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Donny Hathaway

Donny Hathaway

Photo: Stephen Verona/Getty Images

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Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" At 50 donny-hathaway-this-christmas-50-year-anniversary

How Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" Became An Eternal Holiday Classic

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Donnita Hathaway, the daughter of the R&B and soul legend, tells GRAMMY.com why the iconic holiday song, which celebrated its 50-year anniversary last month, remains one of the all-time classics in that winter wonderland genre
Lior Phillips
GRAMMYs
Jan 13, 2021 - 9:07 pm

Christmas has always been a time of hope and potential, of love and joy. A time when family comes together and everything else stops so the world can focus on what really matters. And more than any other holiday, a song can evoke that feeling in a single moment. 

Nobody knows that quite as well as Donnita Hathaway, whose father, R&B and soul legend Donny Hathaway, released one of the all-time classics in that winter wonderland genre: "This Christmas," which celebrated its 50-year anniversary last month. "It's absolutely amazing to have 'This Christmas' celebrated every holiday season for the last 50 years," she tells GRAMMY.com. "It's humbling that this original song performed by my father and written by my godmother has that impact every year. And this year, in the midst of a pandemic, it's so special to feel the love from people saying that they're cueing up the song as a way to celebrate."

Born in Chicago in 1945, Donny Hathaway was initiated into the world of music at an early age. Reared by his grandmother, a gospel singer, in St. Louis, Hathaway joined the church choir at the age of 3; he later went on to study piano, eventually earning a scholarship to study music at Howard University. But after working on projects with legends including Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield and The Staple Singers, Hathaway left school to carve out his own voice and pursue a career in the music industry.

Only five months after his widely adored debut album, Everything Is Everything, Hathaway released "This Christmas" as a single in December 1970. Though it has touched hearts all around the world, the track particularly feels like it taps into the core of the Midwestern Christmases of Hathaway's childhood: the warmth of gathering with loved ones around a chimney fire, the twinkle of a special someone's eye underneath the mistletoe, the streetlights reflecting off the mounds of snow out the window. "Fireside is blazing bright/We're caroling through the night/And this Christmas will be a very special Christmas for me," Hathaway smiles as the horn section roars to life.

"This Christmas" was especially important for the distinct leap forward the song took for Christmas music released by a Black artist. "Up until then African American music wasn't represented in Christmas," percussionist Ric Powell told the Chicago Sun-Times in 2009. "There was Nat King Cole and Charles Brown's 'I'll Be Home For Christmas.' During the mid-1960s, James Brown was also cutting holiday tracks like 'Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto,' but they were more in the self-contained funky spirit of the Godfather of Soul than Christmas."

But "This Christmas" could extend beyond any box due to its unabashed sincerity and heart. "Donny was very upbeat during the session. He knew what he wanted to do musically and the impact he wanted to make with this song," Powell continues.

The song didn't necessarily take the world by storm on its initial release, but its appearance on the 1991 Soul Christmas compilation gave "This Christmas" the wider following it deserved. And while Hathaway's version of the song earned its place in the heart of the holidays, "This Christmas" has spread limitless cheer through countless covers. Takes on the track have spread across the decades, with everyone from Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops and Stevie Wonder through to *NSYNC, Christina Aguilera, Usher and Mary J. Blige releasing their own versions. 

"The top artists from so many different genres have covered the song, and it's so gratifying to see his musical peers honor his work," Donnita Hathaway says of her father's iconic song. "But the magic of Donny Hathaway will always make his version essential. There's the technical ability, but then there's the soul of a person that just pierces through and makes you smile, makes you want to be with that loved one. Every time I hear the song, it's almost like I can see him and feel the joy and contentment that are the essence of the holidays."

Lalah Hathaway On Father Donny Hathaway's Legacy

Within years of releasing "This Christmas," Hathaway's career grew to ever-increasing peaks. His 1972 duet album with Roberta Flack, Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway, reached No. 3 on the U.S. charts and featured "Where Is The Love," which would go on to earn a GRAMMY for Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus at the 15th GRAMMY Awards in 1973. Hathaway's ability to swirl soul, R&B, jazz and more into an undeniable blend—all while standing strong with his trenchant social commentary—made his ascent rapid and powerful. 

