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Guest Blog: Six Volt Visits Camp Arrowhead

Friday, July 30th, 2010

When we found out that Six Volt’s guitarist, Granger, attended Camp Arrowhead in Marlboro, NJ, back in the day, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have him guest blog about his experience rocking out at camp last week. Six Volt played alongside Cody Simpson, Thomas Fiss and alternative/rock band Hollander, and the campers loved it! Check it out, through the eyes of Granger:

I remember when I was only six years old, playing and learning back at Camp Arrowhead. I never thought that I would return only to play a huge concert eight years later! As I roamed around the camp with the other SIX VOLT band members, I would point out the places where I used to hang out as a child. I felt so at home, but that was probably because I literally was but only 20 minutes away from where I grew up. Coming back to Camp Arrowhead was great — it sort of felt like I was simply jumping in my shed in the backyard and putting on a performance for the neighbors. I felt an immediate connection with the audience. It was like I already knew them, as if we were all fellow cabin mates. That’s the best thing about Camplified; I always feel like I’m just hanging out with a bunch of my friends. I love this tour in particular, because I can be just another member of the audience watching another artist like Cody Simpson or Thomas Fiss, cheering them on. It’s a great feeling in general because I know every other band feels the same way. You are just so connected and so at home that you don’t even worry about putting on a great show. You naturally will because you are so comfortable with the audience, it doesn’t matter. Everyone just wants to have fun! The campers and staff are so nice and incredible.

Camp Arrowhead, we will be back. Thank you for having us, it was awesome!!

Granger Whitelaw, Jr.
Guitar & Vocals, Six Volt

Photos clockwise from upper left: Six Volt band member Robby promoting the band, Six Volt rocks out on stage, Cody Simpson performs, Camplified crew members hard at work, Hollander jams, the campers having a blast, Granger with Thomas Fiss and Joey (winner of the signed PRS guitar), Meet & Greet with Cody Simpson, Six Volt and Thomas Fiss, Cody poses with Joey and Granger. Photos courtesy of Six Volt. Click image to view in full.

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Guest Blog: Author Jen Calonita

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

Camplified 2010 sponsor Little, Brown Books brought Secrets of My Hollywood Life author Jen Calonita to select camps this summer as part of our 2010 tour. We got Jen to dish about all things summer camp right here on our Camplified blog!

God, I miss camp.

That was the first thought that entered my mind when I drove up to Ivy League Summer Camp for my first-ever Camplified experience. Camp was just how I remembered it — green and leafy, wet and wild (I was dying to take a dip in the pool) and hilarious. (The day I visited was pop culture day and the counselors all seemed to be dressed up as different versions of Lady Gaga.) Oh yeah, camp was also hot and sticky, but you know what? No one seemed to care. That’s the beauty about camp — your makeup has melted off hours ago, your hair is a giant puff ball, you usually have to wear a way-too-big camp tee that is totally not flattering, and yet everyone looks happy. I was that Friday and all I was just a guest! I’m making a few Camplified visits this summer to talk about being an author and to give away copies of my new book, REALITY CHECK. I also chatted with campers about the book I wrote about camp, Sleepaway Girls. See how influential being a camp counselor was for me when I was 17? I wrote a teen novel about it! My next Camplified visit is this August and I’m already dreaming of my day at camp. This time if the temperature is over 90 degrees, I’m bringing my swimsuit. –Jen

Campers can stay in touch with Jen via her Facebook page and Twitter. Photos above courtesy of Greg Leddy. Click image to view in full.

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Camplified Founder Aimee Brings The Rock To KSA

Friday, July 16th, 2010

Last May, I was heading to Central Park on my bike like I do every year to join the Skier family (of AMSkier Insurance) and many of their friends for the TD Bank Five Boro Bike Tour, which helps support the American Diabetes Association. As I was on my way to meet the group, I noticed an incredibly tall man and a petite woman by his side speaking to Henry Skier. Both faces looked very familiar, but I couldn’t place them right away — maybe because it was 8am in the morning, and I don’t like to be up before the crack of noon (especially on a Sunday). I began to wake up real fast when I realized that this couple was Marc and Caroline White, the directors of Kutsher’s Sports Academy, the camp I attended over 25 years ago! Memories from camp flashed through my head and in typical Aimee fashion, all I wanted to do was chat them up about camp, old friends, counselors and the latest on the new spot in Great Barrington, MA, where the camp is now located.

Fast forward to last Sunday, when the opportunity came to be that Camplified, in its ninth season, would roll onto the new KSA property — sound crew in truck, staff in Camplified van, followed caravan-style by Thomas Fiss’ branded Samsung van, Rachel Platten and Highbench. This would mark the first time that Camplified would embrace Kutsher’s, as well as my first time back at camp since the 1980s, a place that shaped many parts of my life, my brother’s and many of our Florida friends. Driving up to camp, along the windy roads, I nearly jumped out of my skin with enthusiasm, as if I was back on the bus so many years ago, pulling into camp with all my friends. And then there was that moment, where you realize your not 13 anymore, you are grown up and in front of you rests the place that inspired Camplified in its entirety. It was so surreal — the tears rolling down my face partially attributed to happy childhood memories of camp and also the reality of what my life was like back then. I remembered Parents’ Day at camp, when my grandmother was still alive and she would accompany my parents to see all the activities her grandchildren were enjoying at summer camp. It amazes me how fast we all grow up. (more…)

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