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Youthful Rockers Roll with the Beat without Missing One
The famous lyrics, “I don’t give a damn ‘bout my reputation / You’re living in the past, it’s a new generation,” kicked off the first Jensen Guitar RockCamp performance of the summer.
The next generation of rockers, ranging in age from 9 to 15 years old, wrapped up five days of intensive practice with a finale performance Friday at the MainStage in front of family and friends.
“I have the best job in the world,” said David Hekhouse, a 45-year-old father of three and manager and vice president of Jensen Guitar & Music Co., 2905 De la Vina St.
Hekhouse has been teaching music at Jensen Guitar for more than 25 years. As a real life rock ‘n’ roller, his band The Tearaways, has recorded six studio albums and has played in the Beatle Week Liverpool Music Festival, as well as fundraisers put on by celebrities such as Tom Hanks.
Beginning as an experimental stage in the guitar shop, Hekhouse has propelled the MainStage to be one of the most popular venues for all-ages concerts in Santa Barbara. From the outside of the building, you would not expect the black walls, professional lighting and sound systems that make the MainStage an intimate music venue to be reckoned with. Next door, the shop’s red walls are lined with glossy electric guitars and every piece of equipment that a musician could want.
For the past three years, RockCamp has sold out each session. Jensen Guitar offers three beginner sessions followed by two advanced sessions starting later in July.
Although this is a new generation of rockers, students relied on classic rock and pop covers. A black and white video of the Beatles performing “She Loves Me” to a screaming and leaping audience ushered parents and family into the music mood.
With a playlist including songs such as “Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, “Blitzkrieg Bop” by The Ramones, “Whip It” by Devo and “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream, the kids channeled their inner rock ‘n’ roll stars.
Hekhouse almost said no to “Whip It,” but let the kids go ahead with the song. “It’s a democratic process,” he explained. “They all chose songs they really wanted to do.”
From band names like the Talking Trees to Bullet Finger, each musician had to learn how to work together in a group.
“They’ve done a lot of rehearsing,” said Jesse Benenati, father of Miles and Stella. “The camp is all day. But then they can get on stage and know that they can do it.”
Benenati, as drummer in The Tearaways with Hekhouse, said music runs in his family. His son, Miles, 13, has been taking guitar lessons at Jensen Guitar for eight months. Daughter Stella, 11, sang right beside her brother as music blasted through the room filled with more than 40 family members and friends.
“They started to take on the rock star persona a little bit, but I told them to worry about their craft and worry about looks later,” said Benenati, laughing.
All of the performers were dressed in their unique version of rock ‘n’ roll outfits, from black ties over white T-shirts to fedoras and black gloves. If the rockers were nervous, they didn’t seem to show it. Each band flowed from song to song without a hitch.
“Everyone had talent,” said Hekhouse, the camp instructor.
“Dave’s a really positive instructor,” Benenati said. “If you keep it fun, you’ll want to keep on learning. Some teachers are too strict on beginners. You have to get them hooked.”
Many kids up on the stage were beginners to the music world.
Susana O’Dea’s son, Rufus, played his guitar for “Bad Reputation” and “Whip it.”
“He’d never had lessons before,” she said. “He was nervous, but Dave’s been a great teacher.”
Torri McMullin, 8, barely made the camp cut-off age, but had been taking guitar lessons there for two years. She was determined to be in the camp, said parents Julie and Richard McMullin.
“They are here from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and still she comes home and wants to go back,” McMullin said. “And she’s coming home and practicing. Dave runs a great program. He doesn’t let any parents in there. That’s probably why it works.”
Click here for more information on the Jensen Guitar Summer RockCamp program and schedule.
— Noozhawk intern Andrea Ellickson, a UCSB graduate, is a journalism student at SBCC. She can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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» on 07.11.10 @ 04:50 PM
Way to go Dyllan! So proud of you… Cant wait to here you play when you get home!!!!!!
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