Lizzo and Ricky Reed

News

Lizzo Talks Creative Process, Standing Out In The Music Industry & More With GRAMMY U | Up Close & Personal

The "Tempo" queen sat down with 'Cuz I Love You' producer Ricky Reed last fall to share tidbits on her success and how others can be successful too

Jennifer Velez

GRAMMYs

Apr 23, 2020 - 4:42 pm

Pop "Tempo" Queen Lizzo has been no stranger to patience and perseverance on her road to music success.

Last fall, she sat down with Cuz I Love You producer Ricky Reed in front of an intimate group of GRAMMY U students to share tidbits on her success and insigth on how they can be successful, too. Among her pointers, she talked about how standing her ground got her to where she is today.

Up Close & Personal: Lizzo With GRAMMY U

"I was a bad bitch on this one," Lizzo shares about not compromising on her debut album Cuz I Love You. "I knew what I wanted and couldn't nobody tell me nothing."

Watch above to hear how she made herself heard while recording her full-length album, how she feels college graduates stand out in the music business, her thoughts on finding a creative process, and more. Plus GRAMMY U correspondent Emilie Menasse takes you behind the scenes of it all.

GRAMMY Museum Launches Free Digital Songwriting Workshop With Boi-1da As A Guest Professional

Photo: Steve Russell/Toronto Star/Getty Images

News

Put Your Dreams To Work: 5 Ways To Land Your Ideal Music Job

From dressing to impress to getting—and staying—connected with the right network, here are some go-to techniques for kick-starting a career in the music industry

Lakeia Brown

GRAMMYs

Mar 19, 2019 - 6:03 pm

As college graduation season quickly approaches, most seniors have begun the search for their “dream job" in musc. While it's an exciting time, the quest can be daunting, especially when applying to roles in an industry as competitive as the music biz. So how do you stand out? GRAMMY U provided answers and so much more at last week’s GRAMMY U Industry Insights: How to Get the Job workshop in downtown Manhattan. A packed room of recent- and soon-to-be- college graduates received pointers from a panelists of pros: Madison Rozynek (The Madison Square Garden Company), Ian Rifkin (Universal Music Group), Christine Schworn (Sirius XM) and Lisa Hauptman (Downtown Music Publishing). Here are a few valuable tips for landing the dream job.

(L-R): Lisa Hauptman, Christine Schworn, Ian Rifkin, Madison Rozynek, Jessica McDevitt

1. Dress the Part

The entertainment industry is known for pushing boundaries, but that behavior doesn’t apply to interview etiquette. While the dress code is casual to business casual for most of the music industry, always show up to an interview in professional attire. A general rule: It’s better to be overdressed than underdressed. Keep it business professional and leave the boundary pushing until your first day on the job.

2. "Thank You..." Next

Thank you is never a bad idea, especially after an interview. Be sure to ask for a business card or an email address, and follow up with a quick note expressing your continued interest in the job and try to include something personal that was discussed during the interview. If you want to go the extra mile, “hand written notes will always make you stand out,” says Christine Schworn, Recruiter & Talent Acquisition, Sirius XM. And remember, it typically takes about six weeks from interview to hire, so be patient.

3. Play Your Position

Dream big but make sure your experience matches the job. How do you know if you qualify? Read the job description thoroughly, and be honest with yourself. Recent graduates typically land Department and Executive Assistant roles at entertainment companies to get into the door. Don’t shy away from these roles, even the temporary jobs, because they often lead to bigger opportunities says, Ian Rifkin, Manager of Internship Programs & Campus Recruiting, Universal Music Group. Network, work hard and you’ll be ready for the next level soon.

4. Circle of Life

Remember opportunities exists everywhere, even among friends. Getting an informational with a senior level executive at a dream job is great, but you can also create opportunities within your circle of peers. “Network within your circle,” says Lisa Hauptman, Global Head of People, Downtown Music Publishing. Remember to not only look up, but across. Your peers are the next round of executives.