That combination earned Hathaway a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, 40 years after his passing. "When I learned that he was earning that honor, I just jumped for joy," Donnita Hathaway says. "You can't get any higher than a Lifetime Achievement recognition from the Recording Academy. And then [in 2020], Roberta Flack was acknowledged as well, and to have both of them back to back has really been amazing and beautiful."

But even as Hathaway's profile grew in the '70s, he suffered from flares of depression and was eventually diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. After stretches of relative success and struggle with his mental health, Hathaway was found dead outside his New York hotel in 1979, from an apparent suicide having fallen from his balcony.

While "This Christmas" is a massive element within Hathaway's expansive career, so, too, is his family's advocacy for mental health in music and art. In 2015, Donnita launched the Donnie Hathaway Legacy Project, which is devoted to honoring her father's legacy and shining a light on the importance of mental health through art, nutrition, self-care and mindfulness. "I didn't want his life to be in vain," she explained. "If I can help someone, help the mental anguish that someone may go through, then I've done my job. I lost my dad at 2, and I lost my mom at 19. I realized what happens when your heart breaks and you don't heal it. I wanted this to be a worldwide initiative that focuses on holistic tools like music, because music is a healing tool."

As many struggle with mental health over the holidays every year, "This Christmas" can be even more comforting. Donnita Hathaway's plan is to spin off a mental health initiative called Friends Christmas, which urges people to look out for loved ones, friends and even strangers over the holidays to make sure everyone has a "very special Christmas." 

"So many people have lost loved ones, lost jobs, can't be with their family members," she explains. "We need to talk about how we can make Christmas special for everyone. It helps that we can always look at 'This Christmas' as an inspiration, even throughout the year, to make sure everyone is feeling special. And it always comes back to my dad's music, while also acknowledging his life and the things that troubled him as a way to prevent that from happening to our loved ones and friends."

Lalah Hathaway On Mental Health Awareness: "You Can Never Look At A Person And See What They're Going Through"

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Donnie Simpson

Donnie Simpson

Photo: Aaron Davidson/Getty Images

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Radio Legend Donnie Simpson On His Historic Career donnie-simpson-interview-radio-hall-fame

Radio And TV Legend Donnie Simpson On The Key To His Decades-Long Career: "I Don't Have To Be Great––I Just Have To Be Me"

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In honor of his recent induction into the Radio Hall Of Fame, GRAMMY.com highlights the broadcasting icon's celebrated career, his impact on media and culture, and his ongoing advocacy for Black representation in radio and TV
Eliza Berkon
GRAMMYs
Jan 6, 2021 - 3:43 pm

About five years ago, Washington, D.C., DJ Donnie Simpson emerged from retirement after a little coaxing from his wife, Pam.

"She framed it really [nicely]. She said, 'Donnie, everywhere you go, all you hear is how much people love you and they wish you'd do something else. And God has given you a gift that you should be sharing with people,'" Simpson tells GRAMMY.com over a Zoom interview. "That's what she said, but what I heard was, 'Get out.'"

The affable radio and television icon ultimately returned to the airwaves in 2015. Five years later, he received one of the highest accolades in the radio industry: Last October, he was inducted into the Radio Hall Of Fame, an honor recognizing his contributions to the radio medium over the last half-century. 

The honor is the culmination of the legend's celebrated, decades-long career in radio, which launched in the '70s when a teenaged Simpson got his start on the Detroit airwaves. At the time, he looked to a handful of local DJs as mentors, including the high-spirited Ernie Durham. 

"I did not adopt his on-air style, but I try very much to adopt his off-air style. He always carried it with class," Simpson said of Durham. "And that was the example to me: to always be kind to people, to look people in the eye, no matter who they were."

It wasn't until Simpson left Detroit, in 1977, and logged his first few years at WKYS 93.9 in D.C.––a station he would reformat and lead to No. 1 as program director––that he found his stride on air, he says. 

"It's something I always say, and it's so true: I don't have to be great––I just have to be me," Simpson says. "Being you always works because that's the spirit that connects us. That's the thing that makes you real to people; they feel you when you are you. When you're trying to be something else, they know that, too."

Simpson says he's long avoided listening to recordings of himself for fear that the inevitable analysis would disrupt the "magic" of what he'd helped create. That approach also extended to his TV career, which started—not counting a role he now laughs about on a short-lived dance show in Detroit—when he served as backup sports anchor for WRC-TV in the early '80s. Not long after, he began hosting a relatively new show on the then-burgeoning BET network. Simpson had concerns about whether the show was the right fit for him.

"BET, in its infancy, wasn't a very pretty baby. The quality wasn't there. I've always been protective of image, because that's all I have," Simpson says. "But after thinking about it for two days, I decided this: This is our first Black television network. If you have something to offer it, you have to do it."

The two-hour show, "Video Soul," which spotlighted Black artists at a time when MTV was almost exclusively focused on white musicians, became BET's highest-rated program at one point.

Jeriel Johnson, executive director of the Recording Academy's Washington, D.C., chapter, remembers watching "Video Soul" as a teen in his Cincinnati home. Simpson, he says, was a "steady presence of Black excellence."

"He was the face of BET," Johnson says. "He was just a staple, and he had such a calming voice and he was super smooth. I just looked up to him as a young, Black kid who loved music ... And I remember seeing him and being like, 'Wow, I could be on TV, too. If he can, I can.'"

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On the program, Simpson interviewed artists who were already riding the waves of success or were well on their way: Jodeci, SWV, New Edition, En Vogue, Mariah Carey, Take 6, Whitney Houston. Regardless of the star who graced the couch each night, Simpson took the same approach.

"For every guest I ever had on 'Video Soul,' they would bring me a bio with all this information on the artist … I wouldn't even read it," Simpson remembers. "That's the point of the interview, for me to get to know you."

Elise Perry, a producer and the president of the Recording Academy's Washington, D.C., chapter, worked behind the scenes on "Video Soul" in the '90s, a pivotal decade for both R&B and hip-hop, she notes.

"All of these different subgenres of R&B really started to have an uptick in the '90s, and the fact that BET was present visually at that time, representing Black music in that way—it was a very special time," Perry says. "There were a lot of Black folk there, and it was just like a party. It was where I got my 'master's degree,' I call it. Everybody was family … It was just like a mecca."

Read: Meet The Recording Academy D.C. Chapter's First Black Female President, Elise Perry

Simpson treated the crew like family and has continued to provide unparalleled support for the D.C. community over the years, Perry, a D.C. native, says.

"He's our family. He's our brother. He's our uncle. He's that dude next door. He's our neighbor. He's our friend," she says.

"Family" is also how GRAMMY-nominated producer Chucky Thompson describes Simpson, who had a big impact on him when he was growing up in D.C.

"I've learned so much about people from him, just the way that he's been excited about their careers," he says of Simpson. "It transcends to you. It's like, 'Wait a minute, Donnie's excited? Now I'm excited.'"

For Thompson, who helped craft hits for Faith Evans, Notorious B.I.G. and Mary J. Blige in the '90s, "Video Soul" was formative.

"It was almost like another version of what 'Soul Train' meant," Thompson says. "But [Simpson] got even more personal with you because he was able to talk to the artists and give you a little bit of insight on what their journeys were … He gave me a lot of information on how to make it in this business."

"Donnie Simpson is the standard," Joe Clair, comedian, radio personality, on-air veteran and host of "The Joe Clair Morning Show" on WPGC 95.5 FM in Washington, D.C., adds. "My mom and dad loved him, my siblings love him and people from a generation after me love him. That is a testament to who he is as a broadcaster and what he means to us as a voice for our community. I've worked with him throughout  the years, and he's given me valuable advice both for career moves and for negotiating my worth. He is a shining example for a life in radio and television on your own terms."

Yet becoming successful in the business, including achieving financial success, wasn't an easy journey for Simpson. The DJ has been vocal about the need for equitable pay for Black DJs. In recalling his own path to multimillion-dollar contracts, Simpson turns to a lyric from Elton John's "I've Seen That Movie Too": "It's a habit I have / I don't get pushed around."

"I've walked out [on deals], because you're not going to get me for half [the] price because I'm Black; those days are over," Simpson says, adding that in Detroit, he made one-fifth of what white DJs were making. "That was a very significant part of my career, to be able to be a part of changing that narrative, to letting them know you have to pay Black talent."

Simpson has also advocated for stations to put more of the DJ back into DJing. In the past few decades, he notes, many DJs have watched their curated playlists and airtime drift away due to technological advances and the consolidation of station ownership.

"So much of its personality has been stripped from it," Simpson says of the art of DJing. "I play whatever I want to play every day, but that's the magic of it to me … I don't want a computer programming music for me, because every day feels different. And I like to be tapped into that feeling."

In 1974, Simpson played Elton John's "Bennie And The Jets" on his show in Detroit, a decision he says he fretted about because "Black folks didn't know Elton John." He played the song twice that evening and got an overwhelming response from callers. John himself was soon on the phone with Simpson to discuss the record's success in Detroit; he handed Simpson a gold record for the single six months later.

"It's music that you wouldn't traditionally associate with Black radio; it's Elton. But that was a lesson to me," Simpson says. "It's all music to me; I don't care who made it. I just care what it sounds like [and] if it fits what I'm doing."

The fact that most DJs no longer have the latitude to craft their own playlists is a big loss for radio, Simpson says.

"You have young people out here with great ears that will never get the chance to express themselves musically because it's all programmed for them," he says. "I used to love it when wheels would touch down in Atlanta or New Orleans [or] L.A.—wherever it was. I couldn't wait to pull out my little transistor radio and hear what they were doing in that city, because it was always different."

After Simpson learned he'd be inducted into the Radio Hall Of Fame this year, he took a look at its roster of honorees over the past three decades. When he didn't see New York DJ and “Chief Rocker" Frankie Crocker and other Black radio icons on the list, the announcement gave him pause.

"These are voices that you should know about, some great talents through the years ... legends that have gone largely ignored," he says. "But I also, in my acceptance speech, acknowledged that the [Radio Hall Of Fame] is trying to correct that. You look at the list of inductees this year, with Angie Martinez, The Breakfast Club, Sway Calloway and me––man, it's like #OscarsTooBlack. It's a lot of people of color that went in this year. So they have recognized that, and I applaud them for that."

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At a time when systemic racism and police brutality against Black people have come to the forefront of the national dialogue, Simpson says he feels compelled to speak out.

"If I were not on the radio, if I didn't have a microphone, I think I would still feel that responsibility to whatever people I encounter that I could talk to, to tell them how important this moment in history is for us," Simpson says. "I am so honored that I have had a platform for, now, 51 years to allow these voices to come on the radio or on TV and talk about these matters that make a difference to our community."

In 2010, Simpson retired from WPGC, where he'd hosted a morning show for nearly two decades, after contending with a "toxic" environment. But five years later, he was back at the other end of the dial on D.C.'s WMMJ Majic 102.3. Now, another retirement seems like the furthest thing from his mind.

"What's there not to love about it? I sit there kicking it with people I love. We have all the fun we can stand," Simpson says.

As praise continues to roll in from industry A-listers for his Radio Hall Of Fame induction, Simpson has advice for the many artists and listeners who now look to him for guidance as he once looked to his own mentors: "Be kind."

Each morning, Simpson takes a walk or run beside the Potomac River. While he says there's a health benefit to the ritual, he's got an additional reason to step out of his door.

"What I'm really doing is collecting smiles," Simpson says. "That's kind of my purpose: to bring warmth and joy."

Tune in for a special Up Close & Personal conversation discussing Donnie Simpson's career and life in broadcasting. Moderated by Jimmy Jam, the event premieres Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 4:30 p.m. PST/7:30 p.m. EST via the Recording Academy's official Facebook page.

Beyond The Beltway: A Closer Look At Washington D.C.'s Vibrant Music Community

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'Why? Because It's Christmas' album cover

Why? Because It's Christmas Album Cover

Photo Courtesy of Artists

 
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Tony Lucca On Mickey Mouse Club Alumni Holiday LP 90s-mickey-mouse-club-members-reunite-holiday-album-why-because-its-christmas

'90s "Mickey Mouse Club" Members Reunite For Holiday Album, 'Why? Because It's Christmas'

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Featuring more than a dozen former Mouseketeers, the 17-track holiday album will benefit MusiCares and other charitable organizations
Ana Monroy Yglesias
MusiCares
Dec 8, 2020 - 10:12 am

Disney Channel's "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club," which ran from 1989-1996, is forever cemented in pop culture psyche as the kid's variety show that launched the careers of Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and Ryan Gosling. Yet they weren't the only talented, charismatic young people in the show's cast to continue on to careers in film and music.

Always In The Club, a group composed of former cast members from "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club" across the years, brings together the show's alumni to keep spreading joy and to fundraise for important causes. On Why? Because It's Christmas, more than a dozen former Mouseketeers reunited virtually to create a 17-track holiday album, released Nov. 27, that delivers cheer and financial support to those directly impacted by COVID-19. Proceeds from the album will be donated to MusiCares, the Brave Of Heart Fund and Cast Member Pantry.

GRAMMY.com checked in with singer/songwriter/producer and "Mickey Mouse Club" alum Tony Lucca, a performer and co-producer on the album, who spoke about Why? Because It's Christmas, his time on the iconic show and the vital connection between art and service.

What sparked the idea for the Why? Because It's Christmas benefit album? What does it mean to you to be able to give back to those impacted by COVID-19?

It stemmed from the fun and excitement we, the cast of the "Mouse Club," shared during our MMC30 reunion in Orlando last year. Our castmate, Tasha Danner, had casually suggested we do a cast holiday record together, and the wheels got turning instantly. Fortunately, it was Dale Godboldo, along with Chasen Hampton and Always In The Club president, Lisa Cannata, who were doing the turning.

Always In The Club is an organization that serves as a philanthropic conduit for various charitable organizations year-round, pandemic or not. Having them as the driving engine of this collaboration provided for a very clear intention for us to get behind creatively. As for the three organizations that we chose to [donate to], I simply can't imagine any other causes that could possibly be more near and dear to our hearts as a team: those within the music industry, those on the frontline of this horrendous pandemic and our fellow Disney cast members.  

"I've always maintained the belief that empathy lies at the heart of creativity."

What does the connection between art and service look like to you?

I've always maintained the belief that empathy lies at the heart of creativity. It's why so many artists, musicians, songwriters, actors, painters and authors tend to ally themselves with noble causes throughout their careers. No one's ever obligated to serve or "give back" as they find success in their line of work, but it's no surprise to me that artists tend to be the ones that do.

Related: MusiCares Launches "Help For The Holidays" Initiative On Giving Tuesday 2020

What did it feel like to virtually reunite and collaborate with your fellow "Mickey Mouse Club" alumni on a Christmas album during a year that's felt very isolating and dividing?

From the very first Zoom conference we had, seeing each other "face-to-face," sharing in the enthusiasm this project was no doubt going to require, I can't tell you how much fun it was and a rather welcomed distraction! As a producer on the record, having a front-row seat to each and every performance, I would just sit there and radiate pride and appreciation for just how much talent exists amongst this group. It was great to see how much growth and maturity has taken place and wonderful to hear these endearing and familiar voices again. It truly was a pleasure. 

What is your favorite song from the project? Who decided which Christmas classics to include?

Well, I think "Go Tell It On The Mountain" is one of the best group songs "The Mickey Mouse Club" has ever presented. It's just so much fun and came out so timelessly wonderful. I love that it starts off the record and really sets the tone.

Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't admit that I'm also really proud of "Auld Lang Syne." [Editor's Note: Lucca performs this song on the album.] I've always been a fan of that song and kind of always saw it as the holiday season "bonus track." I'm also a fan of "firsts" when I make records, and this recording marks the first time I ever recorded myself playing slide guitar. I thought the "Amazing Grace" melody laid real nicely over the "Auld Lang Syne" progression, and the slide seemed like the best way to do that.  

