Natalia Ramirez

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Behind The Board: Natalia Ramirez Talks Opportunity, Vision And Mentorship

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The audio engineer and vocal tuning specialist discusses her path to the studio, working with GRAMMY-winning producer Julio Reyes Copello and more
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Apr 12, 2019 - 5:24 pm

Natalia Ramirez has worked on records by some of the biggest names in Latin music including Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Alejandro Sanz and more, but, as someone who began as an engineering student and was eventually taken under the wing of GRAMMY-winning producer Julio Reyes Copello, she's never lost sight of how fortunate she's been to have the chance to work with artists at that level.

Apr 12, 2019 – 5:20 pm

Behind The Board: Natalia Ramirez

"When I was a student I never thought I would end up here in Miami in this recording studio with such a mentor, working with these artists," Ramirez says in the latest installment of the Recording Academy's Behind The Board. "Sometimes I think that it is super important to never take for granted all of those things and never lose sight of the big picture."

The Colombian native, who has also worked with Natasha Bedingfield, grew up around music. The daughter of a musician and younger sister to an audio engineer, she says she can't think of herself without thinking of music and knew she wanted to do audio engineering after working on an intensive project with GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Kany Garcia as a student. As a vocal tuning specialist, she uses her musicianship and engineering skills to keep the vocal tracks she works with feeling organic.

"The challenge is always like what can I touch that is not gonna make it sound artificial or that is not gonna make it go away from the genre because you always want to respect what that particular [genre] is," she says.

To learn more about Ramirez's career and techniques, watch the video above.

Amanda Davis Is Getting More Women Of Color Behind The Mixing Board

Matt Ross-Spang

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Behind The Board: Matt Ross-Spang On Why Memphis Is The Reason He Produces

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The Memphis native, who has worked with Jason Isbell, Margo Price and others, shares what he feels is dying in the studio and more
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Mar 22, 2019 - 10:10 am

GRAMMY-winning engineer, mixer and producer Matt Ross-Spang's first time in the studio was for his 14th birthday when he was given two hours of recording time at Sun Studio, known as the "birthplace of rock 'n' roll" in Memphis, Tenn. Engineer, musician and producer James Lott was on the board to help out. 

Mar 22, 2019 – 10:09 am

Behind The Board: Matt Ross-Spang

"I watched James working the faders and manning the controls and that's when I was like that's really cool." Ross-Spang says in the latest episode of Behind The Board. "'Cause I knew I wasn't going to be a great guitar player or anything I just enjoyed playing, but I saw that and I was like 'that's what I wanna do.'"

Ross-Spang, who has worked with Jason Isbell, John Prine, Margo Price and more, gets into how he produces depending on the artist, the kind of music-making he thinks is dying in the studio and some Memphis music history.

"If I had been born anywhere else I wouldn't be doing this," he said. "Memphis has kind of left a big mark on me."

Watch the video above.

Behind The Board: Lynne Earls Shares How Working With K.D. Lang & Others Taught Her Instinctual Music-Making

BTS

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BTS Taking An Official Break After Breaking Records & Offering Epic Performances

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Over the past 2 years alone, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook have broken several major records, made epic performances, and an album of theirs received a GRAMMY nomination. Now it's time for a break, their management said
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Aug 12, 2019 - 12:30 pm

K-pop superstars BTS are taking a break for the first time since their 2013 debut, their management team at Big Hit Entertainment announced on Sunday, Aug. 11.

"BTS will be going on an official and extended period of rest and relaxation," the South Korean entertainment company said in a statement on Twitter. "During this time, the members will rest and recharge in their own personal ways."

The announcement comes after an impressive run the past two years alone, in which Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook have broken records, including being the first K-pop band with a No. 1 album in the U.S. and made epic performances like the Beatles-inspired appearance on the The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In addition to other accolades for the group, their 2018 album, Love Yorself: Tear, earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Recording Packaging at the 61st GRAMMY Awards in February, bringing them to their first-ever GRAMMY show. 

