Graphic courtesy of the Recording Academy
news
A new monthly webinar series from the Recording Academy's Pacific Northwest Chapter and Sonic Guild offers actionable insights for music creators, with guest experts diving into timely topics across the music industry.
To support music professionals across the U.S., the Recording Academy's Pacific Northwest Chapter has teamed up with Sonic Guild to launch More Than Meets The DIY — a virtual, monthly educational series designed to equip artists with the tools they need to navigate today's music industry. Each session takes place the first Tuesday of the month and is available to rewatch via GRAMMY.com and YouTube.
"Community is at the center of everything we do," says Jessica Toon, Senior Executive Director of the Recording Academy's Pacific Northwest Chapter. "In developing this program, we sought to engage with artists, industry professionals, and organizations like Sonic Guild to deliver consistent, repeatable programming for our members on a range of topics they've been asking for: publishing and royalties, writing for sync, financial wellness, business fundamentals, mental health, marketing and publicity, political advocacy, and much more."
The debut episode, "The Evolving Role of the Record Label," featured Sub Pop CEO Megan Jasper and Beggars Group President Nabil Ayers in conversation with Toon. Together, the three explored how labels support artists in a landscape where everything from recording to distribution can be DIY — but isn't always the right fit for everyone.
"I don't think the role has actually changed at all in its most pure form," Ayers said. "It's hopefully people who love the artist they're working with and wanna share [them] with other people and wanna make a way of doing so."
Jasper agreed, adding that a label-artist relationship often extends beyond business. "You end up going through these first-time moments with them," Jasper said. "The first time they're on TV, it's a huge deal — something really meaningful to their families. You're alongside them through so many real-life moments, and it becomes incredibly bonding."
The series will continue through November 2025 and explore topics like financial wellness, sync licensing, artist advocacy, marketing and publicity, and mental health. Whether you're self-releasing your music, building your team, or curious about publishing and royalties, More Than Meets The DIY offers practical insights directly from people who've been there.
Check back on this page and the Recording Academy's YouTube channel each month for new episodes and insights.
For more artist education programming, visit GRAMMY.com/professional-development and follow @grammypro on Instagram.
Guests: Megan Jasper (CEO, Sub Pop) & Nabil Ayers (President, Beggars Group)
Moderated by Jessica Toon, Recording Academy PNW Chapter
Drew & Ellie Holcomb Share Their Beloved Guitars
feature
Held April 25-26, the GRAMMY U Conference Presented by Mastercard will feature panels, activations, keynotes, and performances with musical icons including Coco Jones, Laufey, and Samara Joy.
While it's less than halfway into the year, 2025 has already been a remarkable journey for GRAMMY U and filled with exhilarating community-building events.
One of the biggest GRAMMY U events of the year, the 2025 GRAMMY U Conference Presented by Mastercard will be held in New York City April 25-26. The event will bring together emerging music industry professionals and feature keynotes from GRAMMY-winning artists Laufey and Coco Jones.
Filled with colorful brand activations and futuristic photo opps, the conference kicks off on Friday, April 25 at Racket NYC. The event begins with a multi-station career center and continues with a keynote panel featuring Coco Jones, who will discuss her extensive career. That discussion will be followed by a talk-show style conversation with three leading music professionals. A final panel of top music content creators will wrap up the night, focusing on digital media presence in the evolving industry.
The second day of the conference begins with a GRAMMY U Unwrapped, where the band Lawrence will do a deep dive into their latest album, Family Business. Following this special morning workshop, the conference daytime programming continues with Laufey’s keynote conversation on genre innovation. In the afternoon, the Conference’s participating sponsor, Sony Pro Audio, will offer select members the opportunity to receive a personalized measurement for Sony's 360 Virtual Mixing Environment (360VME). The conference will conclude with an exclusive GRAMMY U & DEI Showcase on Saturday evening at The Bowery Electric, with headlining artist Samara Joy along with three GRAMMY U Showcase winners.
Read on for all the essential details about the 2025 GRAMMY U Conference coming up in New York City.
For the second year, GRAMMY U Conference will feature a career center offering members the opportunity to gain feedback on their personal brand development and learn from various music industry professionals.
