GRAMMY Camp

Hip Hop Already A Big Part Of GRAMMY Camp® By Mia Lepp

2011-07-16T16:17:00.000-07:00

When applying to GRAMMY Camp® many of the Campers were surprised to find out that hip hop was not a career path to choose considering that rap albums are the second most sold in the U.S. I'd like to see it added for next year's Camp because not only is it a popular style of music, it would also allow more people to have the opportunity to make it into GRAMMY Camp.

While waiting at LAX airport for our ride to Camp, the Bass track's Satarra Troutman was asked to rap with the Keyboard track's Jack Rodenburg, who supplied the beat boxing. Troutman even mentioned how at her dinner table each night they go around the table and rap four bars about their day, everyone from her grandmother to her little brother.

Giovanni Quattrochi, who is in the Electronic Music Production track, shocked everyone with his rhyming skills at the first open mic night. Quattrochi answered whether or not he would be interested in a rapping career track by saying, "I was just thinking actually when I was applying to this Camp my main interest in music is hip hop and that if there was a hip-hop track I probably would of applied for that…I was surprised that they didn't have one since it is such a huge part of the music industry."

Many of the other campers agreed with Quattrochi, like Danny Wirick from the Vocal Performance track. “I think it would be cool. I’m not a rapper myself and I don’t listen to a lot of rap music," Wirick said. "I went to GRAMMY Camp last year and we did a rap last year. We tried to do one this year as well but none of the vocalist could rap. So we definitely have a need for it.”

Almost all the Campers here support the idea of having a rapping career track since many of the Campers perform their original raps at open mic night. Sadly it is not something planned for next year, when asked why this is, the GRAMMY Foundation's Nate Hertweck said, "We don’t offer any genre specific tracks; there are elements of hip hop in every track.”

For Campers interested in rapping and being part of GRAMMY Camp there is more than one track they can apply for that incorporates elements of rap. Those include Electronic Music Production and Audio Engineering and the GRAMMY Foundation's Joe Langford believes those tracks give kids a chance “To produce their own music and rap as well.”

So while hip hop may not be a career track, but it's still a big part of GRAMMY Camp.

Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover By Allie Spice

2011-07-16T16:03:00.000-07:00

We have all seen the guy with black clothes, tattoos, and green, spiked hair and you immediately think, "What kind of music do they listen to?" You might guess Mastodon or the Ramones; and then you hear them singing Justin Bieber's "Baby." Just cause they dress a certain way doesn't mean they fit a musical stereotype.

Though most GRAMMY® Campers who were asked questions on the idea of music influencing how people act or dress, believe the two go hand in hand. Songwriting track's Layne Putnam thinks music absolutely affects the way you dress. “Music definitely makes you who you are. You look up to the people you listen to and if they dress a certain way, you want to dress like them," Putnam said. "You want to sound like them and act like them because you look up to them and they play your music.” Music can shape and define who you are and how you act."

Vocal Performance's Brandon Martinez has experienced people's assumptions. "Once, I was going to this party and I was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Everyone was giving me this weird look and I went on stage to sing," Martinez recalls. "Afterwards, this guy came up to me and was like, 'Man, I did not expect that from you. When you first walked in here, I didn’t think you spoke a word of English.'" It is very common, when you are in your teenage years, to be stereotyped or judged. You can’t change what people think, but you can stop yourself from judging.

Subconsciously, we all judge people on how they dress, what kind of music they listen to, or maybe even both. Maybe next time you see the guy with tattoos and green hair, you’ll go ask him what kind of music he listens to. And when he says Neil Diamond or Kanye West you won't be so surprised.

Brian London Raises Up GRAMMY Campers By Alexandrea Kern

2011-07-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

Music director Brian London came to GRAMMY Camp® Thursday to be work with Campers from the instrumental tracks as part of the guest professional day. Having worked with artists from Lady Gaga to Bruno Mars, London has come a long way in the music industry. He taught about the many responsibilities of a music director, which involves organizing the band, arranging songs, and being able to make quick changes.

London, a keyboardist from North Carolina, grew up classically trained and majored in music theater with a concentration in music at Columbia University. After coming to L.A. at 22 he worked his way up to becoming the keyboardist for Lady Gaga and Rihanna. He told the Campers of what an incredible experience it is working with Gaga. In addition to working with two of the biggest pop stars on the planet he's worked with Aly & AJ Michalka, Salt-n-Pepa, and Katy Perry.

Among his words of wisdom to the Campers was not to let the industry push you back. "A lot of times the music industry will suck the enthusiasm out of you," he told the Campers. "Don't let them take that from you." He also shared what it's like to be on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans. "When you raise your hand, and the audience raises their hands, it's the best feeling you can have," he says.

Nick Jonas Gives Lessons By Allie Spice

2011-07-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

Nick Jonas took time from his busy schedule in the studio to come visit with GRAMMY Camp® Thursday. Despite being the same age as some of the Campers, the 18-year-old Jonas used his nine years of experience in the industry to offer a lot of lessons to 12 of the students from both the Electronic Music Production and Songwriter tracks.

"What I have learned over my songwriting career so far if, if you can, soak up as much as you possibly can," Jonas said. He drew upon his own recent activities, including a trip to India for a songwriting camp. He also reaffirmed his love for music and told the Campers how he was evolving into a new place in the business.

He gave a demonstration of that, playing on piano a a new acoustic ballad he had just written a week before. And in offering feedback on demos from three of the Songwriters and answering questions he taught everyone in the room a little bit more about the music world.

Lucas Frank Is A Jack Of All Trades By Mia Lepp

2011-07-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

GRAMMY Camp®, held at the USC campus in Los Angeles, is filled with talented Campers from all over the U.S One of them is 17-year-old drummer Lukas Frank, from Santa Monica, California. At the GRAMMY Camp mini-concert held on July 10th he showed everyone how talented he was by playing in two different combos, one being a jazz piece and the other a rock piece. Each time he performed in a combo the faculty would make comments on the drumming by saying, "The drummer did a good job keeping the pace of the song where it should be and not rushing it." The following day I met up with Lukas to interview him and talk about his drumming.

ML: Hi, my name is Mia Lepp, and you are?

Lukas Frank: I’m Lucas Frank, I’m 17, and it’s my first time at GRAMMY Camp.

ML: How do you like it so far?

LF: It's good, I like it. I like the collaboration, the different tracks, and that everyone working here is pretty much in the thick of It In their field. My favorite parts are the collaborations and that's my favorite part about music in general. I think this gives you a good sense about what the real world is like and I’m enjoying my track.

ML: How long have you been playing drums for?

LF: Ten years, but I tell people four.

ML: Why?

Lucas: Ttwo reasons: one, If you say 10 years they are expecting you to sound like 10 years and that's too much pressure on me. Then the other reason Is I don't count the years when I was like seven and taking classes, I had a good teacher and I liked It, I definitely liked It but I wasn't really studying, learning about the instrument. I really got passionate about It when I was 12 or 13.

ML: What is your favorite part about playing the drums?

Lucas: Just the feeling to have like an extension of yourself, just something to hide behind.

ML: Who inspires you when you play the drums? What musicians do you look up to?

Lucas: It depends, in certain situations I'll have different inspirations. If I'm playing a funky tune I'll try and sound like my favorite funk drummer. If I'm playing a jazz standard I'll think about my favorite jazz drummer or whatever. I've never had one, but if it was to be one person who constantly inspired me it would probably be like my dad, my uncle, my grandpa, or something like that.

ML: When you're playing the drums what types of style do you like to play the most?

Lucas: I hop around or I have been hopping around, it used to be jazz. I used to be obsessed and that was like my only thing and then sophomore year I heard John Bonham play and I was like, "Damn, that's cool," so I got back into rock. I get conflicted because you want to be a jack of all trades but you don't want to spread yourself too thin and you want to be a specialist but you also like certain different genres. It's hard to pick and chose but I would say jazz, rock, alternative rock, indie rock, funk, just anything with good musicians who will kick my [butt] and make it fun.

ML: All right well thank you and by the way you were great yesterday.

Lucas: Thank you so much.

Music Journalism Comes Together At CNN By Ben LoPiccolo

2011-07-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the most enchanting aspect of GRAMMY Camp® is the fact that the team works together to give students interaction with professionals in the field they aspire to be in -- basically meeting somebody that's currently working your dream job. In the Music Journalism track, we had already met a blogger, a photographer, and a publicist, three knowledgable individuals that gave us a great look at what may lie ahead for us. Today, we ventured to a place that brings all three jobs, and more, together: CNN's Los Angeles headquarters.
Leading us on a tour of CNN's offices was producer and infrequent reporter Denise Quan, who gave us an understanding on how journalism and interviews arrive on-air and online. Our improvisation skills were put to the test at the beginning when Dr. Drew Pinsky stopped to chat; we asked questions that prompted him to share his experience working in the entertainment business alongside his medical career. Later in the tour, a cameraman set up a mock interview with the class that out us in front of the camera after a weeks worth of asking questions.
Walking through the hallways of the building was such a positive experience as an aspiring journalist; not only did I get a good look at some of the possibilities I could encounter as a journalist, being at CNN reaffirmed yet again what a rewarding field it could be.

Steve Slate Engineers A Great Visit At GRAMMY Camp® By Alexandrea Kern

2011-07-15T18:53:00.000-07:00

Steve Slate is a well-known music producer, engineer, and songwriter in the Music and Recording Industry. Working with artists from Taylor Swift to Train, he has become a popular name among the industry. Slate, who designed Pro Audio lines such as DRAGON, an award-winning dynamic processor, came Thursday during our guest professional day to visit with the Audio Engineering track and talk to some of the students about his career.

His career first started when he was the same age as many of the Campers, doing internships at recording studios getting coffee. Eventually, he worked his way up from there to where he is today. "The first thing you do, you are literally the gofer. That's what you do when you start up in this industry," Slate told the group. He learned most of what he knows by working at other studios and just observing. Being in college as well helped him picked up more knowledge about audio engineering.

His big "ah ha" moment was when he listened to the Nirvana Nevermind record. " I was fascinated by the sound of quality of that, I overlooked the music for a second, I didn't hear it as just a musical experience I heard it as a oral experience." From then on, he became interested in the recording field of the music industry.

"It's so exciting to see all these young people who are interested in one of my favorite things which is music and recording music and making music," Slate said when asked about his initial reactions on GRAMMY Camp®. "What's also fun about it is, its a completely different generation and this generation has different opportunities and different tools that I didn't have. Its cool to see how that changes things."

Students Views On The Changing Music Industry By Ben LoPiccolo

2011-07-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that the music business has been changing at a much more rapid pace than ever. Record sales have waned away from their all-time high in the early aughts, and companies and artists have expressed difficulty accommodating to new customs. However, while GRAMMY Campers understand the challenge of a constant shift, they've learned to be versatile enough to start off in the trying industry. I sat down with students from different tracks throughout the week to get their takes on how they were feeling.

"Realistically, [the record business] is at a down point," Vocalist Austin Zudeck acknowledged. "I think we would all agree the live aspect in music is what's making the money. But I don't think any of us are really about the money, we're about the music."

Zudeck's philosophy was shared with the other Vocalists in his track, who all stressed the importance of networking for a stable career, especially when instituting a name for themselves. Their positive attitudes have paid off during the week; each Camper has gotten involved in multiple projects in collaboration with others. Danny Wirick, also an incoming USC Thornton freshman, urged his peers to stay true to their values after they become established.

"A lot of the industry right now is corrupted and they're trying to make you have a certain sound," he began. "As long as you have fans and you know that they love what you're doing, stick with that and in the end it will really pay off."

Songwriter Elise Go, who I met with later, was mutual with Wirick's thought. She questioned the sincerity of some mainstream artists, and pointed out the importance of staying unique in order to succeed with fans not spending as much on records. Go's track mate, Victoria Pritchard, says that she plans to release her music on a major label, but will work to make sure the business does not hinder her creative voice in the writing process.

To get a perspective from an instrumentalist, I asked Keyboardist Evan Rees his opinion on the industry. "I think it's exciting because it's changing," he started. Rees went on to elaborate on his "new school" views, citing social networking as an essential tool along with performing live -- his forte from a strong jazz background -- to get other musicians to know his name.

Perhaps the most eye-opening experience on the subject came with the Camp-wide entrepreneurial panel. "We are currently preparing students for jobs that don't exist using technology that hasn't been invented," speculated GRAMMY Foundation Senior VP Kristen Madsen. The night offered thoughts from individuals both relatively new to the industry and experienced veterans, including Virgin Records co-founder and former EMI Marketing President Phil Quartararo who presented a very simple, yet provocative comment.

"The record industry is heading towards the coffin," he admitted. "But the music business is about to be bigger than it's ever been."

GRAMMY Campers Get A Taste Of Journalism Life By Ryley Mueller

2011-07-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

GRAMMY Camp® L.A. was excited to host a master panel consisting of multi-platinum producer Mike Elizondo, artist Greyson Chance, and singer/songwriter/producer Nick Jonas. The room was full of GRAMMYCamp staff, faculty and Campers awaiting the words of these guest professionals. Campers got a taste of the media with outlets covering the event such as Fox, Buzznet, Cambio, Us Weekly, and Rolling Stone.

The panel was open to the audience for questions, which many GRAMMY Camp students participated in. Campers asked Elizondo, Chance, and Jonas questions ranging from the start of their music careers to their biggest fear within the industry.

Chance was very well spoken and humorous, commenting on, among other things, his new album, Hold On 'Til The Night, being released on August 2nd on Interscope Records. He reflected on the start of his career, his goals for his future, and his unusual discovery on You Tube.

"I think you have a passion for something when you're young, especially in your teen years and I think it's always there. Whether you choose to take that path or you don't, I still think [the passion] is always there," Chance said.

During the panel, Jonas discussed his recent projects within the music industry, his band Nick Jonas & The Administration, starring on Broadway, and producing for other musicians.

"Now that I've started writing and producing for other people, my main focus is taking a concept, whatever that concept is and making it into a full song and basically having another writer or producer come in and attack it. I take the experiences I have writing for myself and put that into writing for other people," Jonas said.

Elizondo expressed his appreciation for GRAMMY Camp and talked about how he made his way into the music industry. He gave advice for students who want to pursue music, anyone interested in producing for artists, and how social media has influenced the business today.

"I think as far as the interaction with the fans, being able to shoot a message about what they're doing in the studio, it generates that excitement for the audience and makes them feel like it’s part of the process and hopefully generates excitement for the record," Elizondo said.

After the panel concluded, Music Journalism students got the opportunity to stay and interview the guests. With media lined up waiting to get their chance, GRAMMY Campers practiced their interviewing skills and get a taste of journalist life. For some Campers, this was their biggest experience dealing with pop culture, the media, and the people involved in the music industry. Students were left with an education from experienced professionals and an amazing experience.

Mike Elizondo: Inside the Mind of One of Music's Most Versatile Figures By Ben LoPiccolo

2011-07-14T15:49:00.000-07:00

50 Cent, Fiona Apple and Avenged Sevenfold -- certainly not artists that would normally be grouped together, but for producer and songwriter Mike Elizondo, working with any of the three is always a possibility. He stopped by GRAMMY Camp® for today's guest professional panel to share some useful advice gathered throughout his career, telling stories and answering questions from Campers.

While plenty of guests had spoken during the week about their work with many different artists, Elizondo was the first who had worked with such an eclectic mix in the creative perspective.

"I have a pretty short attention span, so if I only did one style of music I would get bored," he explained. "You've got to be versatile enough to try different things."

Continuing throughout the panel, Elizondo mentioned that for each Camper, being flexible is the most important trait to have in order to excel in the industry. After speaking about the broad range of genres he had worked in, he described that his philosophy while working is to be someone that takes an artist to places they haven't been before, and to evolve along with them. For someone that started as a session bassist, production was not something that he expected to be skillful with, but after a lucky break with Dr. Dre and Bono he was able to explore his unknown talent. "Keep an open mind," Elizondo began. "There may be some other areas in music you may not even know exist, but that you may actually excel at."

Seeing Music Day And Night By Mia Lepp

2011-07-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

After five days of waiting for the GRAMMY Camp firld trip, with students wondering such things as, "Does anyone know where we're going?" and "I wonder if we'll see anyone famous?" the day finally arrived. The exodus off the USC campus into L.A. began with the Campers being split into three different groups; one going to the GRAMMY Museum, one to the Village Recording studio, and one to the headquarters of IMAX.

As my group arrived to the GRAMMY Museum we were greeted by a huge vibrant and modern mural on the right wall that showed different popular places in L.A. We split up and started looking around on the fourth floor, where the first thing I saw were actual GRAMMY Awards. Further back on the fourth floor I saw the paper where the lyrics to some of the Beatles songs were originally written. Also on display were clothes worn by members of the Beatles and their guitars. Electronic Music Production's Mia Lalanne, who is a Beatles fan, said, "I'm a fan of the Beatles even more now that I see really what John Lennon behind and I think it is great to have a place like this to honor his work over the years."

Throughout the GRAMMY Museum there were areas where we could "play" the drums or the keyboard, remix original songs like Roy Orbison's "Beautiful Girls," or use "The Amazing Talking Machine," where you could talk into it and it would play back what you said.

The third floor, where they had outfits from stars like Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, and Rihanna, was a favorite of many Campers. The Trombone track's Jonathan Huggins said, "My favorite part of the GRAMMY Museum has been seeing all of Michael Jackson's clothes." Vocal Performance's Maija Pinkins agreed. "My favorite part of the GRAMMY Museum has been seeing all the clothes." Before leaving the third floor we saw an area of the Museum dedicated to the Latin GRAMMY Awards, where they had a video playing from past years as well as one of Celia Cruz's outfits.

After the GRAMMY Museum we went to Club Nokia, where we got to the dressing rooms as well as go on the stage. There were already GRAMMY Campers who were singing and dancing on stage. Pinkins stated with excitement, "Club Nokia is so bomb and big and I hope one day I will make a show here and sell it out." She was not the only Camper who expressed these hopes.

During this time another group of Campers were at the Santa Monica, California headquarters of IMAX, where they saw trailers for movies about Michael Jackson's life and the Rolling Stones and also a six-minute clip put together from the Dark Knight movie. Songwriter student Vikki Pritchard mentioned, "It was so cool and my favorite was the one about Michael Jackson."

Another group of Campers went to the Village Recording studio, where they walked around and saw all records on the wall from the likes of Lady Gaga, Steely Dan, Bob Dylan, and more.

The three groups reunited at the Recording Academy and then went to the Grove shopping center together for dinner and free time. We got the chance to compare notes and through this field trip we discovered different parts of the music careers, like how legacies live on as well, as what to do to start your music career, and then end the day by seeing just how beautiful L.A. is at night time.

Social Networking At GRAMMY Camp® By Alexandrea Kern

2011-07-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

Social media has played a huge role in the music industry with social networks such as Facebook and Twitter having helped with the discovery and promotion of many unsigned artists and "gem" bands, as well as the advertisement of current signed artists.

During the Tuesday night panel, "Above The Noise," Campers got a first-hand lesson in the importance of social media and networking. The guest panelists included You Tube sensation VanJess, videographer Levi Maestro, Tatiana Simonian, Community Manager for the Disney Music Group, the Recording Academy's own Jaime Sarachit, and many more. All the panelists were living examples of how social media helped them make it to where they are today. For example, VanJess used You Tube to show their singing and songwriting skills, which have made them an internet sensation and closer to their dreams of a record label.

Campers were broken up into nine groups to work with the panelists on how to improve the media outlets musicians use. The group of campers that worked with Levi Maestro thought of ways to improve the outdated Myspace. The recent investment of $35 Million dollars into Myspace by a group including Justin Timberlake has sparked an interest in the forgotten about website. The group discussed ideas such as "improving the functionality" as well as having "free downloads" for users.

Other groups were given a prompt about a situation that could happen in the social media world and how it could be solved. One group discussed Steve Jobs shutting down iTunes because he was "tired of making money" (which is highly unlikely) and how they could create a new music downloader. They came up with the idea iTunes Indie. A music downloader where artists could put there music on for free even if you're unsigned. "We would promote on social platforms like Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Myspace, and blogs" said one of the group speakers, Tanner Grandstaff, of the Electronic Music Production track. "We would make partnerships with Pandora too." Though some of the events are a little unreal, it was a good exercise for the Campers to think of ways to help the music industry and maybe even their own career.

The Vocalists Sing Out By Alexandrea Kern And Ben LoPiccolo

2011-07-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

With all of the resources and social networking available for young musicians, it's becoming increasingly easier for talent to get listeners to know their name. But what separates somebody from a pack that's now larger than ever? Five members of GRAMMY® Camp 2011's Vocalist track came to spend some time with myself and my journalist peer Alexandria Kern, delivering feedback on their experience so far along with their thoughts on breaking into the business.

Alexandrea Kern: How have you guys grown as a group together?

Danny Wirick: We've connected and have been really close…

Austin Zudeck: Because we're all very like-minded people we all are striving for the same goals: getting signed, making records…

Kashish Shamsi: But we all have our own uniqueness in our voices, and we all kind of feed off of each other.

AK: Do you guys write your own music or collaborate with any of the combos here?

AZ: I'm sure a majority of us write music.

DW: I actually started writing music after GRAMMY Camp® last year. I've done a few collaborations, and this year I want to collaborate with some singer/songwriters and also some combos.

AK: What inspired all of you to be vocalists?

Brandon Martinez: It's always been the number one thing in my life, something that I've been good at. So it's what I picked.

KS: One day I watched Michael Jackson perform, and I said, "That's it. That's what I want to do." I want to make people smile and be happy.

DW: For me, music is something I've always been able to relate with, and feeling the connection between the audience and myself is spectacular.

AZ: After my first concert, I looked up at the crowd and thought: "The way they made those people smile is the way I want to make people smile." So, I felt like, if I can change one person's day and do it with something that I love, then why not?

Maija Pinkins: Singing has gotten me through a lot in my life. My mom's a singer, so after watching all of the stuff that she's done and been in, she's just inspired me to do a lot, and gotten me through it all.

Ben LoPiccolo: Do you guys all plan to make being a singer your career?

Unanimous: Absolutely.

AZ: 195 percent yes!

BL: How do you feel about the record industry at the moment? Do you think you'll have difficulty selling records?

AZ: Realistically, it's at a down point. Records are at an all-time low; it's digital media that's taken over. So right now, I think we would all agree the live aspect in music is what's making the money. But I don't think any of us are really about the money, we're about the music.

BL: Do you have any special plans to get your name out there? Maybe something besides traditional media?

Unanimous: Networking!

KS: In college, I really want to get a education and network throughout.

AZ: (singing) Education is important!!!

DW: Next year, I'm fortunate enough to be studying music at Thornton (at USC). There are so many opportunities that come with living in L.A.; meeting people, networking, and sharing your music around with others.

AK: What's your favorite part about being in this track?

AZ: Mine is the connection with the audience, because we're the vocalists. We get to have an experience with the audience. My favorite part is being able to go up and sing with people, and have them respond back to me physically.

DW: My favorite part with being in the front is that I have very distinct musical ideas in my head that I want conveyed through a band. It's easy for me as a vocalist to direct the band and get the sound that I'm looking for.

MP: When I got here, I met my vocalists, my crew! We just got along so quickly, it's like we just had a vibe and we all clicked. Also, I just love USC and I love GRAMMY Camp because everyone here is so bomb and no one is rude or disrespectful.

AZ: And you can feel it's a wonderful world.

KS: I like the Vocal track because we all jive together. I love performing in front of people; I love having the spotlight shining in my eyes, even if I can't see the audience. I love going crazy; I love waving my hands in the air, and I just love performing.

BL: What's the most important thing to remember as a performer?

AZ: Engage the audience. Make sure the audience is happy.

KS: Love what you're doing. If you don't love what you're doing, get out!

DW: Stay true to what your values are and what your music is. A lot of the industry right now is corrupted and they're trying to make you have a certain sound. As long as you have fans and you know that they love what you're doing, stick with that and in the end it will really pay off.

KS: It's all about loving what you do, and having people watch, and that's basically it!

AZ: Rock on, people!!

Bria Kelly Is A One-Woman Band By Alexandrea Kern

2011-07-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

When you first look at 15-year-old Bria Kelly, you see a petite blue-eyed girl. But after hearing this Virginia native sing, you would've considered the quote "Don't judge a book by it's cover" to be relevant. Bria, came to GRAMMY Camp® on the Songwriter track, writing what she calls, "Country love songs."

Though she is classically trained, soul is her strong point and she enjoys singing country. "In third grade at a chorus concert, my chorus teacher forced me to sing a song," she says after being asked about when her singing career began. "I didn't really want to, but I ended up doing it and from then on I was like, 'Oh I can sing!" Throughout the course of the week, Bria has surprised everyone with her multi-talents. From guitar and bass to drums and keys, she's a one woman band. "I learned guitar four years ago, drums about a year ago, I recently picked bass up about maybe six months ago, and I got a ukulele last month."

Check out Bria's versatile skills in the video below.

The Craziest Two Hours By Allie Spice

2011-07-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

What can you do in two hours? Twelve talented songwriters wrote a song in that small time allotted to them. At GRAMMY Camp® this year, the songwriters were used as guinea pigs, so to say, and had to try something that was never done before at Camp. Each writer was paired up with either one or two other writers and were given the challenging task of writing the lyrics and music of an original composition, based off of another song.

GRAMMY Camp has never tried this unique technique of songwriting and each student took it in stride and did a fantastic job. They had only known their partners for a day and wrote with such emotion. Each song flowed in a way that seemed like the partners had known each other for much longer than they actually did. The new songs were responses to commonly known songs that had won a GRAMMY in the past. Chris Sampson, the instructor for the songwriting track, called this exercise, "Filling an old bottle with new wine." That meaning: take something from another song and then make it your own. Each of these students did that, but spun it on it's head. If you listened to the original songs and then the responses, you could really understand that they were meant to be a pairing.

