On Jan. 16 more than 800 high school students from schools across Western Washington converged on the Seattle Center Campus for GRAMMY Career Day. The day consisted of panels and workshops with local music and cultural industry leaders and students were able to attend two one-hour workshops of their choice.
Chapter Governor and pianist/composer Jovino Santos Neto treated early arriving students to a musical performance and Chapter Executive Director Ben London welcomed the entire group of students prior to the start of the panels.
Workshop topics included orchestral scoring, songwriting, recording techniques, music journalism, event photography, broadcast radio, and screen printing. 2008 "American Idol" finalist Blake Lewis also led a workshop on beat boxing and handling the demands of a successful music career. A live performance from Seattle band Natalie Portman's Shaved Head concluded the event.
The event was a success and student feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Through GRAMMY Career Day, students gained a wealth of information about careers in the music industry.