For close to two decades, Girls Rock Philly has been helping local youth express themselves through music.
Now the local nonprofit is doing everything it can to carry on that legacy.
Since its 2006 start, Girls Rock Philly — an educational, music-based organization — has dedicated itself to building intergenerational communities of girls, women, queer, trans and gender-expansive people in the area. By 2007, the group held its initial weeklong summer camp and made the progressive music-making and songwriting program an annual event. GRP has made several compilation albums, hosted events with national acts, made available instruments, stage and studio time to those who needed it, and generally made music a proactive, provocative forum for anyone who craved such access.
“GRP has done an immense amount of good for the community,” said board chairperson Evan Thornburg. “GRP has given girls and gender expansive youth a place to learn about music and the music-making process, along with using music for protest, advocacy, activism, and expression. GRP has spent the totality of its existence invested in teaching youth how they can use music to lift their voices for what they believe in, how they feel, and to express themselves.”
GRP program director Sanovia Garrett calls what they do “a safe space for all women, girls trans, gender-nonconforming, LGBTQ+ in which to be seen. And heard.”
Now, Girls Rock Philly is in danger of closing shop, even as soon as this Fall. But they won’t go down without a fight.
“What couldn’t be predicted was how many grant-maker spaces would need to reduce their ability to give long after 2020-2021,” explains Thornburg. “Alongside this need to re-center their giving, standing inflation and fear of recession chilled giving for individual donors and smaller grants. The financial climate has harmed these groups, and GRP is deeply feeling the cold because financial “bouncing back” hasn’t happened very quickly in these spaces.”
Like East Passyunk Avenue’s Philly author-based bookstore A Novel Idea – a shop set to close this summer, until they hit social media and GoFundMe – Girls Rock Philly has sprung into action in order to bring in money and volunteers.
“What GRP seeks now is to address our dependency on grants by finding donors of all sizes, preferably ones that can have an ongoing relationship with the programming, staff, and board in really meaningful ways beyond just giving,” said Thornburg. “GRP hopes to build communal support to create a better split of income, because serving and connecting community is the priority always, but also so the organization can better absorb grant changes in the future. People can keep GRP here by signing up as sustainers. $5, $10, or $20 – their donation is money that is known, making it easier to know we can make our basic bills. People can also make larger one time or annual donations through GRP’s website.”
Along with “being vulnerable and asking for money to stay alive” Garrett additionally stressed the need for volunteers to help out in every way at GRP, a small team of two employees with a rotating cast of dedicated volunteers.
“We need people to help share what needs to be done at GRP,” she said. “We need volunteers, board members and people with the necessary resources to keep us afloat. It’s about people power. Sharing the word to folks who may want to be involved is super helpful.”
Girls Rock Philly is optimistic that this city will come to their aid, especially as there are so many fresh plans that they are currently floating for 2023 and 2024. While Thornburg discussed “bringing radical joy into young lives” through its flagship summer rock camp, there are also workshops, from DJing and music production to braving stage fright and movement.
“Presently GRP is planning an expansive school year program teaching youth how they can turn music into a career, everything from how to obtain gigs, to money and contract management,” said the board chair.
Garrett adds to the youth summer camp the recent addition of the Adult Rock Camp for fall or spring, one where parents and guardians can become even more integral to the lives of the children in attendance.
“GRP goes deeper than the music,” said Garrett. “It’s about relationships created, the education and the learning and the deep sense of empowerment and liberation. Our largest give-back, the Summer Rock Camp, has been alive and thriving. We also want to equip young girls for entrepreneurship, people who can find spaces for them in music and the music business hope to launch this fall.”
“I am an optimistic person, and for sure think that we can work this out,” added Garrett. “GRP has been part of Philly since 2006, and deserves the honor of being able to keep serving youth and adults throughout the Philadelphia area.”
For more information or to donate, visit girlsrockphilly.
