Bruno Mars Partners with the Hawai'i Community Foundation and GRAMMY Foundation® to Establish a GRAMMY Camp® Scholarship Fund

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The GRAMMY Foundation^® (www.grammyfoundation.org) announced today that five students will receive financial assistance for GRAMMY Camp^® through the generous support of the Bruno Mars Scholarship Fund. The scholarship fund was established through a grant from the Hawai'i Community Foundation at the recommendation of Bruno Mars. The fund will cover the tuition of one qualified high school student each year for the next five years with preference to students from Hawai'i. GRAMMY Camp, now celebrating its 10th year, is the GRAMMY Foundation's signature music industry camp for U.S. high school students.  

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To be eligible, U.S. high school applicants must complete an online application, video audition and a financial assistance form at www.grammyintheschools.com. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2014. The scholarship recipient will be notified in May 2014. Through the support of several corporate and individual donors, approximately 75 percent of GRAMMY Camp participants who applied for financial aid have received assistance from the GRAMMY Foundation. This program is supported in part by Converse and Journeys.

"Over the past 10 years, GRAMMY Camp has emerged as one of the most interactive and immersive training grounds for young people interested in a range of careers in the music industry," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy^® and the GRAMMY Foundation. "The program's success has inspired us to offer a new residential GRAMMY Camp this summer in St. Paul at McNally Smith College of Music, and a new nonresidential version of GRAMMY Camp in Nashville at Belmont University, in addition to our traditional locations in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, and in Brooklyn at Converse Rubber Tracks. Frankly, there are no limits on how far we can take GRAMMY Camp given our goal to foster the next generations of music makers."

GRAMMY Camp offers selected high school students an interactive residential summer music experience. Focusing on all aspects of commercial music, this unique opportunity provides instruction by industry professionals in an immersive creative environment with cutting-edge technology in professional facilities. The program offers seven music career tracks: Audio Engineering; Electronic Music Production; Music Business; Music Journalism; a Performance track for Bass, Drums, Guitar, Keyboard, Vocal, and Winds & Strings; Video Production; and Songwriting. This real-world, hands-on environment will involve an in-depth look at the entire creative process from the first spark of original material through the promotion of a finished product, and will culminate in a launch party.

Billboard's 2013 Artist of the Year Bruno Mars is a critically acclaimed singer, songwriter, producer and musician. The 18-time GRAMMY nominee and two-time GRAMMY winner has sold more than130 million singles worldwide. His current album Unorthodox Jukebox and his debut album Doo-Wops & Hooligans have a combined certification total of 74-times platinum worldwide. According to Billboard, Mars scored his first five Hot 100 No. 1s faster than any male since Elvis Presley. As a singer, songwriter and producer, Mars has an impressive catalog of 22 Hot 100 hits. Mars and his eight-piece band The Hooligans are set to launch the second leg of their sold-out 155-date Moonshine Jungle world tour in the United States this summer.  

The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1989 to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through programs and activities that engage the music industry and cultural community as well as the general public. The Foundation works in partnership year-round with its founder, The Recording Academy, to bring national attention to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts education and the urgency of preserving our rich cultural heritage. In recognition of the significant role of teachers in shaping their students' musical experiences, The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation have partnered to present the Music Educator Award. Open to current U.S. music teachers in kindergarten through college, the first Music Educator Award was presented at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception during GRAMMY Week 2014. To nominate a teacher for the second annual Music Educator Award, please visit GRAMMYMusicTeacher.com. For more information about the Foundation, please visit www.grammyfoundation.org. For breaking news and exclusive content, please like "GRAMMY in the Schools^®" on Facebook at www.facebook.com/grammyintheschools, follow the GRAMMY Foundation on Twitter @GRAMMYFdn at www.twitter.com/GRAMMYFdn and join us on Instagram @GRAMMYFdn at www.instagram.com/GRAMMYfdn.

With 98 years of community service, the Hawai'i Community Foundation (HCF) is the leading philanthropic institution in the state. HCF is a steward of more than 650 funds, including more than 190 scholarship funds, created by donors who desire to transform lives and improve communities. In 2013 $43 million in grants and contracts were distributed statewide, including $4 million in scholarships. HCF also serves as a resource on community issues and trends in the nonprofit sector. For more information, visit www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org. 

Converse Inc., based in N. Andover, Mass., is a wholly owned subsidiary of NIKE, Inc. Established in 1908, the Converse brand has built a reputation as "America's Original Sports Company"™ and has been associated with a rich heritage of legendary shoes such as the Chuck Taylor^® All Star^® shoe, the Jack Purcell^® shoe and the One Star^® shoe. Today, Converse offers a diverse portfolio including lifestyle men's, women's and children's footwear, apparel and accessories. Converse product is sold globally by retailers in over 160 countries and through 78 company-owned retail locations in the U.S. For more information, visit media.converse.com.

Journeys is a leader in the teen specialty retail scene, with more than 800 stores in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Journeys uses fashion savvy and merchandising science to keep in step with the fast-paced footwear and accessories market for 13- to 22-year-old guys and girls. Journeys offers a wide variety of trendy, relevant brands that cater to teens that seek the hottest, new styles. However, the Journeys store is more than a retail environment — it's an extension of the teen lifestyle. From the plasma TVs playing exclusive content and the latest music videos, to the visual merchandising strategy and promotions, to the employees whose image and style reflect the customers' lifestyle and attitude. In addition, Journeys reaches its customers through www.journeys.com, a mobile website, catalog, national advertising, strategic cross-promotions, social media and grass-roots events like the Noise Tour. Journeys — An Attitude You Can Wear! Journeys is a division of Genesco Inc.

SOURCE GRAMMY Foundation