TWO-DAY SUMMIT KICKED OFF NEW CORNERSTONE COLLABORATION BETWEEN GRAMMY U AND AMAZON MUSIC
The Recording Academy®’s GRAMMY U® hosted a two-day conference presented by Amazon Music for GRAMMY U members in New York City on April 19 and 20, 2024. Spearheaded by GRAMMY U Senior Director Jessie Allen, the event offered an immersive experience designed to enrich and empower emerging talents within the music industry. Programming included an emerging artist showcase on April 19, followed by a day-long series of panels and breakout sessions on April 20, highlighting the live performance industries of Broadway and television talk shows, featuring GRAMMY®-, Tony- and Emmy®-winning artist and actor Ben Platt as the keynote speaker.
The summit marks the beginning of a new cornerstone collaboration between GRAMMY U and Amazon Music, in which Amazon Music will play an integral role in the growth of GRAMMY U’s year-round programming, development and impact.
“We were all thrilled to bring the GRAMMY U Conference to the heart of New York City. It’s a testament to the dedication of Jessie Allen, whose leadership has elevated this event year after year,” said Ruby Marchand, Chief Awards Officer of the Recording Academy. “I extend heartfelt gratitude to the Amazon Music Team for supporting GRAMMY U; this marks the genesis of an extraordinary collaboration, and together, we look forward to crafting an array of programs that will empower our GRAMMY U members throughout the year.”
The emerging artist showcase featured dynamic performances by GRAMMY U members Kayla Erhardt, Kühlname, Serena Laurel, Nicknames, Liv Paris, and Your Future Is Now scholar Jawan Audè. The evening concluded with a captivating performance by New York soft rock sibling ensemble, Infinity Song.
Saturday’s programming kicked off with keynote speaker Ben Platt. In a thought-provoking keynote discussion moderated by actor Beanie Feldstein, Platt delved into his musical journey spanning Broadway, film and television, inspiring attendees with his insights. The day continued with a performance workshop led by GRAMMY-, Emmy- and Tony-winner Billy Porter. Moderated by SiriusXM Program Director Julie James, attendees immersed themselves in a captivating session aimed at honing their live performance skills.
The conference progressed with a panel featuring “Late Night with Seth Meyers” Music Associate Producer Yeji Cha-Beach, former member of the “Late Night with Seth Meyers” 8G Band Marnie Stern, and musical artist Remi Wolf, moderated by Siobhan Schanda, Co-Executive Producer of “SHERRI.” The panel titled, “On Screen: Performing on Live TV,” covered the challenges and nuances of delivering live musical performances on television.
Programming continued with a panel titled “Sounds of the Stage,” moderated by Thomas Winkler, Head of Publisher, Songwriter and Society Relations at Amazon Music, featuring SVP of Warner Music Entertainment and Theatrical Ventures Kurt Deutsch, Co-Founder of Park Avenue Artists David Lai, and composer, conductor and producer Kathy Sommer, where they explored sound production on stage and cast recordings.
Additional panels included “Side Stage: The Team Behind the Curtain,” featuring industry executives moderated by Michael Kushner, founder of Michael Kushner Photography and Dear Multi-Hyphenate, featuring producer, actor and director Erich Bergen, President of A&R of Atlantic Records Pete Ganbarg, Executive Producer of DR Theatrical Management Adam Hess, and Tony-nominated Broadway producer and vocalist Christen James, where they detailed the business of Broadway and how teams bring shows to life every night.
Mastercard was also a participating sponsor of the conference.
