Future GRAMMY® Winners Go to Camp by Sarah Tither-Kaplan

Jillian Grutta, 15-year-old Coeur d'Alene, Idaho native, sat in her USC dorm room working out a chorus for her first GRAMMY Camp® project. Jillian, who is in the singer/songwriter track, is excited about her first assignment. “We have to write a chorus by tomorrow" she explained. It was only the first day and the GRAMMY Campers were already making music.

When asked to play one of her songs she picked up her guitar and performed an original acoustic pop ballad called "Young Hearts.” Though Jillian isn't shy about playing in front of an audience, she admits that she's "open to criticism" and here to become a better songwriter. "I came to GRAMMY Camp because I knew it would be an awesome experience,” she said. “It's a great opportunity to learn songwriting techniques and what it's like to be a professional musician."

Jillian, who hopes to learn from both her teachers and fellow campers, believes that GRAMMY Camp is the perfect place to do just that. Like many campers, Jillian hopes to ultimately become a professional musician and finds that one of the most rewarding things in her life is affecting people with her music. As she put away her guitar she said that she wants her music to not only entertain, but to also help people overcome "difficult times." Jillian is the only member of her family that is involved with playing and writing music, though her great-uncle was a member of the 80s rock band Hero. While impressed by her great uncle's success, she isn't interested in becoming a huge rock star. With her talent for singing and playing both piano and guitar she just wants to write songs that "express her feelings and creativity."

After finishing writing her chorus she explained that she was excited to start working with her combo and finish her song. Just two days in she already loves GRAMMY Camp. She's even considering joining in a rap battle that a few of the drummers and audio engineering campers have started. "GRAMMY Camp is full of opportunities," she said. "All the campers are skilled and passionate, ready to learn, and willing to have a good time while they're at it."