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Rozzi

Rozzi

Photo: Randy Holmes/ABC/Getty Images

News
5 Surefire Ways To Make It In The Music Industry 5-surefire-ways-make-it-music-industry

5 Surefire Ways To Make It In The Music Industry

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In the lead-up to the 61st GRAMMY Awards, the GRAMMY Museum hosted a Music Industry Panel featuring plenty of advice for young music-industry hopefuls
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Feb 5, 2019 - 7:15 pm

Today, in the lead-up to the 61st GRAMMY Awards, a few hundred students from across Los Angeles County visited the GRAMMY Museum in downtown L.A., where they received some insightful pointers on how to find success in the music industry. The Music Industry Panel at the Clive Davis Theatre, part of the museum's special GRAMMY Week programing, gave the young music lovers practical advice and inspirational stories on how to turn their passions and their dreams into reality, from four people in the trenches of the industry.

https://twitter.com/BrittanyBellPR/status/1092918594520973317

Today I had the pleasure of speaking to a theater full of students during a Music Industry panel and I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off Grammy week.… https://t.co/2fCvPeeHwn

— Britt (@BrittanyBellPR) February 5, 2019

The panel featured a variety of perspectives from inside the music industry, including Rozzi, a 27-year-old singer/songwriter who got signed by Adam Levine when she was 19, and Brittany Bell, a publicity manager at Atlantic Records who has successfully navigated the music PR world. The other two panelists were Cathy Heller, a singer/songwriter who found her stride in music licensing, which she does with her company Catch The Moon Music, and Miles Mosley, an upright bass player and music producer who went from playing at GRAMMY Camp as a young teen to playing on the GRAMMY stage with Cee Lo Green.

All four speakers discussed their journeys regarding how they got to where they are today, and, with questions from a moderator and a few students in the audience, offered some great takeaways for any young person interested in pursuing a career in music.

Read on to learn the five key points from Rozzi, Bell, Heller and Mosely on what it takes to be a successful music professional.

1. Figure out who you are before others try to decide for you.

There were plenty of quotable moments as the group shared some real-world learning moments as music professionals. Rozzi, for instance, discovered her passion for music at a young age; she knew she wanted to be a singer since she was just six years old. She described how being focused always pushed her to put in the hard work she saw as necessary to achieve her dreams.

Later, she shared how amazing it was to have Maroon 5's Levine reach out and sign her while she was in college. But it wasn't until she was ultimately dropped from his label (she was one of the first artists signed to it) that she finally began to experience things that she felt gave her something to sing about.

"I was really good at working hard…but I didn't know what I needed to say," Rozzi explained. "I was so focused on getting from point A to point B that I didn't really live."

2. "Sometimes rejection is redirection."

Heller explained how music has also been her passion from a young age; she used it as a way to escape from the difficult home environment she faced growing up. When she asked the students if they also found their happy place with music, most of their hands shot up.

The singer/songwriter eventually moved to L.A. after high school in hopes of making it in the industry, but it wasn't until she got signed to—and subsequently dropped from—two different labels before she really found her calling. When Heller refocused her energy on music liscensing, she began making music tailored for film, TV and ads. Now, her company helps other artists do the same.

"If you're kicking down the door really hard and it doesn't open, maybe you're at the wrong door. Sometimes rejection is redirection," Heller said.

3. If you want to pay the bills, you have to diversify your offerings… and understand finance.

Mosley discovered his love for playing the upright bass in junior high orchestra class, for which he originally signed up in hopes of achieving "an easy A." But fate stepped in, and Mosley wound up playing the instrument ever since.

Having attended one of the high schools selected to play in GRAMMY Camp's national band, Mosley wound up playing on the GRAMMY stage in 2007, as the backing band for Cee Lo Green—then one half of Gnarls Barkley—at the 49th GRAMMY Awards.  

When it comes to making a living as a musician, he explained how important it is to learn to diversify your personal business and offerings as an artist.

