GRAMMY U members were welcomed to the historic Ryman Auditorium on Nov. 2 for a GRAMMY SoundChecks with recording artists Sara Bareilles and Mark Broussard.
The students gathered in the front rows where Bareilles greeted them and began her portion of the soundcheck. She sang through several songs from her Little Voice album and proved herself to be a multi-talented artist in playing the piano, mandolin and guitar. Bareilles then introduced Broussard to the stage and he subsequently sat down with a guitar to play a few of his songs.
Following the performances, the students were led to the second floor lobby for a question-and-answer session. Bareilles and Broussard discussed their careers and some of the steps they took along the way. Bareilles explained how a close relationship with college acquaintances Maroon 5 helped her to land a break while Broussard explained how he got his big break one night at a gig. Both artists were open and candid with the students.
The artists concluded by advising the students to keep pursuing their dreams as industry professionals. They explained how they struggled and prevailed in the end and left the group with an empowering sense of optimism.