Music

Here is the rundown of the most amazing experience of my life/ the 54^th Grammy Awards.

Things that surprised me during arrivals, preshow:

-The amount of people eating McDonalds and other food at the concession stands in the Staples Center before the show stared… in black tie formal wear. I was hungry too, but not that hungry.

- That Mumford and Sons had to wait in the same line as us to get into the Staples Center! Sigh No More was the soundtrack to my life for an entire summer; so needless to say, meeting Marcus Mumford was probably one of the most exciting moments of my life so far.

Favorite moments during the show:

- Seeing the show live! It was really cool to see how they operate the stages and set changes. To be able to coordinate that many performances alternating between two stages and one outdoor performance area must be an incredibly difficult process, especially because of the elaborate sets!  Every performance has a different set and crews were hard at work throughout the entire show changing sets out.

- Chris Brown’s mad parkour skills. His back flip off a 12 foot platform made up for the fact that he wasn’t actually singing during his performance.

- Coldplay! They have defiantly mastered the skill of using lighting effects to captivate an audience. Their light-up bracelets were a great way to make thousands of people a part of the performance. Now only if I could figure out a way to make it light up again…

- Best New Artist winner, Bon Iver, surprised us with his win and the acceptance speech that followed. He was clearly uncomfortable accepting the award. Which leads me to wonder who entered him into the category to begin with?

- Nicki Minaj’s performance was…..well interesting that’s for sure. My jaw was dropped for the entire performance! Everyone expected something crazy, but I don’t think anyone was prepared for anything that weird.

- Dave Grohl’s remarks on the how important the “human element” is in music. I wanted to stand and clap for him, but was too scared I would fall down the 300 level’s concrete stairs. Rock on Dave!

- Katy Perry debuted a new song. “Part of Me” clearly takes aim at a certain someone who just broke things off with Perry.  “So you can keep the diamond ring, It don’t mean nothin’ anyway, In fact you can keep everything, except for me.” Wonder who she is referring to…

- Jennifer Hudson’s tribute to Whitney Huston was absolutely beautiful.  She was the perfect choice to perform the last minute tribute. The Staples Center was dead silent for the first time in the evening as Hudson gave everyone in the crowd Goosebumps.

- At first, I was getting annoyed with how many times Adele was winning. However, her sweet and very down-to-earth acceptance of the awards made me a little less bitter. As she received the final award of the evening she even commented on how there was snot running down her face. Adele keepin’ it real!

The official Grammy after-party was a perfect way to wrap up the evening. After sitting in a stadium chair in the Staples Center for over three hours, through many boring commercial breaks; we were all very ready to dance, eat, drink, and listen to more music of course! The official after-party held next door to at the convention center had performances from Kenny Loggins and OneRepublic. The party was very colorful and tropical themed with numerous cirque du soleil type performers throughout the room. I’ve never really been a big fan of OneRepublic, but they put on an outstanding show for the thousands of people at the after-party.  The mixing skills of DJ Michelle Pesce kept the party going late into the night.

Overall, attending the Grammy Awards was an absolutely unforgettable experience. Just being in the same room as so many wonderful musicians was incredible. The weekend as a whole was the ultimate music experience; from seeing upcoming artists at the events during the weekend to watching the larger-than-life show on Sunday night. It was a weekend I will never forget!

With the shocking news of the death of Whitney Houston many are wondering how she would be honored with the awards just hours away. Tonight is the annual Clive Davis’s pre-grammy party in Beverly Hills. It is reported that the bash is still currently sill going on, although Davis is not in attendance. Whitney Huston has been a big part of the party for many years and was reportedly scheduled to perform tonight. Clive Davis has been given the credit for discovering Huston.

Currently, it has been confirmed that Jennifer Hudson will perform a tribute to the pop star at tomorrow night’s awards.