"I realized I could be much more comfortable in the music industry if I have these different plateaus to stand on," Mosley said. "You have to learn about finance. It's boring, but you gotta learn how to make a little bit of money go a long way."

4. Patience and perseverance are key.

Bell described her career trajectory through different iterations of marketing and public relations before she found her sweet spot working in music PR. She explained the different ways she had to work her way up and make connections and keep exploring where her talents are best served. She also underscored the importance of the lessons you can learn as an intern or assistant. Her big takeaway as an intern, in particular, was to learn patience.

She stressed that while you may have what feel like clear goals in mind, you never know exactly where you'll end up.

"You gotta shake of the 'no's' and just keep going," Bell affirmed.

Related: Prominent Music Industry Women Convene, Offer Valuable Career Advice At GRAMMY Museum Panel

5. You don't need someone to discover you.

For aspiring artists, Heller had more words of wisdom as she offered her take on the current digital music climate. Thanks to the internet and music-streaming sites, she said, you no longer need someone to discover you to make it big. Similar to Rozzi's message of finding your voice, Heller stressed the importance of putting in the work to "discover the vast incredibleness that is you."  

She also talked about how important it is to believe in yourself and your success. She explained that if you don't believe in your vision, it will be very easy to give up when things don't go as planned or take longer than you envisioned. While it may be easier to get your music heard, she posited, it isn't necessarily harder to stand out among the masses. You just have to stick it out and do the work to truly find your voice.

GRAMMY Week concludes this Sunday on Feb. 10 with the 61st GRAMMY Awards—be sure to catch the show live on CBS, beginning at 5:00 p.m. PT from the STAPLES Center.

Are you a high school student interested in learning more about making it in music? Consider joining GRAMMY Camp: Applications for the 2019 summer session in L.A. are currently open until March 31. For more information, click here.

The Real Marsha Ambrosius: Soul Seeker, Mother & Matchmaker

GRAMMY In The Schools Live!

Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images

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GRAMMY In The Schools Live! Honors Music Educators grammy-schools-live-2019-celebrates-power-music-educators

GRAMMY In The Schools Live! 2019 Celebrates The Power Of Music & Educators

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The lively GRAMMY Week event celebrated its 10th year with performances from GRAMMY Camp alumni and moving speeches from Music Educator Award honoree Jeffery Redding
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Feb 8, 2019 - 7:32 pm

On Thursday, Feb. 7, The Montalbán in Hollywood was filled with music, laughter, cheers and plenty of inspiring stories as GRAMMY In The Schools Live! celebrated its 10th annual GRAMMY Week event. The evening's music was provided by the talented GRAMMY Camp Alumni Band, who not only wowed the packed theater with show-stopping covers but poignantly answered high school students' questions about being an artist in the real world.

One of the highlights of the night was meeting Music Educator Award honoree, choir teacher Jeffery Redding, and hearing his passion for music and how uses it to inspire his students at West Orange High School in Florida. "Your job is to maximize the gifts that have been given to you," he said during his speech.

GRAMMY In The Schools Live! 2019

The band brought together nine young musicians from across the U.S., all of whom were once aspiring musicians honing their skills at one of the GRAMMY Museum's student-focused offerings: GRAMMY Camp, GRAMMY Camp—Jazz Session, or the GRAMMY Museum Summer Session. In addition to tearing up the stage covering hits from the likes of GRAMMY winners Justin Timberlake and The Weeknd, they answered students' questions, fielded by David Sears, the museum's Executive Education Director.

The talented group showcased not only their musical prowess on stage, but also their insight into how to successfully navigate the music industry. Luca Mendoza, a pianist and college sophomore, poignantly answered a question about balancing music, school and social life.

"I think the one thing that has stayed with me is to really listen to myself and be honest with myself with what I need in the moment. It's really easy to get caught up in 'work, work, work,'" Mendoza said. "It's easy to forget that that’s what this is really about, about playing music for people, to connect with people."

