When Fast Forward decided to add a music video camp to its list of summer offerings, music for students to work with was essential.

But as a nonprofit with a very limited budget, Fast Forward director Dee Albritton said the technology center had to come up with a creative way to acquire use of music for which they did not have to pay royalties. "Otherwise, the concept would have been cost prohibitive," Albritton acknowledged.

One of Fast Forward's teachers, Brenna Bernardin, took on the project of finding music for the music camps. When Bernadin contacted some popular local bands to ask if they would allow their music to be used royalty-free for the camps, she found them very supportive.

"They really wanted to give back to our community. These bands not only are allowing us to use their music for students to work into a music video, they are allowing us to create a CD featuring the songs of the summer," Bernadin said that CD will be sold as a fundraiser for the summer camps.

Now rising seventh and eighth grade students will not only get to create three-dimensional music videos for real bands, they'll also get to meet the band members.

Bernadin said many of the band members plan to visit the camps to see their videos in production. "At the end of the summer, we'll put the videos on our website."

Bernadin said many, many thanks go to the Columbia Beat and the following bands: Brett Schieber (all the way from Atlanta), The Reverie, No Way Jos, The Microwaves, Grey Egg, Douglas Chay, Erector Set, Mandible, Jones, The Heist and The Accomplice, and Alaska the Tiger

Other Fast Forward camps include Robotics; Spybotics; Exploring Science; Author, Author; Digital Camera; Filmmaking; and Hardware.

Camps are for rising first-eighth grade students are held weekly May 30-June 30.

For more information visit the websitewww.fastforwardctc.com.