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"Camp Rock" from stage to studio ... to stardom!

Whatever you're doing with your summer vacation, the Camp Rock kids are spending theirs planning world domination, one note at a time, at Camp Rock in St. Augustine.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Whatever you’re doing with your summer vacation, the Camp Rock kids are spending theirs planning world domination, one note at a time, at Camp Rock in St. Augustine.

“Oh my God, it’s just so fun!,” said 13-year-old vocalist and drummer Madison Wardell of St. Augustine, a second-time participant.

Camp Rock is the brainchild of Jim Stafford, who runs Eclipse recording studio across town on U.S. 1. Think of a week-long day camp themed around the movie "School of Rock" starring Jack Black. "These kids, they just soak it up," Stafford said.

But the music biz-ed, so to speak -- stage performance, guest speakers, fine-tuning of chops, and photo spreads -- wouldn't be complete without learning the rigors of recording. And so, July 18th and 19th, the young rockers had sessions booked at Eclipse, cutting CDs to begin their rock resumes.

"It's kind of hard, kind of nerve wracking," Wardell said, fresh out of the vocal booth and a rendition of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode".

But third-year Camp Rocker, guitarist/bassist Eric Hasselman said he likes the different pressure - and the air conditioning - inside the studio.

"You cannot mess up at all when you're doing this, but you can do it multiple times," he said of playing for the unflinching ears of the soundboard.

"You know, you've got a crowd [onstage]," Wardell said, explaining the energy - and hence her preference -of live performance.

"I get this sort of vibe that I can do anything in front of a crowd. That's the best part about it for me," 16-year-old Shayla Nelson said.

In its third year, Camp Rock will take any middle or high school aged kid with a basic proficiency in their instrument -- whether it be guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, or drums. The program costs $250 to attend, but is available to those who can't afford it.

"All they have to do is tell us 'We can't afford it,' and they get a free scholarship," Stafford explained, "and those scholarships are provided primarily by the Friends of St. Augustine Amphitheater."

Basic proficiency doesn't mean you need virtuoso chops. In fact, there are plenty of first-timers among this year's largest class ever of 37 rockers.

The only other requirement is a thirst to learn.

Madison Wardell said she loves performing at Camp Rock and to "follow your dreams, don't ever give up. If you want to be a singer, be a singer; if you want to be a drummer, go all the way!"

If dreams of stardom are a seed, all on hand agreed Camp Rock is water to its growth.

"We're able to nurture [the kids] in a way that we [instructors] never had a chance to be nurtured when we were younger," Stafford said. He acknowledged that similar programs exist in other places.

"But nothing where they're at a world class venue for a week, perform on the main stage, and then come to a recording studio and make a CD."

For more information about Camp Rock and other local music programs for kids, click here for Eclipse Studios or here for Friends of St. Augustine Amphitheater.

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