GRAMMY® Campers Share A Lot In Common By Shawn Handy

Regardless of their career track, GRAMMY Campers share a lot in common; a love of music, a passion for their track, and dreams of one day going home and being professionals in their field. I caught up with Campers from four different tracks – Music Production, Drums, Guitar, and Concert Promotion – and found that whatever their interests, there are unquestioned common bonds.

What’s your name?
Colin Callahan.

What career track are you doing?
Music Production.

Is this your first year at GRAMMY Camp®?
Yes.

How do you like it so far?
I like it a lot, learning a lot of new things and working with a lot of cool people. Its awesome to be here.

How long have you been singing?
Since kindergarten but I have been producing since three years ago.

Was it always easy for you to produce and sing?
Well, the singing came natural but the producing aspect I learned on my own and taught myself and also had mentors.

I’m sure there are people that produce and also sing, what do you think motivates you to keep doing it?
It’s just my passion and what I love doing.

Have you found the first two days of GRAMMY Camp beneficial so far?
Oh yeah. I learned a lot of new things such as Pro Tools, which I never knew anything about Pro Tools.

What about networking? I know that there are a bunch of awesome people here so have you been connecting or staying to yourself?
Yeah, I have been talking to a lot of people. It’s so good to meet people from all over the country and to hear their story.

What’s your name?
Will Pinson.

What career track are you doing?
Drums.

So, is this your first year in GRAMMY Camp?
No. This is my second year.

What career track did you do last year?
Drums.

Would you try to do it again next year?
Most likely, but every year I audition for different tracks, like last year I auditioned for Audio Engineer, Electronic Music Production, and Music Journalism then I did piano and drums, and this year I did the sax instead of piano.

Where do you see yourself after GRAMMY Camp?
Basically I’m going back on the road. I just got off a tour with my band in Charlotte. We went around to Raleigh, then back to Charlotte. We went up to New York for a little bit but when I go back we will go to New Orleans to tour down there.

How did you guys get hooked up with a tour?
I have friends that are alumni from my school that knew about my high school jazz band and offered to get us gigs. We thought we would just get two gigs but it turned out to 15, its all over the States too.

Will you try to attend to GRAMMY Camp next year?
Of course. The only time I will stop coming to GRAMMY Camp is when they say, “Will, you can’t come back.”

What’s your name?
Taina Spicer.

What career track are you here for?
I’m here for Guitar.

Any other track you’re interested in?
Drums maybe, but I don’t really play I just think they’re fun and I want to learn.

This is your first year here at GRAMMY Camp, how do you like it?
It’s cool. I didn’t really know what to expect when I came here but I came so far.

What are you plans after GRAMMY Camp with your career track?
I don’t really know what my plan is after, but I just want to make as many connections as I can after.

Is this the first place you would say you professionally started performing?
I played shows at coffee house.

Where are you from and is there a lot of talent there?
New Jersey, and yes it’s between New York and Philly so yeah there’s a lot of talent.

Do you have a band or are you by yourself
No. I’m by myself.


What’s your name?
Stacy Ferreira.

What career track are you doing here at GRAMMY Camp?
Concert Promotion and Production.

You want to put big shows together?
Yeah, yeah.

Is this your first year here?
No, this is my second year.

So, you kind of know the ins and outs of GRAMMY Camp?
Yeah, I know what happens and what goes on.

So what made you want to do Concert Promotion? I know you didn’t just wake up one day and said you wanted to do it.
In seventh grade, my friend gave me tickets to a concert she didn’t want to go to so I went and I liked it. And more then performing I like to see behind the scenes what happens with music.

Do you have any music talents yourself?
Yeah, I play the piano and clarinet?

Where are you from?
Scottsdale, Arizona.

Are there are a lot of showcases there?
There are a lot of concerts and things that have the music industry tied into them.

Would you like to one day and go back and promote those concerts?
Yeah, eventually I would.