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Wale and Rare Essence

Photo by Lars Niki/WireImage for The Recording Academy

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Go-Go Given The Royal Treatment At Inaugural D.C. Block Party

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The Recording Academy's evening of back-to-back concerts starred artists with ties to D.C., Maryland and Virginia: rappers D.R.A.M. and Chaz French, singer-songwriter Kevin Ross, art-pop vocalist Angelica Garcia, and go-go masters Rare Essence
Eliza Berkon
Membership
Jun 26, 2019 - 11:40 am

Jeriel Johnson says there are "incredible artists" everywhere. "But we know that some of the greatest ones are right here."

The executive director of the Recording Academy's Washington, D.C. chapter spoke with enthusiasm in a red-carpet interview just before the chapter’s inaugural Block Party on May 10. On a Friday evening, the micro music fest kept the crowds entertained at City Winery in trendy neighborhood Ivy City. Emceed by local radio personality and former BET host Joe Clair, the evening of back-to-back concerts starred artists with ties to D.C., Maryland and Virginia: rappers D.R.A.M. and Chaz French, singer-songwriter Kevin Ross, art-pop vocalist Angelica Garcia, pop outfit MAKUTA and D.C. go-go masters Rare Essence—with a surprise cameo from rapper Wale.

"It's a deep legacy," said Carl "Kokayi" Walker, GRAMMY-nominated producer and GRAMMY national trustee. "From Duke Ellington to Fugazi to Bad Brains to Chuck Brown. We have Marvin Gaye, everything."

Just before sunset on the third floor of the year-old concert space and hub for oenophiles (in a building once home to nightclubs Dream and Love), guests in Louboutins and blazers took seats at picnic tables to hear Brooklyn-based MAKUTA. Helped in part by their loud sartorial choices (think: ABBA meets Spice Girls) and touring drummer Christian Zawacki (a Virginia native), the family quartet played a string of rock-infused pop tunes. Doug Makuta, born in nearby Norfolk and lead vocalist of the band, has another tie to Virginia: He’s signed as a songwriter to ole-Bluestone, a collaboration between rights management company ole and Virginia-bred producer Timbaland.

One of the standout performers of the night, Angelica Garcia, is definitely one to follow. Within a minute of fading up a few soft notes on her Roland wave sampler, Garcia had the audience under her spell. She stood entirely alone on stage with a Tori Amos-like intensity, bathing the room in a rich aural tapestry of looped harmonics.

"I appreciate how lively every [D.C.] show has been," Garcia said before the show. "It's been cool that the crowd has been so mixed and diverse that people are usually very welcoming of my music." The artist’s father is from Mexico, and Garcia names Mexican ranchera singer José Alfredo Jiménez-Sandoval as one of her go-tos for inspiration.

D.C. Block Party: Wale, Rare Essence & More

The night was also a celebratory one for local musical education. In an interlude between sets, Johnson, chapter president Von Vargas and other local GRAMMY leadership members recognized a few regional schools for their contributions in music education: T.C. Williams High School (Alexandria, VA), Kelly Miller Middle School (D.C.) and the Richardson School of Music (Takoma Park, MD). They also presented Ottley Music School (Hyattsville, MD) with a $1,000 check to support their program.

The D.C. area has made as indelible mark on rap, with artists such as Shy Glizzy, Rico Nasty, Innanet James and D.R.A.M. gaining increased national attention in recent years. Chaz French is well-deservedly also on that list. Clad in an unassuming ensemble (tucked-in mustard polo, high-water tweed pants and black-and-white Adidas), French was dynamic and unapologetic in his rooftop performance. After abandoning a small balcony stage—saying, "It’s too far; I've got to feel the energy"—French joined the crowd below, delivering a short but feverish set, including a moment when he let his young daughter, Akai, take the mic on recent single "Handful."

But, as several interviewees mentioned, D.C.'s most sacred genre is perhaps the spirited, funk-based go-go. The music found itself in the national spotlight on May 7 with #MoeChella, a public demonstration and concert attended by thousands and now just one of several #DontMuteDC rallies popping up in response to local controversy: Due to noise complaints, a D.C. cell phone store that had played go-go for decades was temporarily barred from doing so. It’s an issue that resonated with many residents, a symbol of the seemingly boundless gentrification that’s redefined the city in recent years.

"Some of our members and our board were out there that night during the rally, and I think a lot of people have since come to us," Johnson said. "There was emergency legislation that they were trying to pass in October of 2018, called the Amplified Noise Amendment Act. And as a chapter, we stood against that. We felt like the underlying idea was to ban live, amplified street performances.

"That is what this city has been built on," Johnson said. "It's just been great, all these months later, we’re still at it, and the community’s still at it, and we’re doing everything we can to rally around local musicians."

Just before 10 p.m., D.C.-bred rapper Wale stepped out to introduce Rare Essence but stuck around for a live collaboration of the artist’s GRAMMY-nominated "Lotus Flower Bomb." The legendary go-go group, founded in 1976, recently dropped "Don’t Mute DC," a musical defense of go-go and its history. 

"This is where go-go was born, and this is where go-go lives," Wale told us earlier in the night. "That’s the unique gumbo … our Trojan horse in the music game, essentially."

As the band moved on to play its own polyrhythmic take on Ashlee Simpson’s "Pieces of Me," it was difficult to find someone who wasn't dancing.

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

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Sierra Lever

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:NEXT With Sierra Lever: The Rising Music Marketer Talks Artist Storytelling, Kendrick Lamar & More

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The future industry leader and Associate Marketing Director at Columbia Records opens up about how 'Good Kid, M.A.A.D City' inspired her to champion artists' stories and pursue a career in music
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Nov 11, 2019 - 1:31 pm

Meet Sierra Lever, a young music professional primed to make waves in the industry. As Associate Marketing Director at Columbia Records, she already has worked on such major releases as Tyga, Polo G, Chloe X Halle, Chase B, and previously at Motown Records on Migos, Stefflon Don, Zaytoven, and more. She's also featured in the latest episode of :NEXT, the Recording Academy’s new digital short-run series featuring the future of the music industry.

Music Marketer Sierra Lever Is :NEXT

Her journey began back home in Portland, where she put on parties to showcase local talent. She began booking more artists, big artists, such as Too $hort and Big Krit on her college campus. Her DIY spirit and interest in the behind-the-scenes workings of the music business led to her joining GRAMMY U and eventually taking an internship in the Recording Academy, where she worked in the Awards department and the Executive Office.

This wide range of experience helped illuminate Sierra's path into marketing, where she could learn how to tell artists' stories in a way that helps spread the word about their music. And while going to a Spice Girls concert as a little girl that lit the initial spark of Sierra's interest in music, it was a seminal hip-hop album that showed her the way to a career in the industry.

"Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid, M.A.A.D City was the album that really inspired me to enter into the music industry," she said. "[It] really tells his story. And it connected to me, and it connected to so many, It really represented the pressures of our environment that we live in… the minute I listened to it, it was on repeat. There's really no skips for this album. It's very thematic. It has all these different themes from the Bible to street violence to love and lust, all those different elements."

Sierra felt she was part of something when she listened to that album. Not content to be just a fan, she wanted to share that sense of belonging. She drew inspiration from the artists she loved and channeled those storytelling concepts into her own career on the business side of music.

"You have to be a student of the game," she said. "That is what really shows. You see these artists and you see how them studying the game really translates to their evolution over time, and I feel like that's the same for me working as a professional in music, [finding my] individuality [and] really taking risks."

Sierra first heard about :NEXT as an intern at the Academy. As her eligibility for GRAMMY U was coming to a close, Lever thought it'd be the perfect segue into a professional career. She was right.

"The best part about being a 'Nexter' is really being able to connect with your peers and see your peers evolve. That is a big thing for me, to be able to support each other, to know that you do have a support system," she said, adding, "We have panels, we have these industry vets that we get to have that face time with and connection with."

Sierra also talks fondly of her mentor, Recording Academy Washington D.C. Chapter Executive Director Jeriel Johnson. "He is someone who is really connected in the urban [music] space, someone who is a leader within it. I identified with him in the sense of, this is where I want to go and where I want to grow," she said.

"The most valuable lesson I learned from him is to always try," Sierra said. "Always go with your foot forward in the sense of, 'I'm learning and I'm going to be successful.'"

Now, Lever is striving to pursue her dreams in the music industry, and being a part of :NEXT has helped her stay on course. She compares the support she's received—and given to her fellow young music professionals—to that of a family.

"I will say this: The GRAMMYs, they are a family to me. There are so many people who have seen me evolve over time," Sierra says.

Her long-term vision is to continue to tell artists' stories, and she's off to a great start. She puts it best when asked what else she's learned from Johnson,  her :NEXT mentor, about being successful in music:

"When you strive for success, you never fail, you just learn."

:NEXT With Scott Michael Smith: The Innovative Producer/Mixer On Taking Risks, Steve Reich & More

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

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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.

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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Tracy Hamlin and Elise Perry

Tracy Hamlin and Elise Perry

Photo: Shannon Finney/Getty Images

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

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Members of the Washington D.C. Chapter Executive Board weigh in on what makes the city's scene sizzle and how they are helping create more opportunities for local musicians
Sarah Godfrey
GRAMMYs
Jan 7, 2019 - 12:47 pm

With a rich history and a bright future, the Washington D.C. music scene is truly alive. In fact, new music venues, both traditional rooms and more eclectic spaces, have been flooding the Washington D.C. area of late. Want to hear a band play inside of a pie shop? No problem. Require a sommelier as part of your concertgoing experience? Sure thing. Want to see a show from the inside of a geodesic dome turned giant snow globe in the middle of summer? No sweat.

An exact count is difficult to come by, but earlier this year, The Washington Post estimated roughly 24 new music venues have opened in the region, which includes part of Virginia and Maryland, since 2013. That’s in addition to existing venues—a mix of stadiums, arenas, concert halls, opera houses, amphitheaters, clubs, warehouses, at least one converted Baptist church, and a slew of coffeehouses, wineries, and breweries that also serve up live music. 

The region’s penchant for creating a music venue out of pretty much any interesting standing structure is one of the things that makes the scene in D.C. stand out, says Carl “Kokayi” Walker, artist, producer, educator, and current board trustee of the D.C. Chapter of the Recording Academy.

“We’re not all about policy and politics—we’re about creativity,” Walker says. “From intimate spaces like Songbyrd… to the Anthem when you want to see bands get crazy, to alt spaces, I think those are the things that make a difference in the music community here… This is the place where punk rock originated, the place where our own indigenous music, go-go, comes from, and a place we strive to make sure other musicians live up to their musicianship.”

Carl "Kokayi" Walker

Carl "Kokayi" Walker

One of the goals, and challenges, facing the leadership of the D.C. Chapter of the Recording Academy is making sure D.C.-based musicians have the resources they need to benefit from changes in the area’s music scene and ensure that homegrown artists always have a platform.

While growth and diversity of performances in the area is a boon for listeners, the impact on area musicians is trickier to parse. The opening of new venues doesn’t always translate into more performance opportunities for locally-based artists. And, amid all the grand openings have been a slew of closing parties for beloved local musical institutions that once served not only as show locations, but places for artists to gather. How does a scene that spans dozens of genres, covers three states, and now plays out at a dizzying number of venues stay strong and connected?

“My goal for the D.C. Chapter of the Recording Academy is really to create a situation of engagement among the professionals here,” says Elise Perry, producer, composer, arranger, film/television director, and vice president of the D.C. Chapter of the Recording Academy. “Whether it’s an entire art and music symposium or just some form of showcasing artistic talent and performance specifically, the more things we do to engage people, the more it helps the community and the more we can be seen as an engaged, connected community.” 

Elise Perry 

Elise Perry 

Perry, who grew up in D.C., says that a childhood spent performing with the DC Youth Orchestra and playing “desk drums,” to recreate the beat of popular go-go groups, meant “musical experience was absolutely part of what D.C. had to offer me.” As a result, she works to “insist that there’s recognition of the music community here and that there are spaces for our artists, so we can continue to make sure people are being seen and heard.”

Singer, songwriter, music educator, record label owner, and Recording Academy trustee Tracy Hamlin says she sees her role in the D.C. Chapter as working with her fellow board members to “engage, connect, support, and educate” members of the D.C. music community.

“When I first joined the chapter, I was an inactive member,” says Hamlin, who has been on the D.C. board for seven years. “But I said to myself, ‘You need to come closer. You only get out of it what you put into it.’ I encourage [everyone] to come closer.” 

