music education
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Composer Huang Ruo and composer, saxophonist, and flautist Anna Webber are among 10 2024 recipients of the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts (HAAIA).
The awards were founded and conceived by legendary musician Herb Alpert and his wife, Grammy-winning vocalist Lani Hall. They are presented annually to 10 “risk-taking, mid-career artists” working in the fields of dance, film/video, music, theater and visual arts.
Now in its 30th year, the HAAIA has to date been awarded to 174 artists. Each award consists of an unrestricted $75,000 cash prize and residency at CalArts (California Institute of the Arts), which has administered the prize on behalf of the Herb Alpert Foundation since 1994.
This year’s winners will be announced at a virtual event on Thursday May 2 at 2:00 p.m. PT.
This year’s eight other honorees are choreographers Jonathan González and Mariana Valencia; filmmaker Nuotama Bodomo and filmmaker and artist Lucy Raven; theater artist Robin Frohardt and interdisciplinary artist Cannupa Hanska Luger; and visual artists Marina Rosenfeld and Marie Watt.
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Among past HAAIA winners: Carrie Mae Weems, Taylor Mac, Suzan-Lori Parks, Julia Wolfe, Michelle Dorrance, Tania Bruguera, Kerry James Marshall, Lisa Kron, Sharon Lockhart, Ralph Lemon, Arthur Jafa, Cai Guo-Qiang, Okwui Okpokwasili and Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah.
Alpert and Hall created the Herb Alpert Foundation in 1985. It has reportedly given away more than $200 million dollars, making Alpert one of America’s most important and loyal advocates for the arts and arts education.
“The generosity of Herb and Lani is legendary, and their work supporting artists to take risks, through The Alpert Awards, has propelled artmaking in this country for decades, ” CalArts president Ravi Rajan said in a statement. “The list of past honorees is testament to how the award gives artists the space and time to create work that transforms the world.”
In addition to being a philanthropist, Alpert is a musician, record producer, former label executive, sculptor and painter.
Alpert and the Tijuana Brass were one of the hottest acts of the 1960s, with five No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. Their 1965 smash “A Taste of Honey” won a Grammy for record of the year. As a soloist, Alpert has topped the Billboard Hot 100 with both vocal and instrumental hits – “This Guy’s in Love With You” (1968) and “Rise” (1979), respectively. He’s the only solo artist who has achieved that feat.
With his late partner Jerry Moss, Alpert co-founded A&M Records in 1962, turning it into one of the most successful independent record labels in history. The label was home to Sergio Mendes & the Brasil 66, Carpenters, Joe Cocker, Supertramp, The Police, Janet Jackson and dozens more successful acts. Here’s a list of A&M’s 50 biggest hits on the Hot 100 in the years it was owned by Alpert and Moss.
Alpert and Moss received a trustees award from the Recording Academy in 1997. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2012 Alpert was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Obama.
Grammy Go, a new online initiative from the Recording Academy, is the result of a partnership with Coursera, a leading online learning platform, to offer classes tailored for music creators and industry professionals. Grammy Go on Coursera includes courses taught by Recording Academy members and featuring Grammy nominees and/or winners.
Starting today, enrollment is open for Grammy Go’s first Coursera specialization, “Building Your Audience for Music Professionals,” taught by Joey Harris, international music/marketing executive and CEO of Joey Harris Inc., and featuring Jimmy Jam, Janelle Monáe and Victoria Monét. This specialization will help participants gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to build a strong brand presence and cultivate a devoted audience within the ever-changing music industry.
The partnership’s second course, launching later this summer, is “Music Production: Crafting an Award-Worthy Song.” That course, which aims to strengthen the technological and audio skills of a music producer, will be taught by Carolyn Malachi, Howard University professor and a Grammy nominee in 2011 for best urban/alternative performance for her track “Orion.” This specialization will include appearances by Cirkut, Hit-Boy, classical producer Judith Sherman, artist and vocal coach Stevie Mackey and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr.
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“Whether it be through a Grammy Museum program, Grammy Camp or Grammy U, the Grammy organization is committed to helping the next generation of creators flourish, and the Recording Academy is proud to introduce our newest higher learning opportunity with Grammy Go in partnership with Coursera,” Panos A. Panay, president of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “A creator’s music education is ongoing, and these courses have been crafted to provide participants with the essential tools to grow in their professional and creative journeys.”
“We are honored to welcome Grammy Go, our first entertainment partner, to the Coursera community,” said Marni Baker Stein, chief content officer at Coursera. “With these self-paced online specializations, aspiring music professionals all over the world have an incredible opportunity to learn directly from iconic artists and industry experts.”
Grammy Go is billed as the first creator-to-creator learning platform from the Recording Academy. Visit go.grammy.com to learn more. For more information and enrollment about the first specialization, visit the landing page for Building Your Audience for Music Professionals.