Attendees can pose for a creative headshot at a photo station, have their resume reviewed by recruiters from companies like Sony and SoundCloud, and engage in mock interviews with industry professionals. They’ll also get the chance to browse info and resource tables from various local nonprofit music organizations including The Digilogue, HeadCount, Girls Who Listen, Women In Music, Gender Amplified, She Is The Music, and many others.
At various GRAMMY U community-building tables, attendees can participate in a service activity as part of The Day That MusiCares by handwriting letters to older adults to support Love For Our Elders.
In the middle of the afternoon, members will jump into the GRAMMY U Conference Networking Mixer, hosted by the GRAMMY U Mentorship Program Presented by Amazon Music. During this event, attendees will be able to discuss their career paths with more than a dozen special industry guests from the Recording Academy, and elsewhere.
After the GRAMMY U Conference career center wraps up, seven-time GRAMMY nominee Coco Jones will discuss her journey from Disney Channel star to breakout R&B artist. After signing with High Standardz/Def Jam in 2022, Jones released her platinum-certified hit "ICU" off her EP What I Didn’t Tell You, which earned a GRAMMY Award for Best R&B Performance in 2024.
In the panel "Crafting A Multifaceted Career with Coco Jones," members will learn how Jones’ success went beyond music as she starred as Hilary Banks in "Bel-Air" and was also featured in Netflix’s Vampires vs. the Bronx. Her ability to seamlessly navigate both music and acting has made her an inspiration to young women and artists everywhere.
April 25 will be a particularly special day for Jones — doubling as not only her spotlight at the GRAMMY U Conference, but also the release day of her debut album Why Not More?
Ever wondered how songs end up in film, TV, or TikTok? In a news show-style segment, this "GRAMMY U Live! Sync, Sound & Strategy" conversation will highlight three key voices shaping today’s music landscape. These voices will break down sync licensing and A&R , and explore the rise of independent artists.
Learn more: The Expanding Universe of Music Sync: How It Works, Understanding The Opportunities
In these unique one-on-one interviews, Bob Bruderman will offer a roadmap to successful music placement, backed by his experience with Spotify, TikTok, and SoundCloud. Riggs Morales, the A&R executive behind Rihanna’s "Love The Way You Lie," will give a behind-the-scenes look at developing talent. Blu DeTiger, a genre-blending bassist and NYC native, will share insight on artist endorsements and brand partnerships; she will close the segment with a special gear demo featuring her own Signature Jazz Bass she created with Fender.
Moderated by GRAMMY U National Representatives Samantha Kopec and Della Anderson, this conversation will offer an inside look into future career paths for emerging music industry professionals.
Friday programming concludes with "Influencing The Industry," featuring several prominent content creators known for building their own media platforms and massive audiences: Davis Burleson, Anthony Garguila, Julian Shapiro-Barnum, and Jonathan Tilkin.
Garguila and Tilkin host the "Counter-Melodies" podcast, and are known for their viral "Kitchen Singing" social media series, both of which showcase authentic storytelling through song. Joining them are Burleson (host of the social series What's Poppin? With Davis!) and Shapiro-Barnum (host of Recess Therapy and Celebrity Substitute), both known for their engaging interviews with musicians and media figures.
Moderator Tiff Baira hosts viral street interview series Street Hearts, this conversation will dive deep into how content creation has become a staple of the music industry and beyond.
Lawrence starts Saturday's programming with a dive into their latest album, Family Business. Members of the band will "unwrap" their creative journey and discuss what it means to be a band family.
Sibling duo Clyde and Gracie Lawrence grew up surrounded by music, and have grown from childhood performances to sold-out shows and major music festivals. Along with bandmates Jordan Cohen and Jonny Koh, Lawrence seamlessly blends soul-pop, funk and rock.
At this special GRAMMY U Unwrapped, Clyde Lawrence, Jordan Cohen, and Jonny Koh will break down the technical production aspects of their music and share live playbacks of their standout tracks live.
In this keynote conversation moderated by TikTok game show "Track Star" host Jack Coyne, Laufey will offer a unique perspective on her musicianship, following the recent release of her charming single "Silver Lining."
