FRYE Music Camp continues its mission in fostering passion, creativity, and confidence in Flint youth

FLINT, Michigan — As the heat pumps back up to the normal, blistering Michigan summer temperatures and schools let out, Flint fills up with tons of great summer activities and camps. Among those is FRYE, Flint Rocks Youth Empowerment, a free week-long summer music camp for ages 10 to 16, running from July 27 to 31 this year.

Julie Hugunin, a singing and piano instructor and a part of the band, the Thistle Groove Collection, which opened the summer concert series at the FIA on July 10th for the 4th time, has been the program coordinator of FRYE since its very beginning in 2018, when Joel Rash suggested she join the team running the camp at the venue he founded, the Flint Local 432.

The camp was initially part of the national program Girls Rock Camp Alliance, but, wanting to be more inclusive of all kinds of campers, they decided to go their separate ways and create FRYE. 

The rest of Hugunin’s team includes many others capable of teaching music, from those currently studying music composition to those with experience playing shows and performing on stages similar to the Local’s. They also have a social worker on board, and new this year are two poets to help with writing lyrics. The camp also includes fun guest speakers who, in past years, have been model entrepreneurs and skateboarding experts. 

Alongside all of their wonderful staff, grassroots sponsorship is what fuels FRYE and keeps it free to attend. Some like the Financial Plus Credit Union and Attorney Rob St.Cin have been with them since 2018, and they are just as thankful for newer ones like the Half Moon Sustainable Farm in Frankenmuth, Rootless Coffee Co., and Hairapy by Brittney Frasier. 

“We try to make sure that everybody feels welcome and sees someone like them in the room,” Hugunin explained, emphasizing FRYE’s goal to provide an inclusive space for all walks of life in the Flint area. No matter their identity, sexuality, gender, race, or more, kids of all kinds are welcome and wanted at FRYE. “We are creating a community where kids learn what it’s like to be valued as a human for exactly who they are in that moment.” 

The inclusivity the camp offers is one of the many reasons that so many rush to get a spot every summer. This year, the camp’s registration filled up with its 30 kids quickly. Usually, about 17 to 18 of those are returning campers, but this time around, the newbies have taken the lead.

Hugunin likened this to the many graduating alumni of FRYE, including her son Oliver, who, having outgrown the age requirements, are now stepping up to teach the next generation of FRYE kids. 

“The cycle is repeating itself,” she pointed out proudly, alongside the fact that many of the new campers are descendants of Local 432 concertgoers who used to perform alongside their friends on the very same stage. “I’m very, very excited for this year…Every year, FRYE is a different zoo animal. I don’t know what zoo animal we’re going to get until the kids come in.”

While five days of camp may not seem that long, the 10 am – 4 pm days are packed full and incredibly worth it for everyone involved. The first day, campers explore different instruments and put their top three onto a paper with their name and what kind of music they’d like to write. Then the staff reviews the papers and decides on the band groupings based on the students’ answers, personalities, and skill levels.

On the second day, bands begin to meet and start writing and creating their music. On the third day, poets Sola Noir and Kirei LynNenise venture over to the Local, and band logos are designed. The next day, logos are ready for merch printing on things like t-shirts and buttons. Campers have the last day, the 31st, to rehearse before the FRYEday final concert at 5:30 pm, located at Factory Two. 

“It’s probably the best thing I’ve ever done,” Julie told me when reminiscing on her years with FRYE, especially when considering the FRYEday concerts.

She described, grinning so hard I could feel the gratification radiating off of her, how amazing it feels to watch campers who were shy on Monday find friends throughout the week and have a newfound sense of confidence up on the stage.

“We call it a music camp, but the music is just the vehicle. [FRYE] is empowerment; it’s enrichment. It’s not about the skill; it’s about community. It is the very spirit of collaboration!”

The goal of FRYE is not only to introduce campers to the world of music and create the next generation of bands to perform through the Local 432, or to allow kids to find their voices, their confidence, and themselves, but to teach them the greatness of the tight-knit community that Flint is as they carve their own spots into it.

As Julie and the rest of her staff would say – never bet against a Flint kid.

The FRYE Campers also perform at the Goodstock Music Festival in September; check out their Facebook to stay updated.

“Our arts & culture coverage is made possible by support from the Flint Institute of Arts.”