"I think the hardest thing was having to fit the stylistic element of the song. My group had the Motown song and so we had to get the groove and everything, and that was difficult because we all have different styles and when we were writing, our styles would sort of bleed into what we were writing and it was a really cool experience," Camper John Nichols said. In every new song that was played by the songwriters, their own styles would definitely show in the song.

When asking the Campers what they thought of the short and mind-blowing process, the responses were as such, like from Elise Go. "Yeah, of course. It was different, but totally worth it," and,"No doubt. Yes I would do it again." This just shows that even in a difficult and different situations, these teenagers still loved it and would repeat the process. Do we know what GRAMMY Camp will do next with their Campers?

GRAMMY® Camp's Creativity Panel Inspires and Surprises By Ben LoPiccolo

2011-07-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

"What is creativity?" began Tom Sturges at the start of GRAMMY® Camp's creativity panel, held at the Carson Soundstage at USC's Thornton School of Music. Joining the head of Creative Publishing for Universal Music was Lamont Dozier, partly responsible for shaping Motown's iconic sound and penning an incredible 64 number one hits, and Candice Nelson, one-fifth of songwriting/production collective The Clutch, recently most recognizable for working with artists such as Britney Spears and Mary J. Blige. For the next two hours, the panel offered some valuable insight to campers regarding the creative process in writing and presenting an admirable finished product.

Throughout the session, one point that was stressed the most was the endless amount of possibilities there are to start the flow of a new song. Sturges introduced several thinking exercises, ("What is ____," "10 things to do with a _____") while Dozier inspired the group with his views on being a conscious listener. Talking about "eavesdropping on the world," he revealed that his "Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch" hook actually came from memories of his flirtatious grandfather talking to young women outside of his family's beauty shop. Nelson added to the conversation with her experiences on collaborating with artists of differing genres, stating that she prefers to immerse herself in the type of music for a few days before she begins to write. Having different perspectives on many types of situations turned out to be especially helpful to each student, seeing as multiple styles of work ethic had already become clear in the first three days of Camp.

From that point, the panel was open to Camper questions, a good deal regarding the difficulties that being creative poses. "There's no such thing as writer's block, that just means you're lazy!" Dozier joked during a response. "I may take a break, but the song will stay in the back of my mind, and I'm always working." The comment aroused a few laughs, but his staunch philosophy proved to have paid off -- the charts don't lie! "If you're going to be creative, you've gotta hear what's out there," Mr. Sturges continued, revisiting Lamont's theory. "We're not just talking about songwriters or symphonists, we're talking about any creative field."

As if the three visitors' input wasn't enough, Sturges introduced a surprising twist: his two colleagues would take to the piano and craft a song for the entire Camp to listen. After some student involvement, a collective decision was made for the tune to, in theory, be written as a duet for Beyonce and Ray Charles. Dozier immediately began plinking chords while Nelson hummed on top, quickly creating a melody while their audience watched in awe. Minutes later, lyrics began to surface, the two trading off lovelorn lines that eventually arrived at an infectious, soul-drenched hook. "Lonely since you've been gone / Please come home," they crooned, playing their last note to a standing ovation. Ending the night with some industry insider hints from Sturges, the panel left each Camper inspired and ready to begin the composition of their own original songs the next day.

Waking Up With KTLA Morning News By Ryley Mueller

2011-07-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

Waking up at four a.m. is not how I usually like to start my day, but this morning I was given the opportunity to be featured on "KTLA Morning News" along with my fellow Music Journalists; Alexandrea Kern, Mia Lepp, Allison Spice, and Ben LoPiccolo. We all traveled to Carson Hall to film the third segment KTLA has aired about the GRAMMY Camp® program.

Students, staff, and KTLA broadcasters and electronic technicians gathered to capture the Campers in the most real state of mind. I had no idea what to expect but I was ready to be myself and speak about my experiences thus far.

The band, Lena Stein and Luke Niccoli of the Songwriter track, Bass' Satarra Troutman, Keyboard's Evan Rees, and Guitar's Ben Glasser, started playing a catchy country-pop song, "Summer Love," that, despite the early hour, sounded well rehearsed and soon the band had the room full of their rich sound.

I was primarily taking photos and video of the band while the other Journalists interviewed, took notes, and recorded the event. I was able to get up front shots of Stein and Niccoli, and film some video of the band. I was truly impressed by the talent they all displayed.

KTLA highlighted the Audio Engineers, as well. It was really cool to be able to show the world (or the greater LA area) this amazing Camp. Allie MacKay, a reporter for KTLA, talked to us about our skills, what we love about GRAMMY Camp and how we work with musicians.

I have always been interested in the broadcasting portion of journalism, so for me to actually be on the news was very exciting.

Lena Stein Graduates From GRAMMY Camp® To Nashville By Ryley Mueller

2011-07-11T16:23:00.000-07:00

Lena Stein, an 18-year-old singer/songwriter from Carlisle, Massachusetts, is one of the few students invited back for another year of GRAMMY Camp®. Stein traveled to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles for her second year of GRAMMY Camp. Being a part of the Songwriting career track has Stein writing every day.

“I’ve seen a lot of changes in the Songwriting program so far. We got right into writing [on the first day]. We’ve all written two songs so far and we’re writing another one this afternoon; which is way more than last year," Stein says. "It’s a lot more writing and the process behind it, rather than just performing.”

For Stein, music has always been a part of her life. From being a young child to playing today, Stein has a strong musical background and passion for music.

“Ask my dad, I sang before I spoke. My whole family is all really musical. My grandma wrote songs and my dad was a musician, so I always had music around me.”

Having the creative outlet seemed natural for Stein. Being able to express herself helped her throughout harsh high school years.

“I love music. My parents made a point to have me listening to good music when I was young so I could have a good musical background," she says. "Third grade was the first time I actually remember writing. I started taking it seriously in high school and it was that outlet for me to be able to say, ‘Hey, this guy’s a jerk’ or ‘I’m so ready to get out of this town’."

Stein keeps a steady view of her dreams. With a four-track country demo out and two years of GRAMMY Camp under her belt, she has no intention of stopping any time soon.

“I see myself living in Nashville [in five years]. I’m actually moving there for college in five weeks, I’m super excited to be there and country music is my thing. Education is big for me, so I want to integrate myself in the music scene and continue school. I’d love to start recording, get signed and continue with music.”

Bass Standout Satarra Troutman By Ben LoPiccolo

2011-07-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

Satarra Troutman stands out in GRAMMY® Camp's 2011 week in Los Angeles for more reasons than simply the fact that she happens to be the only female bassist, or guitarist in general for that matter. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, the young woman has talent that's just as attention grabbing as the bright green streaks in her hair.

Not only can she keep a tune on her bass, she's got piano and vocal chops too, the latter something that she attributes to her church choir upbringing. "I kind of enjoy being the leader," she says. With that determined dynamic, Satarra spent a day providing the low-frequency groove for her group's rendition of the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back." Feet tapping and body rocking back and forth, she even earned positive feedback on her performance from one of Camp's toughest critics, Sr. Director David Sears.

GRAMMY ® Campers Make A Connection At Mini-Concert By Alexandrea Kern

2011-07-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

The first official performance of GRAMMY Camp ® came last night with the Mini-Concert, a two and a half hour showcase dubbed "Through The Genres." The diverse range of music, from country and pop to rock and jazz, made Sunday night's show inspiring.

The vocalists and instrumentalists were given a song to learn in only two days. And the songwriters were assigned to write their interpretation of the song, or as described by Songwriting instructor Chris Sampson, "Filling an old wine bottle with new wine." After each song, our exceptional instructors shared advice with the campers.

A big trend from the instructors' wisdom was making a "connection." The connection between members in a band is crucial to the music. Whether it's keeping tempo or staying tight musically, having a good connection with your fellow members is what keeps the music going. "I think it helps people get into it more," says the Songwriting track's Lena Stein of that musical bond.

Though this was a difficult task being that they've only known each other for two days, many groups that performed had that chemistry. Two of the vocalists, Brandon Martinez and Alexandra Stern, sang Gretchen Wilson's melancholy "When I Think About Cheating." When asked how they kept such a good rapport throughout the entire performance hardly knowing each other, Brandon said it was from, "Constantly thinking about emotions and thinking about past heartbreaks." Just as it's important to connect with the other members of the band, its important to reach the audience. The Goldman Combo did just that.

Austin Zudeck, front man of the Goldman Combo, amazed the entire audience with his unique and edgy voice during his performance of "The Pretender," by the Foo Fighters. Singing to the front row and inviting everyone to sing along made his performance even more fun. Evan Rees, keyboardist for the Goldman Combo, ran through the audience, giving us high fives.

Starting GRAMMY® Camp Off On The Right Tune By Mia Lepp

2011-07-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

As we walked into Ground Zero for open mic night the smell of fresh brewed coffee filled the air. All our attention was automatically brought to the stage by the purple, red, and yellow spotlights. The first performance was by none other than the music gurus who are teaching the GRAMMY® Campers. They set the mood at Ground Zero, getting everyone’s head bobbing to the upbeat melody and inspiring the other Campers to sign up, because by the end of their performance the list was up to 35 people!

The night was then followed by a wide range of different performers singing their original songs, like Austin Taylor Zudeck, who surprised us all with his powerful voice and the way he conveyed the emotions of his lyrics to the audience, along with others like Sarah Lindstedt, Vikki Pritchard, Jack Rodenburg, and Elise Go. Others sung covers of already popular tunes, such as Kashish Shamsi doing "Nobody" by Alicia Keys, Danny Wirick, with "Sunday" by Maroon 5, and Brandon Martinez, who turned Justin Bieber's "Baby" into a sweet and heartfelt tune that got us singing along. Some of the performers who shocked everyone were Bria Kelly and her powerful blues song, Bj Monk with his moving piano piece, the No Name band, who had an upbeat sound with incredible bass solos, and Michael Arrom, whose instrumental piano playing was jaw dropping. There were also a lot of rappers that performed at open mic night, like Geo Quattrochi and Malik Rodgers.

Even though all of the artist were being cheered on before and after they went on, the MC, Brandon Roberson, kept the crowd pumped in between songs or when the performers were setting up by telling jokes or reminding us to tweet about GRAMMY Camp to make it the trendiest topic on Twitter. The night ended with GRAMMY Camp's own dub step performance by Brandon Holt and Tanner Grandstaff.

Check out footage shot and edited by Music Journalism's own Ryley Mueller.

GRAMMY Camp® Shows The Future Of Music By Dertrick Winn

2010-07-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

GRAMMY Camp® may build to its final showcase, but the music starts from the very beginning of the week, kicking off with an open mic night and mini-concert. Here's a look at some of the music that got the 2010 Camp started.

-Special thanks to Sony for the donation of the video cameras.

Where Music Is Born At GRAMMY Camp® By Shawn Handy

2010-07-17T15:05:00.000-07:00

There’s music going on all the time here at GRAMMY Camp®. From the halls of the P.I.C building all the way to the studio, here's a video look at how songs come to life at Camp.

-Special thanks to Sony for the donation of the video cameras.

Drummer Dave Krusen Makes His Own Success By Julian Ring

2010-07-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

I recently had the chance to ask former Pearl Jam drummer Dave Krusen a few questions about his drumming career and his experience with GRAMMY Camp®. Krusen had some interesting things to share about his influences, heroes, and how working with Campers is a two-way relationship.

Julian Ring: I know that you’ve played with many different bands during your career. Do you feel that playing all of these different styles within rock music has made you a better drummer?
Dave Krusen: Yeah, definitely. It’s made me look at things differently, and I’ve had to learn a lot of different songs, and play with a lot of different people. Everybody has their own way of doing things, so yeah, it’s been good for me.

JR: You’re well-known for your work on Pearl Jam’s debut album, Ten. How does it feel to know that you played drums on one of the landmark albums of the 90s Seattle grunge explosion?
DK: It was definitely the right place at the right time, in that sense. It’s a really good feeling to have been in a band with those guys for even a short time, as I was. It was a real blessing in my life, and still continues to be a great thing. I’m honored to have been a part of it, for sure.

JR: Who would you cite as your major influences, both as a musician in general and as a drummer specifically?
DK: Well, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Police, bands like that. Those drummers, obviously. And Steve Jordan is one of my favorite drummers, a huge influence on me. Matt Cameron is a huge influence on me, definitely was when I played on Ten. Mick Fleetwood, Phil Rudd, Peter Criss, guys like that.

JR: If you had to make an ideal band with any musicians, who would you pick?
DK: I would say, if I had to narrow it down -- Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, John Lennon, and Duck Dunn.

JR: Now that you have visited GRAMMY Camp for a few years, what are your impressions of the campers? What quality do you most admire in the students?
DK: I most admire their enthusiasm. They all inspire me so much. I have learned something every time.

JR: How would you describe you experience with GRAMMY Camp as a whole?
DK: It has been great to see so many kids into music. They all seem very genuinely grateful for the experience.

JR: What, in your opinion, is the definition of success?
DK: I think success is doing what you love. We all decide what success is on our own, I hope.

In The Homestretch Of GRAMMY Camp® By Jenay Ross

2010-07-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

The 2010 GRAMMY Camp® Showcase is quickly approaching, but the Campers are not buckling under pressure. They are quite calm actually. Exhausted, but calm. In PIC, where the practice rooms are located, musicians and Singer/Songwriters can be seen laying on the floor catching up on sleep. Their sleepiness isn’t keeping them from perfecting their songs though. People are ecstatic and ready to get up on stage.

At the beginning of the week, the instrumentalists divided into five combos and started work right away. Travis Werling, a bassist, loves his combo. “I couldn’t have asked for a better combo,” he said. During his combo’s writing process, they had a lot of creative differences, but it was overall a “good collaborative effort,” said Werling.

Gunner Rolf plays guitar and has been having a blast with his combo and Jason Goldman, their instructor. “Everything he [Goldman] says is so right. He may come off as insulting, but if you think about it, he’s right. I love working with Jason,” explained Rolf. He said the only challenge his combo faced was working on transitions and “little nuisances in the song.” They had a of couple times where they had a lot of tension between everyone, but there were also great times of relaxing and jamming together.

Most of the musicians have agreed that they love being in their combos. “Oh man, I love it. Everybody’s vibe is right. We all click,” said bass trombonist, Johnny Huggins. He shared a story with me about a time when they had some trouble deciding on what to write, so they got a football, played catch outside, went back inside, and wrote their song in 30 minutes. “I think our final product, like speaks for us. It has the personality of the band,” he said with a big smile. He feels like the hardest thing about Camp has been working with seven different Singer/Songwriters on seven different songs, at the same time. He said it’s like he’s expected to be in two places at one time, but he’s coping with it.

Last year, Singer/Songwriter Ellie Perleberg was in the Music Journalism track, but this year decided to switch. “It’s completely different,” she said. She has enjoyed having more interaction with the rest of the campers and her chance to collaborate with them. “I got like five of the girls to do like an acappella bridge. It was really cool, because I walked into the room with the band and I said ‘So I want this to sound like a classic country song. Five minutes, they had it nailed down,” she said excitedly.

The combos recently began recording in the on-campus studio. Recording in the studio has gone really well , besides the heat. These past couple of days in LA has been really hot, making rooms like the studio and the dorms a little uncomfortable. People are more focused on performing at The El Rey though. “I’m really excited, because it’s a really really famous stage and a lot of my heroes have played on that same stage, so it’s an honor,” said Werling.

GRAMMY® Campers Left With Lasting Memories At Fox Studios By Dertrick Winn

2010-07-17T09:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Fox Studios, a 50-acre powerhouse of television and film productions; a place usually alive with busy actors and filmmakers. But this time around, actors are on vacation and filmmakers are making reservations to work at Fox on film projects scheduled five years into the future. It’s a shame we weren’t allowed to have cameras, for there was a large variety of visually stimulating artifacts to capture, from 200-foot murals and brightly painted buildings, to cactus plants and elephant shaped bushes, and that was before we even entered the studios.

The first stop on the tour of this massive community was the set of the critically acclaimed television show Lie To Me, one of Fox’s many television productions. It being the first building we saw after entering the premises, it was like entering another world, one much more dark and eerie than the beautiful open skies of Los Angeles. It was a narrow pathway of filled bookshelves and empty chairs . Very creepy, yet somehow fascinating. “Don’t touch anything,” says Robert Peterson, our gracious tour guide, and the directive manager of the Fox Studios in Los Angeles, who silently led us from one eerie set to another. Dead ahead was the set of Bones, a crime drama involving human remains and murder mysteries. Though fascination filled the room, fortunately, nobody touched anything.

The next part of the tour was introduced by a 96-channel audio mixer, complete with all the bells and whistles. Several Campers were amazed to see a fine piece of audio equipment, one which held a purpose for something far more fascinating. The small audio room opened up to a grand acoustic room where mics and headphones were strategically placed above black chairs positioned in the orchestral manner. This, the room of musicians soon realized, was a scoring stage. But not just any old scoring stage. We were standing on the stage where the billion dollar movie Avatar was scored, along with other award winning films, such as the Matrix trilogy, Wal-E and many more. Upon receiving this information the room was buzzing with excited whispers and hopes of a second visit.

Next was the Foley stage, which, to the unknowing observer, looks like a room full of junk: wooden pallets and crash test dummies on the floor. Mounds of old dishes and rags stacked high. A dirty fridge topped by opened cereal boxes? What use could this room possibly have to Fox Studios? Believe it or not, it’s one of the most important rooms in the film industry.

Named after Jack Foley, a cartoonist gone film industry icon, The Foley stage is the place where sounds are created and recorded to be used as the soundtrack of sound effects for an entire movie. Whether it be the sound of a pen dropping or a nine millimeter pistol firing, this Foley stage was equipped with everything you needed to create any earthly sound imaginable.

We took a quick detour through the wardrobe division, which was more like a warehouse of both new and reused garments, all that have been worn by the actors at the studios, and we exited through the woodshop, home of all the studios carving and woodcutting needs.

As we were escorted back to the buses, we were waved off by the Simpsons, vividly painted on the front of a huge building, right across from a colossal mural of Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell on the cover of the popular 1930s movie, The 7 Year Itch. The images seen at Fox Studios in Los Angeles will not soon be forgotten by the young GRAMMY® Campers.

GRAMMY Campers Prepare For Bigger Venue By Julian Ring

2010-07-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

Campers got a surprise yesterday while visiting the Recording Academy. During the performance by Singer/Songwriters for the NARAS staff, David Sears announced to the audience that the location of the showcase was being changed. The Campers would be playing their final concert not at the GRAMMY Museum, but at the historic and famed El Rey Theatre. This piece of news got many people very excited about Sunday’s event.

“Last year was really great, but I couldn’t invite that many people because there wasn’t a lot of room,” explained Taylor Harvey, a returning Singer/Songwriter who fondly recalls her memories of the GRAMMY Museum. “It was my first professional performance, and since then I have improved so much. Now, I think it’s going to be more like a concert than a performance. I’m really excited to do this.”

One of the main differences between the GRAMMY Museum and the El Rey is the seating arrangement. At the museum, friends and family sit in comfortable chairs, which is standard for a smaller theater. When one enters the El Rey, however, they will immediately notice that the seating is a combination of “standing room” and seats. Harvey discussed her plans to adapt to this new arrangement. “I added a little part in one of my songs, if I get to sing it. I do a kind of speak back, where I try to get the audience to interact in there. So, yeah, I’m excited.”

Guitarist Zaccheus Taylor thinks differently, however. “All I can say is that if we had performed at the GRAMMY Museum, I would have given the same performance that I plan on giving on this larger stage," he says. "I’m going to try to draw in the crowd and give ‘em my best. If they’re going to be able to get in close to the stage, then it’s going to be a really relaxing environment. And they’ll be getting involved, too, so I think we’ll be able to interact with each other pretty well.”

While in the practice rooms, I sat down with all four returning drummers: Will Pinson, Brandon Woodward, Brandon Combs, and Sterling Laws. It was apparent that the group was very excited about playing at the El Rey. In fact, each musician had different reasons for this. Laws said that he anticipates a better show due to more space. Pinson, on the other hand, stated that he was satisfied with the space provided by the GRAMMY Museum. “It’s really small, but it was efficient for its size. It got the job done even though it was not what we thought it was going to be,” he said, though he later confirmed his great expectations for the El Rey show. Combs pointed out that “we’ll be able to say we shared the same stage as a lot of famous bands. It’ll be fun.” Laws also anticipates improved volume capabilities in the theater, which will allow the artists to “make it more sincere as to what the artists are playing.”

While the Campers I talked to all had high expectations for the El Rey performance, each had differing opinions about what gets them excited. Nevertheless, Sunday should prove to be a fantastic show.

Behind The Scenes At MTV By Susan Ewing

2010-07-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

The home of hit shows such as Jersey Shore, The Hills, and Rob Dyrdek‘s Fantasy Factory (to name a few), is where the Music Journalism crew ventured on Friday morning. MTV Networks, located in a colorful building in Santa Monica, gladly allowed us to come in and give us their insights of the way MTV works.

Joe Cuello, the Vice President of Creative Music Integration at MTV showed us all to a conference room, lit by sky light, and explained some of the ways MTV works. Cuello explained that the creative music integration section’s job is related to that of music journalists. He said that it is their job to fit music into a MTV program to get the artists’ music exposed to the public, just as a music journalist writes articles on the artists and gets them published so the public can read about the artist.

To give us a better understanding of this, Cuello and his assistant, Christopher Hetzner, showed us five of the same clips from the MTV show, The Hills, but each clip had different songs, with every song creating a different emotion from the previous. Cuello went on to say that because it cost so much money to get an artist such as Lady Gaga or Lil Wayne that it’s the creative music integrator’s job to look for artists that are up and coming or have a very low-key auditioning process to find a artist who would allow them to use their music for a very low price or even free.

Later, a senior publicist, AJ Sarcione, also came and spoke to us about his job. He informed us that he was the guy music journalists and other publishers keep in contact with all the time. Sarcione said if a new show was coming out at MTV or if the theme of the VMAs was decided, there would be a press release a couple months before so the public could be aware. After absorbing all of that information, Cuello led us to see an editing lab, where after all filming, the tapes are sent, turned digital and edited to become a MTV program.

As we left, we discussed how it was a great opportunity to see that aspect of the industry and to learn about everything that goes into one MTV program.

GRAMMY® Campers Creating Their Own Network For The Future By Jenay Ross

2010-07-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

During every panel and throughout several random discussions, the word “networking” pops up all over the place at GRAMMY Camp®. Networking can make or break a person’s career in the music business. Every single person, whether they are a faculty member, counselor, camper, or guest, is part of a network, and the Campers now know how to make connection with anyone who’s anyone. “It’s vital,” said singer-songwriter Alec Gaston.

Will Pinson, a multi-instrumentalist, plays saxophone, drums, and piano, and dabbles with the clarinet, flute, trumpet, trombone, and piccolo. Being tremendously musically diverse, he takes advantage of any opportunity he has to meet new people. “Networking is when you talk to someone you find a common ground with. You talk about what you do, abilities you have, and things you’ve done before and they tell you about what they’ve done,” said Pinson. If common ground is established, Campers try to stay in touch to work together and see if they can meet even more people through their new connections.

Making a connection with someone doesn’t have to be all about common ground though. “To me, it means going out and meeting all kinds of diverse people to get connections in any field you’re interested in,” said Stacy Ferreira from the Concert Promotion And Production track. It’s a good idea to talk to people in different fields, because then the campers won’t end up being limited to one certain aspect of the business. The only effort that goes into networking is keeping in contact with new acquaintances. Ferreira and the other Campers use Facebook, other online social network mediums, and phones to stay connected with people they meet.

Rudy Weimer, an Audio Engineer camper, said networking is about getting to know people and “sort of spreading yourself and your business.” He has been talking with people in different tracks, telling them about himself, his music, and his band. He’s also been handing out his business cards and getting the word out about what he does. “I know Shane [Silver] and I are going to try to work on stuff, so him and I for sure [are going to work together] and hopefully some others if they want to,” said Weimer.

“Networking was a word that kind of scared me honestly in the beginning, because it seemed a little overwhelming,” said emerging Singer/Songwriter Taylor Harvey. This is Harvey’s second year at GRAMMY Camp and since last year, she has worked with several LA-based GRAMMY Campers, such as Brandon Combs and Aaron Childs. “We’ve been gigging probably a couple times this past year which has been really cool,” she said. “I look forward to making those kinds of relationships again.” Ryan Jarvis, another Singer/Songwriter, has also stayed connected with people from past GRAMMY Camps. “Vince Camerano and Grahm Bailey are both on my new EP,” he mentioned. Alec Gaston added, “Ryan lives pretty close to where I do in the Chicago area, so I plan on collaborating with him.”

Prior to last year, Harvey had different goals before attending camp. “I didn’t even know whether I wanted to do music really and GRAMMY Camp decided, do music,” she confessed. This year Harvey is taking in everything with a different mindset. “Even though they are like the same panels, I look at them in totally different ways, because of where I am as an artist,” she said. She has been greatly inspired by other musicians and their music, and appreciates the professionals that have come to speak. “They actually believe you’ll be taking their spot in the next couple of years,” she said. Three days after camp ends, she’ll be back to playing shows. It has been her summer goal to land some gigs and she’ll soon be coming out with an album she’s wanted to finish. Once summer ends, she’ll be heading over to New York to attend Columbia University. “That’s really exciting trying to become a part of GRAMMY U over there, so I can have multiple bases and stuff,” she said.