Big Hit Entertainment asked fans to show the group "consideration for their need to rest and enjoy" their vacation, if they were to spot them during their time off. The vacation time will be a chance for the members to "recharge and prepare" for the next phases of their careers as well as be a "chance to enjoy the ordinary lives of young people in their 20s," Big Hit added.

The post did not specfically call out how long the time off for the group would last, yet the BTS Army has generally responded positvely to the news.

BTS released their latest studio album, Map Of The Soul: Persona, featuring "Boy With Luv" with Halsey in April, six years after they debuted with the single "No More Dream" from their album 2 Cool 4 Skool in 2013. 

Another noteworthy moment BTS has had with the Recording Academy this year was with GRAMMY U college students in Chicago for the May edition of our SoundCheck series. 

Thanks for all the music so far, BTS. We'll see you again soon. 

Lauv On "F**k, I'm Lonely," Staying Independent, Mental Health & More

Lana Del Rey at the 60th GRAMMY Awards in 2018

Lana Del Rey 

Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

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Lana Del Rey Unveils Fall 2019 Tour Dates

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"We are doing some shows this year and next! Looking forward to going all the way down the coast from Vancouver to San Diego :-)," the singer said
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Aug 1, 2019 - 3:49 pm

GRAMMY-nominated sultry songstress Lana Del Rey will be back on the road after dropping her sixth studio album Norman Fucking Rockwell Aug. 30. She has announced a short, predominantly West Coast tour in the U.S. in support of the follow-up to 2017's Lust For Life.

The tour will start in Wantagh, N.Y. on Sept. 21, head to West Coast cities like Berkeley, Calif., Seattle Los Angeles and more before its last stop in the U.S.: San Diego on Oct. 11. After the last date, Del Rey will head to Europe. 

"We are doing some shows this year and next! Looking forward to going all the way down the coast from Vancouver to San Diego :-)," the singer tweeted.  

Tickets go on sale Friday Aug. 9. Find more information at Ticketmaster. 

Cate Le Bon's New Beginning

Michael Lang 

Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Focus Features

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Woodstock 50 Is Officially Cancelled

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The anniversary fest was meant to take place in two weeks at the Merriweather Post Pavilion around Baltimore
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Aug 1, 2019 - 11:40 am

It's official: Two weeks before scheduled to take place, organizers have announced that Woodstock 50, which originally had Miley Cyrus, The Raconteurs, Santana and more as headliners, is cancelled.

The festival that was to take place Aug.16–18 has faced issues ranging from financial troubles to issues with venues, since its inception. Co-founder of Woodstock and Woodstock 50 organizer Michael Lang cited artists backing down as one of the reasons the music event has decided to not go forward with the event this time, after having recently found a new venue, the Merriweather Post Pavilion around Baltimore, and starting a collaboration with HeadCount, a non-profit committed to getting people registed to vote. 

"We are saddened that a series of unforeseen setbacks has made it impossible to put on the Festival we imagined with the great line-up we had booked and the social engagement we were anticipating. When we lost the Glen and then Vernon Downs we looked for a way to do some good rather than just cancel," Lang said in a statement. "We formed a collaboration with HeadCount to do a smaller event at the Merriweather Pavilion to raise funds for them to get out the vote and for certain NGOs involved in fighting climate change. We released all the talent so any involvement on their part would be voluntary. Due to conflicting radius issues in the DC area many acts were unable to participate and others passed for their own reasons."

Lang enouraged artists who have been paid by the festival to donate to HeadCount: "I would like to encourage artists and agents, who all have been fully paid, to donate 10% of their fees to HeadCount or causes of their choice in the spirit of peace. Woodstock remains committed to social change and will continue to be active in support of HeadCount’s critical mission to get out the vote before the next election. We thank the artists, fans and partners who stood by us even in the face of adversity. My thoughts turn to Bethel and its celebration of our 50th Anniversary to reinforce the values of compassion, human dignity, and the beauty of our differences embraced by Woodstock.”

The festival had been struggling with several details throughout its planning. The festival struggled with venue permits, financial support, and having a clear lineup. In late April, it was announced that the festival was canceled to due to the backing out of their original funder, Dentsu Aegis Network.  

Woodstock 50 Music Festival Finally Finds Venue, Merriweather Post Pavilion