Memphis - GRAMMY SoundChecks With Maroon 5

On August 27 Memphis-area high school and GRAMMY U students came together at the Mud Island Amphitheater to witness an exclusive GRAMMY SoundChecks opportunity with Maroon 5. Students watched as the band played through bits and pieces of their songs, worked out glitches, discussed different ways to end the song “Sweetest Goodbye,” and worked on the finishing touches for that night’s show. The students also got to see a sneak peek from a German television show much like our “American Idol,” where four singers were given the chance to join the band in rehearsing their new song “Misery.”         

 After the soundcheck the band sat on stage and answered questions about songwriting techniques, opinions on the Performance Rights Act and needs when it comes to management and crew personnel. When asked what advice he had about songwriting, frontman Adam Levine replied, "Be honest about how you’re feeling and really be willing to think about what you don’t want to think about while writing songs.”

Visible School student Amelia Warren asked the band if “they ever feel like they have to compromise when writing songs, especially when they don’t like a song but the people around them do,” to which Levine replied, “That happens all the time! We have a song called ‘Harder To Breathe’ and I didn’t even want it on the album!”

Overall, the soundcheck was definitely a success. The students were given a behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of a major touring band in a relaxed atmosphere.

Photo credit: The Recording Academy