
Michael Sticka
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Michael Sticka Reveals Details Behind Latest GRAMMY Museum Projects & Initiatives
In a new interview with Billboard, GRAMMY Museum President Michael Sticka has revealed more information on the musuem's latest grants and initiatives.
In July, the museum awarded $200,000 to 15 recipients across the country working on research and preservation projects. Projects include work on archiving 960 audio reels belonging to Cajun and zydeco artists and research on how musical training affects complex memories.
When asked why sound preservation and music research are important to the museum, Sticka said that providing funding to educational institutions was very important to the museum. "A museum at its core is an educational institution," he said. "The GRAMMY Foundation was founded 30 years ago to be the educational arm of the Recording Academy."
Sticka also touched on the Latin Recording Academy's more than half a million dollars investment in the musuem that will go towards Latin exhibits, education programs and the hiring of a Latin curator.
"One of our main goals out of the plan was to increase our programming to the Latin community through Latin music. It makes sense because our sister organization is the Latin Recording Academy, but it's also a part of our mission, especially being in Los Angeles county where 48 percent of the population Latinx," he said. "We really weren't doing our job or fulfilling our mission effectively with the Latin music gallery so we're very excited and very thankful to the Latin Academy for help with that funding."
To bring new eyes and ears to the new initiatives, the museum has launched a brand campaign called Music Has A Home.
"For the grants program, and any of our programs, we have a deliberate plan that we're putting together with some partners about our social impact and social good. We're doing that via social channels—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin—and through presentations that I’m making throughout the chapters of the Recording Academy," he said.
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