Another certain aspect about GRAMMY Camp that the Campers love is how easy it is for everyone to create music. “I just think it’s really cool how it takes us about like three or four days to craft a really good song of our own. Then when you sit down with somebody else you can write a song in 10 minutes,” said Gaston. That is what Camp is all about; collaborating and networking in order to advance musical goals and dreams.

Walking In Rock Legends' Footsteps At The Village Recorder By Julian Ring

2010-07-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

In one of the most anticipated field trips of GRAMMY Camp®, Campers had the opportunity to visit one of three recording studios in the Los Angeles Area. I was fortunate enough to be able go to The Village Recorder in Santa Monica. A world renowned studio, The Village has hosted such rock greats as Smashing Pumpkins, Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, John Mayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and many others. Needless to say, I was very excited about what I would see while I was there.

From the outside, you couldn’t guess that you were looking at a recording studio. The Village was built in 1922 from the remains of an old Masonic temple. However, once inside, the scene changes completely. Gold and platinum records line the walls of the lobby, and the low ceiling, coupled with the atmospheric lighting, gives the place an ethereal feeling. The building still retains much of its Masonic architecture, but many of the most important areas are very modern.
We were then taken on a comprehensive tour of the building. As we visited the various studios, many Campers were amazed at the sheer size of some of the rooms. “This isolation booth is bigger than my bedroom!” exclaimed Electronic Music Producer Naomi Lee. Indeed, some spaces seemed as though they could fit three bands at once. One of the studios even featured moving ceiling slats to change the reflection of sound. I really got the impression that the facility was a top-notch place.

Speaking of impressions, several Campers explained how it felt to be in the presence of some of rock’s greatest recorded moments. “It’s surreal to be standing in the very room where so much musical magic happens,” said Sarah Lindstedt, a Singer/Songwriter and self-proclaimed John Mayer fan. When asked about being in Mayer’s personal studio, Lindstedt immediately responded with a flurry of answers. “I couldn’t really wrap my head around it. [I’m] looking at his chair, and thinking: this guy sat here, this guy wrote hits in this very seat. It had this mystical, eerie sense of magic about it.”

Audio Engineer Mitch Knabe had some insightful comments about his experience. “I’m loving the history here. It’s infectious. There’s just a feeling you get while you’re here. I’m jealous that I’m not working here.” He was very impressed with The Village’s use of analog recording equipment. “I came in here expecting everything to be new and high-tech, but there’s something nostalgic about them using analog. I saw everything they mixed on in the rooms; how they have certain vents in the ceiling that open up, echo chambers…all this stuff that’s not digital.”

All in all, our visit to The Village Recorder satisfied on many levels. Besides being in a studio that has seen more than its fair share of A-list artists, Campers were able to learn about what went into the making of their favorite records. Between writing a song and its final release on an album, the production team at the studio faces many unique challenges in creating a great recording. By visiting this amazing place, Campers gained a better understanding of the recording process.

GRAMMY® Campers Light A Fire Under Maroon 5 By Jenay Ross

2010-07-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

Once the Artist Stories panel ended on Wednesday, the Music Journalists were allowed to remain in the Booth 100 building to interview Maroon 5's Adam Levine and Jesse Carmichael. As we waited in line with the rest of the media representatives and journalists, our anticipation increased. When we finally reached our turn, each of us was able to ask one question.

Julian Ring: Now that you guys have visited GRAMMY Camp® and seen all of these students who are obviously very talented, how do you feel about all of these kids that really look up to you guys as musical influences and inspiration?
Adam: We’ve been talking about it. It’s amazing. We feel like we’re no different. We started off this way, and we still feel this way. Like I said, we’re leaving here and going straight to band practice, and we’re going to work on the same ideas and the same things they’re working on here today. So, we feel very connected to them in a really pure way because it’s just what we do.
Jesse: I just want to say that I was really impressed with the music we heard from all the kids that played for us today. They were really talented. It’s crazy. It’s a little fire under us; we have to go back to the drawing board for our next tour.
Adam: We have to rework everything!

Susan Ewing: If GRAMMY Camp was around when you were younger, what artists would you have like to come and talk to you and give you some pointers and why?
Adam: I would have loved to sit and hear Pearl Jam talk to us or Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye or Lauryn Hill or Herbie Hancock or Tupac or the Beatles. It was millions of people all over the map that I would’ve loved to hear talk. It was amazing people out there who inspired us. Stevie would have been the main one because, well, Stevie can talk, he can really inspire you. And I’ve actually had the privilege to sit and talk with him and he delivers man, he’s one of the best people I’ve ever met.

Nick: A lot of the Singer/Songwriters have been working for a long while at making new material, but some of them are just starting to dabble in creating their own stuff. Is there any advice you would have for someone who wants to speed up the creative process and produce more material?
Adam: The creative process is really delicate. I think that you should be as creative as you can, but if you push yourself too hard, you can drive yourself crazy. I think you definitely need to have it still be fun, because when you’re having fun, that’s when you create the best things. I know this sounds so simple and elementary, but just make sure to keep it fun.
Jesse: And remember that there is inspiration everywhere all around you. Look around at writing on the wall, or somebody’s shirt, or open a book to a random page and there’s your first lyric. Never get stuck, just keep moving.

Jenay: In the panel, you were speaking about how the industry has kind of changed with music videos and image. What other ways have you seen it transform and what are your thoughts on it?
Adam: I think it’s in limbo right now. I think there are a lot of things actually happening and who knows when the dust is going to settle, where it’s going to fall, what’s going to happen. It’s obvious there’s been a shift from people going to a CD store and checking out new CDs and seeing what’s new in store to going online mostly on iTunes and checking it out there, which is just different. I don’t think it’s bad. It’s think it’s just different [and] it’s a really good thing when there’s change, even if something is going well. If it changes it changes. That’s kind of the nature of life and I think it’s a good thing the business is going through. It’s music. It’s never going away. So, that’s the good part about it.

Dertrick: How do you guys key the bond strong in the band to keep from breaking up?
Adam: It is like a family between us and you gotta work on it like a relationship and give people space when they need it. Little rips come up here and there and you gotta try and resolve the issues when they come up so that you don’t let things boil up to a point where they explode.
Jesse: I would say healthy communication is the key to a long band relationship. It’s key to have any healthy relationship actually.

A Chat With Recording Academy President Neil Portnow By Julian Ring

2010-07-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

As part of the Guest Artist day at GRAMMY Camp®, the Music Journalism Campers recently had the opportunity to talk with Neil Portnow, President of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Each Camper had the chance to sit down face to face with Portnow and ask him one question and as we found out people might know NARAS best for the GRAMMY Awards, but there is so much more to the GRAMMYs than that, especially all the opportunities for students.

Julian Ring: As the director of NARAS, what do you feel is your most important responsibility within the music industry?
Neil Portnow: The Academy is, I would say, a thought leader in what happens within our business. We have many faces, we face consumers frequently, and obviously the GRAMMY® telecast, which has almost 27 million people this past year and 170 countries around the world. But the Academy, in terms of our initiatives, whether it’s the GRAMMY Foundation, whether it’s MusicCares™ helping music people, whether it’s the GRAMMY Museum, or whether it’s our advocacy work in Washington, which is crucial…we are viewed as thought leaders, and we’re also the one organization in the music industry that represents the broad community. Unlike organizations that represent just record companies, or just the music publishers, or just the recording musicians, or the unions, or…so on and so forth, our members (20,000 of them) represent the whole broad spectrum. I think that’s our main focus, to be the thought leaders, and to also put a good face on the music industry, and people that make it, to the outside world. Because sometimes, we take a bad rap and we don’t necessarily deserve it. We talk about all the good things that come from music.

Jenay Ross: What advice would you give students who want to join GRAMMY® U?
NP: GRAMMY University network is something relatively new for us. Probably coming around to our third, fourth year. We welcome all students who are pursuing a music career and are serious about it, to join. It would be easy for you to do and sign up and become a part of it.
Jenay Ross: And what kind of things would they do?
NP: GRAMMY University network, for one thing, is a membership. Just like the Academy that is 20,000 members, GRAMMY U has almost 4,000 students who are members. So when you join GRAMMY U you pay a small reduced fee, then you’re a member of the Academy. You get so many of the benefits that all of the members do: publications, exposure to our events, and then we produce some special events just for the GRAMMY U students on Campus, off Campus. So you can do just about everything that a member can do, except vote.

Susan Ewing: Starting out, what were your expectations? How far did you think you were actually going to go?
NP: I wasn’t sure. I had a couple ideas with what I wanted to do. I wanted to be in politics and run for office, and I was always into music. I started playing when I was seven. I honestly didn’t think I could make a living in music for sure, and although I had bands and I had a record deal, I went to college. I thought it would be good to have an education. I planned to go to law school and run for office. But I changed my mind. And then I got a little more involved in the business side of music as things moved on. And frankly I don’t think I could have predicted exactly where this was going to go. The best thing that I did was have an open mind about it, which is, “I don’t know for sure but I’m going to check this out, I’m going to meet as many people as I can, I’m willing to try something, experiment, see how it goes but also have something to fall back on if those things that are a dream didn’t happen.” I was lucky, it worked really well.

Shawn Handy: What is your advice for up-and-coming music entrepreneurs? I know you started off small to end up big, and I would like to become an entrepreneur myself. What’s your advice?
NP: First thing is you need to have passion and commitment. This is not easy with this career; there is a designated path. For example if you want to become a lawyer, you know you need to go to law school, but to become an entrepreneur you don’t know what’s going to happen. So you just have to have that drive. Also what was helpful for me is that I had friends around me that wanted to do the same stuff, so when I got right out of college with a guy who was in my band for many years who had a business head and another guy I met who was in the law school who had a sense of business, we brought them in because we had contracts. But it was so much better to have people supporting you because it’s better to have three heads as opposed to one.

Nick Arnold: You, along with the GRAMMY foundation and NARAS, have helped provide every student here with incredible, almost unfathomable, experiences and lessons which inspire them and open many opportunities for the future. How does it feel to know you are playing a vital role of launching the careers of potential future members of the music industry?
NP: I think I’m going to cry from that one. This work that we do here for the GRAMMY Foundation, like some of the work from our other charities, actually makes me sort of scratch my head sometimes and think to myself, “Gee, isn’t it extraordinary that someone is actually paying me to do this great work?” Having been a young person who grew up with music, who was always passionate about music, couldn’t get it out of my system, there was nothing else I could do. I tried going into politics and doing other things, but it always came back to the music. I didn’t have a guide; nobody in my family was in the business and there wasn’t a specific program in school. I kind of clawed my way through and found my way on my own. The fact that we can offer the guidance and the expertise and the exposure that we do in a program like this to a large number of young people who are passionate about music. And over the years, that number multiplies; so now we’re talking about hundreds of young people who’ve been through a GRAMMY Camp experience. It’s the most gratifying thing I can do. And to hear you say that, because you’ve experienced it first hand, really hits the point home. That’s a real life example of what we’re doing having a positive impact on someone who cares about a future in music. So we’re thrilled and delighted. For me, I can get a little emotional about it sometimes, because it’s the best thing we do.

Dertrick Winn: When people think of the name GRAMMY they immediately think of the GRAMMY Awards. Most people aren’t aware of the GRAMMY Foundation. Can you talk about some of the other programs that the GRAMMY Foundation has for kids who want to be in the music industry?
NP: We have a couple of foundations. We have the MusicCares Foundation that takes care of our own in the industry in times of need. We now have a GRAMMY Museum, which is a year old, and that’s another one of our wonderful projects besides the GRAMMY show. And we have the GRAMMY Foundation which you know well because you’ve been involved over the years. Our mission, aside from archiving and preserving our recorded history, is the ongoing importance of having young people be exposed to music and the arts in particular in the schools. So we do a number of programs. This is one of them, one of the new ones. We’re in our sixth year now with GRAMMY Camp, and GRAMMY Camp as you know brings in a number of students from all around the country to have an experience in 10 days unlike any other, to be with each other but also to have all the professions that the GRAMMY can bring to 10 days worth of study. But we also have a number of programs for schools. Our Signature School program is an important one because we give grants and money to high school music programs, and I think most people understand that music and funding for the arts in this particular time especially is very difficult and always reduced and, unfortunately, not a high priority, so we will pick out music departments all around the country and give them funds so that they can get the most basic things to carry on. It might be sheet music, it might be instruments, it might be hiring someone to come in and provide teaching services. Another one that’s really fun is Sound Checks. We will bring young people from high schools all around the country in their neighborhood to a sound check of a recording artist or a big star who’s performing in the area. So we’ve got Maroon 5 here, for example, and when they’re on the road, they call us and tell us, “Hey, we’re in Cleveland and we’ll arrange to get some kids there.” And what’s great about the Sound Check is young people get to see all the behind-the-scenes things that happen. And remember that it’s not just about being the lead singer on the stage; it might be about being a journalist, about being a manager, about being a lighting director, about being a sound engineer. All of these great career things, they can experience firsthand.

Maroon 5’s Adam Levine And Jesse Carmichael Pay Instrumentalists A Visit By Jenay Ross And Julian Ring

2010-07-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

“If I was going to submit a demo to a record label right now, I’d have a blank white case with big black letters on the cover that say, ‘LISTEN,’” said Adam Levine, vocalist of Maroon 5. This was just one example of the humor that members of Maroon 5infused in their discussion with the instrumental students of GRAMMY Camp®. Levine and Jesse Carmichael visited students in the instrumental performance career track on Tuesday morning to discuss their background as artists. In addition, they provided the Campers with valuable advice about how to be good, proactive musicians.

During their hour-long talk with the various combos, Levine and Carmichael covered everything from getting local shows to finding a great manager (hint: it’s all about trust), and every detail in between. While Adam revealed that he had little formal training as a musician, Jesse is quite learned in music theory and technique. “It would have been a nice tool to have,” said Levine, but both agreed with Carmichael’s statement about music being “very instinctive.” The band was also keen to stress the availability of such online tools as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube. “I sound like an old man, but I didn’t have the You Tube,” said Levine in an old man voice. Levine described the Campers’ peers in high school as a “built in audience” for them to advertise their music. Jesse also added that in the beginning, musicians almost always start without any fans or money. However, it is possible to gain both of these with diligence and hard work. “We had to hustle to sell tickets,” said Levine.

On the musicianship side of things, the band gave many thoughtful insights into what makes a great player. “Simplicity is hardest thing to master,” said Levine. “The greatest musician learns it all, but does something that makes them unique,” said Levine, “Simplicity always wins.”

The biggest surprise was not the inside information provided by the band, but what came after. Towards the end of the discussion, Camp faculty member Jason Goldman suggested that a few of the combos perform songs they had been working on. Adam and Jesse enthusiastically agreed, and so an impromptu mini-showcase was sparked. Three combos got up in front of the band to play an original song. Their guests seemed very impressed with the students’ talent.

The musicians learned some invaluable lessons from Maroon 5’s Levine and Carmichael. “The most important thing is love what you do,” Carmichael stressed. Bringing in successful musicians allowed the campers to see the concepts they are taught put into place right in front of their eyes. It was an experience none of them will forget.

A Q&A With Colbie Caillat By Susan Ewing

2010-07-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

As the Artist Stories Panel came to a close in USC's Booth 100 and all the Campers from different tracks headed to lunch, the Music Journalists stayed behind to get a little more out of the panelists. With other press from such outlets as CNN and AP waiting patiently in a single-file line to get an interview, each Music Journalist had time for only one question each. GRAMMY® Winner Colbie Caillat was very friendly and answered each of the questions with honesty.

Julian Ring: I was wondering how has the fact that you have a father who is a producer inspired you to get into the music business?
Colbie Caillat: I don’t know if it did at the beginning because I just loved singing. I heard Lauryn Hill when I was 11 years old, and I knew from then on that I wanted to be a singer when I grew up. But, because I wanted to be a singer, my dad told me how important it was to learn how to play an instrument, and become a songwriter and an artist. So, by being in the studio with him, and hearing the work he had done, and hearing him teach me how song structure worked…what a verse, a chorus, and what a bridge was, and how you’re supposed to go there to make the song change, and then go back to the chorus. He taught me a lot about music, and really, because of him, I started writing songs and playing guitar.

Susan Ewing: Are there any artists at all that you want to collaborate with and you feel you could have that comfort level with?
Caillat: I’ve been telling people I want to work with Common. I love hip hop and R&B and I’ve done collaborations with people who are in the same music format like acoustic pop. I love Common and I’ve met with him and I told him I want to work with him and I hope someday I’ll get to do that because I think we could come up with some cool melodies together and he could be very rhythmic with his rapping.

Nick Arnold: As an artist who broke through in the past decade, you’ve witnessed the greatest rate of change in the history of the music industry. What advice would you give to these new singer-songwriters and musicians who are trying to break through?
Caillat: Social networking is a good way if you’re a songwriter. If you’re a musician or songwriter, put all of your songs up on You Tube, MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, any of those. Start asking your fans which songs they like the most, and get their advice on which songs to choose. Start pairing yourself with a business, because there are so many aspects of it that are challenging and difficult, and once you learn them and have them down you can really evolve from there. Practice whatever craft you’re passionate about, and build everything around it.

Jenay Ross: In the panel, you were talking about how you use to be shy. What advice would you give singer-songwriters who are shy and are trying to break through that?
Caillat: Lots of things. First of all, it takes a while, so it’s not going to happen overnight. I’m still a little nervous, but nowhere near what I was in the beginning. So, when you’re on stage, you’re in the process of having to perform in front of someone. Take deep breaths. Remember to smile and remember they’re there to hear you and it’s about music enjoyment and also I’m going to work with a stage coach and someone that can work with me through why I get nervous. So, do whatever it takes to work your way through that mentally and write notes. And someone else told me to stand in front of a mirror and say like ten good things about yourself and try to build up your confidence that way.

Dertrick Winn: You gained a lot of popularity through MySpace and You Tube. Did you plan to gain success off of your online social networks?
Caillat: No, None of it. I was writing songs and recording songs for fun in the studio and I wasn’t ever planning on going to record labels and I wasn’t playing shows and I just didn’t know what I was going to do with it. My friend put songs on my MySpace for me and he told me about it and after six months I had grown a fan base. I didn’t know about social networking at the time. I didn’t know what It was going to turn into. It’s unbelievable to me but it works and it’s helped so many people, musicians and artists get to where they’re at. Everyone.

Serj Tankian's Art Without Borders By Nick Arnold

2010-07-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday evening, Campers from the Music Journalism track took a field trip to the Museum of Contemporary Art for a private listening party to preview Serj Tankian’s upcoming album Imperfect Harmonies (due out September 7th). The museum was featuring an exhibit with the work of Armenian artist, Arshile Gorky. During the event, we were loaned iPod Shuffles and headphones loaded with his new record. Once we had completed listening to the entire album, Serj was kind enough to answer a question from each of the music journalists about his new music and his career.

Nick Arnold: During your career you’ve bridged and incorporated many different styles of music into your work. Of the genres you’ve worked with, which do you identify with the most?
Serj Tankian: Wow. Well, obviously I’m kind of known for rock more than anything else, because I’ve been doing that for a while. It kind of comes easy to me to arrange and write for rock arrangements and instrumentation. However, I am interested in exploring different things as well, and going out of my comfort zone and trying new things, whether it is electronic stuff or orchestral stuff or jazz things. In reality, I’ve been doing it on my own for years, because I have a lot of unreleased tracks of many different genres. My thing has always been that I’ve never really committed to one genre. I’ve never been really in love with only one genre; I just love music. Music to me has two genres: good and bad. Good is when it moves you, when you feel something when you listen to it and bad [music] is when you don’t. So, irrespective of what we call genres or specialization, I really leave that for promotional and radio companies to handle. But for me, it’s just all music and the more you mix it up, the more interesting it gets in some ways. So I’m looking forward to experiencing and exploring other musical avenues and types and colors.

Julian Ring: I noticed that on the album, almost every single track had an orchestral background on it. What’s the story behind you inspiration to use that?
ST: A couple of years ago, I did a show with the Auckland Philharmonic in New Zealand, and that kind of led me to be a lot more comfortable with the orchestral palette and writing for ensemble pieces. When I was doing this record, my two disparate influences were electronic and orchestral, and my goal was to put them together in an organic fashion so that they worked. And so the rock kind of became the bridge in between the live instrumentation coupled with cool jazz moments.

Jenay Ross: How does Arshile Gorky inspire you?
ST: What inspires me about him is the type of pain that he lived, the type of life that he had, the way he expressed it through his art. A lot of artists aren’t necessarily happy people, because they’re living a lot of heavy moments in their lives.

Dertrick Winn: How have your studies at CSU influenced your music today?
ST: You know it’s funny because I didn’t really play music until I went to the university but I didn’t study music at the university, I got a bachelor’s degree in marketing. At the time I started playing music and it was a way of kind of relieving my mind, freeing up my mind and doing something, a form of meditation if you will. I started really getting into it at that time. I’m not sure if studies affect music because I’ve never studied music, although I write ensemble pieces and what not. That’s an interesting question, I don’t know. There are a lot of kids that play music when they’re really young and they know that’s what they want to do their whole life. I wasn’t one of those kids. I started when I was 19 or 20 and by the time I was 23 or 24 that’s when I knew that music was my calling, my vision. So in some ways I had to experience many other things in life and then come and do what I’m supposed to do. And that was good for me in some ways: this whole wide area of experience in life, in things that I’ve done.

Susan Ewing: What was your inspiration to have your private listening party here at MOCA?
ST: About a month and a half ago, the MOCA invited me to do a musical creation to the opening of the Arshile Gorky exhibit. And so I brought a couple of musician friends over and we had this really cool opening and it was a couple 1000 MOCA members that were here and drinks. It was a beautiful event. That made me think, "Hey, we should do something there." And when we were thinking about doing the listening party I wanted to do something with headphones. So people could be by themselves with the music and hear it in the sequences that it’s designed in. So we just put the two together.

Shawn Handy: What motivated you to create the song "Borders Are?"
ST: Well, without giving all the lyrical intents away because I like people to internalize for themselves, the idea is what life would be like without borders. Those borders don’t have to be national borders, they can be the limitations of your own mind, or ego, or your own fears. But what would life be without borders? I guess that’s what it about.

Electronic Equipment Only The Best For GRAMMY® Campers By Julian Ring

2010-07-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

The amazing faculty and the talent of their students aren’t the only thing universally agreed upon by GRAMMY® Campers. As soon as they arrived, Campers immediately noticed the quality of the electronic and studio equipment provided to them at the University of Southern California. From laptops to video cameras, mixing interfaces to audio software, the GRAMMY Foundation and its sponsors allow students to utilize these hi-tech tools in order to study and implement the lessons learned in their career tracks.

Cyrus Shaki-Khan admits that he’s relatively new to the world of Electronic Music Production. “I really started maybe three months before we had to submit the audition tapes," he says. "I have demo versions of Ableton and Logic, and I work with a controller about half the size of the one we use in here, with no knobs or anything.” Because of this fact, I was surprised at Shaki-Khan’s proficiency with ProTools in such a short amount of time. He agreed that the provided equipment helps his creative process. “It definitely saves me a lot of time," he says. "It’s really amazing to have all of this.” Interestingly, he was not surprised that this technology was here. “I looked at the websites, and I saw the pictures. It’s what I expected.”

I spoke to another Electronic Music Production student by the name of Eric Boone. Boone’s background with audio technology differs in a few ways from that of Shaki-Kahn’s. “I have a little experience. I kind of just taught myself how to use this kind of software," he says. "I mean, they’re pretty much all the same. But this is the first time I’ve ever worked with something of this scale. It’s so high tech.” Like Shaki-Khan, though, Boone is delighted to be able to use such advanced software. “It definitely adds a much easier way to get all my ideas out there. I’m really happy with the things I’ve been able to create. They gave us all new keyboards just for this camp. I didn’t expect that at all. I thought we’d just have PCs and old keyboards, but no, they’ve got these wonderful Macs and new keyboards. I didn’t expect this.”

Ben Glasser from Audio Engineering has had plenty of experience in his field. However, he was blown away when he arrived at GRAMMY Camp®. “With the other camps I’ve done, they’ve had okay equipment, but a lot of stuff wouldn’t work,” Glasser commented. “But the audio engineering here is fantastic. There’s ProTools, there are three different types of mixing boards in the studios…it’s beyond expectations.” He also stated that the hands-on experience provided to him at Camp “helps me get the full knowledge of what an actual studio would be like. I can go into any type of studio and have a basic knowledge of everything.”

While Campers may have had a whole range of expectations about what their Camp experience would be like, not many anticipated the caliber of the electronic tools that would be at their disposal. Across multiple career tracks, students agree that their creative potential is amplified by their ability to use equipment they would not otherwise have access to.

How I Told Monique Coleman 'Gimme Mo' By Shawn Handy

2010-07-14T21:26:00.000-07:00

As my fellow journalists waited patiently to speak with Neil Portnow (President of the Recording Academy) to arrive for our one on one interviews I took the initiative to network. Networking is a key element I knew and GRAMMY Camp® has taught us more about building relationships. I had the opportunity to meet with Monique Coleman of High School Musical. I said to myself, “She looks important, I must network with her.” “Hello, my name is Shawn Handy. May I have a moment of your time?” From that moment I saw a huge smile and eyes widening and her mouth opened and said , “O.M.G. I love this, I love your attitude. Can I interview you for my show I am doing on teens?”

The conversation started off with me telling Monique how I am an aspiring hip-hop artist whose music is different from the usual hip-hop scene. As I told Monique my vision and goals I could see by the smile she was impressed by my presentation that I carried for myself.

I am truly blessed that Monique took the interest into me to interview me. Some questions that were asked were “What type of music do you do and just tell us about yourself?” “I am a 17-year-old Philadelphia native who is interested in becoming a ‘rapper. ‘” But then I said, “I apologize for telling you that I am a rapper I would like to prefer to be labeled an MC. The reason for that is because I feel as though that anyone can be titled a ‘rapper,’ but only true artists who really love their art and keep it real at all times are MCs.”

