By Linda Oatman High
New York City (The Hollywood Times) 11/8/2026
There is something truly magical about the way music brings people together, heals the heart, and reminds us what it feels like to be fully alive, experiencing joy, and forgetting about hardships.
I was thrilled to be a part of the magic at the renowned Rock ‘n Roll Fantasy Camp, held in New York City at Smash Studios on October 22-25.
Homewood Suites, the camp’s partner hotel in Manhattan, is a short three-minute walk away from the studios, and I knew from the moment that I walked into the hotel lobby that I’d found my people, my tribe, my fellow music-lovers and free spirits.
The first person I spoke with was Danny, 77, a hippie drummer with a friendly smile, a gray ponytail, and a positive and energetic vibe.
“This will be my 14th Camp,” he said. “I’m retired and this is what I want to do with the rest of my life.”
Most the attendees were staying at Homewood Suites, which is a great choice for partner lodging. The rooms are spacious, clean, and quiet, and the free breakfast buffet was a perfect chance to meet fellow campers.
Rock ‘n Roll Fantasy Camp is held at varied locations: there was a Los Angeles Women’s Rock Camp happening on November 5th-8th, and another LA camp that is ‘80s Rock themed being held on November 12th-15th. And then comes the Seattle camp on December 3rd-6th, a grunge-themed camp that features Jerry Cantrell, Kim Thayil, and Dave Krusen.
2027 camps include a Megalomania camp in March, and more to be announced. There’s always something new and exciting happening when it comes to Rock ‘n Roll Fantasy Camp, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
With music producer and tour manager David Fishof at the helm as CEO, the camp has become an integral part of pop culture, showing up in The Simpsons, Ellen, Pawn Stars, Saturday Night Live, and more.
Fishof, who was inspired by the camaraderie of musicians when he was managing the Ringo Starr tour in the late ‘80s, launched the inaugural camp in Florida in 1997 and it grew from there.
Now with musician Britt Lightning of Vixen and The Jetsetters serving as musical director, and podcast host Miles Schuman in the role of camp director, Rock ‘n Roll Fantasy Camp gallops along without a hitch, top-notch staff on the team. A trio of supportive guitar techs/production team includes Dave Imperioli, Zachariah Dodge, and Hector Hurtado, who ensure that everything runs smoothly, from practice studio jams to performances at well-known venues.
The first jam with a well-known musician at the camp I attended was with Amy Helm, daughter of Levon. Mere minutes before our band had to hit the stage with Amy, the strap pin pulled out of my 30-year-old bass, completely stripped. Another camper handed me his bass, but the amazing Dave Imperioli had my guitar fixed within a minute: a toothpick, Super Glue, and a screwdriver in hand. Dave is 25 (younger than my bass!), and he’s been working for the camp for less than a year, also playing guitar in his own LA-based band “High Flight.”
Linda with guitar tech god David Imperioli of the band High Flight
Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy Camp is about so much more than music. It’s about dreams, connection, courage, friendship, and the magic of discovering that it’s never too late to let your spirit shine. Many of the attendees were over 60, with retired doctors, attorneys, teachers, CEOs, and finance bankers living out their rock and roll dreams.
There were so many great stories behind the campers: one drummer, retired from corporate life, told me that her husband had passed and she decided to get back into music.
“It saved me,” she said.
My own experience gave me more joy than I’d felt in quite a long time. Having played in a band back in the late ‘90s/early 2000s, I’d basically quit playing bass after one of our band members unexpectedly passed. Life happens, and unexpected hardships weighed me down even more.
When my youngest son became very ill in 2014, the burdens became even heavier, and the combination of exhaustion and stress took its toll, leaving me with little energy to pick up the bass and turn on a You Tube video lesson. I’m a writer—children’s books and teenage novels—and I teach creative writing workshops and a program I created called Script to Screen. I’m also a substitute in several schools, usually working in Life Skills, plus I work events and promotions as an independent contractor. I’m busy, I’m tired, and the will to play was almost gone. Almost.
Before going to camp, I had a too-frantic work schedule and time-consuming issues with my son’s health, and therefore had zero time to practice. Literally . . . none. Yes, I went to Rock ‘n Roll Fantasy Camp on a wing and a prayer, hoping that I could play very basic bass using the root notes of whatever chords the guitarists were playing. I packed index cards to use as cheat sheets, settled my old Fender bass in the case, and boarded the bus to New York City.
On the first day, in studio 3 at Smash Studios, I met the guys in my band: Vocalist Jon Kerner, keyboard player Paul Whitney, drummers Rick Kaskiw and Ira Kramer, and guitarists Jim Celentano and David Falkenstein. Hailing from places both near and far—Arizona and Texas and Georgia and Long Island—these dudes are accomplished musicians, with several of them playing regularly in bands. Jim plays in Long Island-based “Who Touched The Thermostat,” and David and Ira also play in bands.
Linda and the just-formed band (“Polish The Fender”)
Informing them straight-up that I hadn’t played in a band for, like, 25 years and that I’d had literally zero practice before coming to camp, I knew that they were concerned. However, there was no sarcasm or judgement or better-than-you attitudes, and I’m ever-so-thankful. This was truly the most supportive, kind, and respectful group of men I could ever have dreamed up. Our band counselor—keyboardist Rob Flores—was so extraordinarily helpful, sweet, and caring, and I felt comfortable right off the bat. (Or the bass, as the case may be.)
In a group email after camp ended, Jim Celentano had this to say about my last-minute-improv of totally winging it:
“Linda, in all honesty, I was worried, lol. I didn’t think you’d be able to pull the songs together, but you proved me wrong. (Even if it came down to the wire.) I could never do what you did. I leave so impressed. You rocked all the performances and it was a pleasure to see you do it. You made me smile every day with your wonderful outlook on life and music.”
Jim was the lucky awardee of Rock ‘n Roll Fantasy Camp NYC when his wife JoAnn won the experience for him from radio station WBAB 102.3.
Interviewed by the station’s DJ Joe Rock about the experience, Jim said, “The first day you get here, and there are all these rock stars. By the third day, they’re your friends and you’re hanging out and having fun.”
Part of the appeal of Rock ‘n Roll Fantasy Camp is the opportunity to not only perform with well-known musicians, but to actually get to know them. Our camp included Dave Davies of The Kinks, Simon Townshend of the Who, Amy Helm (daughter of Levon), and drummer Liberty DeVitto from Billy Joel’s band.
Rock star counselors included Derek St. Holmes, Vinny Appice, Joel Hoekstra, Veronica Bellino, Mark Clarke, Keith Roth, Dave Dreiwitz, Rob Clores, and the multi-tasking Britt Lightning.
Masterclasses, Q & A with the musicians, and All-Star Jams were part of the jam-packed schedule with days running about 12-13 hours in all.
Behind every attendee at Rock ‘n Roll Fantasy Camp is a story: the who, what, when, where, and how.
For musician Rafe Tangorra of Long Island, the story is one of near-death.
I’ve been playing drums since I was four. That’s when my grandparents bought me my first kit. My grandfather sang background in a doo-wop group, and he was the only musician in the family. My parents saw how much my brother and I loved music, so they moved us from an apartment in Queens out to Long Island so we’d have room to make noise. We played in bands with friends growing up. Eventually we got serious about writing pop music, and we spent years touring the country opening for some big acts.
Unlike a lot of the campers, I’m not some hugely successful businessman or superfan, I’m just an average guy who always wanted to do this. Then this summer I almost drowned at the beach. A lifeguard pulled me out. That moment flipped a switch for me. It was now or never, and it changed how I approach my life. So I booked camp as a gift to myself.
Keyboardist Sean Higgins of Mount Laurel, New Jersey had this to say:
This was something I had always dreamed of doing, but family obligations never seemed to leave me with the time or availability to make it happen. Well, the kids are grown, and when my wife and I saw the lineup of headliners for this camp, she literally said to me, “You have to do this!”
I’m not a full-time musician. I’m 57 years old, have a regular corporate job, and teach on the side. But I’ve been playing piano all my life, have played some guitar since my early 20s, and this year decided to take singing lessons. Over the years, I’ve learned many classic rock songs on piano and guitar and have occasionally played with musician friends, but never on a regular basis.
I’ve been describing this experience as a midlife crisis and a dream come true at the same time. My wife deserves a lot of credit for encouraging me to take the plunge. She came along on the “groupie package,” and we both made some terrific new friends along the way.
I’m still riding the high of the experience. For four days, I got to step away from my everyday life and immerse myself in the music I’ve loved for decades. I got to learn from professional musicians and more. What an unforgettable experience!
