FINALLY TONIGHT, THE BENEFITS OF MUSIC EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN ARE WELL DOCUMENTED.

IT CAN BOOST MENTAL HEALTH, ENHANCE CREATIVITY AND EVEN IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING.

A SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM IN SOUTH DAKOTA AND MINNESOTA AIMS TO BRING ALL THAT AND MORE TO A SPECIAL GROUP OF CAMPERS.

AND AS SPECIAL CORRESONDENT MAY-GAN THOMPSON TELLS US, THERE'S A LITTLE ROCK STAR TREATMENT THROWN IN.

MEGAN THOMPSON: THE SOUND OF DRUMS, GUITARS, AND KEYS DRIFT FROM A BUILDING ON THE EAST SIDE OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

BUT PEEK INSIDE AND YOU'LL SEE THIS IS NO ORDINARY GARAGE BAND.

HIS IS ROCK THE REZ, A SUMMER CAMP FOR INDIGENOUS GIRLS AND GENDER DIVERSE KIDS.

>> WE WANT THEM TO FEEL STRONG AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A VOICE.

REPORTER: APRIL MATSON, WHO IS HICHANGU LAKOTA AND ATHABASKAN, HAS BEEN THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HERE SINCE 2019.

APRIL MATSON: INDIGENOUS TWO-SPIRIT, LGBTQ GIRLS, THEY'RE SO OVERLOOKED AND REPRESENTATION IS LOW TO NONE.

AND SO THIS IS OUR WAY OF HELPING THEM TO TAKE UP SPACE AND HOPEFULLY THEY TAKE THAT COURAGE AND THEY PUT IT INTO EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO.

REPORTER: TEN CAMPERS FROM AROUND THE TWIN CITIES ATTENDED THE SESSION WE VISITED IN AUGUST.

MAUREEN O'BRIEN WAS TEACHING KINDERGARTEN ON THE PINE RIDGE RESERVATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA WHEN SHE CAME UP WITH THE IDEA TO START THE CAMP IN 2016.

MAUREEN O'BRIEN: MUSIC REALLY WASN'T LIKE AN EXTRACURRICULAR VERY MUCH, AT LEAST AT THE SCHOOL THAT I WAS AT.

MUSIC WASN'T AS ACCESSIBLE.

REPORTER: O'BRIEN, A SELF-TAUGHT MUSICIAN, ALSO WANTED TO PROMOTE THE IDEA THAT ANYONE CAN PICK UP AN INSTRUMENT AND JAM.

MAUREEN O'BRIEN: SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE BREAKING DOWN THE THIRD WALL OF, YOU CAN'T DO THIS, MAYBE YOU DON'T SEE FOLKS THAT LOOK LIKE YOU, OR YOU'RE NOT TRAINED CLASSICALLY.

I LIKE THAT.

REPORTER: THERE ARE NOW FIVE ROCK THE REZ CAMPS, INCLCLING THREE NEW CAMPS IN MINNESOTA THAT LAUNCHED THIS SUMMER.

THE PROGRAM IS FREE OF CHARGE, THANKS TO GRANTS AND DONATIONS, AND THE BAND COACHES ARE MOSTLY VOLUNTEERS.

APRIL MATSON: MOST OF THE CAMPERS WHO COME IN HAVE NO MUSIC EXPERIENCE OR THEY'VE PLAYED ANOTHER INSTRUMENT BUT THEY'VE NEVER PLAYED THIS INSTRUMENT.

REPORTER: THE CAMPERS WE MET FORMED TWO BANDS AND SPENT A FEW HOURS EACH DAY LEARNING THE INSTRUMENTS AND PARTS THEY CHOSE, WORKING UP TO A PUBLIC CONCERT AT THE END OF THE WEEK.

REINA SPEARS: WELL, IT'S A LITTLE BIT SCARY, BUT IT'S MORE FUN, ACTUALLY.

REPORTER: RAINA SPEARS, WHO WAS OJIBWE AND DAKOTA, WAS THE LEAD SINGER OF THE YOUNGER BAND, WHICH CALLED ITSELF LITTLE ROCKERS WITH SPIRIT.

REINA SPEARS: I JUST GET SOMETIMES TOO EXCITED THAT I TRY TO GO REALLY FAST, BUT I KNOW I HAVE TO FOLLOW THE OTHER INSTRUMENTS AND THEY HAVE TO FOLLOWING ME TOO.

REPORTER: SPEARS WROTE THE LYRICS FOR HER BAND'S SONG.

REINA SPEARS: GOTTA WRITE HOW I GET INTO THE LIGHT.

AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS GOT TO WRITE HOW I GET LIKE COURAGE.