These artists are shining examples of the power of music education to touch lives and allow young people the platform on which to explore their unique identities and skillsets. Programs like GRAMMY Camp, a five-day summer intensive with eight tracks spanning potential music industry careers, from audio engineering to vocal performance to music journalism, offer participants practical experience and advice to help them dive deeper into their passions, and allows them to connect with other young aspiring artists.

Thoughtful educators also play a huge role in helping students to find their joy—Music Educator Award honoree Redding is one such teacher. A powerful segment from "CBS This Morning" offered a look into how the choir teacher has made a meaningful impact on all his students.

"I stand here humbly as a music educator here to serve," Redding declared as he took the stage. After sharing how music had helped both him and so many others he's worked with overcome live's challenges, he encouraged the students in the audience to share their talents with the world. "Your job is to maximize the gifts that have been given to you."

When we asked Redding why music education was so important to him, his passion was palpable in every word.

"Music education touches and changes lives, it inspires. In a classroom it provides a safety from the world. There's a song for everything that you're going through. It teaches community…it deals with vulnerability, with a transparent heart," Redding told us.

As the recipient Of the 2019 Music Educator Award he is recognized for his "significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education" and will receive a $10,000 honorarium, plus a matching grant for his school.

These programs would of course not be possible without one of the GRAMMY Museum's longest-standing partners, The Ford Motor Company Fund. We also spoke to Pamela Alexander, Director of Community Development for the Fund, about what the partnership means to her.

"Music education is an opportunity for a student that has the talent, or even just the interest, to really express themselves and explore themselves and grow as a person. It also means achievement, because know that schools with music education programs have higher graduation rates and higher test scores," Alexander explained.

Nominations for the for the 2020 Music Educator Award are open until March 15. Click here to nominate a well-deserving teacher in your community.

The GRAMMY Camp 2019 summer session in L.A. is also currently accepting applications until March 31. For more information, click here.

Finally, GRAMMY Week concludes this Sunday on Feb. 10 with the 61st GRAMMY Awards—be sure to catch the show live on CBS, beginning at 5:00 p.m. PT from the STAPLES Center.

5 Surefire Ways To Make It In The Music Industry

Photo: Alison Buck/Getty Images

TLC 

Photo: Alison Buck/Getty Images

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Relive GRAMMY Week 2019 In Pictures relive-grammy-week-2019-pictures

Relive GRAMMY Week 2019 In Pictures

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The days leading up to the 61st GRAMMY Awards were filled with star-studded events around Los Angeles honoring some of music's greats—let's take a look at the highlights
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Feb 12, 2019 - 5:51 pm

The 61st GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 10 really lived up to its name as Music's Biggest Night, with tons of show-stopping performances, powerful speeches and big wins throughout the night.

Yet the big show was just one piece of the excitement for a celebratory and star-studded GRAMMY Week. Let's take a look at pictures capturing the big moments from some of the other events you may have missed last week.

Kacey Musgraves & Willie Nelson
GRAMMY Week 2019 In Photos

GRAMMY Week was in full-force midweek, with the Producers & Engineers Wing Celebration honoring GRAMMY-winning country legend Willie Nelson on Feb. 6. Artists including fellow GRAMMY winner Dave Matthews paid tribute to the icon.

The week continued with engaging programs and events from the GRAMMY Museum, most of which were geared towards aspiring musicians. This included a Mississippi Songwriting Workshop for local students on Feb. 7, followed by an evening event celebrating the blues with performances from PJ Morton and more. Also on Feb. 7, GRAMMY In The Schools Live! celebrated music educators like honoree Jeffery Redding and rocked The Montalbán with performances from alumni of GRAMMY Camp, one of the museum's student-focused offerings.

Related: See Post Malone, Bebe Rexha And More In The Audience At The 2019 GRAMMYs

There were also handfuls of great sponsored parties, like the Delta Airline's event on Feb. 7 featuring Ella Mai and the Bulova Brunch on Feb. 9 featuring GRAMMY-winning great Chaka Khan.