Physical and digital media archiving service Iron Mountain Entertainment Services has agreed to fund full-ride scholarships for four students at Inglewood, Calif.-based music education institution 1500 Sound Academy, the organizations tell Billboard.
1500 Sound Academy offers instruction in current and emerging business practices in the music industry via a team that includes Grammy-winning singer-songwriter James Fauntleroy, Grammy-winning producer Larrance “Rance” Dopson and entrepreneur and executive Twila True. The scholarships will be available to prospective students who wish to enroll in one of three 1500 Sound Academy programs: music & industry fundamentals, DJ fundamentals and vocal performance & production fundamentals. Those awarded the scholarships will take part in in-person lectures and labs focused on music production, engineering, songwriting, mixing, music business, DJ fundamentals, vocal performance, vocal production and more.
Students who receive the scholarships will also be instructed in the basics of archiving and restoration through Iron Mountain’s “Smart Vault” digital media preservation solution as well as on-the-ground training at Iron Mountain’s digital studio and vaults.
To be eligible for the scholarships, applicants must meet the enrollment requirements and not have previously attended any course or program at 1500 Sound Academy.
“We look forward to our partnership with Iron Mountain Entertainment Services by offering four fortunate students the opportunity to learn the fundamentals in this industry through one of our programs,” said Fauntleroy in a statement. “With IMES’ global resources in the film, music, broadcast, and sports industries, we’re encouraging new talent to emerge in the field and seeking to help a new generation of music professionals obtain a launching pad into the industry.”
“The 1500 Sound Academy is leading the way for the next wave of leaders in the business of music,” added Lance Podell, senior vp/GM of Iron Mountain Entertainment Services. “We are honored to partner with them and fund student scholarships, as well as provide our Smart Vault solution to all of the students and faculty. Too often we hear about lost lyrics, songs or assets. Our support will provide the solution and training to help a new generation of creators in the discipline of archival preservation, which is a critical but often overlooked aspect of building a music career.”
The application process for the scholarships opens on Tuesday (Dec. 12). Winners will be announced on Dec. 29 or Jan. 5. More details on the submission and application process can be found here.
Universal Music Group (UMG) is proposing a $250 million music and educational complex in Nashville‘s Berry Hill area at a site covering 4.15 acres, including several buildings on Columbine Place and E. Iris Place. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news A rendering of the mixed-use development shows […]
A decade ago, sound engineer John McBride and country music vocalist/five-time CMA Award winner Martina McBride launched Blackbird Academy — an educational extension of the couple’s Nashville recording studio, Blackbird Studio, that opened in 2002 and has since hosted artists including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Queen, Kings of Leon and Keith Urban.
Now, the McBrides will further delve into offering accessible musical education via Inside Blackbird, a new subscription-based platform aimed at teaching viewers about the processes of recording, studio producing, songwriting and live sound/production. The series features more than 200 hours of content covering different aspects of the music industry, as well as exclusive interviews and educational videos featuring top-shelf producers, musicians and engineers.
In one video, producer Nathan Chapman (known for his early work with Swift) discusses comping vocals. In another, session player Tom Bukovac discusses building a song from start to finish, while in another, producer Dann Huff (known for his work with Urban, Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton and more) discusses the delicate art of discussing ideas in a recording session. Another video features Young Thug producer Bainz as he discusses navigating a studio session.
New videos will added to the platform each week.
Other contributors to the platform include artists like Billy Corgan, Garth Brooks, Yelawolf, Aly+AJ, Vince Gill and Young the Giant, as well as producer Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, My Morning Jacket), guitar legend Joe Bonamassa, producer/engineer Niko Bolas (Neil Young, KISS), vocal coach RAab Stevenson (Rihanna, SZA, Justin Timberlake), front of house engineer Dave Natale (The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Fleetwood Mac). The platform also offers tutorials on live sound, including motors, rigging, power distribution, consoles, monitor engineering and wireless audio.
“Anyone with an interest or curiosity about music will benefit from Inside Blackbird,” John McBride said in a statement. “Learn more about instruments, gear, plugins, the recording process and live touring from the best in the business. Find out how artists start their careers and what it takes to succeed. If we don’t have the answer, we know someone who does, and that is who you will find at Inside Blackbird.”
The Inside Blackbird platform is now available to users for $15.99 per month and to students for $9.99 per month. Further discounts are available through an annual subscription, while the Creator Plan offers users access to not only Inside Blackbird’s content but also KIT Plugins’ complete suite of audio tools released to date. This includes the historic Blackbird Studio emulations for $24.99 per month or an annual subscription of $249.90 (two months free). Any future Blackbird plugins will also be included in the plan as they are released.
Inside Blackbird has additionally partnered with Save the Music by donating an unspecified portion of each subscription to the organization.
See the trailer for Inside Blackbird below: