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Grammy Museum Announces Affiliated Partnership With MU

Monmouth University is now one of four schools in the nation to become affiliated with the Los Angeles-based GRAMMY Museum, which will now allow students and faculty access to GRAMMY Museum content for educational purposes, curriculum purposes, research programs, professional development seminars, collaborative marketing, and student internship opportunities.

Brown said, “What a fantastic opportunity for our students to access the [GRAMMY] Museum’s impressive resources, programs and internships. Thank you to Bob Santelli (Director of the GRAMMY Museum and University alumnus) for facilitating this exciting partnership, for his continued support, and for sharing his passion for music and education with the Monmouth University community.”

Monmouth University joins the University of Southern California, Oregon State University, and Delta State University in this partnership.

Over 100 guests celebrated the University’s new affiliation with the GRAMMY Museum in Woods Theatre on Friday, Oct. 10 at 2:30 pm.

The affiliation ceremony held speeches by: Dr. Paul Brown, University President; Joe Rapolla, Chair of the University’s Music and Theatre Arts Department.

Rapolla said, “This affiliation is so aligned with our vision of growth for the music department.”

The ceremony also included performances by Natalie Zeller, a junior music industry student, Kellan Brennan, a sophomore communication student, and student-band, “Flammable Animals.” All performers are part of the University’s student-run record label, Blue Hawk Records.

Guy Battaglia, a junior music industry major and singer in “Flammable Animals,” said, “This program is great because of how passionate we are about music. We look forward to what we do each and every day. [The GRAMMY affiliation] gives us an outlet to experience what we hope to do in the future. We are most excited about creating new, awesome music and sharing it around the world.”

According to GrammyMuseum.org, “The GRAMMY Museum explores and celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music, the creative process, the art and technology of the recording process, and the history of the GRAMMY Awards, the premier recognition of recorded music accomplishment.”

grammy-award“The students killed it. They knocked it out of the park. Everybody was just so impressed with the level of talent that we have here at Monmouth,” said Rapolla.

In-between performances, Santelli presented Brown with a plaque signifying the University’s part in the new-found affiliation. Santelli said, “With GRAMMY Museum’s new educational affiliate program, we’re inviting educational institutions to engage in a unique resource-sharing opportunity.”

After presenting Brown with the plaque, Santelli announced a new educational program both the University and the GRAMMY Museum will be a part of. Because 2015 is the centennial of Frank Sinatra’s birth, the GRAMMY Museum will be providing a new series of educational conferences about the singer. Monmouth University will be the first venue for these conferences, beginning approximately in April of 2015.

Brennan said, “The event went very well and had a bigger turnout than I thought it would.”

Theatre department student Zoe Bullit commented, “I am so happy that students got to perform, especially this event where music is such an important part of the whole message.”

Both Brennan and Bullit are in agreement that the affiliation can provide a broader spectrum of available internship opportunities in both the fields of music and communication.

“The GRAMMY enables students to have opportunities to work in the industry, as well as provide internships at the GRAMMY museum and with affiliates,” said Rapolla.

Kait Steubner, Director of Education at the GRAMMY Museum, said, “The affiliation will allow the GRAMMY Museum to expand our national reach while offering Monmouth students exciting opportunities, such as internships, within our organization.”

Stuebner said, “Monmouth University was a natural choice to become a GRAMMY Museum affiliate based on the institution’s long history in college radio as well as the wonderful, career-building opportunities it offers its students through Blue Hawk Records.”

On the affiliation as a whole: “I think the affiliation really demonstrates the University’s commitments to performing arts and its commitment to create a holistic university experience for all students here,” said Rapolla.

PHOTO COURTESY of Petra Ludwig

IMAGE TAKEN from elev8.com