From DEMOS to GRAMMYS

NARAS' New Standards

For the last two months, an aspiring alternative artist from the east coast has attempted to contact me about producing her album. She found me on YouTube (riccoutube2). Now that we have that shameless plug out of the way, she played her demo for me.

I listened. I listened. I listened.

The sound was akin to a dying walrus. Normally, I can hear the potential of an artist’s talent. For this particular one, I could not. She asked if I’d be willing to produce, write, record, and mix her album. I respectfully declined. However, I offered her some constructive criticism in a helpful way. I advised that she needed some rigorous vocal training and artist development. I told her she wasn’t quite yet ready for the market place. She was so disturbed at my response; she began to curse me out stating that I did not know what I was speaking. She continued to say that I did not deserve my Grammy, and that she would get one in the next year. I would be sorry.

FYI: As of April 2011, The National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences has completely revamped their selection process and eliminated 31 categories. The academy has listed in addition to the restructuring of Categories, “two rule changes have been established and four Fields have been renamed. It is now expected that each Category shall have at least 40 distinct artist entries, up from 25. If a Category receives between 25 – 39 entries, only three recordings would receive nominations that year. Should there be fewer than 25 entries in a Category that Category would immediately go on hiatus for the current year —no award given — and entries would be screened into the next most logical Category. If a Category receives fewer than 25 entries for three consecutive years, the Category would be discontinued, and submissions would be entered in the next most appropriate Category.

The second rule change is regarding voting. Previously, voting members were allowed to vote in up to nine genre Fields plus the General Field on the first ballot and eight genre Fields plus the General Field on the second ballot, including every category within each chosen Field. Now, on each ballot, voters may vote in up to 20 Categories in the genre Fields plus the four Categories of the General Field — which includes Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best New Artist.

Additionally, there are name changes to four Fields: Musical Show is now Musical Theater; the Film/ Television/Other Visual Media Field is now called Music For Visual Media; the Gospel Field has been renamed the Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Field; and the Dance Field has been renamed the Dance/Electronica Field.

The Awards restructuring proposal was presented by The Recording Academy's Awards & Nominations (A&N) Committee — comprised of elected Academy leaders from across the country representing various genres of the music community — and was voted on and passed by The Academy's Board of Trustees — made up of musicians, producers, engineers, songwriters, and other music professionals. The A&N Committee spent more than a year reviewing, analyzing, and evaluating the GRAMMY Awards process and Categories with great objectivity and fair-mindedness, before presenting its recommendations to the Board of Trustees for ratification. While at times incredibly challenging for each member of the committee to restructure Categories in their own respective genres, the greater purpose of promoting unity within the music community and ensuring that all Fields be treated with parity outweighed natural inclinations to resist change (NARAS).”

Looks like that alternative artist is going to have a heck of a time getting that Grammy after all. I digress.

Grammy.org (April, 2006). The Recording Academy Continues Evolution of Grammy® Awards Process. Retrieved from http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/press-release/apr-06-2011-914-am