About Summer Rock Camp

5 day camp is $595.00 each week

4 day camp is $525.00

(add $20 processing fee if paying by PayPal)

All Summer Rock Camp - SRC registration fees must be paid in full by Friday, May 29, 2020 or at time of registration. See policy page for additional information. We offer partial or full scholarships for those in need. Please contact us for more information.

Co-ed Ages 9 - 18

All skill levels (beginner to advanced)

Note: Camper should be able to comfortably play at least two songs - if camper could benefit from private lessons prior to beginning of camp, please contact Michael Finley at 650-521-2886

5 day camps run 9AM to 3PM Monday through Thursday and 9AM to 12PM on Friday at which point we break until 2:00PM when everyone comes back for sound check

End of the week Friday night concerts require ALL campers to be present until the concert ends typically at 6:00PM

All Friday concerts start at 4:00PM

4 day camp runs 9AM to 3PM Monday through Wednesday and 9AM to 12PM on Thursday at which point we break until 2:00PM when everyone comes back for sound check

End of the week Thursday night concert requires ALL campers to be present until the concert ends typically at 6:00PM

Thursday concert starts at 4:00PM

Campers need to bring their own instruments

• Drums
• Guitars/Bass
• Keyboards
• Horns/Woodwinds
• Strings, guitar picks, guitar straps, drum heads, instrument cables, special effects pedals, and anything out of the ordinary that you require to make you shine, etc.

Note: Bring a bag lunch or money for going out to lunch in the downtown Palo Alto area. Snacks and drinks will be provided by SRC throughout the camp session day.

“I've been attending Rock Camp for about six years now, starting when I was only ten years old. I come back each and every year because it is always the most memorable and exciting part of my summer. Mike and his staff are like family to me-- they're always so welcoming and friendly, and they put a tremendous amount of effort into making sure that each kid feels heard. Being in a small band (4-5 kids) with a professional musician as your counselor creates a safe space for kids to explore and grow as musicians. When putting together bands, Mike Finley makes sure to factor in skill level, as well as age. He puts kids into groups where he thinks they will be most comfortable, however, he always leaves room for growth.

The distinguishing factor between Summer Rock Camp and its competitors (e.g. school of rock) is that Rock Camp will teach your kids about all aspects of music-- rather than simply copy a couple songs with their bands, kids have a chance to learn important lessons about music theory, rhythm, etc. These skills are what will set you apart as a musician in the long run-- kids are encouraged to be creative, and some bands even learn to write their own original pieces.

Rock camp equips young musicians with the skills they need to thrive-- this camp helped me learn to collaborate with others, master the art of performance, and greatly improve my skills on the guitar. Everybody works toward the performance on Friday, and each kid gets a chance to showcase their hard work. Overall, it's extremely rewarding, no matter what your skill level is. I never felt like my was being compared to others at the camp-- the counselors create an extremely positive atmosphere that makes it easy to be proud of yourself and everything you accomplished in just five days.

Rock camp has taught me so much, not only about music, but about myself. I met one of my biggest role models at this camp-- nearly all of the counselors are pursuing music professionally, and many of them have degrees in music from top universities around the country. It's truly a phenomenal staff, and they have a lot of experience with working with kids in a musical setting.

I plan on coming back to Rock Camp every summer for years to come-- I have extremely fond memories of performing, rehearsing, and just messing around with the other campers and counselors. If your kid is interested in music at ALL, send them to this camp.”

“Summer Rock Camp--and private lessons with Michael Finley in general--is for students who are serious about music and performance, and for those who can enjoy the wide skills and experience that it offers. That doesn't mean that someone who is still searching/beginning can't appreciate and grow from the experience, nor does it mean that a person has to be extroverted and self-promoting, just that it isn't going to indulge someone who is looking for the appearance of musical interest. Michael is a real person with opinions and quirks, and that is what is wonderful about him and the SRC experience. A comparable example might be the difference between taking an art class from someone who is skilled but a hobbyist versus someone who lives and breathes art. The first might yield skill improvement, but the latter has the potential to inspire and change a person's life.

Because Michael is not corporate--a blessing and rarity in today's world--he particularly appeals to many Palo Alto kids who are looking for something real, something that doesn't give illusionary labels. If a student gets lost at the camp--which is possible at any camp--it might be because s/he needs to develop some assertiveness. That is a pretty important life skill, particularly for kids who are not used to making their own choices. Being a musician isn't a check-box of "I've done that" and can then move on to the next check-box experience. Developing as a musician--and as a person--is a personal path that requires risk, hard work, and a point of view. Since some reviewers are comparing SRC to S of R, I might say that the latter could be good for a beginner where it is useful to literally copy other musicians/songs. Once a student has a bit of experience, however, it would be unfortunate to not move away from that model to the School of Rock where kids are encouraged to own their musicianship. Our son took a tour of S of R and found it lacking in many ways--a cookie cutter approach and lots of down time waiting. So many parents are leading their kids to dabble in multiple things rather than focus and develop deeper interests/connections. I would hazard to guess that kids who attend SRC are motivated to make music even without a camp. That self-motivation is a huge difference in the type of experience a student would get at a gathering of Finley's Summer Rock Camp.”

