On Oct. 24, the world' s leading society of music people laid some precious knowledge on students. At a career day held in partnership with The Hartt School of Music, Dance & Theater at the University of Hartford, Connecticut, young professionals attended an array of topical sessions featuring movers and shakers from across the music industry.
By the end of the day, they had learned how they can put roots down in a complicated, ever-shifting industry landscape — and not only grow, but flourish.
After welcome remarks by Nick Cucci, Sr. Executive Director of the Recording Academy' s New York Chapter, Cucci sat down with Dani Friedman, the hospitality coordinator for seven-time GRAMMY winners and 34-time nominees Coldplay.
Therein, Friedmani discussed how she got her start in the industry, as a former GRAMMY U Rep and an intern at "Saturday Night Live." She elaborated on how all of those experiences set her up for success as she embarked on her career.
Friedman also discussed the importance of establishing and maintaining connections within the industry as a person just getting their start. She also discussed how to position internship connections to make the most out of those relationships after they graduate.
"As someone who came into this world without any connections or guidance on how to get started, I think programs such as GRAMMY Career Day are invaluable to both high school and college students alike," Friedman says. "It' s so important to share resources available to them and I am so happy to be able to give back already at such an early point in my career."
Afterward, schools attended two out of three topical sessions:
The first was titled "Navigating the Music Industry: Recording Contracts, Publishing & Royalties." This session featured Lee Dannay, Head of A&R at Thirty Tigers and Michael Goldstone, owner of Mom + Pop Music. Students heard from Dannay and Goldstone about how important contracts are in the musical cog.
"We too, started out as high school students with a passion for music and dreams of working in the industry," Dannay said after the event, adding that the career day session "instilled a level of enthusiasm and confidence in the students that will be invaluable to them going forward."
During their panel session, the pair discussed what it means to be paid royalties for the music one creates. They also gave students a bird' s eye view of major and indie label experiences, touching on the differing structure in each environment. Their key advice? Beware of the words "in perpetuity" — and balance your job with hobbies and passions outside of work.
The second was dubbed "Empowering Artists: Artist Representation and the Live Music Experience." This discussion featured GRAMMY-nominated jazz singer/songwriter Nicole Zuraitis; and Kristina Latino, Owner, Cornerscape Artist Management.
During this session, students learned all the nuances of representing artists — how to shop them, prepare to leverage their brand, and navigate the industry independently or with the partnership of a major label.
They also conversed about going to college versus jumping right into music, as well as the value of education and the unique opportunity that exists in the music industry to explore both paths concurrently. For example, as they posited, an English class will teach you the power of words — and those words can change the way you write a song.
The third session was "The Musical Landscape: Digital Marketing & The Power of Social Media," which featured the participation of Jeanine McLean, President of MBK Entertainment, Inc. and Tone Stith, Artist/Songwriter (Chris Brown, H.E.R., Quavo, Ty Dolla $ign).
McLean and Stith spoke with students about digital marketing, the power of social media, and how those tools are used to create and leverage a creative' s brand identity.
As a singer/songwriter himself, Stith spoke to students about how he has used TikTok campaigns to showcase songs, engaging his fan base through social media. From the business side, McLean discussed utilizing new media as a branding tool. She explained how her team works with artists like Tone to leverage platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook to build a brand.
"Speaking with the students in an intimate setting was very effective because it allowed our time together to be very conversational," Stith says. "I was able to share my journey of being a signed artist and singer/songwriter, they were able to ask me questions and I was able to ask them questions about their career goals and dreams. We talked, laughed and it was awesome because there was a lot of talent in the room, so I took out my guitar and we had a mini jam session!"
The day ended with a group session called "Internships: What are they and why are they important? with Marcus X. Thomas, Esq, Chair, Music and Performing Arts Management, The Hartt School, University of Hartford — as well as Chadae Bowler, Marketing Professional at TIDAL.
Thomas and Bowler spoke to students about the aspects of an internship and the opportunities that an internship can provide for college students. As Chadae said, internships are the "entry point to learning about the system." Students were able to ask questions and get a feel for how they can use internships to explore any industry.
All in all, the day was a smashing success — and these participants offered testimonials.
Said Thomas: "It' s incredibly significant for the Recording Academy to bring GRAMMY Career Day to the city of Hartford. Although New York is just two hours away, it can be challenging for many young people who aspire to have a music career to make it to the city and connect with the industry. By coming to Connecticut, the Recording Academy is making the business more accessible to eager students. It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that this has the potential to be life changing.
"The University of Hartford is excited to partner with the Recording Academy on GRAMMY Career Day," he continued. "This is one of several innovative initiatives we' re working on at The Hartt School to foster stronger relationships with area high schools for the benefit of the students we all serve. I hope we inspire students to learn more about rewarding careers in the music business, whether they come to the University of Hartford, go to another school, or go directly into the industry. As an educator, I want to equip students to become lifelong learners wherever their 'classroom' may be."
Added Dannay: "Programs like Grammy Career Day bring tremendous value to high school students, not only shedding light on behind the scenes jobs, internships and future career opportunities, and ways to attain those opportunities, but perhaps equally important:-the personal insight and encouragement shared by the panelists today, showed the students that their dreams and aspirations are attainable."
Zuraitis chimed in as well: "The music industry is multifaceted with a vast amount of opportunities for people to work within it, not just on stage! Showcasing and empowering students to pursue internships and look outside the box for career opportunities within the music business is exciting. Sharing my personal story about working from the ground up for many years helps redefine what success looks like on every level, not just at the tippy top. Personal stories motivate students to pursue a difficult but ultimately rewarding career by seeing that dreams are attainable with tenacity, networking and kindness."
The Recording Academy commends all who made GRAMMY Career Day possible — and urges you to keep checking RecordingAcademy.com for more news on events like it!
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