This story is part of the Arts and Culture Reporting Corps, sponsored by the Springfield Regional Arts Council.
Every summer, 19-year-old Marcus Hesemann looked forward to one thing: the chance to attend Springfield’s Queen City Rock Camp. They looked forward to seeing the friends and volunteers that they were only able to see over the summer.
Since 2016, Hesemann has been a camper at Queen City Rock Camp, strengthening their skills using the ukulele, ocarina and voice. This is their first year attending the camp as a volunteer.
Queen City Rock Camp started in 2014 when founder Hannah Sheehan noticed a gap in accessible musical arts programming in the area. While visiting a similar camp in Tennessee, Sheehan realized that the camp had a huge impact on its participants, so she brought the concept to Springfield when she moved here.
According to camp coordinator Jahnavi Delmonico, the camp has seen around 200 participants since opening, with several, like Hesemann, returning.
“Queen City Rock Camp is a place for people with an interest in music who are often overlooked in the music industry, such as trans individuals, nonbinary individuals or women,” Hesemann said. “It gives them a space to grow their interest and skill as well as express themselves freely, authentically and unapologetically. It’s a community, as cliche as it sounds, that uplifts each other and welcomes new and already existing members with open arms.”
Campers build their self-confidence through music
The goal of the weeklong camp is to provide a safe and supportive space for girls, transgender and nonbinary youth to build their self-confidence through music. Delmonico said the camp provides all instruments and materials for the campers.
“Queen City Rock Camp is also the only local camp of its kind in that we strive to make it accessible regardless of resources or financial status,” Delmonico said. “We never turn families away for lack of funds.”
Hesemann said the camp made them who they are today, as they learned to communicate with campers of other backgrounds and experiences, as well as learning how to overcome anxiety and stage fright.
At Queen City Rock Camp’s 2022 session, it provided a survey for participants to fill out regarding their experience with other campers, taking creative risks and their confidence levels after working with instruments they were unfamiliar with. According to the survey, there was a 21.7% increase in agreement that campers were more comfortable engaging with their peers with different backgrounds. The survey also found that there was a 17.4% increase in strong agreement that campers felt more confident in their growth, even if they made mistakes.
The staff at Queen City Rock Camp feel it is important to uplift the voices of the youth, regardless of their backgrounds, identities or financial status.
“(We are) in a time and culture that regularly invalidates the voices and struggles of girls, transgender and nonbinary youths,” Delmonico said. “Our biggest victories are seeing our campers happy and thriving both during and after camp. Several campers have gone on to pursue music after camp, and several who graduated now volunteer at camp.”
Campers build a community of creatives
Hesemann is thankful that they found the organization at such an important time in their life.
“The people there have not only given me lifelong friends and family, but a community of creatives that have always supported me through my toughest years even if they don’t know it,” Hesemann said. “Queen City Rock Camp is one of the few reasons I feel comfortable expressing myself to others to this day as a transmasculine person living in southern Missouri.”
This year’s camp takes place July 31-Aug. 4, with the camper showcase being held on Aug. 5. Delmonico said the camp is expected to have 26 campers for the 2023 session, all of which are ready to fine-tune their musical talents.
To learn more about Queen City Rock Camp or get involved, visit their website.
