"I'm just trying to get the nerves out of my face," Claudio Sanchez admitted, holding his hands to his slightly stricken visage. During Coheed and Cambria's Q&A on Oct. 7, as part of the GRAMMY Museum's "A New York Evening With…" series, the act of public speaking got to their bandleader's head.

This was interesting, given what the band does on a regular basis: channeling their maximum-ambitious sci-fi mythology through hair-raising rock, in massive venues for thousands — like Forest Hills Stadium, which they rocked last July. But sitting onstage in a 160-cap room and simply talking was a whole other ballgame, with its own set of challenges.

What happened next was proof positive that some musicians communicate most clearly through exactly that — their music.

Because after Sanchez, guitarist Travis Stever, and bassist Zach Cooper strapped on their instruments — and drummer Josh Eppard took a seat on a cajon — they were on fire. The acoustics in the small theater were just about perfect, the band's playing was rock-solid, and bandleader Claudio Sanchez's singing was as dynamic and powerful as ever.

Whether Coheed were performing tunes from their new album, Vaxis — Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind, or post-Y2K favorites that put them on the map, like "A Favor House Atlantic" and "Welcome Home," the crowd at Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at the Peter Norton Symphony Space sent otherworldly vocal counterpoint into the rafters.

Between songs, a woman inquired: "Feel better?" And it was clear from the aplomb that settled over Sanchez's face that he certainly did — what might be difficult to say, he can easily sing.

Read More: Coheed And Cambria Teased A Key Character In Their Last Album, Vaxis: Act I. But Who Is Vaxis, Really?

Such is the unique format of the GRAMMY Museum's "A New York Evening With…" series: It provides a new challenge for artists, offering an intimate view into their backgrounds and processes through Q&As and stripped-down performances in small rooms. Jon Batiste kicked off the series last June, at Lincoln Center's New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. An evening with Gavin DeGraw followed, at the Greene Space.

Unlike those showcases, this edition involved four guys on the mic — moderated by Jason Lipshutz, who works as the Executive Director, Music at Billboard. During the chat, the contrast between their larger-than-life fictional universe and presentation — and the realities of playing music on terra firma — were fully apparent.

*Coheed and Cambria with Jason Lipshutz. Photo courtesy of the Recording Academy™️/photo by Rob Kim, Getty Images© 2022.*

The fans may have been immersed in the celestial drama of The Amory Wars, which plays out "amidst a star-spanning collection of 78 planets known as Heaven's Fence" and is episodically threaded through their studio albums. In short, they're into this band for magic — the specific type that Coheed and Cambria can imbue their lives with.

Nick Cucci, the Executive Director of the Recording Academy's New York Chapter, touched on this in his introduction to the show, calling Coheed and Cambria "truly the greatest band on the planet." (Cucci got involved with the band during their earliest days, falling in love with "Blood Red Summer" and working behind the scenes on the album it appeared on, 2003's In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3.)

"They're incredibly creative musicians; they've created stories and characters that are synonymous with the band — that we bring with us," Cucci continued. "Whether it's Ambellina, or the Writing Writer, or Sister Spider, or you-name-it — they're with us."

But Lipshutz's line of questioning almost entirely eschewed this matrix of characters and lands, drilling down into the things many musicians deal with — recording during a pandemic, the ups and downs of a 20-year career, balancing your musical works with supplemental media.

While this may not have produced many — or any — easter eggs for fans regarding their multimedia fantasia, it bridged a gap between Coheed's larger-than-life creations and their realities on the ground.

"Creating The Amory Wars was just a way to hide what my real story was," Sanchez explained. "They come from a very personal place where the comic allows me to be honest in the songs, if that makes any sense."

*Coheed and Cambria. Photo courtesy of the Recording Academy™️/photo by Rob Kim, Getty Images© 2022.*

Speaking to GRAMMY.com in 2021, Sanchez detailed how the themes of The Amory Wars aren't so far-out after all — and that's partly what draws new waves of fans year after year.