What was the biggest thing you learned during your time in the "Mickey Mouse Club"? If you could give that younger version of yourself any advice, what would it be?

I learned the beauty and value [of] the art of collaboration, of taking pride in your role, your work, your contribution to the bigger picture. I learned how to show up and take chances. Looking back, I'd say I could've savored so much more of it at the time. Granted, we were kids, teenagers. It's not really in our nature to savor too much at that age. But yeah, I'd probably have quite a few more stand-out memories had I had realized how quickly and easily it can and will eventually all go away.  

To learn more about MusiCares and how you can support music professionals in need, visit musicares.org.

MusiCares & ELMA Honor Hugh Masekela With Matching Fund

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Inside Recording Academy's 'Pass the Aux' recording-academys-pass-aux-forms-zoomchella-community

Recording Academy's 'Pass the Aux' Forms a "Zoomchella" Community

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How the interactive incubator series helped new members of the Chicago and Philadelphia Chapters come together, collaborate and inspire
Lior Phillips
GRAMMYs
Sep 10, 2020 - 9:34 am

The very spirit of using the aux cord is inclusivity. Rather than a single person dominating the soundsystem, it allows anyone to share—whether that's their favorite song or their latest project. By bringing together talented new members from the Recording Academy Chicago Chapter and Philadelphia Chapter, Pass the Aux embraces that same radical power, reveling in the diverse representation and community of the cities' music scenes. The Recording Academy extends membership invitations annually, and Pass the Aux attendees were all members of the 2020 class. Sharing everything from psychedelic pop to trip-hop, the new members gained insight from each other as well as members of the Academy team and hosts Dan "Dilemma" Thomas and Dani Deahl.

"This situation is like a library, and Dilemma and Dani are like the librarians," said Pittsburgh-based rapper Harvey "Frzy" Daniels. "Everyone has different chapters, but we don't get the chance to read the same book. It's amazing that you've helped us all get together and get on the same page, in the same chapter."

https://twitter.com/Frzy/status/1296446938477473798

TONIGHT’S THE SEQUEL BABYYYY 🤩🤩🤩 It’s the last week of #passtheaux with @thegrammys and we’re playing records that have had an interesting journey from conception to completion. I’m so honored and excited to play… https://t.co/acfno4NIa2

— Frzy (@Frzy) August 20, 2020

Spread over the course of three weeks, Pass the Aux was designed to shine a light on some of the superb creative minds working out of the Chicago and Philadelphia Chapters for conversation and inspiration. Each night began with the dozen new members being welcomed to the Zoom chat. The artists popped into the Zoom chat one by one, their faces lighting up as Dilemma spun records. With tracks fittingly featuring artists from Chicago and Philadelphia, entering the chat felt like opening the door to Dilemma's club—walking through the gates of "Zoomchella" as one member put it.

GRAMMYs
Click above to meet the participants of Pass The Aux

The first of the events featured a virtual conversation between Chicago rapper Calboy and New Jersey singer/songwriter Ant Clemons. In the two-part incubator series that followed, Deahl and Dilemma served as perfect hosts, welcoming the new members into the conversation. "We created this for everyone to network and share," Dilemma explained in part two. "I really want to hear some collaborations from this group. Knowing a lot of the creators here, there's some special things in the making." 

Sarah Jansen, senior executive director of the Chicago Chapter, welcomed the group and led the introductions, asking everyone to introduce themselves by sharing what music they were currently obsessing over. The question melted any nerves or preconceived anxieties for sharing one's deepest personal work, the icebreaker allowing everyone to get to know one another through music—the thing that lives at the very core. With responses ranging from British R&B vocalist RAYE to baroque pop mastermind Perfume Genius, one could see the creative scope of the artists proved impressive from the start.  

https://twitter.com/danideahl/status/1296488052446105600

So happy to lead another session of #passtheaux for the @RecordingAcad tonight!

