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MU Music Students Visit GRAMMY Museum Experience

Monmouth University music industry students explored the Grammy Museum Experience at the Prudential Center in Newark on Feb. 17.

Students toured the Bruce Springsteen Live! exhibit, a display created by the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles in tandem with the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University.

Connor Rupp, a senior music industry student, worked on the Springsteen exhibit with Eileen Chapman, director of the Archives. Rupp shared his personal experiences working on the exhibit with his peers after the group was personally welcomed by Mark Conklin, the Grammy Museum Experience director of artist relations and programming.

“There are a lot of moving parts in the exhibit-making process, but the experience was one of a kind, and the final products reflected the hard work put into Bruce Springsteen Live! In the end, it was great to finally get Monmouth students up to the Grammy Museum Experience, so they could get a sense of the work being done by the Archives on campus. I am excited to lead more events like this in the future,” Rupp said.

Monmouth students learned about Springsteen’s creative process and the evolution of his career. They also interacted with signature pieces from his tours and recording sessions, including the guitar from his “Born to Run” album and former band member Clarence Clemons’ saxophone.

Interviews of Springsteen and the E Street Band were available throughout the exhibit, including Springsteen’s interview at the Lauren K. Woods Theatre. It also included exclusive backstage access to legendary performances.

“As Grammy Museum affiliates, Monmouth students have unique access to the museum and all of its resources … We’ve also led a group of students on a trip to LA where they had a personalized experience at the Grammy Museum. But we definitely wanted to bring students back to the Grammy Museum Experience to see the great installation of the Bruce Springsteen Live! exhibit,” said Joe Rapolla, specialist professor and chair of the Department of Music and Theatre Arts.

Students also toured additional interactive experiences that pay homage to countless artists recognized by the Grammy Awards, including high-quality footage from past performances and timeless memorabilia.

The Springsteen Live! exhibit at the Grammy Museum Experience will be on display until March 20. Tickets are required to enter the museum.