CHARLES WRIGHT TEACHER TURNS CLASSROOM INTO RECORDING STUDIO

For many teachers, the summer months are a treasured respite from the classroom—a time to plan new lessons or seek out professional development opportunities. For one Tacoma teacher, however, it’s also an opportunity to inspire and shape a new generation of rock 'n' roll musicians.

Rafe Wadleigh is the director of Middle and Upper School choral programs at Charles Wright Academy. It’s that love of music, performing, and teaching that motivated him to develop a Teen Rock Camp and his summer gig as the camp’s director. Over the course of five days, young musicians from across the region, all of varying musical abilities, work with professional musicians to hone their craft both in the studio and on stage. First founded in 2010, the camp continues to grow in popularity. Based on the campus of Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, teenage musicians and singers spend their days in the recording studio and performance spaces of the school’s Language and Performing Arts Center. Despite increasing demand, Wadleigh insists on limiting enrollment to ensure a meaningful experience. “My goal is to shepherd the campers toward that sense of elation and emotional abandon that occurs on stage with like-minded musicians all striving for the same feeling," he says. "It’s magic!”   

The camp features daily workshops and performances by professional musicians. The 2013 Teen Rock Camp lineup includes: The Nadines, rapper Whikid, King's Ransom, Goat, Berklee guitar alumnus Charlie Shaughnessy, and Seattle drummer Ethan Cudaback.

Teen Rock Camp culminates each year with a live concert where students perform before an audience.