During these times when a lot of creatives feel isolated, I’m grateful we’ve developed these virtual events that let our members connect and share their music with other 🎶❤️🙏 pic.twitter.com/UkXnnbc3yc

— Dani Deahl (@danideahl) August 20, 2020

The group was then split into two smaller breakout sessions for each member to share new and in-progress work in an intimate environment where each new member's voice could be heard and ideas could be shared freely. Artists from the two chapters were split evenly to ensure fresh perspectives, with one room led by Deahl and the other by Dilemma. The resulting series of stellar tracks nearly cured the "lack of live music" blues, the kaleidoscopic spin from indie pop hooks to house grooves leading to a dozen solo dance parties in their digital boxes. Detroit's Ariel Corley (aka DJ Holographic) offered up a particularly hypnotic cut, sproinging bass, icy synths and burning 808 snares echoing the techno of her Motor City origin as well as Massive Attack chill. Jacqueline Constance's contribution proved similarly powerful in its orchestral funk depth, the Philadelphia artist having played every layer on keyboard herself.

As each track spun, fire emojis and caps-locked exclamations of support filled the Zoom chat, reaffirming the familial vibe. Though everyone was stuck in their own home, the arm-waving, shoulder-shimmying dance moves made up for the lack of high-fives and hugs that one might expect in a creative idea-sharing setting.

Rather than offering these tracks up for criticism, the artists turned to conversations of process, inspiration, and collaboration, always aiming to learn from each other and grow their skills. In the first half of the incubator, this naturally centered on strategies for remaining productive and creative even in the depths of the pandemic.

From his Chicago balcony, Gene Farris shared a jam steeped in the midwest house tradition, explaining that after a burst of creativity at the beginning of self-isolation, he'd felt things start to slow down. "Sometimes I don't even want to look at the studio," he laughed, highlighting the challenges of working from home. (Wrangling a child and expensive recording equipment don't always mix, it seems.) "Robot Scott" Carter used the downtime to build a studio (on impressive display in the background of his Zoom window), while Corley decided to launch a label.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEHhu2ShSYN/?igshid=1sl2fs79qxigd

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A post shared by Gene Farris (@genefarris)

As each member shared their track and discussed their process, the room's hosts provided a sounding board and powerful guidance. While the pandemic may have left many feeling isolated and stuck in their own heads, Deahl deftly encouraged everyone out of their comfort zones and prompted thoughtful conversations on production choices. Dilemma's powerful advice echoed Deahl's: "There are no bad ideas, just bad execution," he shared. While some tracks may take years to finish while you develop the necessary tools to bring them to life, Dilemma explained, that doesn't mean that they were bad ideas in the interim.

These mentorship roles proved particularly dynamic in the second half of the incubator the following week, as the new members were encouraged to either bring in new takes on the track for which they'd previously received feedback, or to share another song that showed a similar editing journey. In addition to breaking down the inner workings of a new track, Deahl shared insight into trends in a variety of genres as well as the industry at large. But perhaps most powerful was her sincere appreciation of the work of the new Academy members. "I would love nothing more than to listen to that track while covered in mud at Lollapalooza," she chuckled after the group enjoyed a new wave-indebted big tent jam from Chicago's Traci Trouble.

https://twitter.com/TraciTrouble/status/1296422148962164737

Tonight I’m joining the Chicago X Philadelphia Chapters for #passtheaux as a new member of @RecordingAcad. pic.twitter.com/onEd31MEPj

— Traci Trouble (@TraciTrouble) August 20, 2020

And while the guidance of Deahl, Dilemma, and the other representatives of the Recording Academy proved inspiring to the new members, their interactions with each other will lead to even greater inspiration down the line. "If this is something you love, just keep f**king going," Constance insisted, leaving plenty of appreciative heads nodding across the Zoom screen.

"Let's make some really good music and shake up the rest of the Academy," Dilemma added, as the incubator drew to a close. Judging by the diverse and impressive variety of music and even stronger community in this three-part series, the years to come will see plenty of both. While many may be itching to forget about Zoom and return to an in-studio incubator, Pass the Aux masterfully opened up the new members to each others' music, studios, hearts, and passion, building an intense camaraderie. And that's what the aux cord is all about: exchanging ideas, complementing talents, and being together, no matter the circumstances. 