Drummer Patrick Crann of Somerville, Massachusetts attended camp despite being in need of a hip replacement, trudging along with braces and a cane. His hip didn’t affect his drumming, though, and he rocked one song at The Cutting Room with not only impeccable drums, but a kazoo at the same time.
Our band realized we didn’t have a saxophone for “Only The Good Die Young,” and I remembered that I had a kazoo in my drumstick bag. I’d gotten it from a show, ironically, at The Cutting Room a few years back. I thought it would be poetic to play that kazoo at . . . The Cutting Room.
Bassist Bob Fedele of Bayville, New Jersey was a return attendee.
This was my 11th camp. Meeting and playing with headliners is great, but I keep going back for the relationships I develop with campers and counselors that I would never have met but for the camps.
The camaraderie among all musicians—both professional and not—is indeed an instrumental element of the success of Rock ‘n Roll Fantasy Camp, as is the chance to play on stage with well-known musicians.
Our band played “The Weight” and Cripple Creek” at Smash Studios with Amy Helm, followed by performances of “You Really Got Me” and “All Day and All of the Night” with the legendary Dave Davies of The Kinks. Dave is now soon-to-be-80 and he rocked it with us, grinning the entire time.
Linda with Dave Davie of The Kinks
We played “You May be Right” and “Movin’ On Out” with Billy’s Joel’s longtime drummer Liberty DeVitto, both at Smash Studios and at New York’s famed venue The Cutting Room.
We did the same with Simon Townshend of The Who, playing “Baba O’Riley” onstage. My bass-playing was indeed basic, but it was so much fun, despite my lack of John Enwistle-like chops.
Each camp location includes shows at nearby famed venues, giving every musician the chance to feel like a true rock star. I’d heard of New York City’s The Cutting Room, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine playing there.
On our last night of camp, before our songs with Simon Townshend, we watched a screening of David Fishof’s documentary The Bridge, a powerful film about the healing power of music, the resilience of the human spirit, and the ability to find hope after unimaginable tragedy.
The movie follows ten young Israeli survivors of the October 7th, 2023 attacks. The musicians travel from Israel to LA to be part of Rock ‘n Roll Fantasy Camp, where they connect with legendary musicians, including members and artists associated with Guns N’ Roses, Van Halen, and Black Sabbath.
Through music, friendship, and shared experiences, they begin a journey towards healing and hope.
The Bridge movie is so inspiring and touching, and there were many non-dry eyes (including mine) at the showing. Check out www.thebridgedoc.com for info on how to host the film at your venue.
David Fishof is truly using the success of his camp endeavor to benefit others, and the Rock Camp Alumni Foundation at www.rockcampalumni.org is turning rock dreams into lifelong impact through scholarships for those with a passion for music who are struggling with financial and life challenges.
Music truly does heal, and the results are serendipitously magical and miraculous.
It’s now been almost two weeks since our final performance at The Cutting Room, and I’m still at times riding the high. While driving to work the other day, I heard The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me,” and it made me so happy. Walking into a laundromat to help my friend with a mundane chore, I heard a Billy Joel song and commented, “Hey! I played with that drummer Liberty DeVitto sitting at his kit right behind me.”
Rock ‘n Roll Fantasy Camp is like no other experience I’ve ever had. It’s hard work, it’s exhilarating, it’s joyful, it’s addictive. I can see why attendees return again and again.
My dad took me to Zeswitz music store in Reading, Pennsylvania when I was 12 and he bought me a red 1970 Epiphone electric guitar. (And yes, I still have it!) Dad paid for guitar lessons, and he supported my love of music, and I know he would have been thrilled to see me attending camp. As would my late bandmate Clark.
Clark, who passed unexpectedly in the early 2000s, taught me to play the basic bass I play today. The last song our band played with him before he passed was “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”
At one point during camp, I took a restroom break, and I was thinking of loved ones lost: my Dad and my stepmom Annette and my BFF Marty and my bandmate Clark, and how they’d all be so happy that I was attending Rock ‘n Roll Fantasy Camp.
And then, when I returned to Studio 3, the guys were jamming on (wait for it) . . . “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”
There’s magic at Rock ‘n Roll Fantasy Camp.
“This much fun can’t be legal,” said attendee Fred Polaniecki, a self-proclaimed “finance guy” from upstate Quogue, New York who got to be rock and roll for four days.
Oh, but the fun is legal. And it miraculously restored something I thought I’d lost back when life broke my heart and became at times insurmountably tough: the joy, the magic, and the passion for playing music.