Known for her signature blend of jazz and pop, the 25-year-old Icelandic-Chinese singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist rose to prominence in recent years, and her 2023 sophomore album Bewitched earned Laufey her first GRAMMY Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
Read more: With 'Bewitched,' Icelandic Singer Laufey Is Leaving Jazz Neophytes Spellbound
In "Reimagining Contemporary Music with Laufey," GRAMMY U members will get to learn about how to stay original in their craft while growing their audience.
Uniting the music community, the GRAMMY U Showcase will close out Saturday evening for a grand finale packed with performances and unforgettable moments. In collaboration with the Recording Academy NY Chapter, GRAMMY U will spotlight three GRAMMY U performers and showcase contest winners: Isea, The Jax Experience, and The Millers.
These members will take the stage before jazz vocal extraordinaire and five-time GRAMMY winner Samara Joy closes out the 2025 GRAMMY U Conference with an invigorating performance representative of the future of music.
GRAMMY U members can register for the 2025 GRAMMY U Conference taking place in New York City April 25-26 here, and if you’re not a member, learn how to apply at grammyu.com.
For members who can’t attend in person, tune into the GRAMMY U Conference on the Recording Academy’s YouTube and Twitch channels from wherever you are.
'More Than Meets The DIY' Series Delivers Monthly Music Industry Insights For Artists & Professionals
Recording Academy Reintroduces NO FAKES Act
GRAMMYs On The Hill 2025 Performances & Speeches
Press Play On GRAMMY U Mixtape: Raincheck Playlist
Photo: Ellen Crane
interview
"You have to build a trust with the musicians, and it has to be the kind of trust that goes both ways," the GRAMMY-winning producer says.
Judith Sherman remembers winning her first GRAMMY Award in 1994 with something resembling disbelief. That year, inside New York’s Radio City Music Hall, Whitney Houston opened the Ceremony with "I Will Always Love You"; U2's Bono presented Frank Sinatra with a GRAMMY Legend Award, and Lifetime Achievement honoree Aretha Franklin sang "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman."
"It was just incredible," Judith recalls, reflecting on the moment for GRAMMY.com. "I got to meet Maya Angelou, and Peter, Paul and Mary. And I sat at a table afterward with [the members of] U2."
Sherman's very presence in that room would have been a complete shock a little more than two decades earlier. Back then, in the mid-'60s, she was a seventh-grade English teacher in West Seneca, New York, trying to figure out her next move as her first marriage was breaking up.
Though Sherman didn’t originally set out to be a producer, she was always surrounded by music. Everyone in her family seemed to play something, and no matter where they were, they were singing all the time. "And I do mean all the time," she says.
Sherman decided to tap into that passion and enrolled in a grad school program at the University of Buffalo as a vocal performance major. "I wanted to be in the music field, even while I was teaching. I was singing in a chorus and going to a lot of concerts. The draw was always music, I just didn't know what I was going to do. I thought I might be a singer, and I did try composing, which I was really bad at," she remembers. "But, you know, one thing led to another, and as I always tell people, I got here through a series of fortuitous accidents."
Today, Sherman’s work recording and producing solo and chamber music has earned her 15 GRAMMY Awards (seven of them are for Classical Producer Of The Year). She launched her own production company, Judith Sherman Productions, and has been recognized for her dedication to the classical music community.
More recently, she participated in the Recording Academy’s creator-to-creator learning platform, GRAMMY GO, providing her insights in Carolyn Malachi’s class, Music Production: Crafting an Award-Worthy Song.
Sherman spoke with GRAMMY.com about her decades-long career and what continues to inspire her as a classical music producer.
How exactly does one go from teaching English class to becoming a GRAMMY Award-winning producer?
Music was always a part of my life, but so was language, so I graduated as an English major. When my first marriage ended, I decided that I did want to pursue music, so I managed to get into grad school at the University of Buffalo as a singer. It’s a two-year program, and during that first semester, I needed another course, and there was an electronic music class there. I thought, Well, that sounds interesting, because I’d always loved physics, so I signed up for that and got hooked.
You were going to school in the early '70s when so many things were changing in regards to sound recording and music technology. What kind of learning environment did that create for you?
At that time, the music part and the technical part were growing together.
