 CAMP JAM SUCCEEDS WITH PEAVEY, LOOKS TO EXPAND IN 2005PeaveyPosted 2004-09-07 Camp Jam, a real-life summer School of Rock where Atlanta-area kids learn to play rock music from industry veterans, is one of 2004's major business success stories. For co-founder Jeff Carlisi, the tale is only becoming more surreal. Press attention such as front-page exposure in the Los Angeles Times, plus segments on NBC and CNN, is nothing new for Carlisi, who found fame during his twenty year-tenure as lead guitarist and songwriter for rock stalwarts .38 Special. But now the calls are coming from more unlikely sources.
"The other day," recalls an incredulous Carlisi, "my wife picked up the phone, turned to me and said, 'Jeff, it's Merv Griffin.'"
Indeed, mainstream media has helped establish Camp Jam as a bona fide brand---not bad, considering its original goals, which seem modest by comparison.
"What we wanted to do---provided we had a successful rollout in the first year---was to expand in the second year to at least one other market, maybe two," he says. "We know that's going to be a reality now because of the success of the Atlanta camp."
Happily for Carlisi, the media spotlight has extended to Camp Jam's primary sponsor, Peavey Electronics. Carlisi is a longtime champion of the musical instrument and sound gear company, which has designed products for legendary artists Edward Van Halen, Steve Cropper and Joe Satriani during its 39-year history.
Now, with an army of 21st century rock heroes using the company's gear*among them Nickelback, 3 Doors Down, Slipknot, Atreyu, Kid Rock and Authority Zero*coupled with the exposure from Camp Jam, these youngsters are bringing their parents to Atlanta-area musical instrument retailers specifically for Peavey guitars, basses and amplifiers.
"It's great, after all my years of being involved with Peavey from my professional days with .38 Special, for these kids to walk onstage and have a wall of Peavey Triple XXX® and 5150® guitar amps and P.A. cabinets," he proudly states. "The next thing you know, kids are going, 'Hey, where can we get this stuff?' And that sends them back to local retailers. It works out great for both the community and the retailers."
And when NBC and CNN showed the kids onstage playing during the camp's concert finale, every piece of sound gear was Peavey. Adds Carlisi, "Peavey is all I've played for 25 years, and having equipment we could rely on just enhanced the experience for all the campers. That was our objective, to give them a great experience, and Peavey equipment certainly helped make that happen."
Camp Jam also used Peavey KB® Series multi-channel keyboard amps; Tour
Combo* bass amps; RQ* Series mixers; Ecoustic® acoustic/electric guitar amps; SP* Series loudspeakers; and much more.
Peavey Electronics Corporation is one of the largest manufacturers of musical instruments and professional sound equipment in the world. Peavey holds more than 130 patents and produces more than 2,000 products, which are distributed throughout the United States and to 136 other countries. To find out more about Peavey Electronics and its products and artists, visit www.peavey.com.
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