The Recording Academy Los Angeles Chapter, in partnership with the GRAMMY Foundation and Verizon, hosted a GRAMMY SoundChecks with Columbia recording artist Brandi Carlile at the House of Blues — Sunset Strip.
Los Angeles was the second stop on Carlile's tour and offered 20 local GRAMMY University Network members exclusive access to the sound checks. Students mingled with one another and were greeted by Daniel Mendoza from the Los Angeles Chapter and GRAMMY U Representative Lucy Estrada, while waiting for the sound check to begin.
Framed by twin brothers Phil and Tim Hanseroth, Carlile kicked off the sound check with "The Story," a song which has garnered Carlile a major following since its debut on the hit TV show "Grey's Anatomy." The trio was met with applause and cheering from the GRAMMY U members in the balcony of the House of Blues following the tune, encouraging Carlile to sing each song to completion during the 45-minute sound check. Carlile's vocals were superb and at times reminiscent of the Indigo Girls or Melissa Etheridge, with lyrical tinges of K.D. Lang and Lucinda Williams.
The GRAMMY U crowd was treated to Carlile's take on Elton John's "Madman Across The Water," just one of the covers she performed that evening aside from Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" and the Leonard-Cohen-cum-Jeff-Buckley ballad "Hallelujah."
Afterwards, she spoke of her lyrical influences, including the dynamic songwriting duo of Elton John and Bernie Taupin, among others. Carlile as a tunesmith is less conscientious, focusing more on the emotionally correct approach to a song, even if it is pensive. This was just one topic of the informal question-and-answer session with the GRAMMY U students who were curious about the creative process from conception to recording to performing live. She discussed the roles of music education, parental support and sheer determination in her path to success, stressing that there is no formula for "making it" in the music industry. Students pursuing their own musical paths were encouraged by Carlile to never stop playing, writing and collaborating.
In addition, Carlile also talked about committing her "VH1 — You Outta Know Tour" to the nonprofit organization Reverb in order to make the whole tour environmentally sustainable. Reverb will donate 50 cents of each ticket to offset the emissions the tour will generate, such as the electricity used by each venue and the energy used by fans and tour busses driving to their shows. Following questions, Carlile spoke personally with each GRAMMY U member and posed for photos.