Grammy Camp Helps Young Musicians Fine-Tune Skills

July 21, 2011

Aspiring young musicians attend a Los Angeles summer camp and get tips from music industry professionals

Jonas told the young musicians he has dreamed of performing since he was five or six years old. He first appeared in Broadway musicals, and then became a pop sensation with his brothers.

Just 18 now and already a big star, the youngest member of the Jonas Brothers was just one of the music professionals sharing their insights into the business.

At the week-long camp, student musicians have a chance to perform while others -who want careers in music production- spend their days learning the technical side of the business.

Camper Ben LoPiccolo

Grammy camper Ben LoPiccolo is honing his skills in another part of the industry, as a music reporter.

“I found that I really enjoyed writing and telling people about music that I like to kind of expand their taste,” he said.

Grammy Foundation’s Kristen Madsen

These teens hope to be part of an industry that is rapidly changing -- in large part, says the Grammy Foundation’s Kristen Madsen, because of social networking, on sites like Facebook and Twitter.

“I would say that that’s probably the biggest theme that you can see, is watching the artists and the professionals come through and talk about, there are new ways and new roadmaps for kids to succeed in the music industry, and they have a lot more access to doing it themselves,” Madsen stated.