GRAMMYs

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.

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

GRAMMYs

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. 

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

GRAMMYs

Tainy

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Behind The Board: Tainy Traces His Path From Selling His First Beat To Working With J Balvin

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The GRAMMY-nominated producer talks about growing up surrounded by music, his journey into a studio career and collaborating with some of music's biggest names
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Apr 13, 2020 - 3:26 pm

GRAMMY-nominated Puerto Rican producer Marco “Tainy” Masís has played a key role in the continued explosion of reggaeton and Latin pop around the globe through his work with J Balvin, Bad Bunny, Wisin & Yandel, Anuel AA, Arcangel and more. In the latest episode of Behind The Board, Tainy takes us through his career's journey, how he got his start and some of the keys to his massive success.

Behind The Board: Tainy

 

"Music is a part of every house," Tainy said of his musical beginnings. "I  was growing up, reggaeton was starting to boom."

Tainy, called "one of the architects of modern reggaeton" by Rolling Stone, quickly became part of the movement. His childhood friend Josias de la Cruz, known as the producer Nely, introduced him to FL Studio and eventually to Francisco Saldaña and Víctor Cabrera of the production duo Luny Tunes.

"Even when I started to do music, I never knew this was going to by my career," he recalled. "I used to draw a lot, so that's what I thought I would eventually be doing. I'd be an architect or an artist. I was in love with music but I never knew how to create it."

Tainy began to pickup the tricks of the trade from his heroes while developing a sound all his own. Once he sold his first beat, he began to realize this was something he could excell at, and his career has come a long way from pitching packs of his beats to collaborating from the beginning of a project with some of music's biggest names. 

"[With] Balvin, it was a totally different experience for him to sit down beforehand and say, 'Okay, this is my vision. This is what I want to do. I want to try these sounds,'" he said of the formative expereince. "Giving us all those ideas and see how can we make this into music. Having him trust us with that input helped me grow as a producer."

Tainy was nominated for his first career GRAMMY nomination, a nod in the Record Of The Year category, for his production work on "I Like It," the star-studded smash hit by Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin. Reflecting on his success, Tainy talked also about how he incorporates what inspires him with his own ideas and what makes a great record.

"I think I understood, 'Okay, I have something that's me. Nobody else can be this or do this,'" he said. "All of these influences that you have will create something different eventually.. You're learning from them, taking different pieces to create something totally different."

Hear more from Tainy in the video above and stay tuned for more episodes of Behind The Board. 

Grammys Newsletter

Behind The Board: Joel Little On Working With Lorde, How Vans Warped Tour Inspired Him & More

GRAMMYs

Michael Sticka 

Photo: Rebecca Sapp/WireImage via Getty Images 

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Michael Sticka Named GRAMMY Museum President

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Sticka, who first joined the organization in 2014 and formerly held the position of Executive Director at the GRAMMY Museum, will continue to lead the museum's growth and strategy
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jul 30, 2019 - 2:14 pm

The GRAMMY Museum has promoted Michael Sticka to President as the Recording Academy and the Latin Recording Academy make the largest conributions to the museum in either organization's history.

Sticka, who first joined the organization in 2014 and formerly held the position of Executive Director at the GRAMMY Museum, will continue to lead the museum's growth and strategy. He will also "oversee all aspects of Museum operations, including curatorial, development, marketing, grants and awards, public and education programs, and more," a statement said. His contract will extend through 2022. 

“As Executive Director, I’ve witnessed our team’s incredible passion, hard work, and dedication, which has strengthened our impact and presence in the Los Angeles music and education communities,” said Sticka. “I’m honored that the Board has entrusted me in the role as President, allowing me to continue leading this extraordinary team with the purpose of driving our social good within the community and uphold the Museum's mission to educate, inspire, cultivate creativity, and share the significance of music."

Sticka, who created the museum's Community Engagement Department as executive director, said the museum will continue to invest in its community engagement, curatorial mission and education program. Sticka said the museum's goal is to reach 100,000 over the next five years. 

The Recording Academy contributed $5 million for museum renovations and technology updates, while the Latin Recording Academy will donate more than half a million dollars in a three-year period to grow the Latin music exhibits, education programs and the hiring of a Latin music curator. Both presidents of each organization shared their excitement for Sticka's promotion and their investment in the museum's work. 

“Under Michael’s leadership and guidance, the GRAMMY Museum has not only secured substantial new investments from the Recording Academy and the Latin Recording Academy, but has also seen a tremendous increase in visitors, revenue from attendance, merchandise and event sales, and more” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy and Chair of the Board of Directors of the GRAMMY Museum. “The Museum’s growth and path towards cementing its status as ‘the’ steward and place where Music Has A Home, as well as its future financial and business well-being is reflective of and a testament to Michael’s strategic vision, impressive operational skills, and exceptional leadership.”  

“We are thrilled to expand our relationship with the GRAMMY Museum,” said The Latin Recording Academy President/CEO Gabriel Abaroa Jr. “The Latin Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Museum share the commitment of educating the public about the significant contributions Latin music has made in the world. I look forward to expanding our presence inside the GRAMMY Museum in an impactful way that guides the narrative and preserves the stories of Latin music and its creators."

GRAMMY Camp Inspires Dreams, Not Fantasies

GRAMMYs

Michael Sticka

Photo: Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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GRAMMY Museum Awards $200,000 In Grants To Music Health, Research Projects & More

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The Museum's grant program, which awards organizations and individuals annually, has given more than $7.5 million to over 400 grantees to date
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jul 10, 2019 - 11:25 am

15 recipients will have the opportunity to do music related research as well as work on preservation and archiving programs thanks to a generous grant from the GRAMMY Musuem Grant Program.

The grants, funded by the Recording Academy, will award $200,000 to recipients in the U.S. working on various projects, including reasearch on how musical training affects complex memories, musical ahedonia and singing accuracy's relationship to cognitive function. Among preservation projects, some recipients will work on archiving 960 audio reels belonging to Cajun and zydeco artists, uncirculated jam tapes from four-time GRAMMY-winning folk musician John Hartford and "221 rare interview recordings with African-American actors, performers, composers, musicians, and scholars, among many other preservation projects."

"The work we help fund includes an impressive array of projects that are at the forefront of exploring music's beneficial intersection with science, and that maintain our musical legacy for future generations. The initiatives announced today exemplify the Museum's mission to uphold music's value in our lives and shared culture," Executive Director of the GRAMMY Museum Michael Sticka said. 

The museum's grant program, which awards organizations and individuals annually, has given more than $7.5 million to over 400 grantees to date, Sticka said.  

The GRAMMY Museum Grant Program strives to aid efforts advancing the archiving and preservation of "recorded sound heritage of the Americas for future generation."

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