5. Stay Linked and Aware

LinkedIn, LinkedIn, LinkedIn. Recruiters utilize the career site as a tool to identify candidates so keep your LinkedIn profile up to date, and if you don’t have an account, sign up, says Madison Rozynek, Recruiting Coordinator, The Madison Square Garden Company. Be sure to use an appropriate picture and follow companies that reflect your interests. And remember, LinkedIn isn’t the only space recruiters use for online research. Your social accounts are a reflection of you. Be mindful of what you post.

Want More?: Check Out These 5 Surefire Ways To Make It In The Music Industry

News

Photo Gallery: GRAMMY U Spring Semester 2019

THE GRAMMYs

GRAMMYs

Feb 21, 2019 - 5:44 pm

GRAMMY U members met with Wallows at the Fonda Theatre on the Los Angeles leg of their tour for a SoundChecks. Members got to observe the band’s process of preparing for a sold out show along with chatting about the tour overall.

Photo: Darick Thomas

Julia Michaels joined Chicago GRAMMY U members at House of Blues on April 28 for an incredibly engaging SoundChecks program.

Photo: Matty Vogel

GRAMMY U members attended SoundChecks With The 1975 on May 15 at the Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville, Tenn. After listening to the band play some of their hit songs, students were able to ask questions about the The 1975’s recent album, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, life on an international tour, and how the band handles addressing political issues in their music.

Photo: Recording Academy

GRAMMY U SoundChecks with Ben Platt in New York was a blast!

GRAMMY U members attended SoundChecks and Q&A With LANY on April 28 at the Ryman Auditorium. GRAMMY U memberswere able to listen to the band play three of their hit songs and ask questions about their career and recent album, Malibu Nights.

Photo: Ridg Downs

GRAMMY U members had the opportunity to visit X Ambassadors at Serenity West Studios for an exclusive MasterClass. The band discussed topics ranging from their humble beginnings to how they have evolved through creating music. GU members also got the chance to play their own original content for X Ambassadors and received insightful commentary.

Photo:Nicole Brown

GRAMMY U members met with Sasha Sloan at the Troubadour on the Los Angeles leg of her tour for a SoundChecks. Members got to observe Sasha’s process of preparing for a show as well as spoke with her about her career and passion for songwriting.

GRAMMY U Nashville Events Spring 2019

Photos: Josh Behm

Nashville GRAMMY U members participated in GRAMMY U Week leading up to the 61st GRAMMY Awards. From January 28 to February 1, each day of GRAMMY U Week highlighted a different aspect of the music industry. Members attended events focused on “Behind the Artist”, “Behind the Studio”, “Behind the Video”, “Behind the Song”, and “Behind the GRAMMY Awards” which took place at Nashville universities and industry sites around Music City.

Phoebe Bridgers

Photo: Olof Grind

News

The Phoebe Bridgers Songs That Helped College Students Through Tough Times

Ahead of her appearance on GRAMMY U and MusiCares’ conversation around mental health, students talk about how Phoebe Bridgers’ music is helping expand the mental health conversation

Dani Friedman

Membership

May 26, 2021 - 9:49 am

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, folk-rock singer/songwriter Phoebe Bridgers is sitting down for an open and honest conversation about mental health with GRAMMY U, the Recording Academy’s university network, and MusiCares. Bridgers will touch on her journey with mental health, how her experiences have inspired her music and how music itself has helped her get through it all.

While music has helped Bridgers with her mental health wellness, her music has also inspired fans in their journeys. In anticipation of the discussion with Bridgers streaming on May 27 on YouTube and Facebook at 4 p.m. P.T., fans within GRAMMY U opened up about the Bridgers songs that have helped through their times of need.