After I did the interview and also did a quick video talking about myself and promoting myself Monique told me, “Is it ok if I use this for my blog?” I answered with energy, “Yes!”

Learn To Listen With Lamont Dozier By Dertrick Winn

2010-07-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

Perhaps one of the most exciting panels at GRAMMY Camp® is the Artist Story gathering, where popular and musically successful recording artists share stories of their success and what inspires them to continue doing music. I had the special privilege to sit in on a learning session exclusively for the Singer/Songwriter track of GRAMMY Camp. It was held in what GRAMIMY Campers refer to as “booth," sort of like the commons area of GRAMMY Camp. Speaking to the campers today was Colbie Caillat, a self-made internet sensation, and Lamont Dozier, dubbed by many the number one Songwriter in the world, mediated by the Singer/Songwriter track instructor, Chris Sampson. “Booth” holds about 100 chairs, seats usually filled by the entire GRAMMY Camp company, but with only 18 of these seats occupied for this particular occasion, it was the perfect setting for an intimate chat with the future of music.

All 15 of the young Singer/Songwriters listened attentively as the two panelists shared their views and preferences on the creative process of songwriting and the significance of artist collaboration. “It is hard to work with someone you don’t really know,” said Caillat. "But it is important to learn how people think.” Lamont Dozier nods in agreement; he’s had more than a fair share of artist collaborations. He recalls times working with the Holland Brothers when he was part of the singing group Dozier-Holland-Dozier, with which he wrote a handful of number one hits. He explains to the Campers that not only did they help each other write songs and toss around ideas for music, but they shared life views and exchanged philosophies in the process. “Listening is an art form in itself. When you analyze your songs and break them down, they should have a meaning," he said. So one might ask oneself, how does a songwriter with over 54 number one hits deal with what other songwriters call writers block? In his own words; “There’s no such thing as writer’s block. If I get writer’s block it’s because I just got lazy or didn’t want to follow the process of writing a song…I just keep writing until something materializes.” Dozier know’s what it’s like to be young in the music industry, for he signed with Atlantic Records when he was only 15 years of age.

After a brief q-and-a session with the Singer/Songwriters and listening to them perform some of their original material, Dozier left GRAMMY Camp with this final message: “Have a good work ethic. You have to work seven days a week. If you’re putting anything else before the music, if you’re really serious about making it a profession, you have to put in seven days a week. And I’m always thinking music first of all. I have other extensions of my life, but music is always first, because from that I’ve learned about writing, I’ve learned to watch and listen to what goes around the world. And I gather bits and pieces from the world to enhance or keep my knowledge about things current. To be a good writer, you have to know about what’s going on in the world.”

GRAMMY® Campers Get Into Jamming By Nick Arnold

2010-07-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

On Sunday evening, the instrumental combos collaborated with the Singer/Songwriters to perform a short setlist for the annual mini concert. The groups performed covers of five songs by popular artists, from the recent country-pop song “You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift, to rock classic “Under the Bridge” from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, back to the jazzy tune “How High the Moon” by the great Ella Fitzgerald. Each performance was entertaining, captivating, and very impressive for a group of high school students who had such a short time to learn a new song with musicians they’d never played with. I caught up with several of the musicians from the mini concert to see how they felt it went over.

For the returning Campers, the concert was a welcomed return. Guitarist Gunnar Rolfs and drummer Will Pinson both felt the performance went over with ease.

“Last year I was way nervous, so I wasn’t very comfortable performing," Rolfs said. "This year I knew what to expect, and this year I only had one song to learn, last year I think I had to play three. This year I was more laid back and confident." “I think we improved on some of the things that didn’t go as well last year," added Pinson. "The song choices were a lot better, and I think that I performed with musicians with better abilities than last year.”

As for the brand new GRAMMY Campers, they seemed a bit anxious at first, but they quickly discovered the joys of jamming with new instrumentalists. Guitarist Cody Tripp and bassist John Bassel both started having once they got to know their fellow musicians and the songs they were covering.

“It was a blast playing because I love learning new material. I’m usually not nervous, but I’d never really done a really legit jazz tune before. I’m not gonna lie, I was pretty nervous," Tripp said. "But it was fun, I love playing with new people. Everybody’s so fun to play with here, so it’s been a blast playing with new people."

“It was fun performing with new people! I mean, we’ve been having a lot of cool jam sessions, and maybe we’ll be able to turn those ideas into songs," Bassel added. "My main issue with our song was that I’d never really played jazz like that before. In my jazz band the teacher usually played the song and I’d get the bassline by ear. But this time they just handed us a chart and a CD with the music on it. I couldn’t really hear the bass very well on the CD, because it was a lot lower down in the mix.”

The musicians are as excited to perform as in previous years, if not more thrilled than before to be working with other talented instrumentalists. Their work will culminate in the final showcase on Sunday night, when they will present the original pieces of music they’ve been working on and refining all week.

"I’m really excited for the showcase," Rolfs said. "I’m also excited to start learning the singer-songwriters’ material, their original stuff should be cool."

Serj Tankian Welcomes Music Journalism Campers Into His Private Listening Party At MOCA By Jenay Ross

2010-07-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, the other Music Journalists and I were able to venture off the USC campus for a highly anticipated field trip. Serj Tankian, a solo artist and the lead singer of System of a Down, held a private listening party at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in downtown Los Angeles for his upcoming studio solo album, “Imperfect Harmonies.” As we took our first steps into MOCA, we were already impressed. The first thing that caught our eyes was the three huge posters of the “Imperfect Harmonies” cover art. The front cover was a photo of Tankian standing with one foot in a grassy field and the other foot in a scene of a city’s destruction, with his arms up high and wide open, almost saying “welcome” to us.

It’s not very common for musicians to have listening parties in art museums, but as soon as I started walking through the gallery of the featured artist, Arshile Gorky, it was obvious why Tankian chose MOCA as the location for his event. Gorky was an Armenian artist who moved to America in the 1920s and Tankian holds his Armenian heritage very close to his heart.

Gorky had fallen into a deep depression and committed suicide in 1948, but his work still continues to have a worldwide influence. His gallery was filled with abstract expressionism pieces that illustrated his emotions from throughout his life. I could almost feel his angst and pain as I walked around to observe each piece while listening to “Imperfect” through provided iPod shuffles and headphones. Most of his work was oil paintings with neutral colors and splashes of bright colors, but there were these specific graphite and crayon sketches that caught my eye. The description said they were a “study for agony,” and the franticness of the scribbles and color splotches easily represented that.

The piano and orchestra elements of “Imperfect” emphasized the distress Gorky wanted to express. A particular line from one of Tankian’s new songs was, “Strangling myself in my silence,” which caught my attention. It made me think about how some people, and maybe in Tankian and Gorky’s case, the Armenian people, are afraid to speak up for themselves, forcing them to feel stuck and controlled. After listening to Tankian’s new album and walking through MOCA, I felt a new appreciation and understanding of the pain and suffering people have had to endure.

Hitmaker Christopher "Tricky" Stewart Meets With Electronic Music Production By Shawn Handy

2010-07-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

As part of the annual guest artist day at GRAMMY Camp®, renowned producer Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, whose resume of hits includes Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," Britney Spears's "Me Against the Music," Mýa’s “Case Of The Ex," and Rihanna’s “Umbrella," sat in with the Electronic Music Production track.

Afterwards he headed over to the Jeanette MacDonald Recital Hall with the rest of the Camp's visiting professionals for some one on one interview time. In our interview I asked "Tricky" advice for up and coming artists whose music might be slightly different from the norm and are sometimes forced to switch their style in order to become successful. "It's always important to stay true to yourself, but at the same time since creativity is subject to an opinion once you decide to make it your profession that's the biggest thing," he responded. "This is a business, so as long as your creativity is endorsed whatever they inspire you to be creatively is also commercially viable then you will be fine."

From Tricky’s huge catalog of songs that he has had the pleasure of working on I asked what was his favorite of them all, one that he thought had the potential to be considered a hit. "I felt great about the song I worked on Usher's last album called 'Moving Mountains.' It didn’t do what it was supposed to do," he said. "I was surprised by that, but when you say stand by a record... it's easy to stand by a hit, but I took it as record that I love that probably wasn’t a hit. And 'Moving Mountains' was probably that song for me."

GRAMMY® Campers Share A Lot In Common By Shawn Handy

2010-07-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

Regardless of their career track, GRAMMY Campers share a lot in common; a love of music, a passion for their track, and dreams of one day going home and being professionals in their field. I caught up with Campers from four different tracks – Music Production, Drums, Guitar, and Concert Promotion – and found that whatever their interests, there are unquestioned common bonds.

What’s your name?
Colin Callahan.

What career track are you doing?
Music Production.

Is this your first year at GRAMMY Camp®?
Yes.

How do you like it so far?
I like it a lot, learning a lot of new things and working with a lot of cool people. Its awesome to be here.

How long have you been singing?
Since kindergarten but I have been producing since three years ago.

Was it always easy for you to produce and sing?
Well, the singing came natural but the producing aspect I learned on my own and taught myself and also had mentors.

I’m sure there are people that produce and also sing, what do you think motivates you to keep doing it?
It’s just my passion and what I love doing.

Have you found the first two days of GRAMMY Camp beneficial so far?
Oh yeah. I learned a lot of new things such as Pro Tools, which I never knew anything about Pro Tools.

What about networking? I know that there are a bunch of awesome people here so have you been connecting or staying to yourself?
Yeah, I have been talking to a lot of people. It’s so good to meet people from all over the country and to hear their story.

What’s your name?
Will Pinson.

What career track are you doing?
Drums.

So, is this your first year in GRAMMY Camp?
No. This is my second year.

What career track did you do last year?
Drums.

Would you try to do it again next year?
Most likely, but every year I audition for different tracks, like last year I auditioned for Audio Engineer, Electronic Music Production, and Music Journalism then I did piano and drums, and this year I did the sax instead of piano.

Where do you see yourself after GRAMMY Camp?
Basically I’m going back on the road. I just got off a tour with my band in Charlotte. We went around to Raleigh, then back to Charlotte. We went up to New York for a little bit but when I go back we will go to New Orleans to tour down there.

How did you guys get hooked up with a tour?
I have friends that are alumni from my school that knew about my high school jazz band and offered to get us gigs. We thought we would just get two gigs but it turned out to 15, its all over the States too.

Will you try to attend to GRAMMY Camp next year?
Of course. The only time I will stop coming to GRAMMY Camp is when they say, “Will, you can’t come back.”

What’s your name?
Taina Spicer.

What career track are you here for?
I’m here for Guitar.

Any other track you’re interested in?
Drums maybe, but I don’t really play I just think they’re fun and I want to learn.

This is your first year here at GRAMMY Camp, how do you like it?
It’s cool. I didn’t really know what to expect when I came here but I came so far.

What are you plans after GRAMMY Camp with your career track?
I don’t really know what my plan is after, but I just want to make as many connections as I can after.

Is this the first place you would say you professionally started performing?
I played shows at coffee house.

Where are you from and is there a lot of talent there?
New Jersey, and yes it’s between New York and Philly so yeah there’s a lot of talent.

Do you have a band or are you by yourself
No. I’m by myself.

What’s your name?
Stacy Ferreira.

What career track are you doing here at GRAMMY Camp?
Concert Promotion and Production.

You want to put big shows together?
Yeah, yeah.

Is this your first year here?
No, this is my second year.

So, you kind of know the ins and outs of GRAMMY Camp?
Yeah, I know what happens and what goes on.

So what made you want to do Concert Promotion? I know you didn’t just wake up one day and said you wanted to do it.
In seventh grade, my friend gave me tickets to a concert she didn’t want to go to so I went and I liked it. And more then performing I like to see behind the scenes what happens with music.

Do you have any music talents yourself?
Yeah, I play the piano and clarinet?

Where are you from?
Scottsdale, Arizona.

Are there are a lot of showcases there?
There are a lot of concerts and things that have the music industry tied into them.

Would you like to one day and go back and promote those concerts?
Yeah, eventually I would.

Music Journalism Students Get Advice From The Best By Jenay Ross and Susan Ewing

2010-07-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

As part of GRAMMY Camp® each track gets to meet with professionals working in their fields. Music Journalism so far has met with Emmy-nominated new media maven Shira Lazar, who has her own "On The Scene" column for CBS.com and has contributed to CNN and Fox News Channel, among others, and rock photographer Kristin Burns.

Kristin Burns walked into our music journalism track, clad in all black, except for her bright red heart-shaped sunglasses casually placed on top of her head. We were lucky enough to sit and listen to her speak about her life as a music photographer.

Burns' interest in photography began in middle school and high school when she took photos every day. Then she attended and graduated from Art Center College of Design. “Art school kicks your butt,” she said laughing, “but it really prepares you.” At ACCD, she initially focused on art history and then realized photography was her calling. “I’m obsessed with photography,” she said. When asked about why she focuses on music photography, she described music as something that fuels, energizes, and calms her. “I love the way it makes me feel,” she expressed.

After graduation, she became really stressed about burdensome loans and bills, which made her work harder, or in her words, “hustle” more. “It’s hard to make a living as an artist,” said Burns. Her tips for staying on top of everything included being diverse, professional, open minded, and not like anyone else. Networking and “any tiny, tiny connection can help” with expanding a person’s opportunities for work also.

She talked a lot about how gaining trust from people through mutual contacts and friends is a great skill to have. Burns said it has been “tricky” earning trust from the artists she’s worked with, such as Billy Corgan and the rest of her long client list. When she had photos of Corgan and Jessica Simpson that suggested they were dating, she turned away the insane amount of money people were willing to pay for her photos. “My friendship with Billy is worth a million dollars,” she explained. Finding a balance between business and friendship is essential.

Shira Lazar reported to us how blogging and broadcasting works. She stated it was always great to start where you can and work your way to bigger things, mentioning internships she did herself in college at MTV and how she always made herself helpful and available to her employers. Lazar mentioned some of her greater experiences such as hosting the 72-hour live ustream special on GRAMMY.com during GRAMMY® week, and being the first one to get an interview with the curent You Tube hit, the "Double Rainbow Man."

One of Lazar’s main points was to take advantage of getting interns and your name out there while you’re still a student because people will actually listen to you and respect your go-getter attitude. She explained to us that there will always be a low point in whatever you do but don’t give up because of it because it will always lead to something higher. She also spoke to us about how being able to do it all will really help in your success in the journalism world because companies are not only looking for good writers, they want someone who could write, interview and film in order to get the story out quicker and get it more exposure in the public. It’s a diverse world of journalism and Shira Lazar has touched on just about every aspect of it. She was a big eye opener and left us pondering on what else we should explore as journalists.

GRAMMY Camp® Counselors Getting Back From Campers By Nick Arnold

2010-07-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

During GRAMMY Camp®, high school students interested in becoming involved in the music business learn from industry professionals how to use their skills towards a career in music. All the participating students will leave Camp with a greater knowledge and passion for their respective fields of interest in the music business. But it is not only the kids who are finding guidance for their involvement in the music business; several of the counselors have mentioned that they have been given new inspiration to their careers in the business.

“It’s great to see how driven everybody is because it took me a while to figure out that this was what I wanted to do," says counselor Kellyn Robison. "Music was always a part of my life, but I didn’t realize I wanted to make a career out of it. To see how driven everybody here already is, it’s amazing! It is really inspiring! I try to write songs myself, so it makes me want to go write some more songs. Their talent is unbelievable, I’m really excited to see the combos come together with the singer-songwriters and see what they come up with for the final performance.”

I also spoke to David Edwards, who was impressed by both the quality of the equipment that the students were given access to and the abilities of the students in the performing tracks.

“Well, I knew that there were going to be different tracks and everybody was going to be educated and learn more about their tracks, but I had no idea about the amount of hands-on experience that everybody was going to get," said Edwards. "Just the Electronic Music Production lab is amazing! Every student in there gets their own module to work on and learn all about the the ins and outs of midi controls and production tips they need. The singer-songwriters blew me away with how talented they are; not only with their instruments, but with their vocal techniques and style. I think I high expectations, but they exceeded them with everything they’ve done so far."

Several members of the staff and counselors, like both Robinson and Ben Kann, originally lived and worked in Nashville, Tennessee before coming to California to work at GRAMMY Camp.

"I first heard about GRAMMY Camp through the Recording Academy in Nashville," said Kann. "I used to volunteer for them at various events. A lady by the name of Lorie Hodge told me about the camp and she recommended that I apply. So I applied, and it was a great blessing and I am very grateful that I got in!”

"Well, I’m from Nashville as well," Robinson added. "And I got involved with GRAMMY Camp the same way as Ben did; by volunteering at the Recording Academy and working at different events that they had. I worked at soundchecks and stuff, and I met a lot of people through that. They suggested I apply, and so now, here I am!

So, as you can see, the kids enrolled in Camp aren’t the only ones learning and getting inspired during Camp. The staff and counselors have found the Campers’ determination and skill to be a new source of inspiration.

Brand Yourself By Dertrick Winn

2010-07-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

Tonight one of GRAMMY Camp’s key sponsors came to GRAMMY Camp® to talk about the importance of branding yourself and staying true to your art and purpose for making music.

Scott Nelson and Dan Cherry, leading members of Converse and Anomaly Communications respectively were both part of the project team that helped get every GRAMMY Camper one of their very own pair of custom Converse Chuck Taylors.

Although Converse is a clothing brand whose product appeals more to the visual aspect of artistic expression, The Chuck Taylor is an iconic shoe that has been worn by some of the most legendary and unique artists in the music industry, like the Strokes' Julian Casablancas, Pharrell, and Andre 3000. As well as the shoe being a part of music history, Converse now serves as a catalyst for promoting the creative music of the future. The attention of the combined talent that is GRAMMY Camp was now focused on these two speakers who, we soon found out were a lot like us.

Dan Cherry is the Managing Director of Brand Strategy at Anomaly Communications, a media company purposed to spreading positivity and creativity in the world of music and entertainment. Dan Cherry started off as a college student attending school with a basketball scholarship, but ended up not being able to play due to a serious knee injury. He spent his first day of college on crutches, spending the first of his college days entirely different that he expected. “I wasn’t playing basketball, wasn’t going to parties, just sitting in my room, depressed.”

Though this seemed to be an unfortunate predicament, it was during his alone time that he came up with the concept for what today is known as the And 1 basketball media production company, which he describes as “Like a skate video, but with basketball moves." The And 1 projects consisted of recordings of talented athletes touring the States playing street basketball accompanied by energetic music that served as a theme for this entertaining show. These productions became known as the And 1 Mixtapes, and were released in several volumes that achieved critical success to street basketball fans everywhere. “I took my passion for basketball and music and found a way to combine the two," says Cherry. Though he feels he has no musical talents, his And 1 project has displayed talented musicians through these Mixtapes.

Scott Nelson is the Director of Advertising at Converse. His job is to oversee all of the marketing actions being taken in by the brand, including work with artists who do music and commercials for Converse. He made it clear that Converse only works with artists who are true to themselves and are original. “They all started out just like you,” Says Nelson, “Use your talent to create something powerful and respectful.”

Campers Learn How To Stay True To Themselves By Jenay Ross

2010-07-13T11:26:00.000-07:00

GRAMMY Camp® is the perfect place for Campers to develop their own sense of identity as an artist. A huge common bond the Campers share is the dream of taking their love of music to the next level, but being successful and unique in the industry can be a tricky task to take on.

In this day in age, musicians have to compete against hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people who are striving to make it big. It can be tough for musicians to break away from sounding like artists who have already been there and played that. According to second-year Camper, Ajani Nanabuluku, “Real talent isn’t judged like it used to be.” Today, songs can sound so alike that it can be difficult to distinguish one from another, but many of them manage to become one-hit wonders. A question that should be on everyone’s mind is how do artists put their own twist on things to place themselves on a higher level than everyone else? The most popular answer from Campers and guest speakers has been to stay true to oneself.

Pianist James Trotter admires David Foster, describing him as a “genius,” and would love to be like him. Even though he uses Foster as his role model, Trotter will always act like himself and only himself. “I try to stay true to my roots and my morals,” said Trotter.

Aside from finding their own niche musically and creating a unique identity, it is important for musicians to not only dedicate themselves to their craft, but to become knowledgeable in the other aspects of the industry. Brandon Woodward, a drummer, has gained a great understanding about how to make a living out of playing drums. While Woodward has gained a pretty solid foundation in most genres, he knows there is always room to grow. He is aspiring to go above and beyond and he said, “I will do so by not limiting myself.” He wants to get into the different types of production of music and is interested in being a part of the creative process as a whole. Being diverse, hard-working, and original is the key to branching out and making things happen.

Meeting The GRAMMY Camp® Faculty By Shawn Handy

2010-07-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

To start off the week in GRAMMY Camp® my fellow Campers and I gathered in Booth 100 for the Meet The Faculty panel, a very well-rounded and beneficial talk for myself and my peers. Every speaker said something very important but one quote that stood out to me that I’m sure everyone has heard before is "Networking and staying connected is very important," from Student Life Coordinator Gary Shields. I believe that this quote is helpful because when you are trying to become successful in anything you plan on doing it is very important to network, build relationships.

Another quote that I’m sure took fear out of a lot of people including myself was by Senior Director David Sears. "Fear is a wonderful thing, but it's also a terrible thing." What he is saying is that fear is only good when you are not afraid to be different. Fear is bad when you have the gift to sing and there are record companies present but you are nervous.

"As a music journalist, you can help elevate someone’s career," was said by our very own Steve Baltin. It was a thought shared by all of the faculty, who are here to help elevate our careers.

At GRAMMY Camp® Music Tastes As Eclectic As Campers By Julian Ring

2010-07-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

GRAMMY Camp® is a place for people who love music. However, the term “music” is quite a general one; it contains many styles and genres within it. Along with these various forms of music come many faces and acts from all different backgrounds. The beauty of GRAMMY Camp is the diversity of not only the students who attend it, but the variety of people who inspire them to do their best.

Electronic music production student Kamari Carter cites his biggest influences as renowned DJ and producer Deadmau5. Kamari refers to an interview he saw in which Deadmau5 described his unique style. “He doesn’t like how in old house and trance music, you can tell the next eight beats, 16 beats, 32 beats. He despises that. He tries to mix up everything and he tries to make a completely new sound.”

John Bassel, who is at camp as a combo bassist, has different tastes in music. “My biggest influence would probably be John Entwistle (bass player for The Who).” According to Bassel, Rancid bassist Matt Freeman was an early inspiration, and through him, Bassel learned to play many of the greatest punk basslines by ear. “And John Entwistle influenced him, so I moved up to listening to The Who, and I started figuring out those bass parts, too.” As opposed to Kamari Carter’s taste for cutting-edge electronic music , Bassel prefers tried-and-true rock 'n’ roll. “That’s basically how I learned how to play bass,” he explains.

For combo guitarist Cody Tripp, it’s all about music from the Southern United States. “I try to be as open as I can about playing everything, but I guess my background is more in rock, blues, and country.” When citing major influences, Cody immediately lists Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Steve Gaines, for his “Texas swing-style playing. I also like Stevie Ray Vaughn because of how much soul he’s got.” Cody says he hopes to continue the guitar as a form of musical expression. “I’d like to try teaching, or studio work, or just playing around,” he says.

While these are only three examples, it is clear that musical tastes and influences vary among campers. From electronic beats and rhymes to rock 'n’ roll, to blues and country, GRAMMY Camp is a place for students from many musical backgrounds and with styles that range across the board.

GRAMMY® Campers Show Their Musical Diversity By Susan Ewing

2010-07-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

Day two of ten, couldn’t be that much to do right? Wrong. With only a half day to prepare, the instrumental and singer tracks were split into random groups and had to get ready for the mini-concert taking place later that night. Not only were they given music hours before the concert, but each group had a specific genre, moving from Ella Fitzgerald and Taylor Swift to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and A Tribe Called Quest too. Sounds like quite a challenge right? It was indeed, but each group handled it very professionally.

Kicking off the mini-concert was a jazz piece created by the great Ella Fitzgerald. With John Bassel on bass, Will Pinson on drums, Cody Tripp on guitar, Ajani Nanabuluku on keyboard, Jim Trotter on piano and Quinn Anex-Ries on saxophone, the group had themselves a pretty solid instrumental section. Showing outstanding harmony with their singing were Taylor Harvey, Katherine Stuber - who also received praise for her scatting - and Savannah Meares.

Up next was a hip-hop song called “Scenario” from A Tribe Called Quest. The 11-member crew had an energy flow throughout the whole performance. “Scenario” isn’t an easy song to master in half a day and despite missing some lyrics and some bringing the lyrics up on stage with them, the rappers sold the performance. The powerful rappers, Casey Barth, Alec Gaston, Chris Borst, Richard Mattox, and Dertrick Winn kept up the energy and got the crowed involved during the performance. Having the supportive instrumental section, with Brandon Combs on drums, Alma Macbride on piano, Evan Philpot on bass, Spencer Gibbs on trumpet, Kristen Castro on guitar, and Danny Wirick on keyboard, also helped with the performance.

Group three, Crop Circle, did Alanis Morissette’s “All I Really Want.” The only group having a violin, played by Kevin Schwarzwald, showed an awesome funky vibe going on. Tara Putorti on bass, Sterling Laws on drums, Giavanna Foster and Taina Spicer on guitar, and Dallas McKinney on keyboard jammed out together. A song full of attitude, the three singers, Sarah Lindstedt, Lena Stein, and Brenna Miles, tried to express the emotion and Brenna successfully portrayed attitude with her short solo in the song.

