Calling all music lovers! Are you interested in learning more about the music industry? Do you want to meet professionals who are doing what you hope to do in the future? Just last year, GRAMMY U opened its official chapter here at Seattle U, and now offers students these opportunities to learn the ins and outs of the music industry! We interviewed Craig Jaffe, the chapter president at Seattle University, to get more information:
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What is Grammy U?
GRAMMY U is the national college program that is run through the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs). Participating schools are placed into chapters that divide the United States, and Seattle University is in the Pacific Northwest chapter.
[This] organization provides many different opportunities for students who are interested in the music industry to get behind-the-scenes looks at what goes on in the industry, different ways to break in, and gives opportunity to shake hands with people that they normally wouldn’t get the chance to shake hands with. It’s unlike any other music club that’s offered at SU.
What are the benefits of joining this organization?
When you join this organization, you get a number of benefits! For starters, you’re a certified student member of the Recording Academy and have access to exclusive content related to the GRAMMYs, the music industry, etc. That, and your membership is verified through your entire undergraduate school experience plus an additional 2 years post-graduation, which is awesome! Joining GRAMMY U requires a one-time $50 fee for this, but it’s completely worth it. Other benefits include the chance to meet people in the industry, including artists!
We generally hold 2 or 3 soundcheck/interview sessions with touring artists that make stops in the Seattle area. Only GRAMMY U members get to go watch a bit of the soundcheck, and then get to meet the artists, ask questions, participate in interviews, and even have a group photo opportunity. These are chances that don’t come up anywhere else, and it’s such a cool organization for aspiring musicians/music industry workers.
Who are some of the artists and musicians you have worked with in the past through this organization?
I’ve gotten the chance to work with plenty of people through GRAMMY U, and later through other events because of the connections I’ve made through the organization. Directly through GRAMMY U, we’ve had recent soundcheck/interview sessions with Machine Gun Kelly in September 2015 and ODESZA in December 2015. More sessions are currently in the process of being planned with the Pacific Northwest representative, SU’s own Jackie Wade, so that’s something to look forward to!
As president of Seattle U’s Grammy U, what do you hope to accomplish this year?
I hope, above all else, to lift the enrollment numbers of GRAMMY U at Seattle University this year. It’s still in its baby stages at this school, but we’ve already seen a huge and positive reception to the organization this year. I want to be able to end this year as the representative for SU with double the amount of members that we had when we began. It’s a big undertaking, but it’s doable.
The only thing that scares people away is the $50 fee to register, but it’s worth it for the membership, the opportunities to meet people, the unique events, and the flexibility that the organization entails. We don’t have weekly meetings like most clubs; we notify our members via email. It makes it convenient for everyone. There’s so much opportunity presented for students from this organization! ☺
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If there are any inquiries about GRAMMY U, you can contact Seattle U’s Grammy U President, Craig Jaffe at jaffecraig@gmail.com. Jackie Wade, the Pacific Northwest Chapter representative, can be reached at GRAMMYUPNW@grammy.com.
If you’re interested in becoming a member, you can go here and scroll down to the “Student Membership” option at the bottom of the page. If you’re uncomfortable with forms of online payment, you can email Craig and he can get you a paper payment form that can be mailed in.
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