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| Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.com |
GRAMMY-winning R&B artist Monica recently visited The Recording Academy's headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., for an installment of 5 Questions With…. The singer discussed the importance of music education, mentoring, her favorite GRAMMY moment, social networking, and the importance of being an Academy member.
This segment gave a glimmer of insight into the world of Monica. Grammy asked Monica five questions in regards to social media, The Recording Academy and music education. The first question Grammy asked, “How has social media influenced your career?” Monica stated she never really got into Facebook and MySpace, but with Twitter she felt connected to her fans. Twitter enabled her to produce market research by polling her demographic. When she first came out in the 1990s, market research was based on what people were buying and data collected. Twitter allows her to go straight to the source.
Unfamiliar with The Recording Academy, this question intrigued me: “Why is it important to be a member of The Recording Academy?” Monica stated there is no room for artists to complain about issues and look for change if you’re not a member of the Academy. Being a member not only provides a way for members to give back to the community, but it also provides members with a voice, a say in what form of action(s) The Recording Academy may take in any task(s) or project(s).
The final question related to a continuous struggle music educators and the community go “head to head” with on a daily basis. “Why is it important to have music education in schools?” I agree with Monica, that music allows for an outlet of expression that may not be readily available in English or Algebra. If music is taken away, where does that leave our youth? In what ways can they explore their creative nature without having all creative outlets available to explore?
I’ve been a fan of Monica’s for most of my life and I can’t seem to recall ever getting the chance to know the artist behind the music. Her music seemed to correlate right along with what I was going through, whether it was young love or girl power to aid in an encouragement boost. I appreciate Grammy365, for establishing this series of “5 minutes with…” because it allows the fans to get a glimpse of what these artists are exposed to and their perspectives on the industry.
5 Minutes with…Monica http://www.grammy.com/news/5-questions-with…-monica
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