The Rock Camp Experience

About RCX

The Rock Camp Experience was originally founded as Rock Camp for Dads in 2009 with one resounding principal: to re-ignite the musical passion of adult men and women — of all abilities — and nurture the confidence with their instrument in order to perform in front of a live audience.

Owner-operated, The RCX has grown into a supportive, non-judgmental community of amateur musicians whose diverse musical interests have garnered regional and national attention. The Rock Camp Experience is not a Fantasy Camp intended for those wishing to check off their bucket list, nor is it a music school aimed at perfecting your instrument, The RCX is a welcoming Rock & Roll environment designed to build confidence, foster lifelong relationships, and most importantly bring out the joyous inner Rocker in all of us!

Ready to rock? CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED!

Testimonials

"Rock Camp is the Experience that lets me keep exploring and growing."

"People in the RCX community made me feel welcome, did not judge my rookie input, and were so much fun."

"My wife thinks it’s pretty cool that I’m a rockstar."

"I can’t wait to start my next camp! Thank you, RCX!"

"I picked up drumming in October 2020 because I needed to keep busy during the pandemic. What is better than music to soothe your entire brain? A couple of weeks after watching tutorials on YouTube, I started taking classes with Nathan who put everything into perspective in the most honest and clear way possible. Gradually, I made improvements to the point where 7 months later, I started my first gig. People in the RCX community made me feel welcome, did not judge my rookie input, and were so much fun. "

Malika B.

“Music has always been a positive outlet for me and Rock Camp Experience has provided me the “organized space” to indulge in playing a wide variety of genres and collaborate with great musicians whom I would have never met."

Matt P.

"As my husband said when he started, 'It’s something we can do together!' and we sure have. RCX provides such a great infrastructure so that all you have to do is plug in and play. They have created such a welcoming space so you can get past the fear of performing and get to the fun of rocking.

- David P.

"What a great way to renew your rock & roll dreams. So much fun and so many great people! Can't wait for my next camp."

- Rob B.

"I cannot emphasize enough how happy I am to have found The Rock Camp Experience. This organization has allowed me to rediscover my love for playing music and has connected me with so many great people who share this same passion. I love that you can learn and perform music from different artists and genres each month, with guidance from experienced instructors in a supportive environment, and the month-at-a-time format allows me to play when my schedule allows it. I can’t wait to start my next camp! Thank you, RCX!"

- Charlie S.

"I played piano as a kid, and then life flew by. Rock Camp helped me refresh my musical skills. The instructors are very knowledgeable and friendly. I have gotten to know so many fun and talented people through this great community. I love the variety of camps/musical genres that are offered. I have done camps playing keyboard, and even gained the confidence to try a little singing. There is nothing like the energy of playing live music. Rock Camp is The Experience that lets me keep exploring and growing."

Michelle T.

"I’m so happy I found out about The Rock Camp Experience. I loved playing guitar as a kid and even played a few small gigs in high school and college. And then life happened. But now I have a chance to relive that experience and in fact it’s even more fun now! I’ve made great friends at RCX, and have done camps ranging for Beatles to Devo. The live gigs are a blast and my playing has gotten WAY better too. My wife thinks it’s pretty cool that I’m a rockstar, although she could probably do without me buying more guitars."

Doug A.

Meet The Staff!

David Schlaifer

Operations, Corporate Handshakes

David Schlaifer—the newest, oldest partner in The Rock Camp Experience—is on hand to help pave the way for the future of the brand and will answer any and all questions that come his way. Customer service is number one in his book and he’s convinced everything looks better when set at right angles. David has had a string of hits in the advertising, manufacturing and real estate business and now is turning his attention to his true love….Rock-n-Roll! Being a diehard Moody Blues fan, he’s ever “In Search of The Lost Chord” and struggles to remember all the chords on the guitar, but persevere he does.