My last two semesters there, I was the TA for the Electronic Music Lab. In those days, if you were going to make a piece of electronic music, you had to record it to tape and overlay it, and so on. So you had to know how to calibrate a tape machine, and if you were going to do that, you might as well start learning about the microphones. I just kept going from there.
After graduating, what kind of opportunities led you on the path toward classical production?
I came to New York and worked in a jingle house, and then went on tour singing with [contemporary classical composer] Steve Reich. After that, I found a job with WBAI in 1972. That was a listener-funded radio station, and it was housed in a former church, so the back area with the balcony became a recording studio, and we would have concerts there.
We had two concerts a week, and I learned a lot about my technique very quickly because my mistakes were going to go on the air. It was a musical education for me, because I got to hear so many kinds of music. I recorded small chamber orchestras, but also Ravi Shankar, jazz groups, blues groups, just a little bit of everything.
Who were some of the music figures who shaped your career?
When I was leaving WBAI, I managed to get a job as the recording engineer for the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont. It was started by Rudolf Serkin and the Busch family of the Busch String Quartet, and they were looking for a recording engineer. Rudolf was a childhood hero of mine, so I really loved that job.
My boss was Mischa Schneider, who had been the cellist for the Budapest String Quartet, and I learned so much from him. Even when he couldn’t see the musicians, sitting in the studio, he would say, "Why are you using the fourth finger there? You should be using the third finger on that note." He could actually hear the difference through the speakers.
During that time is when I started producing some things. An engineer from Vanguard Records was going to do a classical recording for another label and asked if I wanted to produce it. I had done some pop stuff, some folk music, but I thought, Gee, I think I’ve been training for this my whole life.
It seems like the world of production and music recording is always evolving. How did those changes affect you?
I started producing in the days of analog tape. So I would take things home to an old Ampex tape recorder with stacks of tapes to edit with a razor blade. Later, I ran into another engineer who was editing on a computer. I went and watched him work, and it was very slow, and very cumbersome, but not as cumbersome as editing tape. So when the next generation of that technology came along, I bought one, and that sort of changed everything.
How do you know when you’ve had a good session?
I’m always happiest at the end of a session, when a musician says, "Wow, that was so much more fun that I thought it was going to be." The idea is to make the sessions as stress-free as possible, because musicians can get a little stressed out about being recorded, but the point is that we're all going in the same direction.
You recently shared some of your expertise in a GRAMMY GO class. What kind of advice would you offer to aspiring producers?
You have to build a trust with the musicians, and it has to be the kind of trust that goes both ways. So even when I think that we already have it, if a musician says, "Well gee, I’d really like to do that over again," we’ll do it because they might have just had this really magical thought.
I listen to them, but I also have to remind them that the way they feel doesn’t always translate to how it sounds. But they have to know that I'm on their side. I want them to sound good.
Learn More: How The Recording Academy's GRAMMY GO Is Building A Global Online Learning Community & Elevating The Creative Class
What would you say are the challenges unique to classical music production?
For the most part, we want to capture the performance as it was. With a lot of pop music, the song is being created in layers. With classical music, it’s mostly done live. All of the musicians are in the same room performing together. Everything is being done at the same place, at the same time, and those little balances and tweaks are things the musicians have to create live.
It varies whether you’re recording a chamber group, or a solo pianist, or a string quartet. With a string quartet, for example, everyone is exposed. You can hear everything each of them are doing, so if anybody loses focus for a second, that take will need to be edited. It takes a lot of concentration from everybody to be listening to everyone else around them.
Do you remember winning your first GRAMMY at the 36th GRAMMY Awards?
I was in tears because at that time, I was married to Max Wilcox, who was a very-well known producer. I just figured in those days that you had to work for a label in order to get a GRAMMY and I had never worked for a label. I've always been freelance, so I was shocked.
I was euphoric just getting that nomination, and I certainly didn't think I would win, so when [clarinetist Richard Stoltzman] presented the award and said my name? Well, this happens every time I hear my name [at the GRAMMYs], but I just completely forget who I am, and the only thing I can think is, don’t trip. It’s thrilling every time.
What keeps you excited and engaged when it comes to your job?
