⚡️⚡️ ⚡️ February 2017  ⚡️⚡️⚡️
There are a lot of new faces at Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls this year, so we wanted to take a moment to introduce everyone -- our new Executive Director, board + all of our staff who have worked so hard these past few months to help make it all happen.

Make some noise for team WMRC!!!

Welcome Jennifer Kessler
Ladies Rock Camp Alum, French Horn Player + 
New Executive Director 
 
All of us at Willie Mae Rock Camp are thrilled to welcome our new Executive Director, Jennifer Kessler. 

Jennifer has worked with arts organizations across the U.S. and internationally to develop community, education, and artistic programs with a focus on social justice.

As producer of the Lift Every Voice Festival with Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Jennifer brought together artists and partners including the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA, University of Southern California, and SITI Company for a month-long festival on speaking out against injustice and oppression, including Kurt Weill's anti-apartheid opera "Lost in the Stars" which premiered to critical acclaim for the first time in LA since 1950. 

Previous projects include managing young musician training programs at Carnegie Hall with world-renowned artists; the Los Angeles Philharmonic's National Take a Stand Festival; strategic plans for Mivos Quartet and Bang on a Can's Found Sound Nation; and designing an orchestral training fellowship for musicians of under-represented communities through the Inner City Youth Orchestra of LA. As the former Director of Community and Education for Orchestra of St. Luke's in NYC, Jennifer produced orchestral concerts for thousands of NYC families in partnership with Dance Theatre of Harlem, and launched a daily after school music intervention program in partnership with the Police Athletic League.

With performance degrees from Northwestern University in Illinois and Hanns Eisler Musikhochschule in Berlin , and a year studying Venezuela's music education program El Sistema, Jennifer has performed and taught as a French horn player with ensembles including the Berlin Philharmonic and the Israeli Opera Orchestra. She is also a facilitator for TEDxNewYork Salon, and a proud alumna of Ladies Rock Camp 2012. She lives in Brooklyn with her jazz bassist husband and their daughter, and is trying to improve her guitar skills for her rock band.
 
 
 
SHOUT OUT to WMRC Board!

Let's get a HUGE rock camp cheer for our returning board members Alison Brock McGill, Betsy Humes, Jennifer Callahan, LaRonda Davis, Karen Carmody, Mia Juhng, Sheree Carter-Galvan, Ayo Roach and Wendy Demarco Fuentes. They did an amazing job of finding a new Executive Director and ensuring that rock camp continues to expand our reach.

We also want to welcome our new board members Cassandra Bajan, Angelika Beener, Melissa Garcia, Deborah Iarussi and Elizabeth Ward. 

Staff Corner
 
 
 
 
Ever wonder who makes all this Willie Mae Rock Camp magic happen everyday? Say hello to our fabulous staff.
 
Need info on Arts & Activism? Creating workshops? Teachable moments? You should reach out to Vivianne Njoku our Curriculum Director & STEAM Program Organizer.
 
Have questions about our gear -- gear maintenance, gear rentals, gear club -- then  Milo, our Program Officer, is your person. 
 
Wanna learn more about our summer session application process, working with  WMRC to partner with your organization, or our work with The Young Women's Leadership Schools? Contact Program Coordinator, 
 
Interested in doing a Gig for Girls, making a fabulous donation to support our programs, learning more about our special events or our media ... drop a line to our Development & Communications Manager,  Chaney Sims .
 
Shout outs to Robinette Jones our resident techie + Office Manager + DJ coach, to the great  Rose Thomson our very talented Business Director AND our new Development Intern and trombone player, Lucy Hollier. 

Mark Your Calendars

 2017 Summer camp applications will be available online the week of February 6th! 


Photo credits from top to bottom, left to right:  2015 Girls Rock! Camp, photo by  Kate Milford; Photo of Jennifer Kessler; WMRC Board Vice President, Mia Juhng and WMRC Board President, Alison Brock McGill at our annual benefit + celebration Rhythm & Soul; Staff collage  from left to right: Vivianne Njoku, Milo Choy-Sutton, Christina Rodriguez, Chaney Sims, Robinette Jones and Rose Thomson.   
Get rock camp goodness everyday + keep in touch online.

#GirlsRockNYC

87 Irving Place
Brooklyn, NY 11238
(347) 599-0716