On Jan. 17, the San Francisco Chapter produced GRAMMY Career Day at San Francisco State University. All of the workshops were hands-on, interactive and student focused, and afternoon student performances showcased a variety of genres: classical, Latin jazz, gospel, hip-hop, R&B and pop. With more than 800 students enrolled this year, including new schools, and 100 volunteers involved in the event, it was truly a community affair.

We hosted two morning programs to accommodate our student enrollment this year. In Coppola Hall, Merl Saunders Jr. and band leader Dick Bright welcomed students, and up-and-coming rapper A-Wal entertained. The students then went into their panel with producer Ben Yonas, Creedence Clearwater guitarist Tal Morris, Fontana Distribution rep Annie Lane, songwriter/producer and Chapter Trustee Larry Batiste, and A-Wal.

In Jack Adams Hall, Energy 92.7 radio personality Sterling James welcomed students along with Saunders, and artist Spencer Day performed on the grand piano. The Super Panel in this room featured GRAMMY Foundation Chairman/EA Music Vice President Steve Shnur, gospel choir director Jamie Hawkins, Broadway singer Sunny Hawkins, Concord Records/Chapter Trustee Nick Phillips, conductor Michael Morgan and artist Spencer Day. Students wouldn't let Sunny Hawkins get away without showcasing her pipes, and her "Take Me Or Leave Me" from Rent led the group into a standing ovation.

After the hour-long panels, students chose one of 13 workshops to attend. This year’s workshops included "First Chair: The College Audition," with Michael Morgan and the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra; a guitar master class led by Tal Morris; "Descarga! Latin Jazz Laboratory" with Bill Ortiz, Ron Stallings and Jeff Cressman; and a rock band master class facilitated by drummer and San Francisco Chapter Board member Larry Vann and guitarist Tim Langdon.

Radio Active and Knocademus led the "Freestylin’ 101: Hip-Hop D.I.Y." workshop; DJ Pone led students through "The Art Of Turntablism"; and San Francisco State professor John Barsotti facilitated a "Studio Training Session." Students who were more focused on honing their vocal skills could choose from our gospel choir workshop "Lift Every Voice," led by Jamie and Sunny Hawkins; "Songwriting: Writing A Hit!," led by songwriter and Chapter President André Pessis and Natalia Bortolotti; or "Express Yourself: Finding Your Voice," led by Jennifer Johns and vocalist/Chapter Trustee Larry Batiste.

This year, we offered an album art direction workshop for the first time. Joe Sikoryak and Patricia Ryan led students through the ins and outs of album art design. Steve Schnur and Robi Kauker led the music and video games workshop, and for the business-minded, producer Ben Yonas, distributor Annie Lane, Snocap's Bruce Taylor, and KISS-FM's Morris Knight sat on a panel moderated by Sterling James in the "Career Tracks in the Music Business" workshop.

The lunch break featured a resource table with information on local music programs at colleges around Northern California and GRAMMY U Rep Brian Webb and other college representatives answered students' questions. Meanwhile, students danced to the music from KMEL, the Bay Area's hip-hop station.

After lunch the students filed into a packed hall for the afternoon performances. The San Francisco Ballet Orchestra and student performers kicked off the program to an attentive audience and thunderous applause. Following the orchestra, student performers from "Express Yourself," "Songwriting" and "Freestylin’" performed and showed a vast amount of talent. The Latin jazz ensemble then performed a "descarga" featuring the improvisation of the horn players and the student rhythm section. GRAMMY Career Day closed with a performance by crowd-favorite San Francisco rapper San Quinn.