I like it because I learn so much music. When I go into a session, I have to know the music well, and by the time I’m finished editing, I know it intimately. I get to learn so much, and I don't have to practice [Laughs.] That's a limiting factor for musicians. They can't be learning a new piece every week, because they’ve got to be able to perform it. I don't have that problem.
What’s ahead for you? Are there still items left on your bucket list?
For 50 years now, I have wanted to do a recording of the three Benjamin Britten quartets, and I'm going to get to do that next year finally. That’ll be with the Calidore String Quartet next year, which is the 50th anniversary of Britten’s death.
What is it like to operate in the world of classical music? How different is it from other genres?
We all sort of root for each other because there are so few classical recording producers, maybe just 40 of us in the world, and there are very, very few labels who underwrite the recording of classical music.
Looking back on your career, how do you see your impact on the world of classical music?
You know, I recently went to a concert of a string quartet that I've been recording, and they said, "At our rehearsals, we'll get to arguing about something, and we’ll say, ‘Would Judy approve?’" So I know I have had an impact on the musicians that I've worked with. I know that my work is not going to save the world, but at the same time, I also know that it has made a lot of people’s lives richer — both the musicians and the listeners — and that’s all I can really ask for.
Drew & Ellie Holcomb Share Their Beloved Guitars
Photo: Kayla Oaddams/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
news
In honor of Women's History Month, the Recording Academy's Los Angeles Chapter partnered with The Alliance of Women Film Composers to host an inspiring evening of conversation, insight, and community.
Amid grey, cloudy skies and intermittent rain rare for Southern California, a group of music professionals and creators gathered at the Recording Academy's office in Santa Monica on March 12 for "Scene and Heard," a panel and networking event produced by the Academy's Los Angeles Chapter in partnership with The Alliance of Women for Film Composers (AWFC). Eight panelists as diverse as the wide array of projects they've scored and arranged — from the Amazon film "The Tender Bar" (George Clooney) to Netflix's "Wednesday" (Tim Burton) — shared their insights on music's nuanced and critical role in film, television, and other media in two separate panels, coordinated in celebration of Women's History Month.
"We've been talking about this for two years, but we were able to make it happen," Senior Executive Director of the Los Angeles Chapter Qiana Conley Akinro told the crowd of more than 100 in-person and virtual attendees, eliciting cheers and applause.
In addition to members of the Los Angeles Chapter and the AWFC, the audience included creatives from other Academy chapters nationwide, including Nashville, Texas and New York. Executive Director of the AWFC, Los Angeles Chapter Advisor, and composer Raashi Kulkarni moderated both of the evening's panels.
The first panel featured South Korean composer Jina Hyojin An, whose credits include the Netflix series "Exploding Kittens" and the Academy Award-nominated animated feature The Breadwinner; American pianist, film producer, music producer, arranger, music director, and former AWFC president Starr Parodi, best known for her GRAMMY-winning performances and production on Kitt Wakeley's An Adoption Story; Australian film/TV composer Shirley Song, who worked alongside An on "Exploding Kittens" and recently scored the Apple TV+ series "BE@RBRICK"; and American composer Dara Taylor whose credits include "The Tender Bar," and "Strays."
The second panel comprised Turkish GRAMMY Award-nominated composer and conductor Esin Aydingoz ("Wednesday"); two-time Emmy Award nominee, American composer and singer/songwriter Kathryn Bostic ("Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir"; "Toni Morrison: The Pieces I am"); GRAMMY Award-winning American composer and violinist Stephanie Economou (Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media, "Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn Of Ragnarok"); and GRAMMY Award-winning American singer/songwriter, film composer, and director Carla Patullo (Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album, So She Howls).
Both panels highlighted the complexities inherent to scoring — describing it as an intuitive dance between composers and directors or producers, who often know the emotion they hope to evoke but may not have the words to express it.
"In a way, composers are translators because we want to hear what the film maker in the studio has to say without ever making them feel like they're not communicating," explained Parodi. "I can't tell you how many times people say, ‘I don't know anything about music, but can you make this more red or something?' It's our job to turn adjectives into musical expression."