“The Summer Rock Camp is truly a gem. Unlike its corporate counterpart, which is essentially comprised of multiple business franchises (run by business people, NOT musicians), this camp is small and local, built from the ground up by local Palo Alto musician and teacher Michael Finley. He is present every single day at camp, overseeing the bands, teaching parts, sharing his expertise in master classes, so on and so forth (not to mention- he's a phenomenal artist who often designs the T-shirt logos by hand!). The staff are generally in their early to mid-20s; not only is music a central part of their day to day existence, they have ample experience, whether that means music degrees from prestigious universities to professional level band experience (or both). Band sizes generally range from 3-5 piece bands (sometimes doubling a guitar player, or adding a keyboardist, for example). This all depends on the sign-ups that come into camp (all are welcome!). Michael does his best to pair the most compatible groups by combining factors like instrument, age, musicianship level, and music taste. Heather is very incorrect in her commentary- the camp barely breaks 30 students, and usually is in the low 20s-meaning there is a lot of personal attention given to each child. Counselors work endlessly to teach the kids anywhere from 3-5 songs, and the end results at the concerts on Friday evening are really quite stunning. I think the experience to work with a band and successfully put songs together are irreplaceable experiences not only because it gives children a sense of accomplishment, but because of all the other skills they learn along the way which transcend just mastery of an instrument; children learn to work hard as team players, how to sacrifice and compromise (let's say when picking which songs to do that they all agree on and that singers want to sing), how to perform and face their fears of being vulnerable in front of a crowd (just to name a few). Last but not least, my draw to this camp has always been this sense of "realness" so-to-speak. Michael is very compassionate and understanding, but he is also very no-bullshit. He tells it like it is. To me, this camp has been incredibly refreshing and is a reminder of humanity, connection and true artistry- all of which are things I have felt the Bay Area has been losing over time, as it succumbs to more and more into technology and luxury, as everything seems to revolve around "productivity" and "efficiency" and we become more and more isolated and disconnected from one another. There is so much more to this camp than just "producing an end result"- I truly hope that it can stick around for a while. I hope the theme of soul-less big businesses undercutting and squashing out the true small, local gems will not happen any time soon. SO- if you are reading this, on the fence about enrolling your child- please do so! Support this local business!”

“Summer Rock Camp was absolutely crucial to my development as a musician. It's a great way to get "out of the classroom" -- you get performance experience, learn how to play in a band, and meet musicians your age. The number of campers always varies week by week, but never goes over 20 or 25 students. You end up spending a lot of time with your band (4 to 5 kids and a counselor) as you learn, rehearse, and grab lunch together. Still, individual attention is available to all who need it and seek it out, and there's always a roaming staff member who can help with teaching or any other needs.

Mike Finley was my teacher for seven years and I spent five summers at his camp. He's truly a hardworking, thoughtful guy who puts everything into his camp so the kids can get as much out of it as possible. He and his staff are experienced both with running the program week after week and with the world of professional music, and their knowledge is invaluable. I think it's safe to say that they're the reason so many kids come back year after year.”

“Mike Finley was my teacher from middle school through High School. Now I have a music degree from USC and do music for a living. My story is not unique, Mike has produced a ton of professional musicians.

The experience at SRC is indispensable for many students. I recommend that most of my current guitar students attend SRC if they live in the Palo Alto area because they will get the experience of playing with a band and having a deadline (the kids need to play at least 2 songs by Friday which is a new experience for a lot of them). Plus they will be surrounded by some really talented, advanced, and truly unique students their own age. This is inspiring for a lot of kids and I know is not necessarily the case at every music camp.”

"My son is a teenager now and has attended SRC with M. Finley for 5 years? ....lost count.

The first time he attended - he was one of the youngest students and I was nervous that he would be overlooked and outplayed. The counselors were wonderful and treated him equally as they did the older students. The week long experience was fantastic. My son was able to play and 'hang out' with a diverse range of musicians (both counselors and students) and levels of ability. Performing their songs at the end of the week was astounding. We (as parents) could not believe how much they learned in such a short time. It was impressive.

Typically the instruments are: vocals, drums, bass, guitar, etc. But last summer it was so fun to see different instruments incorporated into a band.It was really well done. The Friday performances have been amazing to witness.

So to send him every summer was a no-brainer.

The Director/Owner of the camp, Michael Finley, is constantly on site - teaching, organizing, working with kids - creating a high energy, extremely positive friendly and supportive atmosphere.

Most of the kids go out to lunch in downtown Palo Alto. Which turned out to be a very exciting life lesson about money for my son. Yes - going to certain restaurants are very expensive - do I need to order a soda, when water is free? How far can I make this $10 stretch. Loved that!

Although the levels of ability can vary from group to group, Michael does a great job making sure that the kids are playing at a level suitable for them, that they play songs the WANT to play, and are equally showcased in their instrument. Have seen some really shy kids shine on stage because they feel safe in such a positive environment.

I am pretty wary of camps in general (have had my son in over 30 different camps in Palo Alto/Bay area over the past 5 years), and this is one that I can truly recommend based upon the leadership, counselors, safety, learning experience, fun, and support of variety of abilities.”

“My sons and daughter have gone to SRC for 4 years going on 5. We have scheduled family vacations around it and my son prefers it to the Stanford Jazz Camp because the ratio of students to counselor a is 4:1 and he gets a lot more individual attention. This camp isn't one of those camps that has music alongside arts and crafts, its all about the music and letting kids see what its like to work with real musicians, putting together songs, and working together as a band. The show at the end of the week is always a highlight with everyone rooting for each other and cheering wildly. Another highlight is that they have a full time vocal coach and train singers of all ages to sing with the bands (harder than it looks). Its so fun to see those singers strut their stuff doing backup, ensemble singing, and lead vocals, the young ones are particularly cute-you can see them gain confidence throughout the week!”