The number four group to perform also gave themselves a name, The Professor’s Nightmare. Starting with a count off, The Professor’s Nightmare sky rocketed with energy from beginning to end in their performance of Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me.” It was a little extra bonus for the crowd when the three singers, Katie Gavin, Christine Jamra, and Ellie Perleberg, introduced each one of their band members - Travis Werling on bass, Brandon Woodward on drums, Mike Harrison on guitar, Michael Arrom on keyboard, and Jake Botts on saxophone. The crowd got into the performance as they swayed their arms to the music.

The last group to perform, Ballistic Nylon, gave a five-star performance of a Red Hot Chili Peppers song. Ballistic Nylon blew the crowd away with a solo intro played by Gunnar Rolfs on guitar. The five singers, Casey Barth, Alec Gaston, Ryan Jarvis, and Richard Mattox, did their part in harmonizing wonderfully together. The instrumental section kept the relaxed, rock flow going with Daniel Oldham on bass, India Pascucci on drums, Tom Wilson on keyboard and a stand-out horn section with Jonathan Huggins on trombone and Jarrod Booth on trumpet.

The concert showed off the unity of the Camp, with the five bands getting their performances together in a day and the Electronic Music Production setting up all the equipment in an equally short time.

Open Mic Night Kicks Off GRAMMY Camp® 2010 By Julian Ring

2010-07-11T15:53:00.000-07:00

After arriving from all over the country to the first day of GRAMMY Camp® 2010, 81 high school students filed into the Ground Zero Café on the USC campus for an event known as “Open Mic Night.” The night saw Campers onstage to perform various music styles in front of the entire Camp. What followed was a three-hour extravaganza demonstrating the creative talent and potential of the student body. The Singer/Songwriters were a particularly strong presence, with campers such as Katie Gavin playing well-written original compositions. One performance that stood out was that of Carly Gibson, who played a hard-hitting southern love song featuring harmonics and overhand guitar. John Ryan Jarvis’s solo piece was also an enjoyable, simple listen. As the night progressed, many more campers ventured into the limelight. Brenna Miles amazed the crowd with her near-perfect vocal crooning, accompanied by a solemn piano melody.

However, students in the other career tracks were also represented in full force. For example, campers’ admiration for hip-hop music was made apparent in such energetic performances as those of Electronic Music Production’s Kyleel Rolle and Music Journalism’s Dertrick Winn. And to close out the evening, Guitarist Zaccheus Taylor wowed the audience as he soloed with the members of his combo in a cover of B.B. King’s “The Thrill is Gone.”

Campers left Open Mic Night exhausted but excited at the amount of sheer talent they witnessed. It was a great way for songwriters and musicians to share their favorite compositions and covers with the rest of the GRAMMY Camp community.

GRAMMY Camp Journalist Nick Arnold - GRAMMY Week Review

2010-02-08T12:21:00.000-08:00

It’s the Monday after the GRAMMYs and I can’t believe how many incredible events I have been to in the past week. Let me explain. Last summer, I was lucky enough to have been chosen for 1 of the 6 spots in the music journalism track at GRAMMY Camp. I never imagined that the week I spent at GRAMMY Camp would lead to my being asked to cover this past week’s GRAMMY events as the official high school correspondent for the GRAMMY Foundation. But it did!

Here’s how it all went...

WEDNESDAY, January 27, 2010

On Wednesday evening, I arrived at the Doubletree Inn in Santa Monica for a special performance by the GRAMMY Jazz Ensembles with special guests Mindi Abair, Brian Culbertson, and Boney James. I was happy to see that some of my fellow GRAMMY Campers from last summer had made it into the Jazz Ensembles for GRAMMY week. High school students from all over the country auditioned for this honor, and I believe only 28 were selected. Stiff competition!

I was blown away by the musical sophistication and skill of these teenagers. They were able to handle and master complex pieces, while performing alongside seasoned professionals. Needless to say, the audience was impressed and appreciative. It was a great way to start off the week! Even the guest performers were stunned. "I had no idea what level they would be able to play at, but honestly, I was unbelievably surprised!" (Brian Culbertson)

THURSDAY, January 28, 2010

I had to rise and shine bright and early to check in on the USC campus at the Thornton School of Music for GRAMMY Career Day at 7:30 a.m. The GRAMMY Foundation had arranged panels of professionals from all divisions of the music industry to speak to hundreds of L.A. high school students. There were record producers, entertainment lawyers, music retailers, video game soundtrack composers, DJs, talent managers, you name it. I was excited and a little nervous because I had been told ahead of time that I would be getting an exclusive one-on-one interview with Justin Timberlake. I was the only journalist he agreed to speak to at the event. No pressure there!

Before the panels even began, I waited to be called in. Right before the JT interview was supposed to start, I was thrown a curve ball. I was told that the interview was not just with Justin, but with a couple of his producing/songwriting partners, so I would have to quickly re-write my questions to apply to the whole group. No problem! A guy speaking about 90 miles an hour quickly gave me background information on the other two guys, but it wasn’t until I got into the room with all three that I learned who was with Justin: Rob Knox and James Fauntleroy work with Justin - and the trio call themselves The Y’s.

I won’t recap the interview here, as it’s being published online at : (http://www.popeater.com/2010/02/03/justin-timberlake-gives-insights-into-the-music-business/)... but I will say that it went very well. Justin, Rob and James put a lot of thought into their answers and made the conversation easy. By the end of the interview, I wasn’t nervous any more. They were just really professional and open. It made me feel like this week wasn’t going to be so hard or intimidating after all.

After the interview, I went to the Producers’ panel, which featured top record producers, but also artist who also do producing. Jimmy Jam, Keri Hilson, Anthony Hamilton, Eddie Galan and Danja spoke to a full auditorium of kids interested in music careers. They stressed being prepared, not expecting immediate stardom. They emphasized to the kids that you have to work your way up and pay your dues. The students listened attentively and I’m sure they got the message that you have to be realistic, and even if you are talented, you have to work really hard to break into the business.

THURSDAY NIGHT

The GRAMMY Foundation’s 12th Annual Music Preservation Project ——CUE THE MUSIC: A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC AND TELEVISION presentation at the Wilshire Ebell Theater

This was my first red carpet, but it was a friendly event designed to showcase the Foundation's efforts to preserve our musicl hertage, so I wasn’t TOO nervous. The theme of the evening was to showcase the importance of music in television programming. Numerous artists performed famous television themes and iconic TV tunes, and members of the GRAMMY Foundation gave speeches about the relevance of music, not just in television, but in our everyday lives.

On the red carpet before the production, I spoke to mega-successful record producer Jimmy Jam, who said "Music and television go together hand-in-hand. Whether it's Ricky leading the band on 'I Love Lucy', or anything on MTV, or my kids watching “Hannah Montana” and The Jonas Brothers, television has always had so much music in it."

The GRAMMY-winning lead singer from Train, Pat Monahan, was another friendly face on the red carpet. He even complimented my hair! He said his love of music had been influenced by “I Love Lucy” and other popular programs of his youth.

The show was filled with stand-out performances: Colbie Caillat and Jason Mraz dueted on Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe.” Solomon Burke’s delivered a powerful soulful version of “Woke up this Morning,” the theme from “The Sopranos,” from an ornate throne, and got great applause from the appreciative audience. “I Love Lucy” was a recurring theme all night, as GRAMMY winner Jorge Moreno and his band wowed the audience with a blazing bongo-driven rendition of Ricky Ricardo’s signature song, “Babalu”. Melanie Fiona, a rising new R&B star, came out in an elegant dress, looking like a movie star, and charmed the crowd with a sweet, sincere version of Kermit the Frog’s “Rainbow Connection.” Pat Monahan's rendition of The Bugles' classic "Video Killed the Radio Star" brought back nostalgic memories of the days when MTV was brand new. MTV played a vital role in the growth of the music industry, and Pat Monahan had something to say about that. "Without MTV, I don't think music would be as huge as it is today. I watched it all the time growing up." The Fray closed out the show with two of their own songs, most notably, “How to Save a Life,’ which has been featured in numerous television programs, incluing “Grey’s Anatomy," "Scrubs," and "The Hills." The capacity audience seemed to love it all. I went back to my hotel room tired, hungry, and humming those television tunes, which I could not get out of my head.

FRIDAY, January 29, 2010
GRAMMY Rehearsals, Staples Center

Friday were “open rehearsals” for the GRAMMYs, meaning with the proper credentials, media were allowed into the Staples Center to observe rehearsals and interview various artists. The first performance I saw was Maxwell preparing for his duet of “Pretty Wings’ with singing legend Roberta Flack, who joined him on her hit “Where is the Love?” The performance was smooth and moving, even in rehearsals.

The next thing I saw was Green Day’s “21 Guns.” It was not what I expected since the band was joined onstage by the cast of the upcoming broadway adaptation of their album-turned-musical, “American Idiot.” With at least 2 dozen singers joining Billie Joe and his bandmates, the song became an epic performance. The arena was filled with a monumental, palpable energy. After seeing only these two numbers, I was thinking that Sunday’s show was going to be bigger and better than any GRAMMY show I’d seen before.

Next up, The Black Eyed Peas. No surprise that they put on a visually impressive, over-the-top, energetic show. The group were launched onto the stage at the start of the number and proceeded to sing and dance “Imma Be” with their trademark enthusiasm. The number then morphed into “I Gotta Feeling” as more dancers joined them on stage. Both the Peas and their dancers were dressed in wild, futuristic outfits, which I figured could only be surpassed by Lady Gaga!

I’d seen three incredible run-throughs and I felt lucky just to witness such world class performers in action. If that’s all that had happened for the day, it would have been more than great... but then I got to talk to Dave Matthews. The day just kept getting better! I was able to ask him about the inclusion of GRAMMY Jazz Ensemble musicians in his performance of “You and Me” for the Sunday’s show. "Those kids were incredible, and they really came into their own after rehearsing for a while," Matthews told me. "I think the show will be a great place for them to be in the spotlight and show their skills." All this, and it was only late afternoon. I still had another big red carpet event to cover that night:

FRIDAY NIGHT
MusiCares “Person of the Year” gala dinner honoring Neil Young at the L.A. Convention Center

This was a REAL red carpet, with tons of stars arriving constantly. Legends such as Brian Wilson, Jackson Brown, James Taylor, David Crosby, Graham Nash and Stephen Stills stopped and chatted. Newer artists such as Everest, Jason Mraz and Colbie Callait, and Ozomatli also came by.

The “Person of the Year” event is a big annual gala which raises millions of dollars for the GRAMMY Foundation’s MusiCares program, which provides emergency funding to musicians in need. They have a huge silent auction before the dinner in which tons of cool trips, tickets, artwork and signed memorabilia (among other stuff) is bid on by the approximately 2,000 guests. There was a really cool Jeff Beck signature Les Paul up for auction, and I really liked some of the numerous pieces of artwork of honoree Neil Young.

Once the dinner began, so did the music. Every year a variety of artists perform songs originally written and performed by the “Person of the Year” honoree. It was clear that all of the acts on this year’s bill were TRUE fans of Neil Young, as was the emcee, comedic actor AND musician, Jack Black.

One of my favorite performances of the night was Ozomatli’s brass-drenched, latin-influenced version of "Mr. Soul". The Red Hot Chili Peppers rendition of “A Man Needs a Maid,” was an unexpected choice, and was an exciting debut for their previously unconfirmed new guitarist, Josh Klinghoffer. He can not only play incredibly well, but he can sing! Before the Chili Peppers took the stage, I was able to get an exclusive interview with their talented and hysterically funny drummer, Chad Smith. You can read it at: http://grammycampblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/grammy-camper-nick-arnold-interviews.html

There were so many other stand-outs... Ben Harper was joined by three female vocalists for an emotional, moving cover of Young’s “Ohio.” The three women were seated next to an also-seated Harper, who accompanied himself and the trio on a steel slide-guitar. It wasn’t one of the raucous numbers of the night, but certainly one of the most beautiful. What WAS raucous was John Fogerty and Keith Urban, along with Booker T, on a blazing version of “Rockin’ in the Free World,” which brought the crowd to its feet. One song which snuck its way into the line-up was one not actually written by Neil Young: a video was played of Jimmy Fallon’s dead on impression of Neil, singing a funny piece called “Pants on the Ground.” The clip has been huge on youtube for a few week, but the laughter was so loud in the room, I suspect that most of the audience had not seen it. Neil was laughing along too, and clearly thought it was funny. Too bad Jimmy Fallon was not there in person...

It’s hard to not mention every single song that was done, because so many of the performances were truly exceptional - but I’ll just mention Crosby, Stills and Nash closing the show with “Human Highway”. It was amazing to see three of Neil's closest bandmates from his entire career perform one of Young's rarities so beautifully. After NARAS President Neil Portnow made a speech about what an inspiration not only Neil Young’s music, but his philanthropy, were, the man himself was called to the stage. He clearly was not expecting to have to speak, but he winged it and managed to be both poignant and funny. He joked that he had forgotten how many good songs he hand written and assured the crowd that he was not done, that he intended to keep on writing and performing. He said when he saw those clips of himself when he was young, he did not even recognize that man. Clearly he enjoyed the night and was appreciative of all the performances. I heard people all around me in the huge hall saying that they had been to many of these MusiCares dinners, and apparently a number of the guests felt that the Neil Young event was the best they had ever been to. That’s pretty high praise.

SATURDAY, January 30, 2010:

The rehearsals were closed to press, but I managed to get a pass to go in as a “civilian,” but not until the evening. The timing was right because I needed to work on getting my Justin Timberlake and Chad Smith interviews written up during the day. Since I knew it would not be appropriate to try to get interviews with any of the artists I saw at closed rehearsals, I decided to just kick back and enjoy the show. When I got there, Stephen Colbert had finished doing the run-through of his portion of the show, but was still watching the rest of the rehearsals with his daughter. I was able to get an introduction, and when he found out that I was going to be on the red carpet before the actual GRAMMY telecast the next day, he pointed to my red and black beanie (which is my signature - I never go anywhere without it on) and asked, “are you going to be wearing that hat?” When I told him I would have it on, he told me he would look for me. I smiled, but didn’t expect too much... but since I am writing this after the fact, I won’t wait until tomorrow’s entry to say that in the media room at the GRAMMY telecast, after he won a GRAMMY for “A Colbert Christmas” he came back to take questions from the press. He saw me and pointed at me, and called out “The Hat, man!” And with that, out of all the reporters in the room, I, the lowly 15-year old, was allowed to ask him a question! See tomorrow’s blog entry to find out more...

Other than my Colbert encounter, I was privileged to see Jeff Beck rehearse his tribute to Les Paul. After that, Lady Gaga and Elton John came onstage, but the producer, Ken Ehrlich (who is so awesome at what he does, and really nice, by the way) asked everyone not working on the show to clear the arena... but I was able to watch the rehearsal from the remote comfort of the sound mixing truck, which was a fascinating experience. About 8 guys were crowded into this trailer, all discussing how to get the very best sound out of the song performance. I was sort of glad they chased me out of the Staples Center or I would not have been able to see that and get a better understanding of what a complicated, collaborative effort it is to put on a show like the GRAMMYs. All during rehearsals, everywhere you looked, there were hundreds of people racing around with walkie talkies, all working to try to make the best show ever. It was a pretty cool thing to see.

SUNDAY - THE BIG DAY - THE GRAMMY AWARDS

This is it. The big day. The 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards. Even though the show tapes at 5:00 p.m. and does not air until 8:00 p.m., I had to be down at the Staples Center to get my place on the red carpet at 11:30 a.m. The Red Carpet opens at noon and lasts until 4:30. You would think maybe nobody would come early, but in fact, Elvis Costello and some other major named did come by before the mad rush of late afternoon. Slowly but surely, once it got closer to be time for the broadcast, bigger artists started floating by on the carpet. I was a new kid, so I didn't expect to be able to attract the attention of many artists or their publicists, but in fact I was able to talk to some of my favorites, including Weird Al, Paramore, and Silversun Pickups.

One of the highlights for me was talking to Alice Cooper, because he has always been one of my heroes, and to talk to the Master of Musical Horror himself was so exciting. I was even more thrilled after I got a chance to ask him some questions and he had complimented me for knowing knowing so much about his most recent album, "Along Came A Spider." I was also able to talk to Rob Halford of Judas Priest, which was pretty cool. And even though I didn’t get to have meaningful conversations or ask them questions, I did get to meet a lot of other artists, including George Clinton, Sugarland, The Lonely Island, Miley Cyrus, Booker T, and more that I can’t even remember now, I am so tired.

Around 15 minutes before the telecast began, the biggest artists came through, including Green Day, Taylor Swift and Rihanna. The publicists protected their artists from the shouting camera crews and reporters, trying to rush along the artists who could not spare a moment of time. They did few (if any) interviews, and passed up almost everybody before heading to the arena to see the opening performance by Elton John and Lady Gaga.

Elton and Gaga's medley was visually and sonically stunning, due not only to the wild costumes and stage displays, but also due to the beautiful blending between these two icons' voices .I watched the show through a television monitor in a remote room in the arena called "the media center." The print division of the media center is a place where writers from publications from all around the country, online and on paper, sit and watch the show, type live reports of any notable news throughout the day (and which there were plenty of them). Basically the reporters all watch the telecast for any surprises. After the winners are announced, some of them come back into the print media room to answer questions. A couple of times I was lucky enough to be chosen to pose questions. As I mentioned in Saturday’s posting, Stephen Colbert remembered having met me, so after he won and came back stage and called on me, I asked him if he had been influenced at all by fellow comedy nominees Spinal Tap and Weird Al. He answered, “Yeah, sure, absolutely. I’ve listened to them for years. I’ve been listening to Spinal Tap for 25 years. I think March 2 is the anniversary. I’m a little bit of a fan.”

After T-Pain came off stage he also picked me to ask a question, but in the end, he didn’t really answer it. I asked him how Slash came to included in the number he did with Jamie Foxx and Doug E. Fresh, but he sort of rambled on about something else, which just goes to show that even if you get called on to ask a question, you won’t necessarily get an answer.

There were as many performances on the telecast as there were awards presented, and both kept people inside and outside of the arena on the edge of their seats. There were many surprised faces in the media center when the Kings of Leon won Record of the Year for "Use Somebody." When Green Day won for Best Rock Album, I know I was more than pleasantly surprised, because there had been too many successful records in that category to make a safe call as to who would win. In my humble opinion, “21st Century Breakdown” never received the critical support or sales success it should have, so I was really pleased for this band. I first went to see them in concert when I was 10 years old, and they are the first group I was truly passionate about. I have learned that it is OK to be a writer AND a fan. I am biased on this one. I was really happy for their win.

Many people have summarized the night’s events so I won’t take up endless space commenting on every single number and award. I will just highlight a few that I really enjoyed: Not surprisingly, I thought Green Day’s collaboration with the cast of the upcoming “American Idiot” musical was very cool. And kust as they had in rehearsals, The Black Eyed Peas came to entertain. They did just that in their performance, nailing every dance move, lyric, and energizing the crowd. Dave Matthews' performance was very smooth and had a positive feeling filled the whole room when he was on. It was really effective how the staging started out with a single spotlight just on Dave, plucking away at his acoustic guitar, but in the end built to a full band with a string and brass section. I was especially happy to watch for the kids with the horns, since they were from the GRAMMY Jazz Ensembles! I thought that was definitely one of the best numbers of the night.

The tribute to Michael Jackson in 3D was very moving, and honored his legacy. I thought Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion, Smokey Robinson, Usher, and Carrie Underwood all gave impassioned, great performances of their parts for Jackson's classic "Earth Song," in front of the cinematic feature created for his scheduled concerts in the O2 arena. The performance brought many in the audience to their feet, and it seemed that everyone in the arena remembered a time where the king of pop still ruled.

Closing out the show, Eminem, Drake, and Lil' Wayne were a rap group the likes of which the GRAMMY stage had never seen before. Accompanied by Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker, the rap-megastars proceeded to bust rhymes so hard and fast that they were even able to inspire Taylor Swift to stand and move to their beats. Although I will admit that I am not generally a huge fan of their work, I was entertained and captivated by the incendiary performance. SO was the crowd. It was a fitting final performance going into the last awards of the night.

At the end of GRAMMY Week, I look back and wonder how I was able to do it all! I know how lucky I am to have met and spoken to the people I interviewed. I learned so much about what it takes to have a career in music, and what it takes to put on a production the size of the GRAMMYs. Every event I attended was so professionally organized and entertaining. I am in awe of the people who made all of the GRAMMY Week events come together so flawlessly. I am honored to have been selected to not only attend, but participate. I am only 15, and I have already experienced things most people can only dream of… and it all began with GRAMMY Camp! Pretty cool…

GRAMMY Camper Nick Arnold Interview With Red Hot Chili Peppers' Drummer Chad Smith

2010-02-08T12:11:00.000-08:00

This year, MusiCares Person of the Year event honored Neil Young. Proceeds from the annual Person of the Year tribute — now in its 20th year — provide essential support for MusiCares, which ensures that music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical and personal need.

During the event, I had the great privilege of going backstage and meeting several of the performers. Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith was kind enough let me ask him some questions for Grammy.com. I'm an aspiring drummer myself, and Chad is one of my heroes, so it was a big thrill. He is known not only for his superior drum skills, but his wild sense of humor, which made for a great interview.

Nick Arnold: I'm here with the world-famous Chad Smith.

Chad Smith: World famous, world famous!

Nick Arnold: Known everywhere!

Chad Smith: I'm an international rock superstar!

NA: Exactly! So, Chad, while the Chili Peppers were taking a break, you recently finished work on a "side project" that turned out to be rather successful, a little band with a self-titled album called "Chickenfoot". [A so-called Super Group consisting of Chad, Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony of Van Halen, and guitar great Joe Satriani]. Could you give us kind of an overview of what that was like for you?

CS: Oh, Nick, it was a blast! It's the best reason to do music or start a band. We were just friends who ended up having a great time, and really the music was almost secondary to us just hanging out! We were just having a good time playing music that we loved and grew up playing. I've known Sam for, gosh (pauses to think), you know, six years, going on seven years now. We always talked about playing music together. Then we got a chance to do it, and you know, Mike is great. Through Sam I met Mike. It just built and built, and then we got Joe, and it started to be a real band. And we had such a fun time, you know.

NA: Who better to play with than your friends?

CS: Yeah! And it started out as a fun thing, and then it stayed a fun thing. Sometimes, you know, it starts out as fun, and then it gets kinda serious, and you make a record, then other elements come into play, you gotta travel, this and that. We just enjoyed making music, and we traveled around and had a great time.

NA: That's great! You're no stranger to playing on successful records. You've had a couple big ones back at your day job (with the Red Hot Chili Peppers), but this record was not with a group you'd played with before, so were you surprised when it did so well?

CS: Well, you try not to have expectations, because lots of times you can be let down, you know? But I thought that it'd be special. After the songs, and the recording of it, and hearing how good it sounded and turned out, I thought, "You know, someone is gonna dig this. There's people who are really gonna like it because it's real, and it's honest." It wasn't just some "super group" put together for a certain reason. It was really something very organic, and I hope people really picked up on that. I thought it would do well, but I didn't think it was gonna be as successful as it was [the album entered the charts at #4 nationally for its first week in release] and become a gold album. It was great seeing people coming out and enjoying themselves as much as they did at the concerts. So I was actually pleasantly surprised.

NA: Cool!

CS: Yeah

NA: At the end, you kinda hit a fork in the road and you guys had to go your separate ways for a while. Was it kind of a sad moment when you had to return to the [Red Hot] Chili Peppers?

CS: *Sigh*, it was. It was kinda bittersweet, you know, because we knew we were gonna stop playing, mainly because I had to go write and rehearse with the Chili Peppers again. I was excited about that, but I was a little bit sad because whenever anything is fun you wanna keep doin' it, ya know? But to know that we're gonna have something in the future to do, and more stuff to make, more music to do, made me think, "oh, well it's not over. " We're just taking a break, so that's good.

NA: During the tour you got to cover some of your favorite classic songs, like "My Generation," and you played a little bit of "Immigrant Song."

CS: Yeah, and we also did a song by Deep Purple.

NA: Yeah, and I know you were no stranger to doing covers with the Chili Peppers, because you've covered some Ramones songs, and "They're Red Hot," which is actually a rather old tune. So what was it like to put your own spin on your favorite songs?

CS: Well, it's fun to pay homage to your musical heroes, and you know, we did a little snippet of "Purple Haze," a snippet of "Immigrant Song," and we did "Rock & Roll," and even to play "Highway Star," by Deep Purple, and we played one of Sam's old songs from Montrose,

NA: "Bad Motor Scooter!"

CS: Yeah, "Bad Motor Scooter," and I'm just a huge fan of that music and those songs. It was a lot of fun; you don't want cover them exactly, you wanna try and do it your own way, and I that we achieved that. It was in the right spirit, and that's always important, so you know, if you do "My Generation," you get inspired, and you channel Keith Moon. And sometimes the drums would actually somehow fall off the riser, it was kinda weird how that happened.

NA: Yeah, that was pretty crazy.

CS: I don't know how that would happen, but it usually just did!

NA: That's pretty strange, because you're usually such a gentle drummer [said jokingly, as Chad is known as one of the hardest hitters in the business].

CS: (Laughs), Yes I am!

NA: You recently participated in a Drum Channel event at the NAMM show, but you've actually been one of their most popular, recurring guests. Could you tell me a little bit about the Drum Channel and what it is?

CS: The Drum Channel is a website that was set up by Don Lombardi, who is the owner of DW Drums up in Oxnard.

NA: I am very familiar with their products (laughs).

