Summer program to take place at USC and connect U.S. high school students with artists and industry professionals

GRAMMY.com

The GRAMMY Foundation announced today that 63 talented high school students from across the United States have been selected as participants in the fourth annual GRAMMY Camp.

Sponsored in part by Epiphone, GRAMMY Camp will take place July 12–26 at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music and other professional venues throughout Los Angeles. Focusing on all aspects of commercial music, GRAMMY Camp provides instruction by industry professionals in a creative environment with cutting-edge technology in professional facilities. Participating students will have an opportunity to work with GRAMMY Award-winning and -nominated professionals and industry specialists affiliated with The Recording Academy to experience an immersive, interactive and highly collaborative residential summer music experience.

"Through the GRAMMY Foundation's GRAMMY in the Schools programs, we have the ability to influence young people's lives by opening the windows of opportunity that music can provide for their futures," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy and President of the GRAMMY Foundation. "GRAMMY Camp is a perfect example — with dynamic instruction across a broad range of career tracks and access to cutting edge technology, we're educating through music and helping to cultivate the next generation of artists and music industry professionals."

The list of guest teaching artists and music industry professionals participating in the 2008 GRAMMY Camp will be announced shortly. The list of past teaching artists includes multi-GRAMMY Award-winning group Earth, Wind & Fire; DJ Faust; multi-GRAMMY-winning producer David Foster; multi-GRAMMY-winning producer and Recording Academy Chair of the Board Jimmy Jam; saxophonist and radio host Dave Koz; Minor Productions Inc. President/CEO and "American Idol" musical director Rickey Minor; Sublime bassist Eric Wilson; and GRAMMY-winning film composer Hans Zimmer.

GRAMMY Camp will kick off for the selectees on July 12 with their attendance at Starry Night, the Foundation's annual signature gala honoring legendary GRAMMY-winning producer/arranger/composer and author Sir George Martin. The curriculum will engage students in the technical aspects of creating, performing and recording and emphasize new and emerging music technologies. The program will offer 12 music career tracks: Audio Engineering; Music Journalism; Music Production; and performance tracks in Bass, Drums, Guitar, Keyboard, Saxophone, Songwriting, Trombone and Trumpet. A new track this year, Concert Promotion/Production, will be coordinated by AEG Live. All tracks will culminate in either media projects, CD recordings, and/or a showcase performance. This year's showcase concert will be held on July 25 at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles.

For a list of GRAMMY Camp selectees and their respective tracks, click here.