"Family is one of the recurring themes," he said, pointing to their band name — which enshrines the protagonists at the heart of the story. "I understand this plays out in this world that needs to be described to the listener, but I also don't want to overburden them. I want people to listen to the words and find something they relate to."

Drummer Josh Eppard and guitarist Travis Stever mostly carried the Q&A, where they shared memories of the band — including recording The Second Stage Turbine Blade, which turned 20 this year — as well as recording tidbits from Vaxis — Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind.

According to Sanchez, Vaxis II's intrepid leaps into unexpected styles — strains of R&B and synth-pop and dance — had to do with the global event that affected all of us in 2020.

"I think it was that idea of, 'Will we even have a future?'" Sanchez said. "I started to see the limitations I posed for myself, that were just sort of accidental with time. You sort of take the easy road, or the common road, because that's just what you're comfortable with. But I started to realize, 'Maybe tomorrow isn't going to happen.'"

To Eppard, Vaxis II's "Disappearing Act" was Exhibit A regarding this ranginess — "the nucleus of my feeling that this would be a divisive Coheed record." But during their last run of shows, those anxieties were assuaged: "It was so visible — visually obvious — that it had struck a chord with the audience."

Again: sometimes, music is better than words: when Coheed and Cambria performed "Disappearing Act," you could feel that energy rippling through a cross-section of their most devoted followers.

Read More: Coheed And Cambria's Claudio Sanchez On The Reaction To Vaxis: Act II — A Window of the Waking Mind & The Future Of The Band

They began their short set with "A Favor House Atlantic," then treated the audience to a few key Vaxis II tracks: "Liar's Club," "Shoulders" and "Our Love." In an indirect nod to Brett Morgen doc of the same name currently in the ether, the penultimate selection was a rendition of David Bowie's "Moonage Daydream."

What spurred that cover? Speaking to RecordingAcademy.com backstage, Sanchez expressed that "Moonage Daydream" has increasingly resonated with him, looking back on 20 years leading a rock band. He cited its opening lines: "I'm an alligator/ I'm a mama-papa coming for you/ I'm a space invader/ I'll be a rock 'n' rollin' b— for you."

"It felt very real again… It was more of a connection," Sanchez said. "I thought, 'You know what? This is appropriate for this event.'"

*Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria. Photo courtesy of the Recording Academy™️/photo by Rob Kim, Getty Images© 2022.*

"Moonage Daydream" isn't just in Coheed and Cambria's wheelhouse because it's right in Sanchez's register; it comports with their mission as a band. Bowie was — and remains — something of a pied piper for oddballs and outcasts; Coheed also communicates that it's OK to have your head in the clouds, to dream of something grander than one's day-to-day.

"Are you in/ Or are you out?" Sanchez sang during "A Favor House Atlantic" — almost drowned out by those who have lived with, and experienced pain to, and felt jubilation and release because of this very special rock band. 

The tangled web that Coheed and Cambria weave may seem intimidating, but as people, they're as far as can be from cagey or condescending. Rather, they're bracingly normal — as this GRAMMY Museum-helmed appearance made abundantly clear.

After performing these songs steeped in cosmic, fantastical scenarios, Eppard sat perched backstage, white-knuckling it through the Mets game. There's nothing keeping you out. You can be in.

Gavin DeGraw Continues The GRAMMY Museum's "A New York Evening With…" Series With Heart, Songcraft & Tongue Firmly In Cheek

It's been decades since Maren Morris first attended GRAMMY Camp all the way back in 2005 — nearly 20 years ago. Still, she remembers precisely how she felt then and how much of a "rare opportunity" it was.

She met luminaries like Jimmy Jam and Paul Williams, and the setting made the then-15-year-old feel legitimized and creatively elevated. "I learned how to peer into myself and learn what unique thing I had to bring to the table musically," she tells the Recording Academy.

