Besides being a skilled football player, Jets safety Josh Bush has many other talents.
His most enjoyable one though away from the gridiron: producing music.
The Lexington, N.C., native started collaborating music with his cousin because the idea of creating something from scratch was a challenge that fascinated him.
"That's pretty much why I do it," he said early on during his rookie campaign.
Bush's music career is set to continue moving upward as it was announced that he will join 19 other current and former NFL players in New York on March 18-21 for a four-day "Business of Music Boot Camp."
The second annual camp will be held at New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Record Music and will provide players a crash course on how to break into the music industry. There will be interactive workshops at the camp featuring production, artist development and management, digital music, publishing, marketing and touring.
From attending the camp, participants will learn how to develop business plans as well as gain a better understanding of building a career in the music industry.
An impressive five-member faculty is also scheduled to be present at the camp. The faculty includes Tom Calderone, Jonathan Daniel, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Michael "Blue" Williams and Michael Solomon. Calderone is the president of VH1 while Daniel is the founder and partner at Crush Management, an artist management company. McDaniels is one of the founding members of the hip-hop group Run-DMC. Williams is the CEO of Family Tree Entertainment and Solomon is the co-founder of Musicians on Call, a nonprofit organization that brings music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities.
Jeff Rabhan, chair of the Clive Davis Institute at NYU, believes there is a correlation between developing success in the music industry and success on the field.
"Succeeding in the recorded music industry requires many of the same attributes found in successful athletes — focus, commitment and passion — so the participants in the boot camp are starting out ahead," Rabhan said. "What we provide the players with is expert coaching in a new field, and they leave with a much tighter grasp of how the industry works and how best they can compete in it."
NYU's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, named after its chief patron and advisor, is the first of its kind to develop a program that focuses on providing professional training for students who aspire to succeed as creative entrepreneurs in the music industry. Click here for more information on the Clive Davis Institute.
Bush sees the camp as a tremendous opportunity for personal growth and said the feeling he gets when he completes a song is indescribable.
"It's a stress reliever just to get your mind off of different things that are going on in your life or your teammate's life," he said. "I can tell his story, your story or anybody's story. Every car has a radio for a reason. People listen to music all the time. So it's just a different way to express yourself into other people's feelings."
Berry's Life Lesson
Bush isn't the only Jet with an appointment in the third full week of March. Cornerback Aaron Berry will be at the Lebanon campus of Harrisburg (Pa.) Area Community College on March 19, speaking to students during the program "Drugs 101: What Parents Need to Know."
The program looks to inform parents about the various forms of drugs and the peer pressures facing students to use them.
Berry, a Harrisburg native, will talk to the students about the dangers of excessive drinking. Students also will have roundtable discussions with community leaders on various topics.
The 5'11" 180-pounder was arrested twice in July 2012 and cut from his former team, the Detroit Lions, two days after his second arrest.
Jobless for a few months, Berry joined the Green & White on Oct. 1, 2012, shortly after All Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis went down with his season-ending ACL injury. At the time, Berry commended Jets head coach Rex Ryan, saying, "He pretty much told me he's a guy that gives people second chances. He feels everybody deserves a second chance. He just wants me to come in here, respect everyone in the locker room and just be disciplined."
The former Pittsburgh Panther saw action in seven Jets games, recording two tackles while primarily playing a role on special teams. His season was cut short when he was placed on IR Dec. 27 with a hamstring injury.
"Everybody was cool and they welcomed me in," Berry said late in the season. "It's just about getting comfortable and everybody has welcomed me with open arms."
