Pursuing Dreams at GRAMMY Camp

Growing up in a small town, it’s easy to consider yourself the shining star of your community, particularly if you’re a deemed ‘expert’ in your field, especially in music. Being that East Meadow is a close-knit, small community, you can go to any school and know who is exceptionally talented just by walking into a music room. Here, you’re considered the greatest of greats or perhaps deemed the “Whitney Houston” of the town, and it’s pleasant to have such a sense of confidence. But upon entering GRAMMY Camp this past summer, I was exposed to the talent that resides throughout the country.

An interactive, realistic approach to a career in the music industry, GRAMMY Camp prides itself on providing an experience where campers “spend more than a week living, breathing, eating, drinking music — with students from all over the country and music industry pros.”

Though the camp ran in Nashville, Tenn. and Brooklyn, N.Y., I headed to Los Angeles, Calif., the only location to pursue music journalism. Along that track, GRAMMY Camp exposes students to several other potential career as well: concert production, electronic music production, audio engineering, performance for both instrumentalists and vocalists, and songwriting.

A stay on the University of Southern California (USC) campus, both a realistic collegiate and music industry experience, and two weeks away from my parents? How could I reject such an opportunity?

While immediately captivated by an overwhelming sense of uncertainty, GRAMMY Camp offered a safe, productive environment where those who dare to dream can dream beyond their wildest imaginations. In an environment where it’s okay to admit that you need guidance in the pursuit of your dreams, GRAMMY Camp provides the tools necessary to accomplish what one may stigmatize as unrealistic.

The music industry isn’t an easy field to succeed in and rough patches will certainly occur, but that’s what made GRAMMY Camp a realistic experience: no sugar coating; no hand outs; all hard work.