Since then, Maren Morris has had an entire career: She won a GRAMMY, received 17 GRAMMY nominations, joined the country music supergroup the Highwomen, topped the Billboard country charts, and much more.

Morris just had a full circle moment — Recording Academy style. On Monday, Morris returned to GRAMMY Camp, the GRAMMY Museum's signature music industry camp for U.S. high school students, as a guest artist to celebrate the program's 20th anniversary, which takes place in Los Angeles this week. She joins viral NYC bass phenom Blu DeTiger and captivating New Jersey singer/songwriter Jeremy Zucker. Together, they are guiding students on their paths to a career in the music industry. 

"I think that the main thing I'm imparting is that they don't need to rush their art or building their fan base," Morris says. "With social media and trending sounds and dances every day, it's easy to feel like you're getting lost or not keeping up fast enough with what your peers are doing.

"Just stick to being authentic," she continues, "and people see that, no matter what time they arrive to the party for you."

Another one of Morris' pieces of advice: Don't confuse loyalty with complacency. She explains that she likes to "shake up my production or co-writing comfort by working with new people who bring things out of me I wouldn't normally in a more comfortable creative situation."

In the end, "Find people that listen to you," Morris concludes, "but also push you and your creativity to new areas of yourself." There's no place better to do exactly that than at GRAMMY Camp, where the mentee can one day become the mentor and guide the next generation of artists and music industry professionals.

The 20th annual GRAMMY Camp celebration is running now and concludes with the GRAMMY Camp Finale Student Showcase on Saturday, July 20, at the Ray Charles Terrace at the GRAMMY Museum. 

Applications for GRAMMY Camp 2025 will be available online in September.

Learn more about GRAMMY Camp.

The Recording Academy, the organization behind the annual GRAMMY Awards, has proudly extended membership invitations to more than 3,900 music creators and industry professionals this week to join its 2024 New Member Class. 

The 2024 New Member Class, which exemplifies the Academy's commitment to reflecting today's diverse and dynamic music industry landscape, represents a significant step towards inclusivity and representation within the music industry. This year's 2024 class of invitees is 45% women, 57% people of color and 47% under the age of 40. With these new member invitees, the Recording Academy is on track to achieve its goal of adding 2,500 women Voting Members by 2025, reaching this milestone a year ahead of schedule. 

The deadline for accepting these invitations, and thus engaging in the full process for the 2025 GRAMMYs, is Wednesday, July 31. 2024 New Member Class invitees are encouraged to join our newly launched New Member Class broadcast channel to learn more about the Recording Academy and membership-related updates.

These invitations offer each potential new member an opportunity to power the Recording Academy's mission of cultivating the well-being of the music community, celebrating artistic excellence in the recording arts, advocating for creators' rights, investing in music's future through the GRAMMY Museum, and supporting music people in times of need through MusiCares.

The Recording Academy's membership invitation process is community-driven and peer-reviewed annually, focusing on two types of membership: Voting Membership for music creators and Professional Membership for music business professionals. Interested musicians and professionals must apply for membership by March 1 each year, and if approved by a peer review panel, they are invited to join the Recording Academy. (GRAMMY U is the third type of Academy membership and follows a distinct application process.)

To celebrate this milestone, many of the newly invited members have taken to social media to express their excitement and gratitude. Here are some highlights:

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For more information about the 2025 GRAMMY Awards season, learn more about the annual GRAMMY Awards process, read our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section, view the official GRAMMY Awards Rules and Guidelines, and visit the GRAMMY Award Update Center for a list of real-time changes to the GRAMMY Awards process.

"Everything you like was created by a queer person," musician and DJ Aluna proclaimed near the end of "The Power In Pride: A Conversation Honoring The Resilience Of Black Queer Creatives." (A seemingly bold statement — until you do some digging.)