On Feb. 8, the MusiCares Person Of The Year Celebration celebrated their 2019 honoree, the GRAMMY-winning queen of country Dolly Parton. Her goddaughter Miley Cyrus, along with Katy Perry, Shawn Mendes and more celebrated the legend with dazzling Dolly-inspired looks and tribute performances.

More Pics: The Hottest 2019 GRAMMYs Red Carpet Looks In Photos

Less than 24 hours before the big night, many of the stars that would be onstage and in the audience, including Travis Scott, Brandi Carlile, Chloe x Halle and H.E.R., gave a killer show and practiced their red carpet poses at the Pre-GRAMMY Gala. The insanely star-studded event hosted by industry legend Clive Davis celebrated fellow industry greats, including the evening special honoree Clarence Avant.

Check It Out: BTS To Maren Morris: Backstage At The 2019 GRAMMYs

Immediately following the 61st GRAMMY Awards, TLC and En Vogue kept the party going at the GRAMMY Celebration. Check out the photo gallery above to get an insider's look at all these events and visit the links for more photo galleries, including backstage and on the red carpet at the show.

From Dolly To H.E.R.: 10 Unforgettable 2019 GRAMMYs Moments

Travis Scott

Travis Scott

Photo: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

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Everyone's A VIP At The 2019 Pre-GRAMMY Gala everyones-vip-clive-davis-pre-grammy-gala-travis-scott-jimmy-jam-brandi-carlile

Everyone's A VIP At Clive Davis' Pre-GRAMMY Gala: From Travis Scott To Jimmy Jam To Brandi Carlile

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Pass through the velvet rope at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles for an exclusive look at the star-studded 2019 Pre-GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Feb 10, 2019 - 11:27 am

On Feb. 9, on the eve of Music's Biggest Night, the 61st GRAMMY Awards, artists from across genres and decades gathered at the glitzy Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. for the 2019 Pre-GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons.

Walk The 2019 Pre-GRAMMY Gala Red Carpet

Less than 24 hours before the big red carpet walk today, the likes of current GRAMMY nominees Ella Mai, Dua Lipa, Diplo, Shaggy, Alice Cooper and Weird Al Yankovich, and GRAMMY winners Melissa Etheridge and Quincy Jones, brought their vibrant energy and killer looks at the annual celebration hosted by the Recording Academy and Clive Davis. Onlookers tried to spy the glam looks on the red carpet as they peered into the hotel's glass—we'll let you past the velvet rope and walk it with us as at this exclusive music industry event.

Dua Lipa & Ellie Goulding

Dua Lipa & Ellie Goulding | Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images

This year's who's-who of music gala celebrated iconic industry veteran Clarence Avant, known as the Godfather Of Black Music, as the honoree of the evening. Like event host and fellow legend Davis, he helped launch the careers of many great artists, working with the likes of GRAMMY-winning greats Bill Withers, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis of The Time.

The video celebrating Avant had countless heroes such as Former President Barack Obama, Jones, Diddy and JAY-Z sharing how much they love Avant, the powerful impact he's made on their lives and music, and how he always knows the right thing to say. Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow introduced him with a fitting complement, and a huge one given the company they were in: "You're the ultimate music person." The Time properly brought the funk on stage to celebrate Avant with a performance of their '80s hits "The Bird" and "Jungle Love," dancing as if no time had passed.

Current GRAMMY nominee Travis Scott set the mood opening the evening's performances with "Goosebumps" and "Sicko Mode," while sisters and fellow nominees Chloe x Halle brought home a rousing cover of the late GRAMMY-winning Queen Of Soul Aretha Franklin's "Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves." Brandi Carlile, another current GRAMMY nominee, returned to the stage to join the duo, along with past nominee Valerie Simpson and Broadway star Keala Settle, ending the evening on quite the high note.

Chloe x Halle

Chloe x Halle | Photo: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

Other musical guests for the evening included current nominees Bebe Rexha, Florida Georgia Line and H.E.R., along with past nominees Jazmine Sullivan and Ledisi, plus GRAMMY winner Rob Thomas. Sullivan and Thomas offered a powerful duet, belting out Aretha and George Michael's "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)."

