From @DidiBenami ‘s Facebook and Twitter update: “Had such great opportunity today to chat with the kids @ Grammy Career Day. Afternoon well spent with the lovely, inspirational Miss @laceybrown and the the super duper rad @RickeyMinor and the guys! Thank you Rickey, Paul, Miguel, Kevin, Lenny, and Blake for putting that all together it was a blast!”

By Steve Baltin

Like all GRAMMY Week events, GRAMMY Camp — Basic Training is rich with big name talent, from “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” music director Rickey Minor and three-time GRAMMY winner Pepe Aguilar to two-time GRAMMY-winning producer Jimmy Jam and GRAMMY-winning singer/songwriter Melissa Manchester. But the activities spread out across the University of Southern California campus on Feb. 8 weren’t about GRAMMY Awards, platinum albums or sold-out tours. It was about the more than 700 Los Angeles-area high school students who were on hand to learn how to build a successful career in the music business.

One of the best aspects of GRAMMY Camp — Basic Training is the spontaneous interchange between students and the professional participants. Case in point, one lucky student who was selected in the Music Director, Producer And More panel to sing with Minor and the other panelists, including saxophonist Miguel Gandelman, guitarist Paul Jackson Jr. and percussionist Kevin Ricard. The same panel found former “American Idol” finalist Lacey Brown break into the title track of her latest EP, Let It Go, and singer/songwriter Didi Benami serenading attendees with “Release Me,” a song from her forthcoming EP.

Other professionals who participated in the day’s activities included radio personality DJ Skee, EMI Music Publishing’s Amanda Berman, Bill Silva Entertainment’s Ryan Chisholm, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” music talent booker Scott Igoe, and video director Matthew Cherry.

via Official Grammy Blog | Related post: Grammy in the Schools

The 54th Annual Grammys is set for Sunday, February 12th at Staples Center in LA. See the nominees list here.

@AmericanIdol posted an article yesterday about Didi and Lacey’s participation:

Didi Benami and Lacey Brown to Appear at Grammy Camp

Season 9′s Didi Benami has been included as one of the top music industry professionals discussing the realities of the music business and careers in music with more than 700 Los Angeles-area high school students at GRAMMY Camp® — Basic Training, a GRAMMY in the Schools® initiative of the GRAMMY Foundation. GRAMMY Camp — Basic Training conducts a variety of workshops focusing on various fields in the music industry, utilizing the entire USC Thornton School of Music campus.

It appears that Idol’s former Music Director Rickey Minor and Season 9′s Lacey Brown will be there too! Today Lacey tweeted, “Headed to LA to sing at Grammy Camp with the amazing @rickeyminor and the Band and @Didibenami will also be there! I’ll be the one in red!”

via American Idol

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