Miami Girls Rock Camp
Steph Taylor & Emile Milgrim Photo from KnightFoundation.org Charles Trainor Jr. / Courtesy
“My plate is so full right now with all the things that I love,” says an enthusiastic Steph Taylor. “I feel really fortunate to have music in my life 100% of the time and to do the variety of things that I do. It keeps me on my toes.” Taylor, the piano/synths and vocals half of local indie/dark pop duo the State Of, might have a lot of things going on, but when they are going as well as they seem to be, one can’t help but feel happy for her and to wish her continued success. It has been a while since her and drummer/vocalist Nabedi Osorio have been at it on the local stage but their talent and versatility betray any time that may have passed.
The State Of
With Osorio recently returned from LA, Taylor had the right timing to pursue a Girls Rock Camp (GRC) in South Florida. “I have friends who have participated in them and I always had a vision of starting one in Miami. Finally, with the right timing, I reached out to Emile Milgrim of Sweat Records and together, we started the camp.” The State Of’s reunion gig was a performance for the kids at the camp and that has kicked off a resurgence of creativity in the duo; writing, recording and looking to grow the band’s profile in the coming year.Ever the educator, Taylor who is a music teacher during the day, has translated the enormous sound of the duo into a positive and well-received GRC, “women are underrepresented in all aspects of the music industry and Camp exists to create positive female role models for the next generation,” she explains. “If you look through a bunch of guitar magazines, you will see mostly men on the covers. Every once in a while you will see a female and more times than not, her image is sexualized. We seek to change that perspective about a girl’s place in the music industry and to empower girls to be who they are and take risks.”
Coming in for the final evening of Sweat Records’ Live at Sweat series of live recordings, the State Of will share the stage with Milgrim’s Quarter Horses on December 19 to close out the inaugural season for the beloved store. Aside from it being an awesome experience for bands and fans alike, Taylor’s always got her girls on her mind, “Nabedi and I were psyched when we got asked to be a part of it. We can invite all of our students and the Miami Girls Rock Campers!” Taylor and the State Of are heading in the right direction and while one never knows what the future brings, it’s great to see these locals doing great and doing great things for the South Florida music scene and its future.
http://miamigirlsrockcamp.org
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~ Abel Folgar
