INVITE TO THE GRAMMY AWARDS...

Did you see the 55th Grammy Awards on Sunday night - February 10th? I was there.

Technically, I traded my tickets for a once-in-a-lifetime experience to join local radio winners for the JT 20/20 Experience in Los Angeles. For those of you who watched the Grammy Awards, you know that JT = Justin Timberlake.

JT made his official comeback Sunday night. He invited lucky fans to watch the official Grammy Awards dress rehearsal in the Staples Center and then chill in his West Hollywood penthouse suite to eat, drink, view the Grammy Awards show live, and then see his 20/20 Experience show after the Grammys at the Hollywood Palladium. We loved him and I think you will too! I'll elaborate on the reasons why in a moment.

The Grammy Awards Dress Rehearsal

First, I'd like to say that there are at least 3 cool things about experiencing the Grammy Awards dress rehearsal and seeing the show live:

1. You get to see all of the performances and stage transitions not seen on TV

2. You get to mingle and network with some of your favorite artists and legends

3. You learn to appreciate the details that go into making the show great because the staff truly puts in tremendous effort to honor the nominees and special award recipients

Unfortunately, the tight security banned the use of cameras and phones in the dress rehearsal. I'm so sorry I could not capture photos of Bruno Mars with Sting, Bob Marley's family, and Rhianna in tribute to Bob Marley. I was also sorry I could not snap a pic of one of my mentors (in my head) - Producer Jimmy Jam. I'm resolved to live with mental photos for now.

It was very exciting to see some of the celebrity artists come in to practice. I say some because not all of them were there. For example, neither Chuck D nor Jay-Z practiced for their separate collab performances and most presenters had stand-ins. Everyone else was there for the rehearsal.

What stood out to me were the artists that dressed up for their rehearsal. For example, Taylor Swift performed with a circus-style set. All of the characters and musicians for her song were dressed in costume and executed costume changes and prop movements during the song. There were even dancers hanging in the air, which you probably did not catch much of on TV.

Another example was Carrie Underwood. She had a beautiful set, including a string orchestra, a backdrop of beautiful flowing images, and a dress that was like a screen for creative projection mapping. It was beautiful and she SANG! Don't you agree from what you saw on TV?

I loved how every person involved in the dress rehearsal was committed to their contributions to the performance, whether they were going to get much TV time or not.

The Grammys Live

If you saw the Grammys, then you know most of the performances were great. What stood out to me most was Bruno Mars with Sting, Rhianna, Ziggy Marley, and Damien Marley. The room was so energized with the band's dance moves and the awesome grooves. The set by Justin Timberlake also stood out. His big, classy band energized the room with their cool and hip dance moves, grounded by awesome orchestration.

As a musician, I loved these performances because of the whole package of entertainment, musicianship and inspiration from all involved. I love when a band dances in synchronized movements, don't you? It influences the audience to move with them too.

All of the nominees this year seemed worthy of their nominations. As a recent Full Sail University graduate, I'm thrilled that my fellow alumni were nominated in various categories.

Back to JT 20/20 Experience

Most of the band that accompanied Justin Timberlake for the Grammy Awards show was at his show at the Hollywood Palladium. If you love grooves that move you, whether fast, mid tempo, or slow, I think you will enjoy more than one song on JT's new music release called The 20/20 Experience. His lyrics are good with more songs on love and commitment. Take a peek at his site when you can, where you might see my face too! www.JustinTimberlake.com

My final note is to those who are pursuing a career in the music industry. I can assure you that doing one or all of the following will not be a waste of time:

1. Join GrammyU as a student 

2. Attend the Grammy Awards when you are eligible, even if you are not nominated yet

3. Network

Cheers to the journey where dreams come true!