By Ben Johnson
Journal Intern
Some kids spend their summers making crafts at summer camp. Harrison Jones spent his learning how to be a rock star.
Harrison Jones, a junior at Mountain Brook High School, has been playing the drums since he was in the fourth grade. Last July, he spent 10 days in Los Angeles at Grammy Camp, a summer camp designed to teach upcoming musicians more about the music industry and finding a career in music.
Harrison first heard about the camp from his mother, Jennifer Jones, who found the camp’s website last fall.
“I was just browsing the Internet when I found the website,” said Jennifer. “I thought it was the coolest thing and told Harrison to look into it.”
Harrison said he was impressed with the website and looked into getting an audition.
“It was a very intense process,” said Harrison. “I had to send in two videos of me performing and then one video essay about why I wanted to go to Grammy Camp. Then there was also the phone interview as well.”
Harrison said he was excited about being accepted to the camp but was unsure what he was getting himself into until he got to L.A.
“Right when we got off the plane, we all got shuffled into an assembly,” said Harrison. “There were about 50 kids there, and we all got assigned a band. Each band had a bass player, a drummer, two guitarists and a piano player. We were then told to begin practicing because we would be playing two covers for everyone to hear that night.”
Harrison said the band didn’t have a lot of time to rehearse but that the performance was beneficial.
“We were critiqued by different judges and then for the rest of the week, different people would come and help us learn how to play better.”
Students then spent time with their newly-formed bands writing and practicing music that the students wrote. At the end of the camp, the students performed their music in front of a live audience at the El Rave Theater.
“Everyone’s parents were there, but it was also open to the public,” said Harrison. “The place was packed with people. I was really nervous.”
However, once he started playing, Harrison said, he had a great time performing in front of the crowd.
“It was definitely my favorite part of the trip,” said Harrison. “It was such a rush to see all those people cheering for you and your music.”
Harrison said the camp definitely had an impact on his life and helped confirm his desire to pursue music after high school as well as prepare him for a career in music.
“It taught me how to play and interact with other performers,” said Harrison. “I also learned how to play with random bands and how to work the technical side of recording music.”
Harrison’s mother emphasized the change she has seen in her son since his return from Grammy Camp.
“He came home a different person,” said Jennifer. “He was a lot more confident. I was really impressed with how they taught them the business of music.”
Harrison said he now has a better focus on what he wants to do in the future.
“I want to major in music,” said Harrison, adding that he hopes to get into the University of California, Berkley on a music scholarship.
“From there, I hope to either play for a band or work on the technical side of music,” he said.
Harrison said he is heavily influenced by jazz and heavy metal music and that his favorite drummer is Neil Peart from the band Rush.
For now, Harrison plans to continue to finish his junior year. He hopes to attend Jazz Camp, which is put on by the same corporation as Grammy Camp.
“The students of Jazz Camp get to go to the Grammys in February,” he said.
Maybe one day, Harrison will be there to receive his own award.
