With the music videogame genre now more popular than sports and Guitar Hero and Rock Band a fixture at bars and house parties across the country, summer camps are now plugging into the music videogame craze. Power Chord Academy, a rock 'n' roll music camp for teens, is integrating Guitar Hero and Rock Band into its summer camps this year.

For those not familiar with Power Chord Academy (www.powerchordacademy.com), it's a program that's set up out of Los Angeles and takes place across the country at universities around the country. The closest university to North Carolina is the University of Maryland July 19-26.

There are two new programs aimed at gamers at these traveling camps. GameROCKERS is a 3-day game-musician program for the
new age of musicians who play Guitar Hero or Rock Band. Featuring a variety of competitions and prizes, students play in bands, write songs, record songs, and play a final concert and Battle of the Bands. iROCKER is a one-day variation of this camp. It features many of the activities from the longer camp, but streamlined into a single day experience.

Power Chord Academy was founded in 1999 and is aimed at offering kids 12 to 18 a chance to get involved in music through a variety of programs. These videogames are the latest additions to a curriculum that includes everything from making music videos to talking to real touring bands like The Fray and Andrew W.K.

While there's nothing similar between playing a plastic videogame guitar controller and using a real axe, the latest games offer realistic drum simulations that can teach kids how to play the drums in real life. Both games now emphasize singing, as well, which encourages players to belt out popular songs while the game actually tracks pitch and words. Guitar Hero World Tour lets gamers create and share their own music, as well.

At a time when music programs are all but history in schools, these music videogames are getting kids -- and adults -- into music in a whole new way. And anyone who's played these games know that there's also plenty of excersize involved in the full virtual band experience.