Roland U.S. and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) have joined forces to create Girl Scouts Rock! Powered by Roland, a series of interactive events designed to inspire and empower girls through music. The first was held on March 19, 2011, at The Los Angeles Theatre Center in downtown L.A., with over 100 enthusiastic Girl Scout Cadettes and Juniors and their parents attending throughout the day. On hand to offer their support were Charlotte Caffey of the pioneering all-female band the Go-Go’s and rising young Disney star Shelby Spalione.

The Girl Scouts Rock! Powered by Roland partnership gives girls from 8 to 14 years of age a hands-on experience playing popular music with modern musical instruments, an important opportunity that fewer girls are receiving due to music budget cuts in schools all over the nation. The fun, interactive curriculum co-developed by Roland and GSUSA aims to get girls pumped up about making music and music education, and if the overwhelming response by the young scouts at the L.A. event is any indication, the program is destined to be a huge success.

To start, the girls were treated to a performance by The Rockin’ Roland Girls Band, with Amy Surratt on vocals, Sarah Villalva on guitar, Ruby Biloskirka-Conley on the Lucina AX-09 synthesizer, and Didi Negron (a finalist at the 2010 V-Drums Championship) on V-Drums. Singer Shelby Spalione made a guest appearance, leading the band in a rousing rendition of the classic Go-Go’s tune “We Got the Beat.” Shelby, a former Girl Scout, was a member of the popular all-girl group KSM, which toured with the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato in 2010. In addition to appearing with the band, she participated alongside the scouts all day, inspiring them to learn about music and follow their dreams.

The band got the girls up and on their feet, setting the tone as they headed out to make their own music. Throughout the day, every Girl Scout was taken through a series of breakout sessions led by members of The Rockin’ Roland Girls Band. These sessions included group learning labs on both the HD-1 V-Drums Lite and Lucina, the same instruments used by the band members. In addition, there was a Rock Band 3 setup that allowed the girls to experience playing with a band, as well as an interactive display where they could explore a variety of Roland and BOSS instruments, including V-Drums, the Lucina, the GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer, and the VIMA JM-5, as well as the VE-20 Vocal Performer and many other BOSS pedals.

The scouts also participated in an exercise based on the latest Girl Scout leadership journey, It’s Your Story—Tell It!, which uses creative expression to help girls gain a better understanding of themselves and their potential, and to develop the self confidence to become leaders in their own lives and in the world. Parents and troop leaders got to participate in Better Life with Music sessions, where they learned about the latest research and information regarding the benefits of music education in the lives of their children. The sessions also showcased how today’s technology has dramatically changed the way young people learn music.

Charlotte Caffey, lead guitarist and keyboardist for the Go-Go’s, made a special appearance to speak and lend her support. She wrote the Go-Go’s mega-hit “We Got the Beat,” which appeared on the group’s landmark 1981 debut album, Beauty and the Beat. “This year will mark the 30th anniversary of Beauty and the Beat,” said Charlotte. “As a female musician and songwriter and mother of a 16-year-old daughter myself, I love that the Girl Scouts and Roland have partnered to bring girls across the country access to making music.”

Girl Scouts Rock! Powered by Roland hits the road in 2011 for additional events in Miami, Florida, on April 30th; Chicago, Illinois, on May 14th; and New York City, New York, on May 21st.

For more information on Girl Scouts Rock! Powered by Roland, click here.

For photos, click here.