Read More: J. Ivy On The Art & Craft Of Spoken Word

GRAMMYs

Hero The Band perform at the Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter Annual Membership Celebration
Photo: Marcus Ingram/WireImage

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Report: Music & Culture In "Future Cities" report-music-culture-infrastructure-can-create-better-future-cities

Report: Music & Culture Infrastructure Can Create Better "Future Cities"

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How sound planning for a creative future in our urban areas makes all the difference for artists and musicians
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Oct 23, 2019 - 2:27 pm

The future, as they say, is now. And for music makers around the world, building a future for themselves often starts at home, in their local creative community and in the city where they live. While technology has expanded communication and made the world smaller, cities continue to grow, making planning for the future a critical cultural mission of the present.

To that end, a new report by global organization Sound Diplomacy titled "This Must Be The Place" examines, "The role of music and cultural infrastructure in creating better future cities for all of us." The 37-page deep dive into community planning and development highlights the importance of creative culture in what it calls "Future Cities."

"The government defines ‘Future Cities’ as 'a term used to imagine what cities themselves will be like," the report states, "how they will operate, what systems will orchestrate them and how they will relate to their stakeholders (citizens, governments, businesses, investors, and others),'"

According to the report, only three global cities or states currently have cultural infrastructure plans: London, Amsterdam and New South Wales. This fact may be surprising considering how city planning and sustainability have become part of the discussion on development of urban areas, where the UN estimates 68 percent of people will live by 2050.

"Our future places must look at music and culture ecologically. Much like the way a building is an ecosystem, so is a community of creators, makers, consumers and disseminators," the report says. "The manner in which we understand how to maintain a building is not translated to protecting, preserving and promoting music and culture in communities."

The comparison and interaction between the intangibility of culture and the presence of physical space is an ongoing theme throughout the report. For instance, one section of the report outlines how buildings can and should be designed to fit the cultural needs of the neighborhoods they populate, as too often, use of a commercial space is considered during the leasing process, not the construction process, leading to costly renovations.

"All future cities are creative cities. All future cities are music cities."

On the residential side, as cities grow denser, the need increases for thoughtful acoustic design and sufficient sound isolation. Future cities can and should be places where people congregate

"If we don’t design and build our future cities to facilitate and welcome music and experience, we lose what makes them worth living in."

For musicians and artists of all mediums, the answer to making—and keeping—their cities worth living in boils down to considering their needs, impact and value more carefully and sooner in the planning process.

"The report argues that property is no longer an asset business, but one built on facilitating platforms for congregation, community and cohesion," it says. "By using music and culture at the beginning of the development process and incorporating it across the value chain from bid to design, meanwhile to construction, activation to commercialisation, this thinking and practice will result in better places."

The report offers examples of how planners and leaders are handling this from around the world. For instance, the Mayor Of London Night Czar, who helps ensure safety and nighttime infrastructure for venues toward the Mayor's Vision for London as a 24-hour city. Stateside, Pittsburgh, Penn., also has a Night Mayor in place to support and inform the growth of its creative class.

What is a music ecosystem? We believe the music influences and interacts with various sectors in a city. We have designed this infographic to show how music ecosystems work and impact cities, towns and places: https://t.co/0DIUpN1Dll

— Sound Diplomacy (@SoundDiplomacy) August 14, 2019

Diversity, inclusion, health and well-being also factor into the reports comprehensive look at how music and culture are every bit as important as conventional business, ergonomic and environmental considerations in Future Cites. Using the Queensland Chamber of Arts and Culture as a reference, it declared, "A Chamber of Culture is as important as a Chamber of Commerce."

In the end, the report serves as a beacon of light for governments, organizations, businesses and individuals involved in planning and developing future cities. Its core principals lay out guideposts for building friendly places to music and culture and are backed with case studies and recommendations. But perhaps the key to this progress is in changing how we approach the use of space itself, as the answer to supporting music may be found in how we look at the spaces we inhabit.

"To develop better cities, towns and places, we must alter the way we think about development, and place music and culture alongside design, viability, construction and customer experience," it says. "Buildings must be treated as platforms, not assets. We must explore mixed‑use within mixed‑use, so a floor of a building, or a lesser‑value ground floor unit can have multiple solutions for multiple communities."

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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.