LA has been nothing short of amazing; the weather is a perfect 70 degrees and sunny! We spend most of the afternoon yesterday laying out under the warm sun at the pool. Do I really have to come back to Normal? I heard it was snowing yesterday…

Well anyway, to recap on The Grammy Foundations “One Night Only”; the event on Thursday night focused on the importance of live music and the preservation of historical music and video. The night opened with remarks from CEO and president of the Recording Academy, Neil Portnow, sharing his experiences with live music and the importance of musical performance everywhere; from the local coffee shop to high school gyms to major concert festivals like Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo.

The hosts of the evening, Sharon Osbourne and Steve Vai, gave deep (but clearly scripted) insight into why the cultivation and preservation of live music is so important. The pair commented on the most powerful of music experiences in historical and modern day America. Sharon Osbourne shared how her passion for music, rock especially, led for her to be the founder of Oz Fest. Steve Via, having toured with groups such as Frank Zappa and David Lee Roth, spoke on his experiences as a live performer and of the power of the stage to transform someone to becoming larger than life. Unfortunately, Via did not perform.

Kristen Madsen, senior Vice President of the Grammy Foundation and MusiCares closed the evening by stating that we are all a part of the live music experience. She commented that all performances, from small gatherings for house shows to sold-out arena tours, have a significant impact on modern day music and deserve preservation and appreciation. She then went on to introduce the final performance of the evening by welcoming Brett Michaels to the stage who performed a few of his hits from the 80’s including ‘Ever Rose Has It’s Thorns’.

My favorite performance of the night was by newcomer L.P. (You may have heard her song ‘Into the Wild’ in a recent
commercial for Citi Bank). Last night she performed ‘Into the Wild’ as well as a cover of the Radiohead song ‘Creep’.

I can’t believe the Grammy’s are Tomorrow! Yesterday we took a trip to The Staples Center to pick up tickets and caught a glimpse of the MusicCares event honoring Paul McCartney as the 2012 Person of the Year. The gala last night to honor Paul McCartney raised a record setting $6.5 million dollars for the Recording Academy’s foundation that provides medical care to musicians in need.

Ever since I found out that I could have a job in the music industry, without being a performer, I knew that my dream job one day would be in the music business. I have always loved music (who doesn’t?), and have taken a special interest in live music and the recording process.

This year I am very privileged (and beyond excited) to attend what is arguably the most important event of the year in the American music industry. In just a few days I have the incredible opportunity to attend the 54^th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

First off, let me answer a few questions that I have been asked a thousand times this week already: ‘How do you get to go to The Grammys?’, ‘Why are you going?’ And ‘Are you excited?!’

I received my invitation back in December because I am a member of Grammy U. The Grammy U organization offers college students the opportunity to participate in networking and social events that are organized by The Recording Academy; the annual Grammy Awards being one of these events.  My sister and I, along with a friend, decided to go this year to celebrate our final year of college! And because I think I’ve earned a nice vacation. As far as being excited about going to the Grammy Awards?….OF COURSE I’M EXCITED!

We are kicking off the weekend in LA with The Grammy Foundation’s, Music Preservation Event taking place tonight at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills taking. Many people don’t realize that the Grammy Awards telecast is only one of the events during the week to celebrate the awards. The theme of this year’s Grammy Foundation event is “One Night Only: A Celebration of the Live Music Experience”. The evening will explore the history and evolution of the concert experience; events and artists who influenced current American live music. This year’s Preservation Event is co-hosted by Sharon Osbourne and guitarist/songwriter Steve Vai. The evening features historical footage of influential concerts and music festivals along with live performances by Grammy winning artists. Performers who have been announced include: Robert Cray, Jonny Lang, Shelby Lynne, Mavis Staples, A Fine Frenzy, the Colburn Orchestra, Tyrese; and current Grammy nominated artist Dave Koz and Ledisi. Poison vocalist and Rock of Love star, Bret Michaels will perform the closing set of the evening.

It’s guaranteed to be an exciting weekend here in the City of Angels! Be sure to check back this week for more updates on the 54^th Annual Grammy Awards.