Glasgow Represents at Badlands Rising Star Camp

Summer Strommen and Stevie Hartwell, both of Glasgow, recently completed the Fourth Annual Badlands Rising Star Camp in Medora, N.D. at the end of July. During the four-day camp, which ran from July 24 through July 27, both girls participated in vocal and performance coaching, basic business and marketing workshops as well as attended dancing and acting classes. At the end of the camp, Strommen and Hartwell performed alongside Kat Perkins, a top-five contestant on NBC's The Voice, in a finale concert.

Leading up to leaving for Medora, both girls were excited for the adventure and opportunity of a lifetime, but also nervous at the same time as there were going to be so many people they didn't know. "I was really nervous at first, there were a lot of people there! But everyone was friends at the end of it," said Hartwell. "We now FaceTime each other!," exclaimed Strommen.

Each morning the camp consisted of dancing, vocals and warmups, with the opportunity to go through town for lunch. In the evening, they enjoyed campfires and time spent with other camp-goers in their rooms. On the first day, each girl was placed into a small group which had to work together throughout the camp to prepare a song to sing during the finale concert. "We had to determine harmony and which parts each of us was going to sing," said Strommen. In addition to the small group work, each girl had to learn their individual part for the group song that was also sang during the finale.

If having to learn learn new songs and work with new people wasn't intense enough, the camp also exposed the girls to the audition process. They had to prepare a song and monologue, as well as replicate a dance they were taught. The judges gave feedback on what they should start doing, what they should stop doing and what they can improve on when going on an actual audition. "All three judges told me I needed confidence," stated Hartwell. "The judges told me to stop playing with my hands, and instead to use them in my audition," stated Strommen.

During the short four-day camp, both girls learned many life skills and grew confident in their ability as performers. "The camp helped me meet new people, and really helped me get ready and adjusted for high school," said Hartwell. "It was a really fun experience. I was able to meet lots of new people who know what they are doing and enjoy what they are doing. It was great to gain the experience from someone who has been through the process and has been on the Voice," said Strommen.

Strommen said her biggest takeaway from the four-day camp was "getting up in front of people, being able to go up on stage and not be afraid of turning down offers," while Hartwell's was "being more comfortable singing around people and building her self-confidence" Both girls are planning to utilize their new found self-confidence and voice with Hartwell, who will be a freshman, auditioning for the Glasgow High School's Swing Choir next year and Strommen, who will be a seventh-grader, auditioning for productions at the Fort Peck Summer Theatre.

The girls stressed they could not have gone and enjoyed this opportunity without the support of the community. Prior to leaving for the camp, they held a successful lemonade stand/bake sale which exceeded their goal, making the dream of attending a reality. "It was such a huge help," said Hartwell.

The girls are hoping to be able to have the opportunity next summer to attend in order to further their knowledge, make new friends and connect with the friends made this year. "There were kids at the camp who had been going for four years. It was really nice singing with people who know what they are doing and enjoy it," stressed Strommen.