SO YOU CAN LIKE SHOW WHO YOU REALLY ARE.

ALEYHA HANSON: WE'RE KIND OF LIKE FIGHTING FOR OUR VOICES TO BE HEARD AND FOR IT TO CHANGE.

REPORTER: ALIYAH HANSON, WHO WAS READ LATE -- RED LAKE OJIBWE, LED HER BAND CALLED KAMIMILA, WHICH MEANS BUTTERFLY IN DAKOTA.

THEIR SONG WAS FILLED WITH HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL MESSAGES.

ALEYHA HANSON: THIS IS WHERE IT STARTED.

WE ARE TAKEN FROM OUR HOMES.

WHEN WE COME BACK, WE HAVE NOWHERE TO GO.

FRAME US AS ADDICTS, BLAME US, AND LAUGH.

BUT WHEN THE WHITE MAN LEAVES, YOU BETTER HOPE YOU DON'T COME BACK.

THIS IS VERY POWERFUL, AND IT GOES VERY DEEP INTO NATIVE CULTURE.

REPORTER: THE SONGS WERE WRITTEN COLLABORATIVELY BY THE CAMPERS.

THE BAND COACHES ENCOURAGED AND FACILITATED, BUT OTHERWISE GOT OUT OF THE WAY.

ELYSSIA SALAZAR: WE ALL ARE SEEN EQUALLY, AND WE'RE ALL RESPECTED.

I'M AN INTROVERT, SO IT'S HARD SPEAKING UP.

BUT HERE, I THINK I'M PRETTY LOUD HERE.

AND I LIKE THAT, THAT I GET TO ACTUALLY INTERACT WITH PEOPLE AND NOT FEEL AFRAID.

REPORTER: THIS IS THE ONLY URBAN ROCK THE REZ CAMP.

THE OTHERS ARE HELD ON OR NEAR RESERVATIONS.

SO SOME OF THESE CAMPERS COME FROM COMMUNITIES WHERE THERE AREN'T A LOT OF OTHER NATIVE KIDS.

REINA SPEARS: AT SCHOOL, I JUST FEEL KIND OF LEFT OUT ON MY CULTURE.

SO HERE, I FEEL LIKE I BELONG MORE.

ELYSSIA SALAZAR: PEOPLE THINK OF NATIVE, THEY THINK OF LIKE THOSE LIKE OLD PHOTOS THAT ARE LIKE YELLOW AND LIKE WEARING AND CHIEF GUY, BUT WE ARE NOT THAT ANYMORE, WE'RE STILL HERE.

REPORTER: WORKSHOPS HELD EACH DAY LIKE THIS DAKOTA LANGUAGE LESSON GAVE THE KIDS A CHANCE TO DIVE DEEPER INTO INDIGENOUS CULTURES.

AND THERE WERE MUSICAL PERFORMANCES EVERY DAY AFTER LUNCH.

LAKOTA RECORDING ARTIST TIANA SPOTTED THUNDER SANG THE DAY WE WERE THERE.

ELYSSIA SALAZAR: SHOWCASE YOUR SKILLS.

SHOWCASE YOU TALENT.

REPORTER: THEN, AFTER A WEEK OF PEP TALKS AND PRACTICING, THE FINAL DAY ARRIVED.

THE CAMPERS GOT THEMSELVES AND EACH OTHER ALL GLAMMED UP AND HEADED TO A PARK DOWN THE STREET TO PERFORM THE FINAL SHOWCASE FOR THEIR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY.

REINA SPEARS: WELCOME TO THE ROCK THE ROAD SHOWCASE.

>> THE NAME OF OUR SONG IS SINGING TO OUR HEART.

MAUREEN O'BRIEN: EMPOWERMENT'S A HUGE PART OF IT.

I HOPE THAT THEY ARE PROUD OF THEMSELVES AND FEEL LIKE ACCOMPLISHED BY THE END OF IT BECAUSE IT'S A PRETTY BIG FEAT TO WRITE A SONG AND PERFORM IT ININ MATTER OF ONE WEEK.

ALEYHA HANSON: BEING LOST IN HISTORY, BEING CHEATED OF OUR TREATY.

MAUREEN O'BRIEN: AND IF ANYTHING, THEY CAN LOOK BACK AND SAY, OH, I PERFORMED IN FRONT OF A BUNCH OF PEOPLE.

BECAUSE IT CAN BE REALLY SCARY, BUT THEY ARE BEING SO BRAVE.

ALEYHA HANSON: THANK YOU FOR COMING.

[APPLAUSE] REPORTER: FOR PBS NEWS WEEKEND, I'M MEGAN THOMPSON IN ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.