CAMPS THAT REALLY ROCK KIDS CAN MAKE MUSIC, LEARN TO DO MOVIE STUNTS, EVEN GAIN SECRET-AGENT SKILLS THIS SUMMER.

Byline: Evan Henerson Staff Writer

So school's out and camp's about to start. Got your warm-weather clothes? Good. How about resume and head shots? Is your guitar tuned up and ready to go? It had better be. By week's end, you'll have formed a band and cut your very own CD.

Oh, and be prepared to listen to your parents begin a story with, ``In my day, summer camp was never anything like this.'' They won't be blowing hot air. Scan a summer catalog or hop on the Web and see for yourself what's available.

Nowhere is the diversity more apparent than in the arts. Remember the end-of-session evening where all the campers get on stage and put on a show? Well, how about a few weeks where your son or daughter works with people in the industry and emerges with a finished product (such as a short film or a CD) and maybe some valuable connections?

Or a new skill. This year, Encino-based Pali Adventures, which runs everything from sports camps to a culinary institute at its Pali Mountain headquarters in the San Bernardino Mountains, has added a Hollywood Stunt Camp and a Rock Star Camp to its lineup of programs. Somewhat closer to home is the arrival of an L.A. version of Dayjams, a rock 'n' roll day camp run by the National Guitar Workshop. The program, at Bel-Air's Marymount High School, has two sessions in June.

Stunts? Rock stars? Whatever happened to canoeing and weenie roasts? They're still there, but kids want more, say officials in the camp industry.

``There's been a whole new trend in the last few years where more and more programs are evolving to tap into the special interests of kids and their parents,'' says Kim Bregman, chief executive officer of KidsCamps.com, an online directory of more than 21,000 programs throughout the United States. ``A lot of creative, edgy programming starts out on the West Coast and then moves East. And in L.A., they're a lot more creative in their programming.''

Where once KidsCamps.com lumped all arts-related camps into the ``Arts'' rubric, now the Web site has seven subcategories. ``That comes from the demand from the families looking for specific programs and for programs that are specializing in very designated areas like dance or film,'' says Bregman.

Peg Smith, executive director of the American Camping Association, understands the lure of the specialty camps. She is, after all, the mother of two teenage boys.

``All of these shows that they're exposed to on a daily basis are geared toward different kinds of fame or recognition, whether it's singing or performing or the way you look,'' says Smith, whose association oversees some 2,600 camps. ``The market drives why many of these businesses pop up. We're all responsible for it, and there's a demand that's out there.''

The demand is particularly apparent in major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles or New York, where the various entertainment industries are anchored and in close proximity to guest artists or instructors. Whether it's your 10-year-old whose getting the training or the parent who signs up for an adult fantasy camp and the chance to jam with Pat Metheny, chances are you're not going to get that opportunity if you live in Kansas.

And if you read the Web site descriptions, you can get an idea of what facets of the experience administrators are looking to emphasize. A sampling from KidsCamps.com:

``(Our) philosophy on educational excellence and leisure opportunities is evident in all of our youth programs, (which) emphasize each child's needs and personal development while working in a group.''

Or ...

``Register for this special camp, sponsored by casting director Kathy Wickline. Have fun camera operating, directing, script-writing and special effects. Meet an agent!''

OK, parents, assuming the costs and convenience are a wash, what's it going to be? A good time and lots of personal growth, or a possible foot in the door to the entertainment industry? Is it possible to get both?

Yes, say camp administrators, while emphasizing that no program, regardless of its connections, can guarantee stardom or even recognition beyond, say, the CD that campers bring home to play for family and friends. Then again, says Bregman, parents with children who have real ability appreciate the availability of a place where that talent can be nurtured - if only for a couple of weeks during the summer.

At Pali Adventures, outdoor education specialist Barry Vigon points out that the mixed schedule allows campers time to concentrate on their speciality and also to do traditional camp activities like archery and water sports.

But with the majority of campers coming from California, it also makes a certain sense to create new programs catering to kids' ``American Idol''- and ``Jackass''-watching sensibilities, Vigon says.

Pali Adventures used to operate a modeling camp, but the program has been discontinued.

``One of the girls who was in camp two years ago got on the cover of a major magazine,'' Vigon says. ``But we believe camp should be inventive, fun and exciting, and the modeling turned out to be a lot of indoor stuff - girls learning (to do) makeup and painting their nails.''

The Hollywood Stunt Camp, which teaches its campers how to throw and absorb punches, take falls and jump onto air bags, may have parents signing liability releases with quaking fingers. If the experience even comes close to matching the popularity of Pali Adventures' Secret Agent Camp, then the next generation of Jackie Chans will be heading for Running Springs in droves each summer.

Both the stunt camp and rock star camp are available in two- or three- week sessions. Campers need to be 12 to 16 years old for the stunt camp, while young rockers can start at age 9.

``We started with acting and filmmaking, and we're really trying to be a cutting-edge facility,'' says Vigon. ``Given the popularity of 'American Idol,' the Rock Star Camp seemed like a natural thing. One of the most popular toys from the age of 3 is a microphone. Kids get in front of the mirror and perform. It was a natural fit.''

Operators of Dayjams would likely agree, although the camp's one- to two-week workshops focus exclusively on music. Campers select their instruments on the first day, are placed in bands with peers at the same level of music ability and, by camp's end, have made everything from their solo CD to the posters and T-shirts that go with it.

``We do get approached by TV and movie people about providing talent,'' says founder Nat Gunod. ``For some of our kids, it's a very serious pursuit, and we also get a lot of absolute beginners who have never played before. They'll spend their first day just learning how to hold their instruments.''

For more information, contact Pali Adventures at [phone] or visit www.paliadventures.com. For Dayjams, call [phone] or visit www.dayjams.com. Or visit www.KidsCamps.com or www.chooseacamp.com. For the American Camping Association, call [phone] or visit www.ACAcamps.org.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) BRANCHING OUT

At specialty summer camps, kids feed their hunger to be everything from chefs to rock stars to secret agents

(2) Some summer camps will take children at just about any skill level and put them in a band.

(3) Stunt director Dean Cudworth teaches the art of stunt fighting during an open house for Pali Adventures' summer camps.

(4) Potential campers line up to test the ropes during the Pali Adventures open house. The company's specialty summer camps mix in many traditional activities.

Steven Lewis

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