Campers Learn How To Stay True To Themselves By Jenay Ross

GRAMMY Camp® is the perfect place for Campers to develop their own sense of identity as an artist. A huge common bond the Campers share is the dream of taking their love of music to the next level, but being successful and unique in the industry can be a tricky task to take on.

In this day in age, musicians have to compete against hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people who are striving to make it big. It can be tough for musicians to break away from sounding like artists who have already been there and played that. According to second-year Camper, Ajani Nanabuluku, “Real talent isn’t judged like it used to be.” Today, songs can sound so alike that it can be difficult to distinguish one from another, but many of them manage to become one-hit wonders. A question that should be on everyone’s mind is how do artists put their own twist on things to place themselves on a higher level than everyone else? The most popular answer from Campers and guest speakers has been to stay true to oneself.

Pianist James Trotter admires David Foster, describing him as a “genius,” and would love to be like him. Even though he uses Foster as his role model, Trotter will always act like himself and only himself. “I try to stay true to my roots and my morals,” said Trotter.

Aside from finding their own niche musically and creating a unique identity, it is important for musicians to not only dedicate themselves to their craft, but to become knowledgeable in the other aspects of the industry. Brandon Woodward, a drummer, has gained a great understanding about how to make a living out of playing drums. While Woodward has gained a pretty solid foundation in most genres, he knows there is always room to grow. He is aspiring to go above and beyond and he said, “I will do so by not limiting myself.” He wants to get into the different types of production of music and is interested in being a part of the creative process as a whole. Being diverse, hard-working, and original is the key to branching out and making things happen.