“They’re a group of really happy, eccentric girls and that’s exactly what their music is,” says Won Ton Destruction’s coach, 17-year-old Cassie Scyphers. “It’s really happy sounding and really eccentric.”

By the last day of rehearsal on Friday, the members of Won Ton Destruction are working on their timing and fine-tuning their solos, but they’re so relaxed that the other girls dance around the room when one of the band members is doing a solo. The buzz around the camp is that Won Ton Destruction’s performance will be the one to watch in the Saturday Showcase.

When Saturday arrives, 900 parents and friends show up at the sold-out concert at the Bagdad Theater in downtown Portland. Most of the girls have kept quiet about their experiences at camp all week, so the parents aren’t sure what to expect.

“They are just so excited to be together,” says Ellie’s mom, Susan Schmidt, “to finally be sharing what they have spent all week putting together, and I can’t wait to see it. I really can’t.”

The five members of The Geodes take the stage to kick off the Saturday Showcase. From the first beat of the bass drum, Ellie keeps a steady rhythm throughout the song, Siena hits her marks during the verses and Molly gets her solo during the three choruses, including the new lyrics she wrote on Thursday for the big finish of the song. It doesn’t sound like much to the uninitiated, but for The Geodes’ parents and the camp coaches who have been watching them grow and develop throughout the week, it’s an impressive feat when the five little girls make it through the whole song with no major gaffes in front of 900 people. It’s probably their best performance of the song of the whole week, including some of their strongest rehearsals.

Sixteen more bands from Rock Camp perform over the next hour and a half, singing tunes about everything from being lonely to global warming. Then Won Ton Destruction takes the stage to close out the show.

Amelia hits the cowbell to start the count, Zoe kicks in with the catchy melody of the keyboards, then Aspen strums the lead guitar part that pulses throughout the song. Within seconds, the crowd is rushing to the stage for the first time to dance at the girls’ feet. Ashley is all flourish and energy as she sings and bounds around the stage, and Aspen nails the guitar solo that she’s been practicing all week. The girls of Won Ton Destruction turn into rock stars right before the audience’s eyes. By the end of the song, everyone is on their feet, giving the girls a standing ovation as they leave the stage.

The Saturday Showcase is the highlight of the week for the girls, but they will also remember the little moments where they contributed to their band and found out that they have a creative voice that’s worth sharing in a fun, safe environment.

“The week has just been so amazing,” says Amelia, Won Ton Destruction’s drummer, “that I don’t think any of us are really going to forget any part of it.”

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