What parents and campers have said about
Chicago Joe's Rock 'n Blues Camp

Parents’ comments from 2012

"Great camp. Everyone so genuinely wants to see the kids' skills grow. Fantastic staff and experience."

"Great show last night. So cool to see the kids play and get better and better with every show."

"Great night to close out the summer at Chicago Joe's Rock and Blues camp. I am so grateful that my kids and our family are part of the Chicago Joe Community. What a night! What a summer! Thank you to Joe, Micki, and all of the counselors!"

"I just want to let you know what a great time Parker, James and Griffin had at camp this past week, especially Parker since this was his first year. It was the best week of the summer for him so far! I don’t think there is a chance anything will surpass it. Thanks for all the hard work during the camp. We all appreciate everything you guys do for the kids!!!"

"Thanks Joe, Mickey, Kevin and the whole staff for making this such an awesome week for Max and all the kids. He can't wait to come back next summer!"

"We really enjoyed the show on Friday.  I am always amazed at how great these kids perform after only playing together for 4 1/2 days.  That is a true testament to the quality of the camp and the counselors working with the kids.  Mark is excited for his other two sessions. "

"Awesome show tonight... Terrific staff... Talented kids... Happy parents"

"Great concert last night! We loved it!"

"What a GREAT night of music! Did they all really learn those songs in five days? Wow. Thanks to Joe, Micki, and the rest of the amazing staff...Jessica and Justin will be back for more!"

Parents’ comments from 2011

"I just wanted to thank you for a great camp experience for our son. I believe he learned a lot and had fun! It's so inspiring to see so many young musicians out there and their potential! We'll definitely be looking forward to next summer!"

"Can I just say that show totally rocked?!!! It was really amazing. "

"We were very impressed with how well all of the bands played. They all sounded great! It amazes me how quickly these kids can learn four songs and then perform them live. The whole staff at that camp should be commended for running such a great program. "

"My boys love your camp. You do an amazing job with the kids and I will be sorry when my boys age out. As a family we look toward to the concerts. Thanks for all you, Joe and the staff do for the kids."

Parents’ comments from previous years

"The Rock ‘n Blues Camp was amazing! Each and every student learned to dream with abandon and fall in love with many types of music. The experience of working together as a band, writing music, and being unconditionally embraced by these talented teachers will forever be a warm memory in their hearts."

" . .the highlight for me was when I saw my son playing guitar solos onstage in a band. It brought tears to my eyes when he started playing the solo to Sunshine of Your Love. It was beautiful to me, and I was awestruck that my son could do it, much less perform it."

"The biggest benefit [my son] got from camp came in his attitude about himself. He has become much more confident and has taken on leadership roles in other activities because he was allowed to prove himself at your camp."

"It was unbelievably moving and rewarding to see my son on stage performing. It was clear that his talent, his excitement, his pride all came from him. I was amazed at how much he learned, how much fun he had, and how good he was!"

"Chicago Joe's Rock and Blues Camp is one of those amazing resources that makes you feel prouder of your community. And I can't imagine anyone being better at running a music camp than Joe and the rest of the teachers there. They've raised the bar in terms of professionalism and attitude -- I doubt if you could find a group of musicians who have as much talent, professionalism, energy and joy to share with children."

"What was most impressive about the summer camp experience, aside from the terrific jam session at the end of the week, was the mutual respect between teachers and students. It was as if everyone shared in the experience of making music--and everyone walked away from it feeling a little better about themselves."

" Our son, never having sung before, confidently sang lead vocals on a couple of selections. This was a big achievement for this somewhat shy, quiet teenager and he had a smile on his face for days afterwards. "

"We were very please with the camp, especially the communications to us, the parents. Our daughter also wanted me to put her two cents in. She said it everything was well organized and liked that the camp has structure, but still allowed freedom. Also, all the teachers were very helpful."

"Again this year, my son finished his camp time wishing for more! He attended two weeks and was happy everyday. We are delighted with your growth, and know you more than deserve it."

"Our son loved camp and wants to do it again. The music that was produced in such a short week was amazing. "

"From my perspective as a parent, my son said that this was "the best camp ever" and more importantly came home each day telling me all the new things he had learned and how much fun it was. Next year he said he wants to do two weeks! This has been a great experience for him and I want to thank all the people involved."

"Our son still hasn't stopped raving about what a wonderful time he had!!! Of course he has not stopped playing the guitar either!!!"

Campers’ Comments

Question: What did you like most about camp?
Answers:
"The music."
"Just playing music with friends."
"Jamming and the ‘dry runs.’"
"Rocking out.
"The location and the opportunity to be with others who love to play rock."
"It wasn’t cheesy like some other guitar camps."
"How I learned a lot of new stuff."
"I liked most that I got to work on singing and got a lot better."
"Learning recent songs."

Question: What did you like the least?
Answers:
"When we weren’t playing."
"Getting up so early."
"That you can only do one week at a time."
"Everything was fine, I did not dislike anything."
"Everything was good."
"Lunch, ‘cuz we weren’t ROCKING!!!"

Additional comments the students wanted to make:
"It was cool. I liked camp a lot."
"It was good to be in a band where the musicians don’t get into fights."
"I liked learning new songs."
"It was awesome, I learned a lot. Can’t wait til next summer. I wish it was longer."
"I loved it. I’m soooo glad I came!"
"It was awesome. I’ll be back next year."
"Y’ALL ROCK!"