EMAIL DAVID

Jesse Miller

Administration, Mulipurpose Tool

Jesse Miller has been a behind-the-scenes guy at Rock Camp since 2011. Jesse handles our customer service, website maintenance, social media, online data management, copy writing and research. He is here to answer endless emails, schedule rehearsals and take your plastic for camps and swag! You can usually see him operating the camera at our monthly gigs, so drop by and say hello—or even better, buy him a beer! Jesse has also been playing in the Minneapolis music scene for over 20 years, currently playing guitar and bass in such local indie rock bands as Awkward Bodies, Mine, Life Skills, and The Curiously Strong Peppermints.

Email Jesse

Johnny Holiday

Instructor, Bean Counter

Johnny Holiday is long time veteran instructor at RCX and is not only immersed in the local music scene as a guitarist, but also balances that out with a rich family life as a husband and father to two awesome daughters. Johnny got his first guitar in 1978; studied with Jeff Loven from 1984-88; attended Music Tech (now McNally Smith) from 1989-90 and graduated receiving 1990′s “Guitarist of the Year” award. Since the mid 80′s Johnny has been in many bands and spent much of that time sharpening his skills in rehearsal rooms, recording studios and stages of all sizes. In 2007 Johnny got the gig as the guitarist for Atlantic recording artist Hericane Alice, which took Johnny around the country, sharing the stage with bands such as Warrant, LA Guns, Dokken, Lynch Mob, Winger, The Sweet, Kix, Jackyl, Skid Row, Trixter, Vince Neil and Chayse & Ovation. Johnny is also the guitarist and musical director for The Hype!

EMAIL JOHNNY

Nathan Kinney

Instructor, Studio Watchdog

Nathan Kinney has a storied career as a songwriter, guitarist, producer, and teacher in the Twin Cities music community. He has spent years playing and touring in many bands, including Debbie Does Malice, And We Danced, Calling All Heroes, and Chasing Elroy. He also spent a couple of years as the Production Manager at Polarity Haus Media, working on many audio and visual projects for other artists in the studio. He is a graduate of McNally Smith College of Music, with a degree in audio engineering. He joined the Rock Camp family in 2011, and started a family of his own in early 2018 with the birth of his twins. Nathan’s passion for music is undeniable and contagious. He performs and coaches on guitar, bass, percussion, and piano when he’s not facilitating the camps at RCX. He relocated to the twin cities in 2004, from his hometown of Flint, Michigan.

EMAIL NATHAN

Shawn Davis

Instructor

Shawn has been playing live music around the Twin Cities for over 20 years. A multi-instrumentalist, he has appeared on numerous recording projects for several local artists. He also writes, records and releases instrumental music as Davis III out of his home studio and label, St. Joe’s, in St. Paul, MN. Shawn
currently plays drums with local rock trio Rank Strangers, and insists that perfection is overrated.

EMAIL SHAWN

Dugan McNeill

INSTRUCTOR

Known to thousands of fans in the Midwest as a member of the extremely popular rock band, Chameleon, Dugan was key in their success as one of the first unsigned original bands to produce and manufacture their own albums. Even outselling the Rolling Stones "Tatoo You" one week in the midwest, a feat that was written up in “Rolling Stone” magazine, and covered on MTV. After leaving Chameleon, Dugan signed a solo recording contract with major label Polygram Records and recorded the critically acclaimed album “In The Velvet Night.” Billboard Magazine called it “Stunning” and a video for the single “Walls Came Down” enjoyed heavy rotation on MTV in the late 80’s.

Over the years he has worked with such notables as: Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Pearl Jam), Tom Tucker Sr. (Prince, Lucinda Williams, Soul Asylum) Instrumental icon Yanni, and Owen Davies (Doves) to name a few.

EMAIL DUGAN

The Fine Print

All deposits are non-refundable 30 days before the start of your camp.
Remaining balances must be paid seven days prior to the start of your camp.
Our pricing guidelines for "guest musicians" are as follows:
- Performing ONE song: No charge.
- Performing TWO TO THREE songs: Half-price
- Performing FOUR OR MORE songs: Full-price
RCX is a place for fun, friends and music, and includes rockers of all beliefs. Please leave politics at the door.