MARCH 2024
“Finding community through music is something that Amy Upthagrove has become very familiar with… As Program Director, Upthagrove gets to pass along the lessons they’ve learned from working in music, on the power and importance of having the courage to make noise.”
Shepherd Express / “Community and Music Come Together at Ladies Rock MKE This Spring”
SEPTEMBER 2023
“A battle of the bands Sunday evening raised money to keep the music playing for one local nonprofit. Multiple musicians took the stage at X-Ray Arcade in Cudahy to raise money for Girls Rock Milwaukee… This year, the group said they are in dire need of funds to keep the program going. They have a $20,000 goal.”
TMJ4 / “Using music to help Milwaukee's youth: Battle of bands raises money to keep nonprofit alive”
JANUARY 2023
“How long do you think it would take to learn how to play the drums? A year? A month? How about two days?
That’s the premise of Ladies Rock MKE, an intensive Friday-Sunday music camp in Milwaukee for women, trans and gender-nonconforming folks of any identity 18 years or older. Campers of all skill levels learn an instrument — like drums, guitar or vocals — form a band, write a song and perform it at a public show after only two days of practice.”
Uniquely Milwaukee of Radio Milwaukee / “Rock-and-roll fantasies become reality in just a few days”
AUGUST 2019
“‘There’s a lot of different elements to being in a band that people don’t consider. We try to touch on those,’ said camp director Arielle Mayer. She added that Girls Rock MKE campers, as well as volunteers, have many different interests and come from all walks of life. ‘You don’t necessarily need a music background,’ Mayer noted.”
Milwaukee Magazine / “These Girls Will Rock MKE This Weekend”
AUGUST 2018
“Sometimes people need to get away, and they go to a spa weekend or something,” says Lurman. “I really think of this as much better than that because not only am I learning something really amazing and I’m with people who are really incredible, but I am really being cared for here and supported. That is the best spa I could imagine.”
WUWM Lake Effect / "Ladies Rock Milwaukee Welcomes Rockers of All Ages"
JUNE 2018
“Participating in Ladies Rock is like joining a big, amazing family that exists to support you in pursuing and accomplishing your music goals,” she says. “Always wanted to learn drums? Play in band? Perform on stage? We can make this happen in a safe, supportive environment.”
Shepherd Express / "Ladies Rock Milwaukee Imparts Aspiring Musicians with Confidence"
MAY 2018
91.7 WMSE: Local/Live / "Red Lodge & Ladies Rock Milwaukee [Audio Clip]"
MAY 2018
“FemFest and Ladies Rock became these productive communities that became about so much more than just the music. That currency that’s exchanged, that creativity; you’re just inspiring each other and it’s a catalyst for doing more and more and more, and lifting people up.”
Journal Sentinel / "What women in Milwaukee's music scene say about #MeToo, FemFest impact and breaking down barriers"
MARCH 2017
“I went into Ladies Rock expecting to learn a thing or two about playing an instrument. I didn’t think I’d be leaving the camp with tears of joy running down my face. I felt more empowered than I had in a long time.”
Milwaukee Record / "Power Chords, Snacks, and Glitter: My Weekend at Ladies Rock Milwaukee"
MARCH 2016
“…there needs to be a space for people to learn a new skill at any age in life. I can take it for granted that I got into music when I was really young, but I feel like there are a lot of different phases in life and you don’t always end up doing stuff that satisfies your soul.”
Milwaukee Record / "Ladies Rock Milwaukee Bands Women Together Through Collaboration"
DECEMBER 2015
“I think this self-realization is exactly what this program is about. Finding the courage to take on and follow through with the challenges of the program will hopefully let the person learn new things about what she can do and what she wants to do.”
OnMilwaukee.com / "This One Time at Band Camp: Ladies Rock!"
JULY 2015
Fox 6 News / "Are You Ready To Rock?"
AUGUST 2014
“Yesterday, 11 new bands formed in Milwaukee. While none of these new bands have yet to finish writing their first song, and some of them won’t last more than a week, each of these acts hold untold significance for the future of the music scene in the city, and beyond. Girls Rock Milwaukee is in session again.”
Milwaukee Record / "Girls Rock Milwaukee Comes Back Bigger, Better In Year Two"
AUGUST 2014
Shepherd Express / "This Week On The Disclaimer: Girls Rock Milwaukee"
AUGUST 2013
“If the energy produced by the girls dancing could be harnessed, the rest of the UWM campus would run without plugging in a single cord… Girls who were once strangers are now BFFs.”
Journal Sentinel / "They've Got the Beat"
JULY 2013
“Just the act of getting together and collaborating with four girls that you don’t know, creating something, and then standing up on a stage in front of hundreds of people and presenting what you’ve created is empowering in and of itself.”
WUWM Lake Effect / "Girls Rock MKE Empowers Young Women Through Music"