The Next Jerusalem Metal Camp for Youth

Photo taken by Tracey Shipley approved for publishing

Our first Metal Camp rehearsal

Over the past three years, teens and young people from all over Jerusalem and beyond have looked forward to Israel’s Metal Camp for youth. Initiated by Tracey Shipley, project founder and coordinator of the Jerusalem School of Rock and supported by Jerusalem’s Music Department, housed in the Alpert Municipal Music Center, this camp has gone on to surpass all expectations.  Teens, barely aware of Metal music, joined and found themselves fascinated by the genre and empowered by its never-ending energy!  They found that you don’t have to be a “Metalhead” to enjoy Metal Music and to actually participate in a Metal Band.

A little background on the teacher of our camp, Daniel “Geanie King” creator of the Oriental Black Metal Band Arallu: Daniel founded the band when he was only 16 out of necessity to find a way to express his upset and fear over what was happening in the streets of Jerusalem: “This was the period of the first Intifada, the violent Palestinian uprising setting the streets of Jerusalem on fire. Every day we saw the hatred through the news on TV”, Daniel explained. “I was surrounded by the conflict.” “I remember the bus exploding next to me on the streets of Jerusalem when I was on my way to school. I was 16 years old at the time.” “My life was mixed with bloodshed around Jerusalem. This is what brought Arallu to life. Finding out about the extreme metal music scene in Europe helped me to understand that through this music I could express the horror of what I was seeing in my city.”: “My first album was all me! I wrote the lyrics and music, I was the vocalist, drummer, guitarist, and bassist. Nothing was going to stop me from using Metal Music to express myself and get it out to as many people as I possibly could. Since I founded the  band in 1997, Arallu has released 8 studio albums, 3 live DVD’S and has performed throughout Israel and Europe, bringing Middle Eastern Metal to the forefront of the metal music world.” I remember as a child it was a very hard thing to process and writing the first album’s lyrics was my coping mechanism. It almost wrote itself! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCJoBBExrNs

Three years after our first Metal Camp Israel is once again under attack. Beginning with the October 7^th massacre, which led Israel into our longest war on the northern and southern front as we took out some of the worst leaders in the tyrannical world of the Middle East we are now under direct attack from Iran after suffering almost two years of attacks from Iran’s proxies in the region. Israelis are finding themselves in bomb shelters on a daily basis, while our people young and old, male and female are serving in the military bravely protecting us from the evil around us.

What we all know is that music is one thing that has a profound effect on our psyche and emotions. Our teens and young people are in desperate need of a program that will assist them in taking a break from the insanity around them and allow them to express their emotions in the best way possible. With this in mind, we have decided to hold our third Metal Camp, and registration is still open.

Geanie King speaking about Metal Music with the camp participants Photo by Tracey Shipley approved for posting

The camp will consist of four days of playing music, learning about the history of Metal Music and its influence on the music world as a whole, about performance anxiety and challenges and anything else desired by the young participants. The camp will also focus on creating the lyrics and music of their own song. Youth from ages 16-23 will have the opportunity to learn how to play as a member of a band, supporting each other as band members and working out any challenges that come up when working as a music team.  The fifth day of the camp will be held in the recording room at the Alpert Municipal Music Center where the camp will take place.  The original song created by the camp members will be recorded and once complete, posted on all social media and music media platforms.

If you or anyone you know may be interested in participating, please let us know and feel free to contact me: 0548108918 or by email traceyshipley125@gmail.com .  And for those more interested in Rock’n Roll, we have a camp for you as well!!

Keep safe and continue to believe that the people of Israel will always survive Am Yisrael Hai!!!