Grand Junction Casts Two Votes for the Grammys

Every time you watch the Grammy awards, keep in mind that the results are due in part to a couple of voting members of the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences right here in Grand Junction.

Gary R. Smith and Dennis Woodrich both cast their votes each year in the Grammys. Smith is the owner and operator of Gary R. Smith Productions, and Woodrich is a retired professor from Colorado Mesa University.

So, you ask, what are the qualification needed to become a voting member of the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences? Well, to be blunt, the criteria is pretty stiff.

Voting members are music industry professionals with creative or technical credits on a minimum of six commercially released tracks. This could include engineers and producers like Gary R. Smith, or arrangers and performers like Woodrich.  Other fields such as songwriters, art directors, album notes writers, and conductors are also eligible. One entity that cannot vote for the Grammy would be record companies.