Ditto a Black person. As the Recording Academy's VP of DEI, Ryan Butler, pointed out, just about every American music genre flows back to that source. "There is no pop music in America that is not a derivative of the Negro spiritual," he said across from Aluna.

"The queerness has been the innovation in it, but the Black community has been the foundation of it," Butler concluded. "So, I think when you have the foundation and the innovation together, it's worth celebrating 365 days a year."

When considering those two truths, two more truths emerge. First, without the contributions of Black and queer people, our world — including our musical landscape — would be unrecognizable. Second, to celebrate only in February, for Black History Month — or June, for Pride Month and Black Music Month — would be a grave disservice to both wellsprings of genius. Honoring Black and queer creators, as Butler pointed out, requires the entire calendar year. 

These themes were paramount at "The Power of Pride," a candid conversation at the Live Nation building in Manhattan, just as summer kicked off. Tiffany Briggs Low, the Director of Corporate and Communications at Live Nation, moderated the discussion between Butler, Aluna, and third panelist Bryant K. Von Woodson II, VIP Relations at Chapter 2 Agency and Head of Communications at Queer Capita. Von Woodson II introduced himself as a "curator of people" who connects BIPOC folks with crucial opportunities; Butler, as an "angelic disruptor"; Briggs-Low called Aluna "our sister in green" and "the curator of the vibes."

Briggs-Low kicked off the conversation with a heavy, dual prompt: "I would love to hear about why you feel it's important for the world to continue celebrating both Pride and Black Music Month, and what does the intersectionality of Black and queer identities mean to each of you?"

"I think that theme months each year do serve as a reset," Aluna stated, "and have you looking internally, and looking at what you've done and haven't done, and how you feel. To me, the queer community and the Black community have given so much," she continued, "and my mission is for us to just turn that around — to be giving it back to ourselves. Because there is an abundance of things that we create — and we never stop creating — but we need to be fed, and the well is running dry. And that upsets me."

To Aluna — who is Black, straight, and an ally of the Black queer community — this nourishment comes from "creat[ing] space" within these communities, and fostering "spirituality and deep, deep connection."

To that question, Von Woodson II — who is Black and queer — paraphrased Maya Angelou: "Between both communities, I stand as one, but I also really acknowledge the 10,000," he said referring to the philosophy from Angelou's work that credits the collective experiences of communities and ancestors who came before. 

"I think that's what this month is about," he continued. "Celebrating the 10,000 that got me to be able to sit on this stage, to have this conversation with you, to sit up here with some beautiful Black people, and really speak about our lives and ourselves."

Butler, who is also Black and queer, calls that intersection "a superpower." Yet the world doesn't always treat it as such — to put it lightly. As Butler related, just last weekend, he entered a function in Malibu, where the host said, "I'm going to sit you at the table where all the rappers like to sit."

"I don't really give rapper," Butler mused dryly. "You shouldn't be profiled in that type of way, and I definitely experience it in the corporate environment, still. I don't think that it always feels like a safe space.

"But that's also a litmus test for me," he added. "I know that there are other [people] who may feel this way, and so it also helps me make sure that I'm constantly applying pressure."

Von Woodson II expounded on the importance of being his authentic self, in spaces that might stifle that. "There is no hiding that I am clearly Black, but also queer," he said, before showing off his proudly flamboyant style of walking into a room.

"As I work with my clients, and I work with new people, I think I show up as authentic as I can," he continued. "And I just lay it on them and say, 'You either take it or you don't.'"

Aluna, for her part, highlighted the unfairness of Black artists being pigeonholed as featured artists.

"If I need to be an example of what's possible for the next generation, they can't just see me as Disclosure featuring Aluna, DJ Snake featuring Aluna, Avicii featuring Aluna, because that gives the message that that's all we're worth," she said. "You can't get booked as an artist in your own right, because they just don't see you as an artist.

"Managers across the board, bookers, labels — they're just hankering after your essence, your soul," Aluna continued. "But without your Blackness."