Tracy Hamlin

Tracy Hamlin

At a time when the region and its music scene are growing and shifting, Hamlin is pulling people in and building community among artists by creating unique opportunities for performance and connection. In October, she held her inaugural Sweet Jazz and Wine Festival, an event with a charitable component—it raised funds to give two artists from low-income families a year of private instruction in their desired instrument. In a region where rents and the cost of living continue to rise, it’s a much-needed model that brings together D.C. musicians together in support of their fellow artists. Hamlin says the event is typical of the generosity of the area’s music community.

“There are a lot of folks here connecting with people from different genres, people building rapport and friendships and collaborating,” Hamlin says.

Von Vargas, hip-hop artist and producer, and the current D.C. Chapter president, enjoys the challenge of serving the different “pockets” of artists in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, and notes that artists seeking community and fellowship should look to service.

Von Vargas

Von Vargas

“Being in the entertainment industry, our careers can sometimes be more self-driven,” he says. “Sometimes it’s good to put that aside and try to make a way for others. I think serving others, taking time out to do that is important. Being [an Academy member] is one way – serving in the Academy is a selfless effort.”

Priscilla Clarke, president and CEO of the entertainment public relations firm Clarke & Associates, says that although the Washington area is more than just political ties, artists in the area should take advantage of Washington’s position as a seat of political power to advocate for themselves and others.

Priscilla Clarke

Priscilla Clarke

“Know what opportunities and resources exist,” says Clarke, who has been involved in the D.C. Chapter of the Recording Academy for 16 years, and is its current secretary, “Learn more about the chapter…and get involved in other groups with other music markers to learn what’s going on in your city. It’s important to know that you do have a voice and you can utilize it to make a change.”

Walker says that no matter how many new venues crop up, or how much the music scene in D.C. changes, a tight-knit network of dedicated artists will always be a strong, consistent presence.  

“We’re a specific, special community that watches out for our own,” says Walker. “For our creators and creatives, and people who are involved with music, and have a love of music and the business of music.”

Washington D.C. Chapter Presents: Vocal Health Tips From Lalah Hathaway, Anthony Hamilton & More

 

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2020 New Member Class Roundtable

 
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Recording Academy Invites & Celebrates Its 2020 New Member Class

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Academy President/CEO Harvey Mason jr. says, "We'll continue to fight to achieve inclusive representation across gender, race, age, national origin, sexual orientation, and beyond within our community"
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jul 9, 2020 - 6:30 am

Today the Recording Academy invited more than 2,300 music professionals the join as its 2020 new member class. The invitees come from wide-ranging backgrounds, genres and disciplines. They have made important contributions to music and posess the potential to influence progressive changes within the music industry.

By the numbers, the 2020 class of invitees is 48 percent female, 21 percent African American/African descent, 8 percent Hispanic, and 3 percent Asian American and Pacific Islander. The representation of this class also spans ages, genre and region. The Recording Academy's current membership is 26 percent female and 25 percent from traditionally underrepresented communities.

"We are proud of the strides we've made toward ensuring our membership is diverse and inclusive, which is reflected within this new pool of invitees,” said Harvey Mason jr., Chair and Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy. "While this progress signifies meaningful impact, there's still more work to be done. We'll continue to fight to achieve inclusive representation across gender, race, age, national origin, sexual orientation, and beyond within our community. Furthermore, we’re excited to see how the contributions of the incoming new member class will help inspire meaningful change within the music industry."

Ensuring that the Recording Academy's membership is fully representative of the music community has been a longstanding goal of Recording Academy Trustees. In December 2019, the Recording Academy pledged to implement 17 of 18 reforms set forth by the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force, including increasing outreach to diverse communities and doubling the number of women voters by 2025. Specifically, this means 2,500 new women voters by the year 2025. 

To celebrate the incoming new member class, GRAMMY.com Editor-In-Chief Justin Joseph hosted a roundtable discussion on June 24 titled "Your Academy: Welcoming the 2020 New Member Class." Featuring new invitees and existing members, the conversation showcased an authentic look into what it means to be a member of the Academy, the important initiatives worked on year-round, progress members hope to see within the Academy, and diversity and inclusion in the music industry at large.