CS: Yeah, and he has always been very passionate about education, and he's just really embracing the whole "internet" thing. So he set up a site called the "Drum Channel". http://www.drumchannel.com/! I knew him a little bit because I used to play their pedals, but I met him, and we just hit it off. So I really liked what he was doing, and he asked me to be a part of it. It's kinda me, and Terry Bozzio, and a couple of other guys, and we're kinda like part of the furniture of the Drum Channel. So Don gave me my own show, and he said "do whatever you want," so I get to talk to other drummers, we play, we jam, and it's really loose because on the internet you can do anything. I think it's a cool place for musicians to share ideas, and they just keep going, and keep doing more interesting stuff. I'm totally supportive of it and anything that will get people to play the drums or find out about music or start a band, I'm all for it.

NA: That's great! And while we're still talking about Drum Channel, you mentioned Terry Bozzio, and I'm sure you know he has a rather large kit, which makes Chad Smith's kit look fairly minimal. Would you ever consider expanding to such a large set?

CS: (Laughs) Terry's is like a small orchestra -- actually more like a LARGE orchestra

(Laughter)

CS: And you know what, he's taken the drum set into such an incredible place, I'm so in awe of him and what he's done for the instrument. He's just a great guy, and he's so smart and he's just classy. He's just a fantastic musician, composer, drummer, and everything else. I just wouldn't know what to do with all those drums!

(Laughter)

CS: I wouldn't know what to do with 'em! Ya know, I've got five right now, and if I get any better maybe I can add one or two, but right now it works for what I'm doing. (laughter)

NA: You can get better?

CS: Yes, I can get a lot better! So I gotta keep practicing!

(Laughter)

NA: You gotta keep up those chops!

CS: Can't slow down, can't let my chops slip.

NA: One last question before I let you go: With this new Chili Peppers record, are you guys taking a new direction, or will you be sticking with your more recent sound?

CS: It is a new direction because we've got a new guitar player, Josh Klinghoffer, and he's an amazing musician, so it's obviously gonna change. But it's also gonna change because we've got a new guy in the group, and he's very talented, very musical. It's fresh, it's fun, everyone is in a good mood, everyone is coming up with lots of good ideas, and I just look forward to what the future is gonna bring. I know it's gonna be different and exciting. It just makes me really happy to get up everyday and go to rehearsals, because I know something new and cool is gonna happen, and so I'm looking for it; it's awesome.

NA: Sounds very cool! And I think that since we're here, I should ask you about tonight. What does the song you’re playing tonight mean to you? Would you say you've been influenced by Neil Young?

CS: Yeah, of course! We're huge Neil Young fans, all of us. We've played his show he puts on every year in San Francisco, called the "Bridge School Benefit," we've done that a couple times. He's fantastic! We love him, and we were just honored to be part of this. We're playing a song called "A Man Needs A Maid," and we're doing our own take on it, and I hope he likes it.

(Laughter)

CS: So it's the first time we've played out with Josh, just the four of us, so it'll be an exciting night for him.

NA: It's almost like a reunion, or a re-debut for you guys, because you've been on a break for a while.

CS: Yep, so we're taking it slow. One song at a time.

NA: Riding your way up the charts and airwaves like a new group.

CS: (Laughs) Yeah, that's right, that's what we are.

NA: Thank you very much, world-famous, Chad Smith.

CS: No problem, brother!

Under Pressure: Campers Strive to Prepare for the Final Showcase by Jenay Ross

2009-07-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

The first question that came to many of this year's GRAMMY® campers was "Why is camp only nine days this year?" Ever since the first year of GRAMMY Camp®, the length of Camp has fluctuated every year. It started as a nine-day Camp, was a two-week Camp last year, and now for the fifth year has reverted back to being nine days.

According to Kristen Madsen, the senior Vice President of the GRAMMY Foundation, the duration of camp was reduced with economic distress and budget concerns in mind. With today's economy, people have found it hard enough to pay for a simple gallon of gas, let alone a full-blown summer camp. With such tight budgets, for both the families of campers and the GRAMMY Foundation, the shorter camp is more wallet friendly during these hard economic times.

With less time for the kids to prepare for the final showcase this Saturday at the GRAMMY Foundation Museum, mixed feelings have consumed everyone who is working to be a part of it. Some are really feeling the pressure of having to crank out finished songs at light speed in order to be performance ready. Just recently the singer/songwriters and musical combos were informed on who would be performing and recording. Many are doing both and are collaborating on several songs. That means there are only about one and a half days for them to prepare and wrap their minds around performance mode.

Fifteen-year-old Ben LoPiccolo, who is in the Electronic Music Production track, unfortunately attends a school in Rhode Island that has cut most of their music programs. GRAMMY Camp has become the only place for him to lay out all his creativity. He has so many ideas, but so little time to get all of them recorded and produced. He stated, "There are not enough hours in a day." At the moment, LoPiccolo is working on about five or six recordings with three different groups.

For the singer/songwriters, the pressure to write songs at a rapid pace is somewhat stressful. Camper Ryan Jarvis feels like the time at Camp to get everything done is squished together and Katie Gavin sometimes feels like the lyrics might not be as genuine as they would be if they had a bit more time to think everything out. Keyboardist Grahm Bailey feels like it has also been really difficult for the instrumentalist to process everything they have learned and wishes Camp was at least a couple days longer to absorb everything.

Although the schedule for all the kids is completely filled up, many are still inspired by the environment they are in. Jillian Grutta, a second year Camper from Idaho, said, "There's so much creative flow," and sees the pressure as a "really good motivator." The music industry is all about being on time and getting things done by certain deadlines. With that in mind, Vincent Camerano understands that this year's camp forces the campers to "open their eyes to what the industry is like."

Since classes typically run from 9am to 11pm, free time in between is very limited. When there is free time, most of the kids usually continue to work on their projects. This kind of dedication shows they aren't here to waste any time sitting around. Some are so dedicated that they find themselves falling asleep while working. There have been a couple cases where people have fallen asleep while playing pianos and drum sets. Christine Jamra, a singer/songwriter, was so tired that she fell asleep in a practice room and was left in there by accident before lunch time one day. Jamra says, "I was so tired, I just curled up in one of the practice rooms and fell asleep." Even though it seems like Mr. Sandman has sprinkled his sleepy dust on everyone, things are getting done and the passion for music is still a driving force.

As each track is preparing for the final showcase, everyone believes that they are capable of putting on a good show even as the end of Camp is sneaking up. The GRAMMY Foundation and the Recording Academy have complete trust in the kids to get things done. Kristen Madsen stated, "They will get done what they came here to do."

The duration of next year's Camp will be determined based off current budgets and other pending factors. Just like previous years, a survey will be given to this year's Campers, where they will be able to give their input on what they thought about Camp. The survey will help the administration with improving GRAMMY Camp for future years and will also be a part of deciding on how long Camp will be. As someone who has experienced both the two-week camp and the nine-day camp, I think it would be nice to have a little bit more breathing room with an expansion of a couple of days for next year's Camp.

The Future of Music by Dana Lee Payne

2009-07-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

Recently I interviewed two Campers, Annie Dingwall and Jahaan Sweet. I took the time to ask them a couple questions about their musical background because I wanted to know where they began with music, what brought them here, and where they are going. As you would imagine, there are many Campers here who come with many different stories about how they discovered music and how it's been working throughout their lives. The Music Journalism class just wanted to capture some of that information to display that unique musical diversity.

Practice Always Makes Perfect by Dana Lee Payne

2009-07-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I decided to take a walk with a few Campers and follow them to the recording studio. We have an upcoming showcase going on tomorrow night. Many of the Campers have been scrambling to get all their practice in before recording and before the showcase. I happened to be with two of the Campers who had finished all their practicing, and felt ready to get into the studio and record.

The two Campers I was with were Taylor Harvey, singer/songwriter, and Jahaan Sweet, keyboards. Together they composed a song called “Steinway and Sons.” As soon as we got into the studio the audio engineers were already in there preparing the place. The three engineers that were there were Alexandra Rose Reiger, Jeffery Falinger, and Jonathan Kinsey. All of them handled themselves very professionally and took charge.

The session by Sweet and Harvey went well, although there were a couple of times they had to do retakes. But in the end it all sounded great. The lyrics were very deep and passionate. Taylor seems to be a very poetic songwriter and I definitely admire her work. Jahaan is literally “sweet” on the keys as well. He plays with much passion. I enjoyed myself in the studio watching how the music comes together, and I know that tomorrow will really be an excellent show.

Michael Sarver is The People's Idol by Dertrick Winn Jr.

2009-07-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

Even though I’m not a super huge follower of the American Idol movement, I have to admit to being excited to hear that the Music Journalism Campers would get a chance to interview some of the last season’s finalists. I wasn’t sure who I was going to interview, but I was prepared to sit down and talk with any of the 10 finalists. While my fellow music journalists were exchanging introductions with their newly assigned interviewees, I turned to see Michael Sarver be “assigned” to me as the one I would interview. I smiled in satisfaction as I faced him and shook his hand. For some reason I had a special feeling about this interview.

I watched Michael Sarver’s first American Idol audition at the beginning of the season, and was impressed by his singing skills. Despite the impression you get from his tall bulk figure, he’s actually a really nice guy.

We sat and talked for a while about his music career and his success in American Idol. When I asked him about when he first got into singing, he gave me this story about how when he was a kid, his life was very hard, or as he put it, “living hell." At around this time, he found singing as an outlet to sooth the pain. His mother heard him sing for the first time and responded, “Well that sounds good. Sounds really good,” And that encouraged him to sing more and more. “Music goes straight to the soul. You can make somebody happy, sad, mad, glad, ticked off, just by a song, and the simple fact that music is so powerful, that’s why I embraced it, and it’s become such a big part of my life and here we are now," he said.

He talked just a little more about his experiences as a child, which helped me to better understand his musical interests and influences. His favorite music is gospel music, and he has a strong Christian faith that keeps him always looking at the better side of things. “I listened to a lot of gospel music when I was younger because I grew up around the church," he says. "Michael English has been a big inspiration to me. Steven Curtis Chapman was an inspiration, The Wynans, all those guys. But, moving out of Christian and into secular where I was most inspired to dream, I would say Michael Jackson was number one in my whole life that inspired me to think bigger, to see what music can do for people. We’ve watched Michael Jackson touch people’s lives from here to the other side of the world and all the way back again through his music. We got to discover how great it could be, because it he was freaking amazing.”

Since all of the American Idol finalists were all preparing to perform at the American Idols Live tour, I asked Michael what was the most satisfying thing he took from performing live in front of a huge audience. “The fans. The response. The screaming…screaming they love you and things like that," he says. "The bond created through music with these people. It’s the universal language that connects us all. There’s this relationship that’s already built between you and the crowd. And it’s priceless when what you do makes someone’s life better. It’s priceless when what you do makes someone smile. I get a lot out of the show. I get a lot of gratification and validation from the people because they are the people who make us who we are. Without the people, we wouldn’t be here.”

GRAMMY Camp® Open Mic Night by Dana Lee Payne

2009-07-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

GRAMMY Campers gathered at USC's Ground Zero Cafe on the first night of this year's Camp to show off their diverse musical skills. Here are some of the highlights, in order of appearance:

Robby Johnson
Combo - Alex Sill, guitar; Travis Werling, bass; Justin Klunk, saxophone
Ryan Jarvis
Lea Marie Golde
Dertrick Winn Jr.

Piano Idol Matt Giraud by Sarah Tither-Kaplan

2009-07-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

A line of American Idol superfans snaked around the side of the Staples Center on Thursday waiting for a meet and greet with the top 10 finalists of season eight. On any other day, I would have been in that line, sporting a “Lambert Lover” t-shirt and fitting right in among the crowd of “Team Kris” pre-teens, and Danny Gokey devoted soccer moms; however, my job at the 2009 American Idol Summer Tour was to venture, yet again, into the world of journalism with my fellow GRAMMY Camp® Music Journalism track members.

After being escorted through Staples Center’s VIP entrance, my fellow campers and I hurriedly reviewed the questions we had prepared for the Idols, trying our best to keep our nervous excitement at bay. One by one, seven of the top 10 finalists were led into our own private press room and each of the campers got a chance to put our newfound professional reporter skills to work. One of the last Idols to make his way over to us was fifth-place finisher Matt Giraud - one of the few Idols to have previously released original material, two CDs, 2003's Perspective and 2006's Mind Body and Soul. The smiley singer offered a charming humility and self-effacing sense of humor during our interview that made it clear why even Simon Cowell was willing to make him the first Idol ever to be given a second chance on the show and “saved” from elimination in the top seven round and ultimately make it all the way into the top five.

A few hours after our interview, “piano man” Matt took the Staples Center stage and delighted the audience with his captivating energy and musicianship, which included a Black Crowes-inspired cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle” and a duet of dueling pianos with Scott MacIntyre.

Sarah Tither-Kaplan: Has anything surprised you about this tour so far?
Matt Giraud: "So far everything’s been going pretty smoothly. [But] we’ve had a few big laughs -- my fly was down for ten minutes on stage, one night I forgot my microphone, so just a few embarrassing things. But you work it all out and everything’s coming together."

STK: In what ways is the experience of performing live as part of this huge tour different from the made for TV Idol performances, and what is it like to perform in front of the massive crowds every night?
MG: "The crowds have been amazing, really responsive; I’m actually way more comfortable now than I was before. You would think it would be more nerve-wracking, but I love it. This is the thing that I’m supposed to do, it’s what I’m meant to do, just giggin’. I was never the best TV star, I didn’t have like the sexy eyes, I tried to have Adam teach me, I just couldn’t get it. I love doing this every night, and not having judges or cameras is great."

STK: How does it inspire you as an artist to be able to work so closely with such a diverse group of talent?
MG: "It’s a very talented bunch, and we all want to have the good set, the set that moves you out of your seat. We’re not really competing, but you don’t want to be the weak link. We all just try to bring it. Personally I just try to think of interesting things I can put in my set to get a response out of people, and be entertaining, more than just a singer and a piano player. I try to put some comedy in there and try to connect with the audience."

STK: If you could create your own tour with anyone on it, who would you bring out and what would you call it?
MG: "I’d love to have One Republic, or the Fray, I’d love to play with one of those guys, I’d call it “The Piano Men Strike Back” and I’d wear a Darth Vader helmet on stage."

Bubbly Allison Iraheta Takes Over The Stage by Khaya Carter

2009-07-17T11:37:00.000-07:00

Last night's American Idol Live concert was explosive! Many of the former contestants performed some of my favorite songs, such as "Hey Jude" by the Beatles, "Beggin" by Frankie Valli, and one of my all-time favorites, "Barracuda" by Heart.

I loved all the performers, but my favorite performances were Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta. They killed it as the two of them both had massive stage presence.

A couple of hours before the show the Music Journalism track got to meet and interview some of the former Idols backstage at Staples Center. I chose Allison and she proved to be really cool and have a bubbly personality. She smiled a lot and was really playful with the other Idols. When one of the other campers finished their interview with Lil Rounds they came in front of us and took a picutre. Allison was playing saying, "Don't come over and ruin my interview, go away go away," prompting laughter from both of the obvious friends who had walked into the room together.

Talking to Allison we found we shared some things in common, like our favorite female artist Pink and Janis Joplin. The interview may have been short, but it was a pleasure.

American Idol's Megan Joy Is All Set by Jenay Ross

2009-07-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

With the American Idol Live Tour passing through Los Angeles, yesterday those of us in the Music Journalism track traveled via yellow cab to the Staples Center to have one-on-one interviews with seven American Idol contestants from this year’s past season. I was fortunate enough to interview 22-year-old Megan Joy from Utah, who was full of life when she walked into the room where we were holding our interviews, with her hair in curlers.

Joy was never going to audition for American Idol, but with pressure from her family and friends, she couldn’t escape the auditions. "I didn't want to do it at all, but my friends and family made me audition," she says. “I didn’t think it was in the cards for me." She never thought she had a chance of making it through the auditions, let alone making it to the top ten. Her favorite week was when she finally made it to the top ten because it guaranteed her spot on the American Idol Tour. “I was all set,” she explained while she comfortably leaned against the wall next to us.

For Joy, the best part about being on the show was being up on stage with a live audience in front of her. When asked about what it was like living with the other contestants, her face lit up and she said she truly enjoyed it since everyone was “awesome and a lot of fun,” with no drama at all. Throughout her time spent on the show, she learned that there will always be people there to tear her down, but she now knows how to rise above the criticism. With that tool, she has become stronger as a person and a performer.

The American Idol Live Tour is her first tour ever and playing in her hometown three nights before the L.A. show made her really excited to perform. Meeting her fans that are super “stoked” to see her gives her much pleasure in what she does. She says hearing her fans chant her name at every show is a little overwhelming for her, but it makes her appreciate everything that has happened so far. After touring ends, she plans on working on her own album that will have a jazz, hip-hop, and blue grass feel to it.

Whole Lotta Lambert by Nick Arnold

2009-07-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

Adam Lambert was the runner-up from this season of American Idol. During his time on the show, Adam performed many famous rock hits that wowed audiences and judges alike. His range and vocal quality was the likes of no rock singers before him on the show. Adam has garnered respect and praise from huge rock stars like KISS and Queen from his performances on the Idol stage, and will hopefully establish himself and remain a powerful rock icon. Our GRAMMY Camp® Music Journalism group was invited down to the Staples Center to interview some of the Idol finalists one on one. We were not designated our finalist beforehand, so when Adam walked into the room, I fell out of my chair because I was so excited and shocked.

Nick Arnold: What has American Idol taught you about the music industry?
Adam Lambert: "It's really complicated! I think it's taught me a lot about the marketing side of it, because there's so much more than just me. You would need a whole notebook to write it all down. It's nuts! But it's cool, it makes sense when you think about it from an outside perspective when they start to explain it."

NA: Yeah, they've had people from the business coming in this week and telling us how everyone plays a part, and it can't just be the artist.
AL: "It takes a HUGE team to make everything work. It's like gears in a watch: every piece has to be going for anything to happen."

NA: That's a great way to put it! How is being out on the road different from being on TV?
AL: "Well, the audiences are bigger, obviously, and it's MUCH more tiring. During the show, the day of was really the one day you had to be on, like sing full out, and the day you recorded your iTunes song was the only other work day of the week. So once those were done, you could kind of take it easy, but now we have stuff going on every night, but we get like two days off per week. I also have to sing five songs, so it's not just 90 seconds like on the show.

NA: Sounds much more difficult!
AL: "Yeah, it's hard, but it's cool when we get on stage and everybody is screaming and cheering for us. It's makes it really worth all the work, you know?"

NA: Do you like doing your own five songs in the show better than just one?
AL: "Yeah, it's a lot more rewarding, I really get to put on a show. I feel like on the show people are left wanting more a lot."

NA: Has your singing style changed since your experiences with Idol?
AL: "Well, I'm not going quite as high as I did on the show, because I've got to save my voice so it's not strained on the tour. But for the most part I'm still singing the same. I'm opening with Led Zeppelin. I'm doing "Whole Lotta Love," and I'm doing a Muse song as my second song.

NA: Which one?
AL: "Starlight."

NA: Oh, awesome!
AL: "Yeah, so it's some stuff I didn't do on the show, and I'm doing a David Bowie medley. It's really cool."

NA: Nice!
AL: "Yeah, and we did electronic production with this, so it's a lot more modern. It's really awesome sounding."

NA: Awesome! Well, I can't wait! I really liked how on the show you put your own twists on songs, like, I know you did "Ring of Fire," but you made it sound like a whole new song! If I didn't know Johnny Cash did it first, I would've thought it was an Adam Lambert original.
AL: "Thank you man, I appreciate it! Yeah, I really messed around with that one, and I wanted it to sound really psychedelic and mysterious."

NA: What do you guys do for fun on the road?
AL: "We're just really silly, we're just a bunch of goofballs. I mean it's funny, like there was a Twitter picture that Matt or Danny posted the other day that was hilarious! We're just being big goofs backstage playing around."

NA: Yeah, some of the other Idols were saying you guys like to poke fun at each other.
AL: "Yeah! We're like a big family!"

Interview With Scott MacIntyre by Ellie Perleberg

2009-07-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

GRAMMY Camp® Journalists got the chance to interview some of the Top 10 American Idol season eight contestants at the Staples Center in Los Angeles before the Idols Live concert. Scott Macintyre, age 23 from Scottsdale, Arizona, was the “Top 8” contestant of the show and told me about his plans for the tonight’s show and his career post-Idol.

Ellie: Are you excited for tonight?
Scott: "Absolutely, it’s gonna be a crazy show because all the industry is out here, probably a lot of celebrities. I don’t know exactly who’s coming but it’s always kind of the intensity…this and New York are the most intense shows of the tour. It’s kind of crazy but I’m looking forward to it. I’m originally from Redondo Beach, south of L.A., so it’s great to be back in California. I’m excited."

Ellie: I’ve heard that the contestants bond pretty quickly. What’s it like backstage with the American Idols?
Scott: "We all imitate each other, to a very far extent. Everyone’s rubbed off on everyone else. We’re kind of the only group in a while, from what I’ve heard from the producers of the television show, that’s actually talked to each other and made fun of each other literally as we’re walking on stage. So normally you’d kind of be in your concentration bubble trying to get ready, which we did, but there’s always a lot going on. We had a good time."

Ellie: Does that help keep you from getting nervous?
Scott: "I think it can, especially on the television show, it’s very different from the live show. On the TV show, we’re all timed down to the second so on a commercial break I’d go on and sit down at the piano and literally count down the seconds. There’s no stopping, there’s no room to just take a breath and say, ‘Relax, breathe now, start the song.’ The cameras won’t wait for you. It’s a similar situation here but there’s a lot more leeway and I think having so many people in the room with you takes a lot of the pressure off."

Ellie: How do you like performing live versus television?
Scott: "There’s a lot to be said for the show just because it goes out to millions of people, but I would perform for 10,000 people live over thirty million people through a camera any day. It’s just a totally different experience for me. It’s not so much about television and about drama and about production, it’s really about the music. It’s just as important to connect with the person in the front row as it is to the very back of the stadium so it’s great for me because I can just work my way around, work the different sections of the stadium. It’s not so much about the small camera lens that’s pointed at you."

Ellie: What are your plans for after the American Idols Live tour?
Scott: "Actually, I have a lot of plans. The first thing is, I was really excited to be able to start work on my album as soon as I left the show. So that will be coming out after the tour this fall. It’s going to be all original music and lyrics. I’ve also been approached by a book publisher to write a book. Actually a pretty renowned publisher that most people would recognize their work, so the book could take a number of different angles on my life, but that’s something I’ll have to think about and sort out in the coming weeks and months and figure out what I want to do about that. The other thing is that I’ve been a songwriter for my entire life and I’ve worked at it year after year and obviously I do it professionally now where, when I was a kid I was just starting, but I always had that creative side to me. I’ve actually been approached by some major music publishers as far as representing me to write for other artists and bands. That’s definitely going to be an exciting part of what I do from this point forth. I’ve always kind of done that; I’ve written for myself, obviously, but I’ve written music in genres as diverse as punk rock, R&B, country, and then my own stuff is kind of the singer/songwriter pop/rock. I’ve gotten very good at keeping each genre separate, because if your country song starts sounding like your punk song, you’re in trouble. So, it’s going to be very exciting. I’m looking at my options right now but I would love to co-write with some of the people that are out there. That’s very exciting for me that there is that new choice. I have a lot to think about, but right now I’m just enjoying it. I’m trying to use all my spare time to talk to those people and follow up, figure out what I’m doing after the tour because there’s a lot to do but at the same time I’m just enjoying the moment. I’m so grateful to be here, it’s a dream come true. It’s everything I ever hoped it would be and I’m very aware that not many people get to start by touring stadiums. I had done some touring as an independent musician and recording artist before the show, on a smaller level, so it’s pretty amazing."

Ellie: If you could co-write with anyone, who would it be?
Scott: "I would be open to a lot of different options because there are a lot of writers that are not artists, people that write for the likes of Beyonce and things like that. I would really love to co-write with some artists out there such as John Mayer and Gavin DeGraw; I really respect what they’ve written and how they’ve performed it and they’ve actually influenced me, those two specifically, in a big way, as far as how I present my ideas in a song. I’d love to perform with them if we ever stumble across that circumstance, but writing with them would just be incredible, especially John Mayer. I feel like he has so much to say in his music and I love the way he does it, it’s very concise. Bruce Hornsby is another one that comes to mind, from a different era. I sang some of his music on the show and he wrote me a nice note after and I wrote him back, so he seems like a nice guy. I’ve loved his music over the years as well. When I was about 15 or 16 years old and I was just starting to write pop music and to sing more seriously, someone goes, ‘You know, your piano solos sound like Bruce Hornsby.’ I had no idea who he was so I went home and my parents looked him up and my brother gave me a CD of his for my birthday and that became one of my other big influences. So you never know, I’d love to write with a lot of different people, but we’ll see where it goes. If people want to hear what I’ve written and what’s coming up on the CD, I have a lot of original music on my My Space."

http://www.Myspace.com/ScottMacintyre

Meeting The Well-Rounded Lil Rounds by Dana Lee Payne

2009-07-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today those of us in the Music Journalism Track at GRAMMY Camp® were surprised with the opportunity to go to the American Idol Tour. Not only did we get to go to Staples Center to watch the top ten Idol finalists perform we also got to interview seven of the 10 finalists. We each separately interviewed an Idol, and I spoke with Lil Rounds. Lil Rounds is from Memphis, Tennessee and I wanted to know what was life was like being on this huge successful tour. I also asked her questions about her future goals, before watching her play to tens of thousands of fans. Her performance last night was off the hook and I hope that she continues to pursue her dream and becomes very successful. Great job, Lil Rounds!

