Amplify Lawrence celebrates 10 years of tunes with benefit show this Saturday

Amplify Lawrence campers, 2024. // photo courtesy Amplify Lawrence

Amplify Lawrence is at once a rock camp, “dedicated to educating and empowering youth through musical exploration, creative expression, and performance,” while also “a safe-space for femmes and others with marginalized gender identities in the community to come together, inspire one another, and have a voice.”

The camp began in 2015 and was originally known as Girls Rock Lawrence. While the name has changed, Amplify is still part of the Girls Rock Camp Alliance and dedicated to its mission of providng “resources and space for community building to [their] membership in order to build a strong movement for collective liberation.”

While Amplify changes a little bit each year, whether it be location, number of campers, or activities, the main goal is the same: a diverse group of kids come together, form bands, write songs, and perform them, all within one week’s time.

Speaking with Camp Director Arlowe Clementine and board member Lily Kosirog, we ask what they see as the biggest changes over the course of Amplify’s decade of existence. As Clementine has only been with the organization for three years, they couldn’t speak to the early days, but says that, over their time with camp, “I can say that I have seen an influx of new volunteers, which is the recipe for a successful week!”

Amplify Lawrence campers, 2024. // photo courtesy Amplify Lawrence

Kosirog, however, started as a camper the very first year, and sees the biggest changes to Amplify reflecting the changes in herself over those years, especially in regards to trying to focus more on intersectionality and accessibility.

“The name change is obviously a huge part of that,” Kosirog says. “It would have been super easy for the past board members to be rigid in their past ‘girl power’ ways of organizing–it would even make sense, since it was working great for them–but they went out of their way to be flexible and open to change.”

That’s just one way that Amplify has managed to survive as a non-profit organization for a decade. Both Clementine and Kosirog point to the volunteers who help teach the campers, keep things organized, and make sure everyone stays fed and hydrated as being one of the most important reasons as to why Amplify has lasted so long.

“The board and volunteers care so much and have built great trust with local community partners,” says the Camp Director. “I talk to families often that have young people who are waiting to be old enough to come to camp and that is a beautiful thing!”

“I think we’ve lasted so long because of all the incredible volunteers and past campers who come back!” agrees Kosirog. “Once you start it tends to get its hooks in you. Watching the campers grow into themselves a bit more over less than a week is so inspiring and rejuvenating.”

In addition to the weeklong Amplify camp, the organization has occasional benefit shows which both raise money and provide an opportunity for the greater community to learn about their goals and aims. This Saturday, May 31, sees She Speaks in Tongues, Sisterbot, Lauren Lovelle, True Lions, and Cheery taking to the Bottleneck stage to fundraise for Amplify Lawrence.

“It gets the word out about the cool things we are doing and often brings in new volunteers and collaborators,” Clementine notes, with Kosirog chiming in to add that “It’s a great way to spread the word!”

The performers agree, with Cheery’s Katlyn Conroy having a particularly unique perspective. She was not only a board member from 2016-2019, but served as Camp Director herself from 2020-2022, and says she’s so excited to be playing the Amplify Lawrence benefit for many reasons in addition to stepping back on the Bottleneck stage with so many talented folks.

“Amplify Lawrence has been very close to my heart since it began,” Conroy says. “I think it’s one of the most important things happening in Lawrence for the youth and the LGBTQIA+ community. Camp is such an incredible mixture of practical performance knowledge, utilizing creative outlets, and maintaining an inclusive, positive role in your community!”

True Lions’ Alison Hawkins has heretofore only participated in the camp the summer of 2021, as part of Amplify’s lunchtime performances, “But I’ve been adoring and supporting them from afar for a while,” they say. “Back in 2019 their organizers helped us (Bandwaggn KC) when we were trying to get a similar summer program going in KC. It fell apart in the pandemic, but we were still grateful for all their leadership and expertise.”

As a past camper, Kosirog also sees herself as having benefited from that leadership and expertise, saying that she knows for a fact she wouldn’t be the person she is today without Amplify in their life.

“I have learned invaluable skills as a camper, as a volunteer, and as a board member,” states Kosirog. “I am always being challenged in ways I have never expected, and every year ends with an incredible mix of exhaustion and pride and hope for the future. Especially in the political climate we have in the states right now, being surrounded by women, queer people, trans people, and anyone else dedicated to working themselves to the bone for the campers to have a fun, safe, educational week makes me feel less alone in it all.”

“Working with campers is a true dream,” echoes Clementine. “They are smart, creative, and have a pulse on what is happening in our world. Seeing them set goals and oftentimes exceed them is a beautiful thing! It also reminds me to step out of my own comfort zone and try new things, especially in collaboration.”

To support this year’s camp and Amplify’s goals of further year-round programming, you can attend their fundraiser this Saturday, May 31, at the Bottleneck with She Speaks in Tongues, Sisterbot, Lauren Lovelle, True Lions, and Cheery. Details on that show here.