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Liberty De Vitto, who played drums for Billy Joel for 30 years, plays at Beaconsfield United Church. (VINCENZO D'ALTO)
Band camp for the rock set brings down the house
Rock legend lend a hand teaching young musicians a few tricks
Mike Wyman
The Gazette
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Liberty De Vitto, who played drums for Billy Joel for 30 years, plays at Beaconsfield United Church. (VINCENZO D'ALTO)
If parishioners had any concerns about the structural integrity of the Beaconsfield United Church, they were laid to rest recently as some 40 day campers showed off their newly-acquired rock and roll chops to a close to capacity crowd.
An American concept in operation for the past five years, Camp Jam’s five-day immersion program takes wannabe rockers, from 7 to 17, through the complete band experience, from audition to gig.
When the campers, many with minimal music experience, arrived on a Monday morning, they were greeted, seated and, after a brief audition, were introduced to their new bandmates. They were then sent to one of the half-dozen rehearsal rooms scattered around the church. Under the direction of a number of youthful experienced local rockers who served as instructors for the week, they set about preparing for a performance at the end of the week.
The songs they elected to play, largely unrecognizable on Monday, took shape as the week progressed. By Wednesday, bystanders could make out the bare bones of several familiar rock anthems. They also may have noticed a significant upturn in the quality of the drumming.
Camp Jam has a close relationship with a number of veteran star rock performers who free up their schedule to work with the program. Liberty DeVitto spent more than 30 years playing drums behind Billy Joel and has also kept the beat for such luminaries as Paul McCartney, Elton John and Chuck Berry. His visit rivalled the closing concert as the week’s high point for many campers.
By the time the crowd filed in for the closing concert, the church hall had been transformed into a bona-fide rock venue, complete with raised stage, black curtains, a pair of video screens and professional sound and lighting.
Camp Jam will be back next summer and, based on this year’s success, is planning to set up shop in a number of other Canadian cities as well.