Acoustic Music Trends: Colbie Caillat (2015 NAMM Show)

During “Breakfast of Champions” at the 2015 NAMM Show, Grammy-winning singer-songwriting Colbie Caillat joined NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond. They discussed Caillat’s career and also her role in inspiring more young women to play guitar.

“That’s the most amazing thing,” Caillat said. “When I’m touring and I have my shows and I have meet and greets, the young girls and young women that come up and tell me that they’ve been listening to my songs for years and, because of the inspiration they got from my music, they now take vocal lessons and they take guitar lessons and piano lessons. And even if they don’t necessarily want to be in the music industry, they do it because it’s something that helps them learn about life and feel good about themselves.”

Lamond also asked Caillat about her role in Grammy Camp, a summer music industry camp for high school students, where she’s served as a mentor.

“I’ll give them advice on what I’ve learned through my career,” she said. “For me, I started really late, when I was 19. I got a record deal when I was 20 years old. I had never performed live before. I’d just started writing songs, and I really had no idea what to do with it. So I had to learn as I went, with live performances on TV and getting a business manager and a manager and a tour manager and a band and a stagecoach and media training—every single thing that’s involved with being in the industry that you don’t even realize comes with it. It’s not just music. So I tried telling everyone what I had to learn on the go and how helpful it will be for them if they learn every single aspect of the industry—business, tech and creative.”