Published: July 11, 2009 01:55 am      

Local teenager to work with music industry pros at GRAMMY Camp

He may only be 17, but John Wilmot is in California, working, learning and showing off his audio engineering skills to a variety of artists and music industry professionals at GRAMMY Camp.

Included are songwriter, producer and recording artist Lamont Dozier of Motown fame and beyond, singer Gavin Rossdale and more.

Wilmot is feeling the pressure.

“Yeah, I’m a little bit nervous,” he said quietly.

The Jeffersonville High School senior and drummer is one of 84 high school students from 23 states chosen to participate in the fifth-annual camp.

He applied to play the drums there, but listed audio engineering as an interest of his. Then he got the call, saying that the drum positions were filled and that he could have a spot in the audio group.

He jumped at the chance.

“As much as I love to play drums — I’ll be playing drums until the day I’m in the grave — I just listen to music and think that’s cool how they put that together,” Wilmot said. “I want to mix it and put it together to make it sound cool.”

The camp is made for just that, exploring the range of possibilities of careers within the music industry, said Neil Portnow, president/CEO of The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation that puts on the camp.

“GRAMMY Camp provides instruction focused on all aspects of commercial music by industry professionals in a creative environment with access to cutting-edge technology,” Portnow said. “When you take that setting and add close to 100 talented students from across the country, it’s a recipe for a remarkable and indelible experience.”

For that experience, Wilmot won’t have to pay a penny of the $3,500 tuition, thanks to JHS graduate Rusty Rueff, who is a GRAMMY Foundation Board member and secretary/treasurer.

Rueff said he will pay the tuition for all students who are chosen from his alma mater.

“ My wife, Patti, and I are committed to supporting those who create in the visual and performing arts,” Rueff said. “Being a member of the Grammy Foundation Board, I decided that there was no better way to give back than to provide an opportunity for someone from Jeffersonville to have the GRAMMY Camp experience.”

Rueff said it may help students, including Wilmot, achieve a career in the music industry.

“Making a living making music is not easy. Few make it to the top. As I was growing up, it was Michael Jackson and John Cougar Mellencamp who made it out of Indiana and to the top,” Rueff said. “Today, you need the same talent and luck, but even more to make it.

“Giving someone the education, the exposure, the tools and the experience can only enhance their chance of their dreams coming true. I am fortunate that most of my dreams have come true.

“I want to see the dreams of others from my hometown come true too.”

The camp starts today and goes through July 19.