Francisca Valenzuela will be your guide…
The 33-year-old Chilean American singer, poet and multi-instrumentalist will take part in the Grammy Museum’s new Mentorship Monday program in partnership with Grammy U and former First Lady Michelle Obama‘s Reach Higher initiative.
Every Monday beginning next week through August 31, top-tier music industry professionals like Valenzuela will mentor college students and recent graduates via digital conferencing.
In addition to Valenzuela, mentors include artists Sam Fischer, Tikyra “TK” Jackson, Ledisi, three-time Grammy winners Little Big Town, Melanie Pfirrman and Sasha Sloan, as well as Recording Academy members.
The sessions will give students an opportunity to connect with established music industry professionals and creatives, and will serve as a valuable tool for information, advice and exploration within a wide variety of music careers and topics as they pursue their own careers.
“The Grammy Museum’s new Mentorship Monday program exemplifies the Museum’s mission to uphold music’s value in our lives through education and collaboration between professionals and aspiring creatives,” said Michael Sticka, president of the Grammy Museum. “I’d like to thank Reach Higher and Grammy U for helping make this program a reality.”
“Reach Higher is excited to partner with the Grammy Museum to bring mentorship to students this summer.” said Eric Waldo, Executive Director of Reach Higher. “Music helps us hear each other more fully and to share ourselves with one another authentically. Now more than ever is a wonderful time for professionals and artists to harness the unifying and uplifting power of music to support students as they explore and pursue educational and career opportunities in all facets of the recording industry,”
While the sessions are currently invitation-only, a selection will be released in the future as part of Reach Higher’s Beating the Odds Summit, and a selection of public-facing mentorship sessions will be available via Instagram Live.
Valenzuela released her latest album, La Fortaleza, in January.The album consists of 14 tracks, including the singles “Tómame,” “Héroe” and “Flotando.”