camps. Girls Rock Camps have provided a musical outlet for girls across the United States since 2001. During their camp stay, girls will learn how to play an instrument and form a band. They then get the chance to write a song together and then perform it live on stage! The camps also incorporate mentorship or training in DJ-ing, music video production, recording and engineering, lighting and sound design, music journalism, music business basics, and more. The funds raised by the nonprofit organization will help pay for the Camps’ educational programming, site improvements, and scholarship initiatives.
Tickets for the first annual “Girls to the Front” gala are available here. To learn more about the Girls Rock Camp Foundation, click here.