In supporting Black and queer communities — which takes a plethora of forms, for all different kinds of people — Butler warned against performative gestures. Aluna decried "the colonial separation between Blackness and queerness."

And Butler left the audience with a truth bomb: "There are going to be times where you are going to have to shield me with your privilege that I don't have."

But for all these heavier-than-heavy topics of identity, justice and belonging, "The Power In Pride" felt celebratory and familial. As the conversation wound down, the beats were turned up, and the audience was geared to get out and uphold Black and queer genius and solidarity — 365 days a year.

The Recording Academy thanks its partners — Live Nation and Queer Capita — for their efforts to make this event possible.

Over the past two years, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. and President Panos A. Panay have journeyed across the world in service of the organization and the global music community. What came of those trips has been personally moving and profoundly monumental for both Mason jr. and Panay. It's also further expanded the vision of the Academy's global mission.

"For us as an Academy, we always want to be aware of the trends — what's happening now and what's coming next — so we can stay plugged into today's music scene and global music community and continue to honor the music that's being made around the world," Mason jr. reflected about his recent travels to Africa in an interview with the Recording Academy last year.

Now, that global mission has finally come to fruition: The Recording Academy recently announced plans for its global expansion into Africa and the Middle East, a development that perfectly aligns with the music industry's ongoing globalization. With new music communities and industries developing around the world, including the thriving music industry growing across the Middle East and North Africa, a region commonly known as MENA, the Academy's expansion into this region was a natural development.

"The world is becoming a lot more globalized. Our job as an Academy is to expand our mission to include all creators irrespective of where they live or what passport they have or what language they speak," Panay explained in a recent interview. "The Middle East and Africa are two of the fastest-growing regions, demographically, when it comes to younger populations, when it comes to creative output, and when it comes to industry growth. This expansion into the MENA region is a natural fit simply for the fact that music is now a truly globalized art form that is not limited by language or culture."

"Music knows no borders. It's global and transcends cultural, political and language barriers," 12-time GRAMMY winner John Legend said in a statement about the Recording Academy's expansion. "I'm so glad that the Recording Academy, the leading organization serving music creators, is evolving to be a more global organization."

"As an African musician, I'm excited about the Recording Academy's expansion into Africa and the Middle East," Afrobeats pioneer Davido echoed the sentiment in a statement. "It acknowledges our vibrant talent and the global influence of African music. This initiative offers a platform for creators, elevating our cultural expressions and uniting us through music." 

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The Recording Academy's global expansion builds on several of the organization's recent international initiatives and rich history with the music of both the Middle East and Africa. At the 2024 GRAMMYs in February, the Recording Academy introduced the inaugural Best African Music Performance GRAMMY category, which recognizes recordings that utilize unique local expressions from across the African continent. One year prior, at the 2023 GRAMMYs, the Recording Academy awarded the inaugural Best Song For Social Change Special Merit Award to Iranian singer/songwriter Shervin Hajipour for "Baraye," a widespread protest anthem in Iran. 

Last year, the Latin Recording Academy hosted the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs in Seville, Spain, marking the first-ever international GRAMMY Awards show. "It is our responsibility as an Academy to really support our artists and our creators in their quest to go global," Latin Recording Academy CEO Manuel Abud said, in an interview in 2023, about the global expansion of the Latin GRAMMYs. 

Similarly, the Recording Academy is now establishing local roots in Africa and the Middle East to help develop regional music industries and support music creators on a global scale.

"We are spending the next few years working directly with our local partners and stakeholders to better understand the needs of each of these creative scenes and establish the Recording Academy's role in serving these regions in a long-term strategy," Panay said. "Our plan is to use these collaborations as a platform to create connectivity and community. We strongly believe the Academy's mission and membership can ultimately have an impactful role in the development of these global industries."

The global expansion will benefit current and future Recording Academy members, too, Panay said. 