Victoria, a GRAMMY U Member in the Philadelphia Chapter, shares that she has a personal connection to "Steamroller" off Bridgers’ 2015 Killer EP. The melancholic song about being in love with your best friend but being afraid to ruin the friendship makes Victoria feel a part of a collective grief. "[The lyrics] helped me be able to grasp my sadness [and] that other people are also dealing with what I’m going through," she tells GRAMMY.com. Whether about struggles stemming from the pandemic or other problems that life throws her way, the song acts as a safe place for her to express her emotions. She adds that many of Bridgers’ songs make her feel understood as they express similar feelings she has; While Victoria may not release those feelings out into the open, Bridgers does, and that gives her hope it will make others feel like they’re not alone either.

A GRAMMY U Member in the Nashville Chapter, who wishes to remain anonymous, agrees with Victoria. When discussing Bridgers’ song "Chinese Satellite" from her Punisher album, which describes her lack of faith and struggles of not feeling able to, the student says it helped them "understand my own mental health while also making me feel like I’m not the only one going through these things." The past year, especially, has been hard for students—remote learning has many feeling isolated amid an overall atmosphere that has disconnected people from each other. The pandemic has really taken a toll on college students across the world, and Alonda, a GRAMMY U Member in the Los Angeles Chapter, having been personally affected by COVID, including the loss of a close relative, was soothed by the same track. "'Chinese Satellite' [eased] my pain from all the trauma my family and I went through," she shares. "Her song was basically like a detox of releasing my emotions."

Aryana, a GRAMMY U Member in the New York Chapter, appreciates the brutal honesty Bridgers features in her tracks. She accredits her breakup anthem, "Motion Sickness," on the Stranger in the Alps album about her emotionally abusive ex-boyfriend "for getting [her through] some of the toughest moments," even considering her music to be a form of "free therapy." After going through her own breakup and feeling some of the same emotions that Bridgers’ sings about, the song really acted as a comfort in her time of need.

James, a GRAMMY U Member in the New York Chapter, talks more about appreciating the honesty that Bridgers provides through her lyrics in songs like "Kyoto" which appears on Punisher. Like most of Bridgers’ songwriting, he says "‘Kyoto’ is brutally honest, demonstrating her frustration with a person in her life as well as feelings of dissociation." It’s for this reason, he notes, that he believes her music to be refreshing. In a world dominated by happy pop, Bridgers chooses to be vulnerable and extremely literal in most. Her fanbase definitely reflects this and can celebrate her music on a whole new level, digging into their deepest emotions to truly appreciate it.

Although Bridgers is known for her sad songs, which seem to revolve mostly around death, they still bring joy to listeners. Liz, a GRAMMY U Member in the Los Angeles Chapter, touches on this concept within her song "I Know the End," also on Punisher, saying, “I find a lot of joy in the dichotomy between a not-quite-obsession with death, or in this case the end, and yet an obvious love for life.” What started as a breakup song about the depression Bridgers was feeling turned into a song about the depression she had from touring, ultimately resulting in screams about the entire world needing to end and wanting to visit her grandpa up north. This song is cathartic to Liz, especially while screaming along to it during the peak of COVID in Los Angeles, when she says it truly did feel like the end.

Each of these fans show just how much Phoebe Bridgers’ music touches each of them in a special way—whether it helps them feel like they’re not alone or shows them that it’s okay to not be okay. "That is what I love about Phoebe's music," Allison, a GRAMMY U Member in the Chicago Chapter says, "It can really transcend every listener's experience."

Tune into Mental Health and Music with Phoebe Bridgers, presented by GRAMMY U and MusiCares, on May 27 at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT to hear more about her own journey.