Dara Taylor recalled reworking a scene with an independent filmmaker who kept telling her, "I'm not sure if that is quite it." After multiple attempts, Taylor finally asked, "What do you want this to say?" The filmmaker paused and admitted, "It doesn't really say anything does it? I just kept it in there because it was pretty to watch." Ultimately, the producers cut the scene.
Such moments, while rare, highlight opportunities for composers to offer solutions that elevate a project. On her panel, Economou shared that when she disagrees with collaborators, she still delivers what’s asked but also presents alternative ideas with thoughtful explanations.
"If I do that, I feel like I'm doing my job as a collaborator, because people are not just hiring you to churn out music and say, ‘Thanks, goodbye.' They are not music experts for the most part, and they want someone who's going to push back and say, ‘Hey, no, I think this is actually going to work better," Economou said.
Panelists also emphasized the need for resilience, authenticity and adaptability to blunt the sting of creative rejection. Community was another a key theme — a sentiment echoed by Kathryn Bostic: "I sing on a lot of my own scores, but I also try to find community, which is why we're here today." Bostic acknowledged the sometimes-solitary nature of her creative process and the intentionality it requires when it comes to networking and building community.
Her observation effectively brought Scene and Heard full-circle, recalling what Los Angeles Chapter Songwriters & Composers Wing Committee Co-Chair Roahn Hylton attested in the event's opening remarks: "Community is everything in this city and our business."
Recording Academy Reintroduces NO FAKES Act
GRAMMYs On The Hill 2025 Performances & Speeches
Press Play On GRAMMY U Mixtape: Raincheck Playlist
Photo: Genevieve LeDoux
interview
For the past four years, Tammy Hurt has helped foster remarkable change as Chair of the Board for the Recording Academy. In celebration of her tenure and Billboard Women In Music honor, Hurt reflects on her achievements and hopes for the Academy's future.
Nearing the end of her second two-year term as Chair of the Board, Tammy Hurt is still working endlessly to shape a brighter future for the Recording Academy. "I'm proud of where we've come and I look forward to seeing where we're going," Hurt says. "I love being part of the change and I love never having to take my foot off the gas."
Hurt has contributed to the betterment of the music industry for far longer than those four years. In addition to her storied career as a drummer and a long tenure with the Academy's Atlanta Chapter, Hurt founded two organizations: boutique entertainment firm Placement Music and nonprofit organization Georgia Music Partners, an advocacy organization aimed at supporting the Peach State's industry and culture.
But Hurt has truly shined during her time in leadership with the Academy, first as Vice Chair and then four years as Chair of the Board of Trustees. In that time, her efforts advocating for better representation for people of color, women and LGBTQIA+ individuals has helped reshape the membership to be far more representative of the contemporary music industry. Hurt's leadership helped the Recording Academy achieve its goal of adding 2,500 women Voting Members by 2025 — in fact, adding 3,000 by the year prior. In another astounding transition, the voting body saw an increase of 65 percent in Voting Members identifying as people of color.
Hurt's tenure also saw the launch of programs such as the Gold Music Alliance, which honors the contributions of the Pan-Asian community to the music industry; Academy Proud, which, in partnership with GLAAD and OUTLOUD, celebrates LGBTQIA+ music professionals; the RAA+D Network, which supports community members with disabilities and drives accessibility; and the Indigenous Peoples Network, dedicated to honoring and preserving the contributions of Indigenous members of the music industry.
But ever the diplomatic leader, Hurt consistently cedes credit for her successful tenure to both her collaborators in leadership and the membership base as a whole. "There's a mindset and a spirit of change, both through Harvey and myself, but also we don't do this by ourselves," she says, referring to Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. "Being able to bring in more perspectives helps make the Academy better."
That commitment has earned Hurt many deserved accolades, including most recently being honored as part of Billboard's Women In Music. As her time as Chair comes to a close, Hurt discussed her powerful accomplishments, the work that can still be done to advance the Academy, her advice for the yet-to-be-elected incoming Chair, and her plans for the future.
When you were elected to succeed Harvey Mason jr., it was the first time that neither of two consecutive chairs were white men. That's incredible, and the Academy truly looks different than it did four years ago.
One thousand percent. Also, I'm only the third woman in 67 years. That's a staggering number, but we're moving in the right direction.
