Hi! My name is Rebecca, and BBY has been an integral part of my life for the past 12 years. Since my first year at camp as a counselor in 2008, my life has held a lot of change. I graduated college with a degree in music therapy, got married, moved between 3 different states, had a sweet baby girl, went from working full time to staying at home, etc. Through all of this change and more, there has been one constant the past 12 years- every July you can find me in front of 200+ teenage girls dancing and singing my heart out at Be the Best You Camp. It is an experience that literally sets my soul on fire.
When you come to BBY, you quickly realize the important role music plays during the week of camp. We make it a priority to provide clean, fun, and uplifting music throughout the week as a medium to inspire, motivate, teach, and envelop the girls fully in the moments of camp. Music has the ability to carry messages more quickly to our brains and hearts than any spoken or written word; a principle we love to capitalize on at camp!
Each day at camp begins with a dance party! We get the blood pumping and endorphins going with songs the girls know and love. Somewhere in the mix, with hands high in the air we sing “Born to Be Great”, one of our BBY camp theme songs. During the song they sing the mantra “I am powerful, I am positive, I am prayerful…I am born to be great.” It’s been my personal hope every year that those words sink deep into the girls’ hearts, and that they carry those truths with them into the future. An incredible power that music has at camp is that it allows over 200 girls of unique backgrounds to come together and connect with messages of changing the world, and being great in the eyes of God.
Dancing and singing in front of a room full of people may not be your thing, but over the years it has become one of my favorites. From being a counselor choreographing cheesy dance moves, to the coordinator leading the dance party, my perspective of constantly being in front is one I treasure. Being up front I get to see faces. It is a rewarding opportunity to see a physical change in countenance from the first day of camp to the last. Day 1 faces are nervous, timid, judging, reserved, and often contemplating how much of themselves they are going to share with the strangers around them. Day 6 faces are the exact opposite- happy, confident, vulnerable, authentic, loving, and free. A week of Be the Best You Camp can produce some amazing miracles!
BBY is so much more than the music we play every day. However, you can start to see the important impact music does have. It bookends our days, soundtracks our service projects, makes for a fabulous prom and GNO, gets us moving in between speakers, invites the spirit, and so much more. Music helps us create an environment where hearts can be softened and changed for the better. It's a blessing to be part of, and the view I have is why at 30 years old I can still be found dancing on stage every summer to a Jonas Brothers song, the Macarena, or “Born To Be Great"!
If you or someone you love needs a daily dance party this summer, come and see what Be the Best You Camp is all about! There is guaranteed to be at least 1 song, 1 service project, 1 speaker, or 1 person that will touch your heart in such a way that you will never be the same again!