Listen: Kick Off Mental Health Awareness Month 2021 With MusiCares' Playlist Of Go-To Comfort Songs

Tayla Parx

Photo: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

News

Tayla Parx Shares Industry Advice During Her GRAMMY U Masterclass

Leading up to the 2021 GRAMMY Awards show, Tayla Parx shared tips and advice for GRAMMY U's GRAMMY Week event

Lily Moayeri

Membership

Mar 18, 2021 - 9:06 pm

In 2021, a music creative needs to be versed in all aspects of their career, not just the artistic side. Tayla Parx is someone who certainly understands the importance of being a multi-faceted artist. The chart-topping singer and songwriter has penned hits for Dua Lipa, Anderson.Paak, Janelle Monáe, Panic! at the Disco, Khalid, and Normani. She was nominated for the Album of the Year category during the 2019 GRAMMY Awards show as a writer for Ariana Grande's thank you, next. Parx is also a businesswoman (She has the Tayla Made record label, a publishing company called Parx Publishing, management company 3020, and Parx Studios) and is a recording artist—her most recent album is 2020's Coping Mechanisms.

On March 11, Parx led a Masterclass, Powered by Mastercard, via Facebook Premiere for GRAMMY U's GRAMMY Week event. In the inaugural event, in collaboration with the Recording Academy's Black Music Collective, Parx shared her creative music industry expertise as well as her business smarts.

Parx began the Masterclass by discussing creative entrepreneurship. She traced her beginnings in entertainment in her home state of Texas and remembered her parents' key advice: "be a student of my craft." She also spoke of coming to Los Angeles as part of Debbie Allen's dance academy and discovering her path as a creative. Parx shared that the "no's" she heard were what "built the whole adventure of Tayla Made."

She entered Babyface's Brandon's Way Recording as the youngest person and the only female. She remembered incredible teachers in this space who taught her how to collaborate. "When you get into a moment when you're uncomfortable in the best way…you're in the right place because you're stretching yourself as a creative," she shared.

Parx also spoke about management. The idea that "creatives don't do business," bothers her as "Creatives are the most likely to be taken advantage of," she said. Acknowledging that not all artists want to be involved with the business side, Parx said she preferred to build teams around her and to "Never let someone tell you there's only one way to do it." She wrapped this section by reminding the audience that they "could be the one that will create a new standard."

The next portion focused on how Parx crafts a song. She broke down the structure of a song and how each part works in conjunction with the others. She spoke of the importance of understanding the vibe of the room and how having empathy can help others get connected to timeless emotions.

"A hit song is a true song," she said. "A song becomes a hit because of the fact that so many different people relate to it. As a songwriter, it's your job to create those records that are timeless for people that are hearing it for the first time."

Speaking on vocal production, she stressed the importance of keeping collaborators confident. "There should be no excuse for you to not be able to get your ideas out," she said.

During this portion, Parx pointed out that there are a lot of avenues for music. Not every song needs to go to the biggest artist or top the charts. "Longevity is the only real definition of success," she said.

In the third part of the Masterclass, Parx touched on creating the perfect team. The multi-faceted artist said the first step in creating one is by identifying one's weaknesses and finding the right people to help with those specific things. The team should be set up on a strong foundation. She is "Surrounded by creatives who want to see an industry that reflects their views," and who, "want to change the direction of what the new normal is."

The last part of the Masterclass was a Q&A with GRAMMY U students who asked questions via video. When asked about social media, she shared the importance of tapping into data and analytics. She also mentioned how key it is to line up with what fans want to. Speaking to marketing, she said publicizing yourself was just as important as the creative work. When the topic of mental health came up, she recommended practicing mindfulness, gratefulness and affirmations, which is what she does to give herself self-confidence.

On the topic of being a Black woman in the industry, Parx said, "At the end of the day, people are trying to find hit songs, they don't care if a purple person wrote it. What you have to do is understand that your voice matters in any room that you're willing to be great in."

The 2021 GRAMMY Awards Show Reminded Us That Artists Are Fans Too

The GRAMMYs

Latin GRAMMYs

MusiCares

Advocacy

Membership

Lizzo Talks Creative Process, Standing Out In The Music Industry & More With GRAMMY U | Up Close & Personal

Up Close & Personal: Lizzo With GRAMMY U

Put Your Dreams To Work: 5 Ways To Land Your Ideal Music Job