"As the creative community, including our Recording Academy membership, is seeing its income streams come under pressure, expanding opportunities for our existing membership is imperative for the organization," he said. "The expansion is informed by both the Academy's mission to go global, but also by the commitment to serving our existing membership at the highest possible level. That's what's informing every step that we've taken over the last two years in these explorations as well as the last 50 years as we've built the organization to think and act more globally." 

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Both Panay and Recording Academy CEO Mason jr. took a direct, hands-on approach to establish the Academy's footprint across the Middle East and Africa. They met with governmental ministries, cultural leaders and music creators across both regions, participating in listening sessions and high-level briefings.

For Panay, it is essential for the Recording Academy to learn about the local cultures on an intimate level and cater the Academy's strategy to the regions' specific needs.

"I was once told a great expression: 'If you don't go, you don't know,'" Panay reflected. "Ultimately, for us to better serve those creative communities, the Academy's strategy has to involve us spending time in these regions, which is what we are committed to keep doing over the next few years as we develop our specific plans and implementations for each market." 

To accomplish this, the Recording Academy is working closely with Ministries of Cultures and key stakeholders to build a framework that will bolster the Academy's presence and services in these rapidly growing music regions. The strategy also posits music at the nexus of art, commerce and diplomacy: These partnerships are aimed at driving economic growth, cultural exchange and sociopolitical ties between the partner nations.

"Creatives offer a formidable platform for building cultural, social, economic, and political ties across the East African Community, the African Continent and indeed the entire African Diaspora globally," Kenya's Hon. Ababu Namwamba, EGH said in a statement about the partnership with the Recording Academy. "This is a historic opportunity to hoist high and celebrate Africanacity through artistic and cultural expression, while fostering innovation, creativity, fraternity, and solidarity for African peoples in Africa and beyond."  

Read More: The Recording Academy Partners With U.S. Secretary Of State Antony J. Blinken To Launch The Global Music Diplomacy Initiative; Quincy Jones Awarded Inaugural Peace Through Music Award 

As part of its multifaceted global expansion, the Recording Academy is exploring several key initiatives focused on supporting and protecting music creators around the world, with an emphasis on advocacy, cross-cultural learnings, and economic growth, among many other measures. These initial priorities — informed by the local creative communities, music industry leaders and government officials — are the direct result of the Academy's on-the-ground learnings and exchanges over the past two years. 

"We took what we learned from our meetings with the local creatives and industry players and envisioned how and where the Recording Academy could be the most helpful in developing a sustainable ecosystem," Panay explained. "Sometimes, people don't recognize or understand how policies that are shared between states or countries accelerate the growth of an industry and help creators generate income. We think the Academy can play a role in all this with the help of our partners in these local governments and industries."

Education remains one of the key pillars of the Recording Academy's global expansion. Already, the Academy has made immense progress in this area via the recently launched GRAMMY GO, the Recording Academy's first-ever creator-to-creator platform and online learning experience. With GRAMMY GO, the Academy uses the collective knowledge base of its membership to spread industry expertise and help music creators enhance their careers. GRAMMY GO now serves as a bridge connecting the Academy and its members with local scenes around the globe.

"The programs we're already developing with GRAMMY GO are meant to begin introducing the Academy's prospects, abilities, and collective knowledge of its membership to these new regions," Panay said. "We see GRAMMY GO as the tip of our mission expansion into these areas because you got to lead first and foremost with education and skill development. These are critical to the development of creators and the growth of industries, and we think we can help accelerate that."

In the future, the Academy plans to offer enhanced training opportunities and educational programs specifically tailored to the needs of music creators in these regions and users worldwide.

Learn More: How The Recording Academy's GRAMMY GO Is Building A Global Online Learning Community & Elevating The Creative Class 

As the Recording Academy sets its plans for global expansion into motion, the organization is keeping creators from all over at the forefront — exactly as it's done over the decades. 

With additional reporting by Morgan Enos. 

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