Cover Story
Above, beginners in the Stanford Sailing Summer Camp practice how to turn in their 14-foot dinghies in the port of Redwood City on July 12, next to a cargo ship. Right, Stanford Sailing Summer Campers Andrew Lemieux, left, Oliver Dolin, Henry Wright, Tilak Misner and junior instructor Jonathan Zdasiuk exit their dinghy while taking turns going out on the water on their first sailing day. “The whole point is to learn the basics of sailing and have fun,� says Molly Vandemoer, who runs the camp with her husband John, Stanford’s head sailing coach. Curriculum includes learning the parts and nomenclature of the International 420 dinghies and preparing them for launch each
morning. The campers then spend until 4 p.m., minus lunch, on the water, four or five to a boat, along with an instructor. “I have a knack for it,� says Parker Russell, from Redwood City. He and his brother Nick discuss buying a sailboat of their own someday. They step, smiling, off
a dinghy and onto the dock, where young sailors gather to tell tales of heroism on the angry waters. Some talk of avoiding capsizing, while others brag about having gone down. One boy isn’t keen on returning to sea, and others rally around him, urging him
on. They chant his name, which they needn’t consult the duct tape for. On only their second day together, the camaraderie is clear. After a short time, the boy rises, and the wind whips his hair backward, toward the green suburban hills.
Above, God’s Cabbage band members — Nick Sundermeyer, left, Rory Douglass, Eric Dyer, Brett Warren and Weston Krystynak — rehearse in the choir robe room at First United Methodist Church during Summer Rock Camp on July 11. Left, Jade Hsin, age 8, plays the drums while rehearsing a song with her band, Red Star, during Summer Rock Camp.
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uitarist Reid Devereaux dips his head, letting his long, dark, curly hair swing and his knees bounce. His fingers nimbly pluck the strings as his band, Da Bomb, plays a cover of the Beatles’ “Oh Darling.� Two dozen spectators tap their feet in time with the music. When the song ends, they burst into applause. Reid, 9, looks up and smiles. Hands shoot up across the room. Today is the second-to-last day at Summer Rock Camp, held at First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto, and kids are eager to exchange feedback in preparation for
tomorrow’s performance. Many of them are students (or friends of students) of director Michael Finley, a guitar and bass instructor, while others simply share the enthusiasm for rock ‘n’ roll. Finley zigzags within the crowd, alternately critiquing the musicians and listening to student reactions. Four seven-hour days of music-theory classes, lessons and band rehearsals have not decreased the enthusiasm of Jonny Rohrbach, 13, a guitarist for three months who learned to play bass at camp this week. His bright eyes widen as he describes his
experience in his band Don’t Tell Mama, She’ll Jack My Swag, composed of (and named by) himself and four Jordan Middle School classmates. The camp is “just a fun, safe place where you can give constructive criticism and stuff,� he says. After the final band performs, everyone quickly disperses into practice rooms, where they rehearse with their assigned band members and counselors until 4 p.m. “We work the kids really hard,� Finley says. “I don’t think they’ve ever worked this hard.�
The next night, it all pays off. The performance room is packed with proud parents and plenty of digital cameras. Red Star, the first band in the lineup, takes to the stage, and drummer Jade Hsin, 8, looks out at the crowd. Before the band’s rendition of Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life� begins, Jade catches someone’s eye, quickly looks down at her drumsticks, and grins.
(continued on page 18)
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