Dana: Prior to Idol, were you involved in the music industry, or did you participate in any musical events that showed your vocal talent or play any instrument?
Lil: “Well, basically as a child I was around music anyway, but the most of what I did really was in church. We had something called the Sunshine Band and I was the leader of it. I loved singing as a child anyway; I’ve done a couple things in choirs, but I never really did anything else outside of that.”

Dana: What has been the highlight of this tour? Like, what has been your favorite moment so far?
Lil: “My favorite moment, I would say, was doing the Utah show a couple of days ago. At the time I finished my set I had over half of the arena on their feet. It made me really excited and I was like ‘Wow, I did something right tonight.’ It seems like everything has been really good on tour. We love when the fans come out and support. They seem to really be enjoying it and showing love.”

Dana: I know that you guys are around each other a lot; do you guys ever feed off each other’s energy, help each other, inspire each other, or support one another?
Lil: “Yeah, definitely, we have to be there for each other. There will be times where I’m not doing so hot. I try and get my stuff together but we do get tired and things. But with everybody helping each other out and just showing love it works out. We really look forward to everything just going better.”

Dana: What had your experience been like on the road? How has it been being far from your family?
Lil: “This experience is going really great, but I have been missing the children. They’re going to meet me out next week at the Arizona show. I’m keeping up with them as much as I can before they start school for the first time, but it will be okay. I’m making sure they take lots of pictures and video tape a lot.”

Dana: Do you plan on having a record or album out anytime soon?
Lil: “I’m hoping that I’ll find out during tour about the different people who are looking to work with me and I’m hoping to land a record deal and have an album out by the beginning of next year. So I’m looking forward to that by the end of the tour.”

Mark Isham: Making Music For Movies by Nick Arnold

2009-07-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

Mark Isham is a GRAMMY®-winning film composer whose works include Never Cry Wolf, Crash, The Black Dahlia, and Of Mice and Men. Before he was a world-renowned film scorer, he played trumpet and saxophone with many artists and groups. Mark was participating in a GRAMMY Camp® panel this week, and I chose him because I was a large fan of his work in the movie and music industries.

Nick Arnold: How has your work as a musician influenced your work scoring movies?
Mark Isham: I think, as a trumpet player, I know what a great melody is. I know how much fun and how inspiring it is to play a great melody, and the power of it. As a composer, then, I am compelled and inspired to want to do that. I don't just say, "Oh, I just need a melody." It's got to be one that people will enjoy playing as much as they will listening.

NA: That's really cool! How did you transition from a musician to a film scorer?
MI: Well, it was almost by chance.

NA: Oh, really?
MI: Yeah, I was writing a lot of music for my own records and record project, but I also had a great interest in electronic music that was more almost classical. A film director heard some of that and said, "Would you consider scoring a film?" And, well, I said I would consider it. (Laughs) That became the first film score I ever made, and I really enjoyed it.

NA: Sounds like it's led to good things! What is the process of scoring a film?
MI: Basically, I see the film, then I discuss with the creative people, which is usually helmed by the director, picture editor, music editor, and sometimes a producer. You know, a small team of people who are "shepherding" the film through it's making. I listen to their ideas. You're a sponge at that point, just taking in everything about the film, learning about what it wants to say. You're listening to other types of music, maybe from other kinds of sources up against the film to see what works, and then you go away and come back. Then a couple weeks later, I'll come back with my own opinions on how I'd like to work and what I'd like to offer, and then we do the actual recordings based on what everybody agrees on. We just go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, until everyone's happy.

NA: Sounds like a very complicated system!
MI: It is, it does take some time.

NA: Oh, I'd imagine! How did Group 87 come together and why was it so short lived?
MI: (Laughs) You're not old enough to know about Group 87.

NA: Well I've listened through lots of your different projects, and I found it very interesting and entertaining.
MI: Group 87 was a bunch of us who went to high school together and discovered we had the same [interest] in music.

NA: I'm very familiar with Terry Bozzio [drummer for Group 87, Missing Persons and other works], and I thought that he and you were a great combination.
MI: Oh yeah, I love Terry. Right around the [the beginning] of the group, Terry was finishing up with Zappa, and was thinking about doing Missing Persons. I had written all of this music and presented it to a record company, and I was offered a deal. Terry said, "Well, I don't want to be in the band, but I'll play on the record," because he knew that he was gonna do Missing Persons in the next year. Peter [Maunu], Patrick [O'Hearn], and I formed the band, but Terry played on it. Why was it so short lived? I think we made every mistake that a young band can make. You know, we made the record we wanted to make, we didn't listen to the record company, (laughs), but we didn't have the solutions of how to overcome the problems that making a record like that would have. There's nothing wrong with making a record that isn't commercial, but you have to be willing to confront the problems that a record like that has, and do something about it.

NA: Have you kept in touch with other members of the band?
MI: Oh, yeah! Peter's still one of my best friends. I don't see Patrick much, he's moved back east, and I haven't seen Terry in a while either.

NA: I think he's been doing lots of drum clinics and stuff like that.
MI: Yeah, he's everywhere (laughs).

NA: He's jumping all over the place nowadays. Well, thank you for your time! It's been an honor and very insightful!
MI: Oh, it was my pleasure, you are very welcome!

A Passion For Production by Sarah Tither-Kaplan

2009-07-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

Fela Ross, 15-year-old Electronic Music Production GRAMMY Camper, has been playing, writing, recording, and producing music throughout the majority of his life. Last year he decided to take his work to the next level, and thanks to his mother’s serendipitous discovery of a GRAMMY Camp® flyer, Fela became one of the youngest participants in the fifth annual GRAMMY Camp.

With wisdom beyond his years, Fela pursues his musical passions with enthusiasm and discipline. And by constantly broadening his knowledge and refining his skills, he’s been able to experiment and excel in almost every aspect of creating music.

Busy preparing for recording GRAMMY Camp’s final recording and showcase, Fela pulled himself out of the electronic music production room for a few minutes to talk to us about the his “strange” passion for music and his first week at GRAMMY Camp.

Sarah Tither-Kaplan: What are you involved in at GRAMMY Camp and what other musical realms do you pursue?
Fela Ross: I’m in music production, I’m a multi-instrumentalist, I’m a songwriter, and I’m into dance and stuff like that.

STK: Most kids your age would rather spend time just being kids than practicing and maintaining such a clear focus on such a demanding discipline. Why do you think music has such a strong hold on your life?
FR: They say you should always do what you love, and I feel like this is what I was made for. Since I was four, this is what I love; I have that passion born inside of me.

STK: Where do you want to go with your music in the future?
FR: I want to go with this as far as I am meant to go with this. Who knows, I might just rule the road. I just want to reach people through music in a different way that’s never been done. There are a lot of artists that take the clichéd road. I just want to take the road that’s never been taken before and reach everywhere. I want to spread my message to where everyone can relate and everyone can be touched by it. But it’s not always about a message, sometimes you really love this song, and you want the world to dance to it, and you want the world to see the dedication you’ve put into the track. It could either be “One Love,” by Bob Marley, or just “I want to rock and roll, and party all night" (by Kiss).

STK: What is your approach to production and why does it appeal to you?
FR: When we produce, we have to get [the track] from the basics, like drum and bass, to where it can be in a stage setting. We have to pull all these people together -- the singers, the songwriters, and we know how the audience is going to react, we have to mix all these different fields and artistry, as the producer. But it gets awkward to display your skill as a producer outside of the studio, like I’m in a band and I don’t display the whole music production thing in that setting. I produce my own band’s music. It goes hand in hand being in a band and production, and it’s all arrangement and composition. I started singing at seven, my mom’s a singer, I started writing songs at seven, playing keys at nine, trumpet at 10. I’m 15 now and I started producing when I was 10. It’s something that appealed to me, I just researched, and it came natural to me; the first time I got on a program it was just instinct.

Following Your Heart Into The Music Business by Ellie Perleberg

2009-07-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

Five industry professionals came to talk with GRAMMY Campers on the evening of Wednesday, July 15 to teach us about many important but rarely talked about facets of music business.

Megan Westerby, social networking coordinator of the Recording Academy, got a round of applause for reminding students that "everyone is watching all the time." It's a phrase she sees come true every day when working with nearly every department in the Recording Academy to represent the organization on sites like My Space, Facebook, and Twitter.

"The internet is the dangerous elephant in the room," said Westerby. "Be aware of how you're being positioned on the internet and who is positioning you."

Though it can be a tricky job, she loves working with digital media in the music industry. "The best part of the internet is that you get the opportunity to talk directly to your fans."

David Lessof was a lawyer at Capitol Records for nine years before moving to L.A. for the indie label New West Records. As a music lawyer, he negotiates deals with artists, producers, mixers, etc. about things like how much they're paid and how many records they make.

Lessoff explained that his, "This is your break, take it" moment that made him move from a job in New York at a major label to an indie in L.A. was inspired by Steve Jobs' quote, "Stay hungry, stay foolish."

At Capitol, Lessoff's experiences with the artists were "very limited and defined." He moved to New West Records and says it's "so much more rewarding to go to work now."

Susan Rosenbluth works as a talent buyer for AEG Live. She was recently involved in the Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals. Her job is to talk to talent agents to negotiate deals and set up tickets and advertisements.

Rosenbluth educated students in the positive and negative aspects of bad record sales by pointing out "bands that sell less albums do more tours."

Amy Blackman says it's not in her "genetic nature" to work for someone. She got her master's degree in Anthropology from Columbia University in New York and now works as a band manager in Los Angeles. Not knowing what to do with her degree, she was "subtly sabotaging job interviews" until getting an internship at a record company and finally finding a career that she enjoys. "This job sustains and defines me. I really can't see myself doing anything else."

As a band manager, Blackman is "the gatekeeper between the band and the rest of the world." Her job includes handling merchandise, travel, internal issues, interpersonal relationships, and more.

Scott Francis is a Music Publisher at Warner Chapel Music, a company that owns the rights to the "Happy Birthday" song and music by Katy Perry, Timbabland, and Led Zeppelin.

Francis stressed to students to do what they love no matter what. "No decision is a bad decision. If you learn from it then it was worth going through. My best decision was to follow my heart."

All the panelists agreed that was their wisest move.

An Innocent Interview by Dertrick Winn Jr.

2009-07-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

Seventeen-year-old Innocent [Tswamuno] is in the Electronic Music Production track. I was in the music area of USC’s PIC room when I saw him in one of the piano rooms playing. My original intention was to just go in and hang out with him, until I realized it was the perfect setting for an insightful interview. I entered the room in the middle of his tune. Trying not to seem rude I sat down, waited a minute and requested an interview. He didn’t look up. He gracefully ended his tune, turned to face me and said, “Sure man, that’s cool.”

Innocent was born in in the country of Zimbabwe, in the continent of Africa. He grew up with poor living conditions and hard times that most of the country was going through in the mid-'90s, where music was the primary healing for all the pain. At the age of eight years old, young “Inno” taught himself how to play keys on a keyboard that his father brought home one day. “I don’t know where he got the money,” says Innocent, “But one day he brought home this keyboard, and I started to play with it, started to teach myself how to play.” Innocent is an excellent piano player, and I couldn’t believe it when he told me he had never taken professional lessons/instruction before. “Every day I’d come home and practice. I would do my work and practice for an hour or until bed time.”

I asked Innocent about his inspirations or influences in music. He mentioned moving to the U.S. and listenening to David Benoit, a credited jazz pianist, who was the first musician to receive the American Jazz Awards Lifetime Achievement Award. However, his first answer was, “My mom was my inspiration. She would always sing to me. My dad wasn’t really musical, and I guess since he was the man of the house he was always moving around, trying to hustle and make ends meet. We didn’t spend much time together since he was away, so my mom was the one who inspired me."

When Innocent’s older brother moved to Connecticut, he began sending Innocent CDs of American music. That’s when he was introduced to the style of R&B, rap, hip-hop, jazz, and others. “Back then I didn’t have a CD player, so I would go to my friends house and listen to the CDs there."

Innocent moved to America two years ago and is already speaking and reading in English just fine. He remembers when he first came the U.S, and he jokes around about how the only thing he could say at first was, "Hi." He is a very outgoing person, and doesn’t find it hard to fit in with the other campers, he is often singing and joking during down time at camp, and fellow campers enjoy his company.

One-on-One With Jason Castro by Nick Arnold

2009-07-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, July 12, American Idol finalist Jason Castro came and visited GRAMMY Camp®. He told us his musical history: getting a drum kit, starting a band, tkaing up singing and guitar, all the way up to his experience through American Idol. He told us he hoped AI would just be a starting point for his career, and not all he would be known for. After he played a few songs for us (including a brand new original tune, called "Sweet Medicine"), I was lucky enough to sit down with the up and coming solo artist.

Nick Arnold: I was wondering if being on American Idol (and the whole experience of it) has changed the way that you write music, and maybe even how you listen to music?
Jason Castro: Definitely! Well, I think what started the change-- I mean both those questions, was that I grew up playing drums. Then I got opened up to all sorts of other things when I started playing guitar, I started listening more to songs. That all kinda changed my perspective. And as far as changes in songwriting, after the show I've been trying to collaborate with songwriters, and people who are professional songwriters. It's helped me see a lot of new things and kinda get better at a lot of things. It's like practicing with somebody who knows what they're doing, it's the same as any other instrument. Like if I play guitar, I learn faster if I'm taught by someone who knows how to do it.

NA: Yeah, so they kinda help hone your skills?
JC: Yeah! So it's been a really intense learning and developing zone. And I don't think I would have gotten that opportunity if I didn't go on the show, so it's really been pretty great for me.

NA: And now do you hear new things in songs going back and listening to them after getting tips from the professionals?
JC: Yeah, I hear a lot of details, but now I like to listen and I'm more conscious of things, like, "What makes this song so great?"

NA: Oh, that's cool!
JC: Yeah, like before I might've said "Oh, this song sucks, those drums are too easy!," but now I really listen because I'm so fascinated by melodies, and how some catch your ear and others don't. And it's great to understand how people put their own spin on things. Like somebody might've said the same line, but they say it in a way that's so original!

NA: Right, so making a song your own, and being unique.
JC: Yeah, so I really listen for those concepts a lot more now.

NA: Thank you for your time Jason, it's been great talking to you!
JC: No problem, it was my pleasure.

Rob Knox Definitely Not Dead And Gone by Dana Lee Payne

2009-07-15T16:17:00.000-07:00

The well-known producer Rob Knox came to GRAMMY Camp® today to give some of the campers his advice on what to do to heighten their career in the music industry and he also shared some of his own experiences of how he got to where he is now. Rob has produced many different songs, such as “Dead and Gone” by T.I. and Justin Timberlake, “Lottery” by Chris Brown, and “Mannequin” by Britney Spears. These are just a few of the many great songs he has helped create. His production partner is Justin Timberlake and they love going in the studio making great tracks with different artists.

I asked Rob if he had the chance to go to GRAMMY Camp growing up would he take the opportunity to go and who would he want to talk to. He said, “Yes, I would have went and I think that would have been very cool. I would have liked to talk to Dr. Dre and Jay-Z because they were very big at that time.” Then I asked him how he came up with the concept of “Dead and Gone,” and he responded by saying, “Basically Justin and I were in the studio talking about it and we thought that instead of making a dance record that everyone was expecting, let’s just flip it. This idea created ‘Dead and Gone’ because at that time T.I. was going through his trials and the death of his homeboy. So that’s how the song came about.” Rob has definitely created some great music and I think it’s safe to say that he will not be dead and gone any time soon.

GRAMMY Camp® Storytellers by Dertrick Winn Jr.

2009-07-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

On July 13, we concluded our second full day of GRAMMY Camp® '09 with the Artist Story Panel. Eddie G, Mark Isham, Blake Lewis, Michael Lington, Lenka, and returning as the host, Lisa Foxx, all shared their knowledge and wisdom gained from their personal experiences in the music industry.

Eddie G is the music producer behind the productions in the hit Disney movie series High School Musical, and the hit television series Hannah Montana. I recognized him immediately. His casual dress and colorful shoes seemed to scream contemporary music producer. Eddie encouraged the panelists to be “authentic” and original, and be true to themselves in order to find themselves happy in music. Eddie reaches out to any young artists who are able and willing to become his understudy or otherwise learn from him during his time in his recording studio.

Sitting on the far end of the row was Mark Isham, who was the most experienced, and carried himself as if he knew so. He gave the impression of a wise man who has done many works of greatness, yet, was in general a humble soul. Isham is also a music producer but with a different taste not so similar to Eddie G. Isham was a student of classical music and when he was very young he learned how to play trumpet, violin, and piano. When his family moved to San Francisco, he found himself in the '60s rock scene, and got performance gigs with local rock bands. Since then he has won five GRAMMYs, as well as five Emmy Awards, and an Academy Award, as well as a number of significant others honors.

Most familiar amongst all the panelists was Blake Lewis, a former American Idol finalist. He is a vocalist, keyboardist, guitarist, drummer, and beat boxer. He kept the audience laughing with small remarks and sound effects that proved him to be a great character. “I love noise,” Blake explained to us. “In school I was the nerdy kid in class making all the sound effects.” He tells us the story of how he was inspired by another local artist who did beat boxing for an a capella group. He was amazed to see someone making noise as an art form of music and was surprised to see how successful their performances were, so he practiced beat boxing and started his own acapella group.

The two international artists, Michael Lington and Lenka, gave the most diversity to the panel. Michael Lington from Copenhagen, Denmark is a smooth jazz saxophonist, and a recipient of a number of international jazz music awards. Lenka is an international Australian pop singer, pianist and TV actress, and she has just commenced a concert tour in Asia.

All the panelists were living proof of two thing: hard work pays off, and following your dreams is always the right way to go.

Looking in on GRAMMY Camp® by Dana Lee Payne

2009-07-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday during the free time period we were given, I decided to interview two campers who were lounging in the computer lab about their experiences at GRAMMY Camp® and if they liked some of the guest artists who have come so far. Their names were Jeffrey Fralinger, from Ocean City, NJ, and Anik Bhattacharya, from Sugarland, TX. Here is what they said…

Dana: How did you find out about GRAMMY Camp?

Jeffrey: “My teacher is a voting member of NARAS and he sent me an email about sending students to GRAMMY Camp.”
Anik: “My vocal coach has a lot of contacts in Hollywood and he found out about this and told me that I should try out. Initially, I tried out for the Jazz ensemble and I almost made it, but instead I got put into the Singer/Songwriter track.”

Dana: Are you enjoying yourself so far?

Jeffrey: “Yeah actually, everything seems pretty cool.”
Anik: “It’s really tough because in Singer/Songwriter you have to write two songs in nine days and to have two really good songs we have to write like five. To help have really good lyrics we collaborate and the first process is actually collaborating, really. In the course we share our tracks that we have and get feedback.”

Dana: What did you think about Jason Castro?

Anik: “I think he was professional and he is really good at what he does. Personality wise he seems really good and I liked his performance. He’s pretty funny and he shared his experiences."

Dana: So did he give you any good advice?

Anik: “Yeah, I mean everybody’s life story is different but lots of people can give you ideas on what you should do.”

GRAMMY Campers Get Ready For Their Close-Up by Sarah Tither-Kaplan

2009-07-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

At 4:30 a.m., I awoke to the obnoxious sound of my alarm clock buzzing in my Trojan Hall dorm room. On any other day, I would have taken advantage of my snooze button; however, I had to get ready for my close up. KTLA channel 5 had come to the USC campus to film a live segment on the GRAMMY Camp® experience.

The sun hadn’t even come out yet by the time my fellow Music Journalism track members Nick Arnold and Khaya Carter piled onto the cart that would drive us across campus to meet KTLA’s crew for our interviews. As soon as we arrived, newscaster Allie MacKay introduced herself and started asking us questions about our roles as camp journalists. Allie’s enthusiasm and rapid fire quips gave us a much needed energy boost as we prepared to go live.

It was strange to experience being the interviewee after having spent the last few days conducting interviews with every guest artist, speaker, and even some of the Campers. I was really surprised to find that as nerve wracking as it is having to come up with thought-provoking, to-the-point, and engaging questions as an interviewer, it’s almost as hard to come up with clear, concise, and interesting responses. Getting the perspective of the interviewee will ultimately help our approaches to interviewing. And as much fun as it was to get our five minutes and thirty two seconds of fame, getting to feel what it’s like to be in the hot seat and watch a professional newscaster at work was equally as informative.

Even after our segment was over, we decided to stick around to watch the GRAMMY Camp audio engineering students getting interviewed, and with the cameras no longer pointed at us, we made sure to pay close attention to what it takes to make a television interview run smoothly.

With the pressure of millions of viewers, ever changing schedule, and no room for editing, broadcast journalism is decidedly one of the most exciting facets of the industry, and it was definitely worth losing an hour or four of sleep to be a part of it.

GRAMMY Camp® '09 So Fine by Dertrick Winn Jr.

2009-07-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

I was all fired up. I had planned for Vince and I to go up and perform at the GRAMMY Camp® Open Mic night, just so he could keep beat and I could rap, but as it turns out, he had also committed to playing drums with some other instrumentalists in the slot right before me. I thought, "Well, he is up there, but maybe I’ll just wait and let them do their thing." But as Vince gave me a nod and later a confirming wave, I felt the spirit of performance stir up in me, as I left my seat and made it up to the stage.

Now aroused by the adreneline, I was wide awake. I wasn’t really sure what I would do or say, but I knew whatever I did, it would be something to remember. So the music began, and I rushed to come up with something to get the crowd to participate. And it came out “GRAMMY CAMP O9! GRAMMY CAMP SO FINE!” I got everyone to repeat it at least twice, and by then I had a pretty good idea of what I was going to begin with. So it was on.

I don’t really remember much of what I said, I just remember jumping around and shouting lyrics to a cover of Herbie Hancock’s “Chameleon.” I realized about 30 seconds into my performance that I was drowned out by the music, and that the audience could hardly hear a word that I was saying. I didn’t really care though, I was so hype. I’ve always felt very comfortable on stage and I was having fun regardless. By the time the band laid the song to rest, I was out of breath and my voice was all raspy and dry, but it was the best feeling in the world. I was happy to hear a loud applause at the end. It made me really glad to be back at GRAMMY Camp.

Lenka Stays True to Herself by Jenay Ross

2009-07-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

Outside of the Booth lecture hall, where she had just contributed to the artist stories panel at this year's GRAMMY Camp®, I had a chance to have a one-on-one interview with singer/song-writer, Lenka. She may be small in size, but her personality and talent is huge. Originally from Australia, she started off as an actress and was the vocalist and keyboardist for the band Decoder Ring. When she felt like she needed a bit more control in dealing with her career, she moved to California to begin life as a solo artist.

Lenka’s music and lyrics are heavily influenced by nature, her surroundings, and nostalgic childhood memories. She may be all grown up, but she is truly a kid at heart. Her music is like her therapy because she is usually inspired by angst and lets it all out through a song. She joked, “I’m like a therapist.” Writing and creating makes her feel better and she hopes that she helps her fans get through their own tough times.

When asked about who her mentor was, she explained that she never really found one. From afar, she considered Bjork to be an artist who inspired her, but not a mentor like other artists may have. As she worked her way through growing as an artist, she has learned to be completely herself and doesn’t worry too much about trying to prove herself.

Sometimes she wishes had a nine to five job to obtain the comfort of a normal job. Given that her busy schedule can become overwhelmingly stressful, she jokingly said, “I sometimes crave I studied science instead.” On her positive days, it brings her back to knowing she is doing what she ultimately loves to do.

GRAMMY Campers Explore The Mix of Music And Games by Khaya Carter

2009-07-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

Visiting the L.A. headquarters of EA Games was very cool and exciting. As soon as we walked in we were amazed by how the decor's set up and the awesome layout. The first thing that caught my eye was the huge fish tank with a bench seat on it. Who wouldn't want one of those in their house?! The building definitly earned a lot of "Oohs" and "Awws."

I also learned a lot about the symmetry between music and games. I know video games have soundtracks but I didn't realize how much music played a part in the company. Many games had very successful soundtracks.

And what I found interesting was that Green Day enjoyed renewed popularity when their song "American Idiot" was featured on one of the Madden video game. It just goes to show you can make it in the biz from any number of things, including getting your song featured on a video game.

Greg Watermann: The Mann Behind the Lens by Nick Arnold

2009-07-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

Today the Music Journalism class had one of our scheduled Master Classes. Basically, what that is, is that each course at GRAMMY Camp® has a professional from that field come in and tells them about their career, teaches them how to succeed, and is open for Q&A at the end.

For our Music Journalism course, we had Greg Watermann, a rock star photographer based in L.A. talk about photo journalism. Greg was friendly and open to questions while still being serious during his speech. He was a tall, lanky man dressed in black jeans, black shoes, black sunglasses, and black Chuck Taylor hi-tops. During his career, he has worked with many popular groups and artists, most notably Marilyn Manson, Mudvayne, Linkin Park, and System of A Down. He almost exclusively works with rock musicians, and he has a shooting style all his own.

"I don't use any lights when I'm shooting. I don't have any guys helping me, so I can just walk in and do my work without sticking out so much. All I come with to any show or backstage gig is my bag over my shoulder with my lenses, camera, and spare batteries and memory cards. I don't want artists I work with to be conscious of me while I'm working, so my shots can be completely candid and be a snapshot of the band in their natural zone."

Greg stressed to us that we have to be preparing for our future starting now. He suggested that we find as talented a band we know who will let us interview or photograph them, and archive all our material in portfolios. "You've got to start somewhere, and from there, you'll get attention from people who can help you work your way up to where you want to be."

According to Greg, connections and relationships are equally as valuable as your talent in the music industry. The more people in the business you know, the more connections you have, and the more opportunities that will be open to you.

Greg said that once we had established a nice repertoire of artists that we should find ones we can connect with personally. "You have to be passionate about your work and your associates. Only when you can put your full attention and effort into your work can you achieve your full potential and produce the most valuable products."