Absolutely. The work's not complete, but your resume and the things you've managed to achieve in your four years are so meaningful. I can't imagine it's very easy just to have an idea and then make it reality.
It is definitely an exercise in consensus building. But folks are very like-minded, though. We've been acting with intention for quite some time.
I have personally been very active in the National Membership Committee. Before we had the new member model, the peer-driven member model, we worked on it for several years before 2019.
Change takes time. But with the right team, the right mindset, and the right intention, we've made some remarkable progress. But like you said, the work is never done.
Being able to even see some of the fruits of your labor must be a wonderful feeling. In so many organizations, people get into leadership positions, want to make change, and then need to move on before that happens. You've actually been able to champion new things and then see them happen.
You're correct. It has taken some time. You have new members of the board. You have new members. I would say there's a mindset and a spirit of change, both through Harvey and myself, but also we don't do this by ourselves. This is a member-driven organization, and 66 percent of our members are new.
We talk about diversity. And a lot of it, too, is diversity of thought and being able to bring in more perspectives helps make the Academy better.
Read More: 2024 New Member Class: Music Creators & Industry Professionals React To Their Membership Invites On Social Media: "This Is Huge For Me And My People!"
Having a bloc of the same type of person won't make that diversification happen. And beyond the numbers, the changes in both the organization and the awards demonstrate the commitment.
Well, thank you for saying that. And I will tell you, it takes a village. It takes the whole village. It takes a partnership between the members and the leadership, the management.
There's been a similar mindset of, basically, "Don't take your foot off the gas, let's make these changes and let's make them now." It's been a really terrific partnership between the elected leaders and management.
We have some key champions internally — in addition to Harvey, our membership folks, our awards folks. It was our responsibility to build the membership that reflects the current culture and the current music industry. The visibility and the representation and the equity, of course, you need that balance. But at the same time, this is the music industry, and just by its nature between the different genres and geographic locations, we have a lot to include. And we have been very intentional about holding ourselves accountable.
And especially because you're facing that membership base, you have to take accountability personally as well. With that in mind, what were the things you felt most strongly about upholding when you entered as Chair, the things that were working best?
I had a big focus on membership, and I think membership was working right. This is going back a while, but change from the way we used to do things and the change to the peer-driven [approach], there was always an appetite to change. That's what was right.
There was always an openness — and again, it's by the virtue and the nature of the organization as a member-led organization. Some of our best folks on the management team were once elected leaders. Harvey himself was a Trustee. Ruby Marchand was the Vice Chair of the Academy. What was working was the mindset that we needed to evolve, that we needed to continue to be representative of the organization.
Beyond that evolving spirit, what was it about the mission of the Academy that continued to inspire you over the last four years?
Well, I'll go back to the beginning. The reason that I got involved in the Recording Academy in the first place was because I wanted to see some things change. [Laughs.]
There was a memory that popped up on one of my social media channels where I was playing drums at a GRAMMY In The Schools event. That was my first ever event that I participated in as a Recording Academy member. The other thing that I will tell you that has been right and has been remarkable — and it was my forever hook at the Academy — was advocacy. I was invited around the same time to attend Grammys On The Hill. I was able to attend as a part of the Academy and really realized how impactful you can be with music. Because music is universal. It's bipartisan.
The Advocacy department works all year long to build relationships with our legislators. That one day a year, GRAMMYs On The Hill — and now we have Grammys In My District, the local programs — to be able to build those relationships with those legislators and then to be able to walk in as a music creator and tell the story of why something is important to me and to my community.
The legislators don't know about the music industry. And you can see the wheels turning as you're talking. You really understand that you're speaking with influential lawmakers who could potentially make decisions to make your music community better. And that was so powerful. And that's something that the Academy has been doing right for a really long time.
Advocating for music creators' rights, not just at the federal level, but at the state and the local level, is really such an incredible component of the Recording Academy. There's, of course, music education, advocacy, excellence, and serving. Let's say there's a member who joins the Academy and they want to get more involved. It's a way for people to be able to find a place of service in the organization, because everyone knows about the GRAMMYs for one night a year. The work of the Board is really the other 364 days.