“As part of the Membership Committee for the last year for the LA Chapter… this is what I tell everyone when we’re talking about Membership in the Recording Academy," GRAMMY winner John Legend explained. "As much as we all complain about who won the GRAMMY this year for this or that, and how we’re not being represented in the right way, we literally can change it by being there—by showing up, by telling or collaborators to show up and be there…We can literally be the change that we want to see in the Academy.”

Coming from the opposite coast, GRAMMY-winning mastering engineer Emily Lazar also weighed in on the importance of the duty and value of being an active Recording Academy member during the roundtable.

“I became a governor in my local Chapter in New York, and the second I engaged on that level, everything really changed for me as far as understanding what the Academy had for me and what I could bring to the Academy," she said. "That give-and-take was very important to me, personally.”

This message of service resonated with the new members, such as Ozuna, the Latin trap/pop hitmaker who has been hailed as the "New King of Reggaeton."

“I’m entering the Recording Academy as a new member—even though I thankfully have had success early on and throughout my career—but I am still new to experiences in the music industry," Ozuna said. "On this zoom call, I’ve learned that I can influence in the music industry by doing more than just producing and making songs.”

 “At first I had the idea that the Academy was more of over 40, non-black men who would base all action on popularity and stats," admitted versatile singer/songwriter Victoria Monet during the roundtable. "Now learning more about what is actually happening, I think that’s important to communicate to my peers, because I think they also have no idea—they just want the GRAMMY—if they don’t get it, they complain and have no idea about the process.”

With this diverse new class enriching the landscape of the Academy, showcasing more talents from more areas of the music community than ever before, the view for many incoming members feels more like home, somewhere anyone can see themselves making a meaningful difference.

 “I had a realization one day," said rising artist Kiana Ledé. "Why can’t I be the girl that represents all the other girls that feel like me? I think that coincides with how I felt about the GRAMMYs and the Recording Academy. I have definitely been the person to sit back and complain, and cry, and be upset when I haven’t seen myself being represented. And then I realized I have so much power within myself—to put myself in that position—to represent people like me. I can be that person to step out and do that.”

Seconding Lede's empowering words, GRAMMY-winning gospel legend and ardent advocate for music creators' rights Yolanda Adams talked about the education and opportunities Academy membership can help unlock.

 “It is up to us as artists to educate ourselves," Adams said. "We need to get ourselves informed, and the great place to do that is start with the Recording Academy’s websites, their webinars, all of those things are there just for you to make sure that your transition from non-member to member is worth it, because there’s so many things that are afforded to you through the Academy.”

Ultimately, the power is in the hands of the members, which underscores the importance of this year's class becoming involved in the process.

“As much change as you want to see, you can be the voice that makes it happen," said Legend. "If you want to get involved, if you want to make difference, you really have the ability to do so right away. You don’t have to wait until you have more seniority... You can come into these meetings right away, have your voice heard, and folks really want to be responsive to what you have to say.”

Tammy Hurt, Vice Chair of the Academy's Board of Trustees, backed up Legend's powerful words with some insight on what's keeps her passionately involved in the process. "One of my favorite things about the Academy is that everything we do is 100 percent peer-driven," she shared. "The process is driven specifically by the Members who serve the Academy. If there’s something that you love, that you want to get involved with, you’re passionate about, by all means. If there’s something you want to change, by all means. It’s rolling up your sleeves, showing up, engaging and being part of the process.”

In fact, the more than 2,300 new invitations extended today represent the continuation of the Academy's community-driven and peer-reviewed membership model, which was implemented in 2018 in an ongoing effort to be more representative and relevant.

"Building out our membership body is a process that encourages inclusivity from start to finish, and it's a privilege to extend invitations to the 2020 class of invitees that represent the wide-ranging backgrounds and crafts that makes the music industry so unique," said Kelley Purcell, Senior Director of Member Outreach at the Recording Academy. "These individuals will become the driving force behind the Recording Academy, and it's encouraging to see how our membership continues to evolve each year as we take steps toward building a more inclusive and vibrant community."

For more information on the Recording Academy's membership process and requirements, visit here. For full information and details surrounding the new class visit here.

The Recording Academy & Color Of Change Team Up To Promote Positive Change In The Music Industry

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