How do you make it in the music business? Blaze your own trail, network, have an online presence, and take rejection in stride. Those were some of the answers I heard regularly during a GRAMMY Camp L.A. panel where high school campers asked industry professionals what steps to take to make it as an artist or land a dream job in the music biz.

Grouplove producer and drummer Ryan Rabin gave students this advice on the subject.

“The Internet is a powerful thing. Grouplove started by a group of friends recording a few songs together for fun and throwing them on the Internet. Indie music blogs kept posting the songs and a few months later there was label interest and we played a show. We had never even really played live together.”

Fast-forward to two years later and the band grabbed their first number-one single, “Tongue Tied,” on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.

Steven Slate, a music producer who’s worked with bands such as Train and Black Eyed Peas, also chimed in.

“It’s all about the people you meet along the way and never losing focus of who you are and why you’re passionate about music. Surround yourself with bright minds and creative individuals. That’s when the big ideas come to the table.”

And what if you’re rejected? GRAMMY campers were told they can pretty much expect rejection at least once when pursuing music.

“The timing has to be right. If you go after it when the timing isn’t right, it won’t work out,” said Brian London, keyboardist for Lady Gaga and Katy Perry (he’s also musical director for Bruno Mars and Taio Cruz).

“Sometimes things will just work out in the strangest ways, when you least expect it,” added Grouplove’s Rabin.

Former American Idol contestant Haley Reinhart was also there. When she didn’t win Idol, she kept pursuing her dream of making it as an artist and managed to land a record deal with Interscope Records. “Keep putting yourself out there and don’t give up,” she told us.

I also had the chance to swing by a few classes, where I saw music production students work with Pro Tools (while wearing Shure SRH440s) and singer/songwriter students rock their songs on wired SM58® microphones and wireless Beta 87As.

Are you or any high school students you know interested in attending GRAMMY Camp? Check out grammyintheschools.com for 2013 application information. Financial aid is available, and approximately 75 percent of students who apply for financial aid receive assistance.

I checked out the first ever East Coast GRAMMY Camp last week, and was happy to see just as much talent represented in the East as out West. Converse Rubber Tracks hosted the evening’s open mic festivities, so I got a glimpse into the newly opened, community-based recording studio in Brooklyn, NY, and can’t wait to hear the recordings that emerge from those doors in the months to come.

I arrived just in time for some inspiring words from the GRAMMY Foundation’s Senior Director of Education David Sears, and Converse Chief Marketing Officer Geoff Cottrill. Following their remarks, Glee star Matthew Morrison treated us to an acoustic performance and took the time to answer questions from the campers. Then  the students took to the stage and proceeded to wow us all with their awesome skills.

After the (very impressive) performances, I had a chance to chat one-on-one with a few campers. Dertrick Winn, Jr. described his experience, “It creates a lot of confidence when you perform and recognize [that] the equipment you’re on is the same as what the professionals use.” Well said, Dertrick. And I’m willing to bet the SM58 mics and SRH440 headphones you used at the camp looked mighty familiar.

In total, 35 high school students participated in the inaugural GRAMMY Camp New York session, comprised of three different program tracks: music and business production; singer-songwriter; and performance – instrument or vocal. If these campers are the creators behind tomorrow’s music, then the future never looked so bright for this industry.

Excited yet? Visit grammyintheschools.com to apply for GRAMMY Camp 2012.