As the evening rolled on, Davis made sure to highlight all the countless legends in the room, as the crowd continuously burst into applause and often up on their feet to celebrate the likes of music greats Barbara Streisand, George Clinton and Dionne Warwick, along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Apple's Tim Cook and even former-L.A. Lakers star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Don't forget to tune in to the 2019 GRAMMYs live from Staples Center today. Start with the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony at 12:30 p.m. PST/3:30 ET, then follow us to the red carpet at 2:00 p.m. PST/5:00 p.m. ET—both will be live streamed right here on right here on GRAMMY.com.

Then the moment you've all been waiting for, the 61st GRAMMY Awards, hosted by 15-time GRAMMY winner Alicia Keys, will air live at 5:00 p.m. PST/8:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. CT on CBS.

GRAMMY Nominees In Their Own Words: Brandi Carlile, H.E.R., Shawn Mendes, Janelle Monaé & More

Bobby Moderow Jr.

Bobby Moderow Jr.

Photo: Vivien Killilea/WireImage/Getty Images

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Kids Meet Their Hawaiian Ohana At GRAMMY Museum students-meet-their-hawaiian-ohana-grammy-museum

Students Meet Their Hawaiian Ohana At The GRAMMY Museum

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Hawaiian musicians Bobby Moderow and Kimie Miner shared their music, culture and wisdom with L.A.'s youth, with Moderow noting, "When you hear a song you're actually hearing about someone's life"
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Feb 6, 2019 - 6:28 pm

Today the GRAMMY Museum in downtown L.A. hosted another successful GRAMMY Week event for students from across Los Angeles County, filled with music and joy. For the Hawaii Education Program, Hawaiian artists Bobby Moderow Jr. and Kimie Miner taught L.A.'s youth what ohana, or family, really means.  

They shared their music with the excited audience of students, with Moderow—who is in a trio called Maunalua—demonstrating the traditional Hawaiian method of slack-key guitar and Miner bringing out her ukulele. He introduced himself as "Uncle Bobby" and his fellow presenter as "Auntie Kimie," explaining that everyone is family in Hawaii. Both of the singer/songwriters are Na Hoku Hanohano Award winners, which Miner described as the "Hawaiian GRAMMYs" (and the website explains that it was modeled after the Recording Academy).

"When you hear a song, you're actually hearing about someone's life," Moderow shared. He encouraged the students to share their stories with poetry and music.

Miner discussed how she started making music when she was 14, after her parents got the singer/songwriter her first ukulele. For the Hawaiian native, it's important to her to share the things she loves about her home and culture through her music, which captures the sunny vibe of the island. While her upbeat songs are "rooted in Hawaiian traditions," she loves incorporating a blend of influences, like pop and reggae, to spread her message of love and positivity far and wide.  

She performed her song "Bamboo," which won Song Of The Year at the 2018 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, which had the kids clapping along to its Jack Johnson-esque melody. Explaining the backstory behind the inspiring lyrics, she shared that she co-wrote the song with Jesse Epstein, an L.A.-based singer/songwriter.

"One of the coolest thing about music is that you can collaborate with people from all over the world," Miner said.

Before the two artists closed the event with a traditional farewell song, Moderow shared the story of Māui, who, in Hawaiian mythology, is believed to have pulled up the islands with his large fish hook. He explains that the hook has important symbolic meaning; what you put out into the world comes back to you. He encouraged the youngsters to remember "the three Fs: faith, family and future," when they think about what they want to share with the world.

If you want another taste of their music, the two artists will be performing for the public tonight, along with more Hawaiian musicans, at the GRAMMY Museum's Music Of Waikiki event at 7:30 p.m.

GRAMMY Week concludes this Sunday on Feb. 10 with the 61st GRAMMY Awards—be sure to catch the show live on CBS, beginning at 5:00 p.m. PT live from the STAPLES Center.

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.