feature
give constructive feedback, knowing that it was important for everybody to be ready for recording.
DJing
We mainly interacted with the DJing ele- ment through beat boxing. We studied the parts of a drum set and imitated each sound with vocal sounds. The ability to have skilled beatboxers in our class allowed us to take our cipher around the school and outside. When we were in the classroom, we usually utilized hip hop instruments off YouTube to provide a backbeat.
You can also interact with the DJing ele- ment with an iPad app called Tabletop. We only had one iPad but if you have a couple, Tabletop is a great beat production app. The app allows you to create beats with a bunch of pre-recorded samples. It can also sample mp3s and live record- ings. For the music video, our guest artist composed instrumentals for the students to rap over.
B-boy/B-girl
For both the boys’ and girls’ music videos, the students learned popular dances to use as footage in the videos. The students interacted with dance in a different way
than I expected. They were eager to learn the steps and I believe they were the hap- piest when they were dancing. We used songs like “Whip/Nae-Nae” and Dlow Bop Challenge so the students just learned the dances from the music videos.
Graffiti
I painted one of my walls with chalkboard paint. Students were able to use that to draw, express and answer questions. Sometimes we would brainstorm rhyming words or song ideas on the wall. When I do this again, I will have the students de- sign the album art for the CD as another way they can have creative input on the music video.
Knowledge
We were constantly attempting to expand our knowledge. Early in the semester, we analyzed Gil Scott Heron’s “The Revolu- tion Will Not Be Televised” and tried to relate it to current events. Many of the students were asking questions during the riots in Ferguson, MO so we wrote about it in order to help digest the events. The boys’ group titled their song “We Matter” in response to Tony Robinson’s death and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Conclusion
Through hip hop education, I was able to meet students at their access point and bring relevance to their musical learning. The content of the class was driven by the students and their interests. Although I had material I wanted to cover, hip hop education necessitates following the most relevant path for the students. Hip hop culture closely mirrors youth and pop culture and it is our duty as teachers to explore ways to affirm their passions and interests.
Both groups successfully recorded and filmed a music video. The songs were recorded at the public library. The videos were filmed on our cell phones and edited in iMovie, making it a cheap and simple project. Videos for “We Matter” and “Re- spect” can both be found on YouTube and links are included in the digital version of this article.
Luke Hrovat-Staedter is the choral and general music teacher at Cherokee Heights Middle School in Madison. Email:
lshrovatstae@madison.k12.wi.us
- Call for Research Papers - Wisconsin State Music Conference
Now is your chance to submit research reports for this year’s Research Poster Session at the Wisconsin State Music Conference! All submissions will be reviewed and considered for presentation. Please follow detailed guidelines at
wmeamusic.org/research_poster_session.
• Research reports must be about music education or other related music disciplines • Undergraduate and collaborative research projects are welcome • Papers should be current or recent
Submit a 300–500 word extended abstract via email attachment by Sept. 6 to
lguderia@uwsuper.edu. Be sure to include all contact info (name, title, affiliation, address, email, telephone and fax numbers) in the body of the message.
Wisconsin School Musician 59
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