After our lecture from Greg, we were lucky enough to have him accompany us to dinner in the USC cafeteria. When there, Greg enjoyed the fine cuisine of the University dining hall so much so that he was willing to answer a few more questions that would be exlusively answered for the GRAMMY Camp Blog.

Nick Arnold: I am fairly familiar with your catalog of formal portraits of artists, and I was wondering about a few of your more popular ones. More specifically, the one of Slayer standing on a balcony in front of a glowing red room. What effects did you use in that photo? How often do you distort or alter your pictures?

Greg Watermann: I actually did not use any effects on that portrait, and in fact, I never use any alterations in my photography.

NA: Oh wow! That's really a lot of dedication to keeping your photots real!

GW: Yeah, I want all my photos to be as close as possible to what it looks like to the naked eye.

NA: So how did you get that red glow in the background without using tinting?

GW: Well, when you take a picture a little before the sun sets, the sun has an orange tinge to it, and it shows up in the photo. Shortly after the sun goes down past the horizon there is a very light blue color that spreads all around for a small time before it gets to dark to shoot. I took that picture outside of a room that happened to have a red lightbulb in it, so I told the guys to turn it on and I'd shoot them in front of it.

NA: Well that's an amazing shot for no effects! The red and blue really contrast beautifully.

GW: Oh, thanks.

Greg revealed that out of the artists he has not photographed with yet, he would most like to work with Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor. "Nine Inch Nails' saved my life. I listened to 'Pretty Hate Machine' [NIN's debut album] literally a hundred times during high-school. They helped me through lots of tough times in my life."

Greg enlightened us all with his personal experiences and tips that had been important to him in his lifetime so far. I think everyone in the class took away some unique lessons that we will apply during our time in the music business. Although Greg was a photographer, his message can be applied to all aspects of the music business.

An Interview With The Ricky Minor Singers by Dana Lee Payne

2009-07-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

After the GRAMMY Campers had a chance to perform with Ricky Minor and the band, I had a brief interview with Taylor Harvey, Lea Marie, and Christine Jamra, who are all in the Singer/Songwriter track, about their feelings towards their performance and what it was like being up there with Ricky Minor.

Dana: How did you feel playing with Ricky Minor?

Taylor: “He’s such a nice guy and really helped calm my nerves.”

Lea Marie: “It was such an incredible experience and it’s a once in the lifetime kind of thing unless you become extremely famous.”

Christine: “Well, what I loved about it is that right before we played he just [fist] pounded me and it was really cool to look over and see him just rocking out on the bass."

Dana: Do you feel like you learned anything from this experience like in practice or rehearsal?

Taylor: “Yeah, I mean it’s just about having fun in the end and just making do with what you have where you’re at and just doing the best you can.”

Christine: “I’ve learned to have fun even when you’re in rocky situations.”

Lea Marie: “I’ve learned that I can learn a song in five minutes and be okay.” (Laughs)

Grammy Campers® Enter The Video Game World Of EA by Sarah Tither-Kaplan

2009-07-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

The GRAMMY Campers® got to tour EA Los Angeles and discover new realms of opportunity in the music industry.

As Campers walked around the EA Los Angeles headquarters marveling at the 3-D models of Medal of Honor landscapes, the concepts for new game worlds, and learning about the basic processes of creating video games, most were momentarily distracted from thinking about preparing for careers in the music industry. Campers discussed their favorite “first person shooters,” their most memorable “level-ups,” and the embarrassing fact that even accomplished musicians such as themselves have been “powned” (defeated) by EA’s Rock Band.

However, as soon as campers were led to the small corner of the building that houses EA’s music department and EA’s “Artwerk” record label, featuring artists such as Datarock, Junkie XL, and Matt and Kim, they found a reason to be a little more optimistic about their futures in the industry. The EA tour guide discussed the integral role that musicians play in game development. Composers are needed to create “interstitial music” for game play and songs from every genre of music can be chosen to enhance the gaming experience and even used as the theme for industry top sellers. Many of the otherwise unknown artists whose songs have been featured in video games are able to gain notoriety and the support of dedicated and diverse fan bases once their work becomes the soundtrack to a game.

Even though finding a way “in” for most aspiring musicians is by no means a cakewalk, GRAMMY Campers were fortunate enough to learn that careers in music can be made in even the most unexpected places.

Greg Watermann Speaks to Music Journalists About Shooting by Jenay Ross

2009-07-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

Ever since last year’s GRAMMY Camp®, I have longed for a guest speaker to come in to talk about photography, and this year I got my wish. Rock star photographer, Greg Watermann, came to speak to our Music Journalism track and enlightened us with a different side of documenting events and other special moments in time.

Now known as the guy who stands around at shows, wearing all black and with a camera in his hand, Watermann first began taking photos at a young age of seven. As time progressed, he became interested in fashion photography and became “people’s private slave,” while he interned at several magazines. Moving away from fashion photography and realizing he had no musical talent , he decided music photography would allow him to be a part of the music industry. Eventually he landed jobs with Rolling Stone and Spin magazine.

Since then, he has toured with a mass amount of bands and even provided the photos in a book about Linkin Park. He believes a friendly relationship is one of the most important aspects of music photography and journalism. Watermann also explained, “It’s useful to have direct relationships with the artists,” instead of going through middle men. Another point he made was to never cross the line that could destroy a working relationship with any artist. A goal any photographer should have is to be called back by whoever they took photos of.

Because of his “delicate balance” between business and friendship, he has been able to gain a strong enough status of having all-access for photographing some bands, such as System of a Down. His relationship with SOAD has even allowed him to be on stage while they perform live. Recently he worked on a four-minute video made of solely photographs and an audio mash-up of a 22-song set. He was kind enough to show it to us, as we watched with amazement.

As an extremely successful photographer, Watermann still continues to practice taking photos, even if it’s just shooting photos around his neighborhood. He’s glad he is able to make a living off of doing what he has always wanted to do. He values every single photo he takes as his own “little children,” and hates having to throw any of them out. For the photos that he doesn’t get rid of, he makes sure they are 100% high-quality or he will not send it to the band or artist to use.

With how advance technology has become, Watermann explained that with cameras being digital, camera phones, and high-speed internet, anyone can take photos and post them for everyone to see. “That’s my job going down the toilet,” he stated. He believes that with so many people with the same generic photos submitted to all different kinds of media outlets, a modern day photographer needs to begin with connecting with at least one band in order to ultimately establish relationships with other artists.

Q&A With Blake Lewis by Dana Lee Payne

2009-07-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening I got the opportunity to interview Blake Lewis. He appeared on American Idol and was well known as the beat boxing guy. Since being on Idol, Blake has released his first pop-rock solo album called Audio Day Dream, and is currently about to release his second solo album, Heartbreak on Vinyl. Below is the conversation we had about his new album and his view on GRAMMY Camp®.

Dana: How is your new album Heartbreak on Vinyl different from your first album?

Blake: “It’s kind of more in your face. It’s more danceable. It’s set up more as a dance record rather than the pop-rock, and it's got good melodies. It has the vocal presence of my first record.”

Dana: What did you get from the many songwriters and producers that you worked with for the new album?

Blake: “I’ve learned a lot everyday. I’ve been writing for two years and I love collaborating with people. I love getting into a room and throwing out ideas, then finding different melodies and it's good to me because I'm such a perfectionist. Collaborating with new producers and songwriters, the flow is just there.”

Dana: And they help with your creativity and stuff?

Blake: “Yeah, and they enhance it almost. The vibes are right.”

Dana: If, when you were growing up, you were able to go to GRAMMY Camp who would you have wanted to talk to ?

Blake: (Laughs) Quincy Jones, he is a producer. Michael Jackson, R.I.P, Ella Fitzgerald, Sting for songwriting, Bono because he is a great entertainer and songwriter as well, and Duran Duran. This is everyone that has blessed me in my life.”

Dana: So I know that you’ve done the Mobile GRAMMY Tour and you came to GRAMMY Camp today, what is your relationship with NARAS?

Blake: “I got asked to host the GRAMMY Celebration Tour which was amazing and it was fun to perform with all these other amazing performers. I’ve always been interested in the GRAMMY’s. I said, 'Who are the people behind the GRAMMY’s and where do they come together?' To me, it’s really special; there are great people and it is really fun.”

Hanging With The Village Ghost by Ellie Perleberg

2009-07-14T20:31:00.000-07:00

Building Manager Tina Morris and CEO Jeff Greenberg guided 24 excited GRAMMY Camp® students through The Village Studios in Santa Monica on Tuesday, July 14.

Founded in 1968 by Geordie Hormel with only one room (affectionately known as "Studio A") built specially for Steely Dan, the Village Studios complex contains four community studios and nine that are private to artists like John Mayer and Robbie Robertson. The various studios have been utilized by an array of artists, from Oasis to Jet, Wolfmother to Smashing Pumpkins, and Spinal Tap to Barbara Streisand. At the time of our tour, the Los Angeles band Wake Up Lucid was recording tracks in the room that was created specifically for Fleetwood Mac.

As the single-file line of students made their way into Studio A, a few people had to pause and gasp at the analog recording equipment and its glorious two-inch tape. Morris noticed the students' fascination and was excited to tell us, "Analog is still alive!" Their collection of vintage gear also includes five plate reverbs and an echo chamber.

The studios themselves are beautiful. The lights are low and the tapestries hanging on the walls smell like years' worth of incense and stories. The whole building has warmth to it and the perfect vibe for creativity. Even rumors of a Village ghost couldn’t stifle it.

The rumored ghost is said to be a bassist who used to bother people until a concrete wall was built between studios A and C and fewer people witness him. Some say he still roams the halls at night, drinks the booze, and fixes bad bass tracks.

The comforting creative quality is one that you would assume musicians love when you hear the long list of bands who’ve worked at The Village.

“I love the history that’s always being made here,” said Greenberg.

From the studio tour, Morris led us to “The Shop,” where items to be repaired are kept, and “The Graveyard,” where broken equipment is stored behind an amusing landmark.

“Anything behind Frankenstein is dead,” said Morris.

The Village tour wrapped up with students sitting on the stage of the live-recording auditorium and being photographed by Greenberg as he told campers that he wanted to see them again in the future.

“I expect to see you here as a star, okay?”

Jason Castro Shows GRAMMY Campers He’s More Than an American Idol Contestant by Jenay Ross

2009-07-13T15:10:00.000-07:00

While everyone sat in the Booth lecture hall waiting for American Idol contestant Jason Castro, the atmosphere was a mix of excitement, confusion, and sleepiness after a long day of work. Most of the Campers knew Castro as the “guy on American Idol with the dreads,” but after a casual Q&A session with Castro, everyone could see he was much more than just a guy from American Idol.

Despite starting the night out with mic difficulties and admitting to be an awkward and “shy boy,” Castro told his musical life story with so much ease that it felt like we were talking to friend. He began with speaking about playing drums in a band and coming to the conclusion that playing music was what he wanted to do with his life, whether it be touring the world or playing in his living room.

As he played local shows with his band, he also learned how to play the guitar and would go to a nearby park to practice so no one would be able to hear him just in case he wasn’t any good. When time to go to college came around, he decided to quit his band to go to college in order to make his parents happy. Sadly, he basically lost most of his friends since his friends were his band.

When American Idol auditions made their way to his hometown, Castro decided to take a leap of faith and auditioned. He had only sung about five times in public before his Idol audition, but figured he had nothing to lose. After making it on the show, he had to learn how to perform things in a short amount of time. Concerning the process of preparing for Idol performances, Castro expressed, “It’s like a blur, a strange thing.” To Camper Lea Marie Golde, who auditioned for last year’s Idol, he suggested never giving up and trying out again for next year’s show.

Although he didn’t win American Idol, he stated, “I never envisioned myself winning.” He never really wanted to win, but was more into getting some recognition. Castro sees himself as not just a singer, but an artist. He doesn’t want to rush music; he wants to “go with the flow.” He believes that music is about being in the right place at the right time and Idol helped with launching his career. When asked if he wants to move away from always being associated with American Idol, he smiled and said, “It’s my new life goal.”

GRAMMY Camp® Mini-Concert Shows Off Sheryl Crow, Miles Davis by Sarah Tither-Kaplan

2009-07-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

GRAMMY Camp® 2009’s mini-concert began on Sunday night just as singer/songwriter and former American Idol finalist Jason Castro was leaving the stage to head to the GRAMMY Camp press room. As Campers in the Music Journalism track conducted their interviews with Castro, Campers in Instrumental and Singer/Songwriter tracks got their first chance to perform songs that they had been given just a few days to learn, and only a few hours to rehearse, in front of GRAMMY Camp students and faculty.

While GRAMMY Camp instruction and master classes encourage campers to hone their skills as musicians, the mini-concert series allows campers to develop their talents as performers. Having to deal with technical difficulties during performance is a reality that anyone involved in live shows has to face. GRAMMY Camp Singer/Songwriters Jillian Grutta and Faith Hahn found it initially unnerving to have to sing without monitors during their rendition of “Leave the Pieces” by the Wreckers; however, the talented young singers remembered every artists' mantra, “The show must go on,” and infused their individual styles and energy into the piece while maintaining great chemistry with the rest of the band and each other.

Instrumental performance instructor and faculty coordinator Jason Goldman’s jazz combo played jazz classic “All Blues” from Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue. With many campers interested more in rock and R&B this year, Goldman encouraged musicians to “work on their jazz” in order to “make all their music sound better” and appreciate the roots of popular music today.

The surprise favorite of the night was Sheryl Crow’s “Steve McQueen,” performed by a combo led by guitar track instructor Matthew VanDoran. Vocalists on the song, Halle Charlton, Christine Jamra, and Katie Gavin were so in sync during the rehearsal process and performance that they even “accidentally” wore matching outfits. Jahaan Sweet (keyboards) and Aaron Childs (guitar) improvised solos that married funky rock and roll to the pop-country tune. Most GRAMMY Campers professed to not even listening to country music, which inspired Goldman to inform them that it’s the second highest grossing genre of music in the United States and shouldn’t be ignored in terms of career opportunity in the industry. Pleasantly surprised by the “fantastic groove” created by the combo, Goldman and the rest of GRAMMY camp clapped and danced along to the performance.

With the first performance completed, and some constructive criticism and advice from faculty, GRAMMY Camp musicians and Singer/Songrwriters are ready to start preparing for the big showcase at the end of the week.

The Long Road to GRAMMY Camp® by Khaya Carter

2009-07-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

My first day of GRAMMY Camp® was very hectic and stressful but exciting. To start off, I was to eager to sleep as I only slept two hours before leaving. Soon after I was on the road to BWI. About 8:45 is when I arrived at the airport; I was pumped with energy and excitement and ready to board my plane and venture out onto my new beginning but I had missed my flight. She gave me a stand-by boarding pass for the next flight to LAX, and though it wasn't guaranteed that I was on flight, faith pulled through and whoever missed their flight left me a nice seat in first class. The people I met on the plane and talked to made me feel like I was right at home, though I was a a little scared because I've never rode on a plane alone. My luggage took forever to come but one of the friendly camp counselors kept me company till my bags came and we set off in the car to USC, where I finally arrived around two in the morning.

The next morning I woke up feeling a little lonely due to my flight issues, but as the day progressed I got more comfortable and less stand-offish. I was nervous about interviewing Gavin Rossdale but I took a chill pill and relaxed. By my second interview with Jason Castro I was on a roll. I had a great time interviewing them and it was a true delight. Despite my delays the first day I wouldnt change a thing about it.

Gavin Rossdale Educates GRAMMY Camp® by Ellie Perleberg

2009-07-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

From co-founding the popular alt-rock band Bush to creating a solo album styled in an entirely different genre, it's evident that Gavin Rossdale has the ability to change and evolve with his music, because he's clearly got no plans of stopping.

"I'll spend my whole life trying to write the perfect song," the entertaining and witty Rossdale said at the GRAMMY Camp® Q & A on Sunday. The Booth Room was filled with all the students and counselors who got the chance to ask questions about various music career tracks, but most of his advice was in the singer/songwriter category.

In reference to his songwriting, he said, "I want to work on getting to the heart of what I'm trying to say," an interesting goal from the man whose song "Glycerine" with Bush still gets relatively steady radio play since it's release in 1994.

"I don't know what happened to my band," said Rossdale. "We should have fought for it more. We allowed it, in a really 'English' way, to just dissipate."

As someone who says he writes his songs like his "world is on fire," it's not surprising that he's moved on to a solo career since the breakup of the band and releasing his album "Wanderlust" in June 2008.

His success in the industry and his musicianship in general made him a great guest artist for GRAMMY Camp. Even as a performer that many might consider to be "mainstream" Rossdale said, "I don't really have an emotional connection to the mainstream artists," and added that the "underground" music has always fed the industry. But on the other hand, he said, "the commercial side is part of the naturalness of who you are."

Rossdale said one of the main things for musicians to remember is that "it's really important to know who you are, to not be a cookie cutter or flavor of the moment." He is an artist that's found success by doing just that.

Rossdale mentioned that he had been thinking over the past few days about what to say to inspire GRAMMY Camp students. A point that he kept coming back to was "You have to define what it means to you to 'make it.' Keep in your heart and mind what you want to do. So much of music is about just following your instincts."

Jason Castro Serenades GRAMMY Camp® by Dana Lee Payne

2009-07-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

As the sweet serenade of Jason Castro filled the theatre room at USC last night, I thought about how human he is and how he really can connect with his audience. Many people around me were intensely listening and watching as he sang with his guitar. It was after the question and answer portion of the night when Jason brought up his guitar and performed three songs for all of the 80+ GRAMMY Campers®.

The first song Jason sang, off of his new album, is called “Sweet Medicine.” He said that this track was written for a special someone who he is “madly in love” with. This song had a very soft melody to it. As he performed the song with his eyes were shut, just him and his guitar, it gave the crowd a deep personal feeling for the piece.

Following that intimate performance he became very shy and said that he felt “more comfortable with a band.” The next song he sang was one of the first songs he had sang on American Idol called “Daydream” by The Lovin’ Spoonful, and with this song included a band of four Campers. In this song, Jason seemed to really be feeling the piano playing by Jahaan Sweet. The concluding song to his performance was the number one hit on iTUNES, “Hallelujah."

Jason’s whole performance was excellent. He came across as a genuine person who is all about making good music. It’s good to see a new artist come into his own and try to establish himself in the industry. I personally enjoyed Jason’s performance and I hope his album becomes very successful. Go ahead Jason and do your thing!

Katie Gavin Creates Her Own Trail by Jenay Ross

2009-07-12T16:39:00.000-07:00

For bubbly 16-year-old Illinois native Katie Gavin, GRAMMY Camp® wasn’t in her original summer plans. One of her friends was a GRAMMY Camper a few years ago and inspired her to apply. When the deadline to submit camper applications came near, she decided to give it a try.

As a first-year GRAMMY Camper, Gavin fell in love with Camp from the very start. The passionate vibe of the people here has become her favorite part about it, seeing that “everyone is into it.” Being in this inspirational environment filled with kids that hold the same goal as her, she knows this is the place for her. Her own passion lies in songwriting, singing, and playing her acoustic guitar. She has only been playing guitar for about one and a half years, but no one would ever guess it by watching her perform.

At the first open mic night, she was able to go on the small Ground Zero coffee shop stage, with her guitar at hand, and perform her original song, “Falling.” Gavin expressed, “It was the scariest thing,” but once she saw what a hit her song was with the campers, she was glad she got over her fear. Anyone watching her can see the passion on her face and can feel the emotion spewing from her as she sings about her life experiences.

Gavin finds inspiration in almost anything. She chooses to live her life and allows a “trail of garbage” to follow her until she eventually expresses everything through a song. While at camp, Gavin hopes to find a better understanding of where she is headed with her life and looks forward to learning and gaining new connections with people.

Aside from playing on her own or with a musical theater group, she is also interested in writing. She writes for her school’s newspaper and is a part of a student writer show called Lagniappe. If she wasn't in the Singer/Songwriter track, she would choose to be in the Music Journalism track. Although she does love to write, playing music remains her one true love.

Some of her favorite bands include Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, The Shins, and Dirty Projectors. As she looks up to those bands, she continues to grow and develop as her own person and artist. She isn’t concerned with gaining star status. She doesn’t care about selling out arenas and becoming a huge celebrity, all she wants to do is simply write songs, play, and perform.

GRAMMY Camp® Open Mic Anything But Typical by Sarah Tither-Kaplan

2009-07-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

GRAMMY Camp® 2009’s open mic night is certainly not your typical first night of camp experience. GRAMMY campers abandon old-school s’mores making, generic sing-alongs, and even mundane ghost stories for something a little more exciting - a parade of musical prodigies performing covers, original songs, and even experimenting with GRAMMY-quality jazz improvisation.

Acccomplished composers, arrangers, and musicians in their own right, the GRAMMY Camp faculty members pulled together a jazz combo warm-up act that opened the night with impeccable and spontaneous saxophone, piano, bass, and guitar solos that inspired a full house of applause and shouts of approval from GRAMMY Campers packed in USC’s Ground Zero café. One unfamiliar with the caliber of GRAMMY Camper musicianship may think that the faculty combo set the bar too high for high-schoolers to even reach. But GRAMMY Campers prove that they will not be outdone by even the most seasoned of industry professionals. Jaws dropped all over Ground Zero as Singer/Songwriter track camper Katie Gavin took the stage and played her original song “Fallen”- a song, a voice, even a stage presence reminiscent of a combination of PJ Harvey, Regina Spektor, and Adele, yet completely unique and radio ready.

GRAMMY Camp musicians, including Grahm Bailey (keyboards), Justin Klunk (saxophone), and Aaron Childs (guitar)- not at all phased by the prospect of taking the stage after the faculty jazz combo - jumped on stage and offered GRAMMY Camp a delectable jazz piece that gave even the professionals a run for their money.

The undisputed favorite performance of the night came from 14-year-old Grant Taylor. One of the youngest GRAMMY Campers of 2009, Taylor may at first glance seem like a bright-eyed young teen whose guitar is almost as big as he is — so it’s understandable Campers were pleasantly floored when Grant rocked the life into a cover of James Taylor classic “Steamroller,” singing with the howl of rock legends and shredding an acoustic guitar solo.

The bar of musicianship and performance quality at GRAMMY Camp 2009 was set, raised, and leapt over on opening night open-mic, and all before the campers’ 11 o’clock bedtime.

GRAMMY Camp® '09's Opening Night Open Mic by Dana Lee Payne

2009-07-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

Last night at the Ground Zero cafe there were many talented campers who went on stage to perform for the Open Mic night. When I first walked into the venue, it had a cool vibe to it. The place had dimmed lights, comfy couches, bar stools, and big televisions. Everybody was sitting around relaxing and getting to know one another as it took a little while for the show to begin. The opening act was six faculty members of the Camp all playing different instruments. They played close to a seven -eight-minute set, and they sounded great, with both good rhythm and a strong beat. After their performance many different campers came up, one after another displaying their different talents.

There were two acts that I especially liked. One was a performance by a girl named Taylor Harvey, who is a singer/songwriter, and she sang a song she wrote called “Flutter." Her style was crazy cool and her vocal talent was on point. I really enjoyed her performance. The other act that I enjoyed was by fellow Music Journalism student Dertrick Winn and his band. Dertrick got on stage and rapped while his band played a nice melody behind him. He has some real impressive skills.

A Packed First Day at GRAMMY Camp® by Dertrick Winn Jr.

2009-07-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

After a long night of final preparations, I was heading to the airport in the early morning air to take the flight to L.A. and be a part of GRAMMY Camp® once again. This would make my second time flying, but first time by myself. I wasn’t really nervous, just tired, and the only thing on my mind at the time was dozing off as soon the plane was up. Seconds after I closed my eyes though, my mind began to race about all the new and exciting things to expect from GRAMMY Camp this year. I thought about all the cool stuff and people I met last year, and how there would be a whole new batch of people to connect with and the new adventures and experiences planned ahead. I smiled to myself as I remembered the good times at USC, the live jam sessions, the Starry Night gala, the interviews with the up and coming Hollywood stars, as well as interviews from the star GRAMMY Campers. It hardly feels like it’s been a whole year since it all happened, and now I’m just two hours away from doing it all over again. Only this year, I return a veteran of the GRAMMY Camp experience.

I was greeted at the LAX airport by a familiar face, one of the GRAMMY Camp staff members, and was joined by a few new faces who looked almost as tired as I was. On the bus I got the chance to catch up with some old friends, and learn more about the new guys who made up the majority of the GRAMMY Camp 09 population.

We got off the bus and entered the gates of the USC campus. I got a quick glance at the two camera men filiming us for a documentary to my right. I laughed. I could hear the narration in my head. “We met young GRAMMY Campers blah blah at the front gate. Blah blah they all looked very excited blah blah chatting blah blah future of music blah”. It tickled me to think of myself being a part of documentary that I wasn’t making, but was in, and being a part of a a generalized narration.

So we entered the campus and piled into the common area of the Trojan Hall, 80+ of us, luggage and all. As I gripped my bags, I quickly recalled the flight of stairs to climb in order to reach the Trojan dorms and prepared my nerves for some hauling and groaning, not so much from me, but from those guys who, you could say, over-packed.

After setting up in my dorm room. I prepared for open mic night. It was great. The small coffe house was crowded with campers, and the performers were all very talented. I even got to perform myself. Afterwards , me and a couple of friends gathered around the piano in the common area, and spent the last hour of camp activities jamming to familiar tunes, and sharing hometown memories. It was great to be around fellow musicians, who understood and shared your love for music. By bed time there was so much to think about, I could hardly sleep. I couldn’t wait to wake up and see what wonders the next day held.