What are your plans this week? Wait, don't answer yet, there's more! As in, more going on this week than you might have ever imagined. It's GRAMMY Week, and that means there's six days of high-profile public and private events in Los Angeles celebrating music, its stars and a certain gramophone-shaped statue. Is there a better way to warm up for the 55th GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 10?
So how do you get in on all the action when, well, you're in Warren, Mich., or, you there, you're in Jackson, Tenn.? Well, it's simple. We'll have video, photos and play-by-play after each event at GRAMMY.com, and you can join the action each day and night by following @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, liking "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and joining the GRAMMYs' social communities on YouTube, Tumblr, Foursquare, GetGlue, Google+, and Instagram. You never know what one of your favorite music stars may say or do. And tune in to GRAMMY Live starting Feb. 8 for live coverage.
For now, we'll simply give you a taste of what's to come.
Arguably the highest-profile event this side of the GRAMMY Awards, the Pre-GRAMMY Gala is a private VIP party held in conjunction with music mogul Clive Davis. It hosts the biggest names in entertainment the night before the GRAMMYs. This red carpet rivals the GRAMMYs, the Oscars, Golden Globes, SAG Awards — you name it.
Next on the "I wish I could get a ticket to that" list is the MusiCares' Person of the Year gala, which both raises money for MusiCares, and features a list of stars honoring a music industry giant. This year the Boss Bruce Springsteen will be honored.
Hold on, don't order yet, because we're going to throw in these great events as well.
The GRAMMY Foundation will host several events that will be especially noteworthy this year. The Entertainment Law Initiative Luncheon is an annual event that brings together legal professionals with aspiring law students to discuss hot-button topics in the entertainment law field. This year a keynote roundtable discussion will include NBC News correspondent Tom Brokaw.
Similarly, the Foundation's 15th Annual Music Preservation Project, "Play It Forward — A Celebration of Music's Evolution And Influencers," will bring in the star power to celebrate music's legacy. Performing artists include Yolanda Adams, Emmylou Harris, Lianne La Havas, Lupe Fiasco, LeAnn Rimes, Ed Sheeran, and George Thorogood And The Destroyers, so this will be one time everyone will agree on the theory of evolution.
The Foundation also hosts GRAMMY Camp — Basic Training, a one-day educational event that is tailored to give students and aspiring young musicians a taste of what the music industry feels like from the inside. Participants will include current GRAMMY nominees Lecrae and Elle Varner; producer and musical director for Janelle Monáe Terrence Brown; the Tonight Show Band vocalist Allison Iraheta; composer Joseph Trapanese; and KCRW DJ/entrepreneur Anthony Valadez, among others.
The Academy will also again host the Social Media Rock Stars Summit, a panel discussion featuring some of the prime architects in the field.
This year, in conjunction with Billboard magazine, Billboard's Power 100 event will rock GRAMMY Week by celebrating the 100 most influential people in the music industry as determined by Billboard's annual themed issue. If you want to know who's shaping the music world today, plug in to this event.
The Producers & Engineers Wing will present "An Evening of Jazz," honoring 27-time GRAMMY winner and multi-talented music producer Quincy Jones and 18-time GRAMMY-winning producer/engineer Al Schmitt.
And The Recording Academy also honors legendary music acts and industry figures with its annual Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception, where groundbreaking artists are honored with the Lifetime Achievement, Trustees and Technical GRAMMY Awards. This year's honorees include such luminary artists as pianist Glenn Gould, jazz bassist Charlie Haden, Carole King, and the great Motown vocal group the Temptations.
It's all capped off by the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Feb. 10. While tuning in to CBS for the telecast, be sure to log on to GRAMMY.com to follow our liveblog, your ticket to follow the show online and join the conversation. After the show, The Academy celebrates in style with its stunning after-party, the GRAMMY Celebration.
How can you experience GRAMMY Week? By checking in at GRAMMY.com. We'll provide blog coverage, photos, and video.
And beginning Friday, Feb. 8, you can get an insider's view into the three days of VIP events leading up to the show with GRAMMY Live including real-time coverage of events and highlights such as the Social Media Rock Stars Summit and the 2013 MusiCares Person of the Year gala, and a complete stream of the GRAMMY Pre-Telecast Ceremony.
Come back to GRAMMY.com and experience GRAMMY Week, and don't forget to tune in to the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards on the CBS Television Network from 8–11:30 p.m. ET/PT.