What NARAS Can Do For You

It’s well known that the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) is responsible for putting on Music’s Biggest Night, but the organization is also responsible for several lesser-known initiatives that those of you planning to enter the industry (or already working in the industry) can take advantage of.

Rather than attempt to explain the many facets of NARAS myself, I’m going to hand the mic over to Neil Portnow, its president, who sat down with ArtistsHouseMusic.org to give an in-depth overview of the various features of NARAS. Here, he discusses the different classes of memberships available (even if you’re not eligible to be a voting member, there are memberships that offer networking opportunities and other benefits), the charitable foundations of NARAS and their functions, and of course, the Grammy Awards.

As you saw in the video, some of NARAS’s most exciting programs are for students. If you’re in college, you can join the GRAMMY University Network, giving you access to networking opportunities, educational programs, performance opportunities, and many of the benefits enjoyed by Voting, Associate and Affiliate members (at a fraction of the cost). Furthermore, one of NARAS’s charitable arms, the Grammy Foundation, runs several “GRAMMY in the Schools” educational programs. Perhaps the most popular of these is “GRAMMY Soundchecks.” At “Soundcheck” events, both high school students and GRAMMY University Network members get the chance to learn from some of the industry’s top artists and business professionals.

For an idea of what these events entail, check out this video of highlights from the “Soundcheck” event that Carolina Liar (Atlantic Records) took part in. As you will see, students are often able to interact with more than just the artist around whom an event might be centered; they could meet and learn from members of the artist’s team, sound engineers, lighting directors, etc. Even if you’re not a student, I recommend watching this since topics like the importance of studying the craft of songwriting, whether or not it’s necessary to take music theory/be classically trained, and the benefits of being able to play by ear are discussed.

We’ve only scratched the surface of NARAS’s functions, but I hope to have brought some opportunities to your attention that you’ll be able to take part in; sometimes getting to interact with people who have “been there” can lead to insights you just won’t find anywhere else. For more on NARAS and on how to participate in the programs we discussed here, visit http://www.grammy.com/ and http://www.grammyintheschools.com/