Calling all college music creatives: GRAMMY U is looking for ways to make great summer music festivals even greater and wants to hear all about your ideas.
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New music festivals pop up every year, creating more choices for avid fans. More choices also mean more competition. With so many options, GRAMMY U wants to challenge student minds to think of ways organizers can enhance fan and festival experiences to stand out. Have ideas? Now is your chance to enter the Innovation Pitch contest.
When pitching your idea, put yourself in the mindset of festival organizers. They must consider all aspects of the festival experience: local flavor, production, marketing, environmental impact. Students should focus on what interests them professionally and recommend improvements. Creativity on how to execute ideas is welcome — documents, videos, presentations, or any other format that inspires will be accepted as submissions. Entries are due by Aug. 6.
The winner, along with a guest, will receive roundtrip airfare to Austin, Texas, to attend the 2018 Austin City Limits Music Festival Oct. 12–14. Passes, accommodation and transportation to the festival will be provided.
Innovation Pitch, formerly known as Business Plan Competition, will also connect students with industry professionals who can provide insight on what it takes to make big ideas come to life.
"Professionals in the industry want to hear these ideas and see solutions through the eyes of the future of the music industry," Recording Academy Director of Special Projects, Membership & Industry Relations Virginia Faddy says. "That is why the mentorship aspect of this contest is so important; we are not only providing a platform to share these amazing ideas, but also directly connecting the winner with mentors so they can hear what real-world activation of their concept might entail."
The competition gave 2015's winner Kiran Gandhi, who developed a sustainable music streaming service pay structure, the chance to spend the day with RCA Records CEO Tom Corson and other staff members. Her first-hand experience reaffirmed her mission to elevate diversity in music.
"When artists see themselves in the people they are working with, they have more comfort and trust with the system," she wrote in her blog. "There is a business case to having people of different walks of life — not just to check a diversity box that makes people feel better."
Innovation Pitch is only one such opportunity for students interested in working in the music industry when they graduate. Recording Academy GRAMMY U members gain access to valuable behind-the-scenes experiences with music professionals working today.
"GRAMMY U offered chances to attend GU SoundChecks (of touring artists), opportunities to volunteer, access to an online portal with exclusive industry content, and so much more," current GRAMMY U member Billy Farmer II said. "Becoming a member enhanced my music industry network and led to job opportunities. Joining GRAMMY U was one of the best decisions I made as a college student."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just met <a href="https://twitter.com/troyesivan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@troyesivan</a> through a <a href="https://twitter.com/GRAMMYU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GRAMMYU</a> soundcheck and I'm so inspired. Thank you for taking the time, Troye! p>— Brent Wolff (@thebrentwolff) <a href="https://twitter.com/thebrentwolff/status/793569301789892608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
GRAMMY U continues to connect students with the industry's brightest minds, while giving them the tools to launch their careers in music. If this sounds like you, consider joining your fellow future music colleagues through GRAMMY U and don't forget to enter the 2018 Innovation Pitch contest.
