For much of music history, rock music has been considered a boys club.
But in the early 1990s, the feminist punk rock movement Riot Grrl sparked the development of a musical scene where women used music to address issues like female empowerment and patriarchy. This led to the creation of Girls Rock, a national organization that uses music education as a tool for empowering girls and women. The North Carolina chapter, Girls Rock NC, holds summer camps and year-round workshops that encourage girls to be creative and confident members of their communities. Girls Rock NC is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year with an all-day fundraising rally in downtown Carrboro on Saturday, October 4. The event includes interactive workshops, instrument-learning sessions, an alumni showcase, and performances by The Julie Ruin, Ex Hex, Mount Moriah, Shirlette Ammons, Midnight Plus One, Silent Lunch, Pink Flag, and Cosmic Punk.
Host Frank Stasio talks to Heather McEntire, program director of Girls Rock NC and member of Mount Moriah, poet and performer Shirlette Ammons, and two Girls Rock NC alumnae who formed their own band: Bella Mead and Tehila Rosenblatt-Farrel of La Bête Magique. They all perform live in studio: McEntire on guitar and vocals; Ammons on vocals and snare drum; Rosenblatt-Farrel on electric guitar; and Mead on vocals..