by Natalie Fitts

It’s rare for “fans” to attend the Grammy Awards. But sophomore Micah Welch was the exception this year, which is why both Adele and One Direction looked around when she yelled their names, assuming the voice was coming from a fellow celebrity. And why she entered the Staples Center alongside Mumford & Sons. And why she stood at the hotel front desk behind Jack White. And why, the day before, a paparazzi at the beach was surprised to find out she wasn’t a celebrity after snapping a few pictures of her.

Even from her seat in the suite, she and the other 23 young adults from the Grammy Museum’s Music Revolution Program got to see everything that the celebrities in attendance could see. Justin Timberlake hopping jumping from his seat in between Jessica Biel and Jay-Z to the stage before the show, telling everyone to quiet down. Officials teaching the audience the chorus to The Lumineers’ “Ho Hey” so everyone could sing along during their performance. The entire room falling silent as Taylor Swift mocked Harry Styles during her opening number. The announcer informing the audience they were going “live to the world” and counting down from 10 every time the show was returning from a commercial break.

From talking to Justin Timberlake’s manager and his new protege to using the same bathroom as everyone in attendance to getting Sia to ask for a picture with her, Micah quickly learned the tips and tricks of attending award shows. All the way down to whipping out her “fast flats” to replace her 5-inch heels after standing in line for 30 minutes.

Now she knows exactly how the process goes so she’ll be prepared two years from now when she’s sitting in the front row next to her 97-year-old grandma, accepting Grammys herself.