It's about service. It's about serving the music community. And serving the music community means many, many different things. And for me, one of the things that I'm most proud of is the ability to uplift women into these leadership positions. To support women, to encourage women, to encourage all of our members, but to get that visibility and that representation and that equity. Fifty percent of our board is women. And we're seeing that in our Chapters as well.
Read More: State-Level Advocacy In 2025: How The Recording Academy Is Championing Music Creators Nationwide
If you have that visibility in place also committed to advocacy, it must just be a self-generating source of positive change.
Diverse groups of people make better decisions. And that's diversity of thought, diversity of age, all kinds of diversity.
You've been able to be so vocal with issues like women's safety in the music industry. Having important conversations about issues of workplace safety are much easier if you've got 50 percent of the conversation being women, as opposed to lone voices.
Absolutely. First of all, you have to get your own house in order. You can't be talking about changing the world before you make sure you've got a good, solid foundation. We started this to develop a roadmap. And the roadmap is to go out into the music community and talk about fostering a more inclusive and respectful and safe environment for everyone in the industry.
So for the Academy to be the convener — because there are women's groups that are doing really great work right now, and it is, again, amplifying their work and being able to aggregate resources. And safety in music means many things. It means safe from harassment. It means psychologically safe. It means being safe and being able to speak up in these environments. And I'm really excited to continue the work. It's very, very meaningful to me personally.
It's in offices and legal departments and accounting departments. We are all one community, and the safer the environment, the more people can thrive in what they do, whatever their craft is or whatever their profession is. That's actually how you make things better.
What are you excited about for the next person who takes over from you from this point? I know you've got a few more months left, but what's the most exciting thing for you to hand over?
Building off of this foundation that we've worked so hard to build over the last several years, it really is a launching pad for the vision of the next Chair, the next Board. There's still work to do in these areas.
I think we continue to evolve the GRAMMY Awards process. I'm very, very excited about what's to come with the new partner that the Recording Academy will have to tell the stories, with Disney. We have a big show right now, but there may be opportunities to tell the stories of the five nominees in the Best African Performance Category, or Best Pop Dance Recording.
We have a Premiere Ceremony that happens right before the GRAMMY Awards where we present 75 awards — and, you know, you're talking about almost 1,000 nominees. Our show is the confluence of art and commerce. We have to put big names on the show, but man, that GRAMMY Premiere Ceremony, it's a treasure trove of stories to celebrate. It's an exciting time for the Recording Academy and this change. And I look forward to the Academy telling its story and the work that it does year-round.
What advice do you have for the person that will be taking this seat next?
In any instance, for a person who serves, it's truly an honor to serve at this level for this organization and the music community. We all still need to be encouraged. We all still need to be supported. Being in the music industry is hard. And to be able to shine a light or uplift those within the organization and within the community, that's our job.
From my perspective, the number one service that we provide to the music community is to be able to encourage people to be 100 percent authentically themselves, and to empower people to do great work. It's not just about the Chair. We have a number of national committees that will be repopulated with new diverse people, diversity of thought. There'll be new things to talk about.
You know, the last four years we've come through some pretty rocky waters. And the future is bright. There will be new conversations to have. There will be new Categories to contemplate. And there will still be a whole lot of work to be done. And for me, I'll be there to advise and be a backstop whenever I'm needed.
Read More: How The 2025 GRAMMYs Signaled A Bright Future For The Recording Academy
What about you? What's next for you, personally?
More music, more music, more music. [Laughs.] I have a project called Sonic Rebel. I have, of course, my Recording Academy duties. I have two companies. And usually my music, my performances get sort of pushed to the bottom of the list. So I'm looking forward to releasing the next mixtape. I'm looking forward to the next series of shows. I'm looking forward to being able to get back to my roots.
And as you said, you'll be on hand to advise if you're needed. It's also wonderful that it's such an ongoing relationship.
It is. I am always proud to serve. This gig is a limited-time engagement and you've got to make every minute count. Looking back at when I was becoming Vice Chair and both times when I was running for Chair — one of my mantras is, "Do what you say you're going to do." And I have done what I said I was going to do.
I'm proud of the service, but like I said, the work is ongoing. I love being part of the change, and I love never having to take my foot off the gas.
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