Hip Hop and Education -- Educating Through Music
By: Sharath Cherian
"Hip hop is inherently political, the language is political. It uses language as a weapon -- not a weapon to violate or not a weapon to offend, but a weapon that pushes the envelope that provokes people, makes people think." - Todd Boyd, Professor University of Southern California's School of Cinema-television
It's true what they say about music -- it is a universal language. Regardless of where people are from or what language they speak, music that has universal appeal can do more than entertain. It can bring people together, get people to think and some cases provide a soundtrack for change. Never has his become more present than in the music of hip hop that went from an expressive combination of lyrics and rhythm to a lifestyle and culture that has permeated popular society.
More than just a beat!
As stated above the "hip hop" professor, Todd Boyd, hip hop is far more than just clever rhymes and banging beats. It has the potential to educate. Boyd is one of the many educators blazing the trail that of bringing hip hop to education purporting that as a learning tool, it's very powerful. Take for example the organization H2ED (Hip Hop Education). Their formula of T.O.P.S.Y (teachers, organizations, parents, social workers and youth) seeks to involve the adults and leaders in the community to band together focus educating the youth using things that they can relate to.
This Is How They Do It
According to their mission, "H2Ed is to serve as a resource for educators and those committed to helping children succeed in school by using the power of hip-hop culture as a learning tool. This is achieved by compiling and maintaining a comprehensive list of educational resources, products and services available for educators. By providing important networking opportunities and by advocating on both the institutional and grassroots levels for educational reform." (About H2ED, www.h2ed.net)
The common misunderstanding or misconception is that you walk into a classroom and there is a hip hop beat blaring while a teacher attempts to rhyme the key points of American history. While that my seem like a clever and entertaining idea for Hollywood films it's a hackneyed attempt at best to incorporate what hip hop can teach. Consider the basic tenets of recording, producing and distributing an independently produced hip hop CD. Within this one projecct.
* Basic Business Training
* Project Follow Through
* Problem Solving
* Social skills necessary for meeting goals
* Team Building
* Marketing
* Sales
(The DJ Project, By Dave Kim, Bay Guardian, San Francisco)
Involving youth in a project of this nature is exactly the goal of initiatives like San Francisco's DJ Project. Much like H2ED, the DJ project uses hip-hop culture to reach out to urban youths for which this music has become an integral part of their lives. It would seem that the old perception of this music being a bad influence and having no redeeming qualities has actually been changed and is now perceived as music that can actually create a sense of empowerment for many kids.
For the Colorado Hip Hop Coalition (CHHC) founded in 1979 they take this empowerment to another level by:
* Creating a cultural connection between hip hop Culture that and kids
* Giving youth a stronger voice in the creation of programs suited to their needs and interests
* Developing a community network of hip hop artists and entrepreneurs that work collectively to create economic opportunity
The Future Is Bright
The next time you hear people bemoaning the negative influence of hip hop, think about these pioneers in education and how they have looked beyond the negativity and embraced the potential and common bond between hip hop, kids and education.
Author Bio
HIPHOPDX - The premier spot for all things Hip Hop, Rap and R&B culture, what'chu know 'bout that?
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What You Need to Know About Canadian Music and Musicians
By: Kenny Auyoung
Sadly, most of us here in the U.S. are blissfully unaware of performers that don't hail from one of the 50 states. Ask the average Joe on the street if they know of any Canadian musicians, and if you get any response, you'll hear Celine Dion or Shania Twain, maybe even Bryan Adams or Neil Young. While these are certainly talented musicians in their own right, they certainly do not represent the breadth and depth of the Canadian music scene. Some of the ignorance is due to the cultural similarities between ourselves and our neighbors to the North.
Pop/punk sensation Avril Lavigne is so popular with the tweener set here in the U.S. precisely because she looks and sounds like she could have stepped off of any high school campus in middle America. But aside from such superstars as Alanis Morrisette and Rush who have transcended any national boundaries and become truly international, Canadian musicians have plenty to offer the world in terms of exciting and fresh music. I would like to offer a few suggestions in various categories, and perhaps with a casual listen, you'll discover like I did that the Great White North has more to offer than a few tasty brews.
Rock/Pop/Hip-Hop
Where would any serious discussion of contemporary Canadian rock be without including Nickelback, originally out of Hanna, Alberta, but now based in Vancouver. With smash hits like "Photograph" and "How You Remind Me", it's hard to come up with a more successful Canadian group over the last few years. Ontario based Shaker is an up-and-coming act that is beginning to show great promise. Their first full-length release, "Throw Your Good Side On", is scheduled to be released this year (2006).
Shaker reminds me of a less-bluesy version of "The Black Crows", however, the inflection of vocalist Daniel Brooks is like nothing so much as a latter day version of fellow Canadian vocalist Tom Cochrane. Nelly Furtado continues to impress with her latest effort, "Loose". As usual for Furtado, she continues to explore new ground with her songwriting and looks to continue doing so well into the future. Vancouver based Jakalope is an interesting act that fails to be categorized, alternately sounding like anything from The Smashing Pumpkins to Evanesence to a meth'ed up Madonna, they never fail to be interesting.
In the world of hip-hop, no Canadian group seems as poised for superstardom as Dead Celebrity Status. Their first album, "Blood Music" hit the streets to great reviews. Originally formed as a duo, Project Wyze, in 1988, they have since added mix-master DJ Dopey and have shared a stage with Ozzy Osbourne and Public Enemy. Their impressive performances have given them the juice to add appearances by Dave Navarro, Joss Stone and Bif Naked to their recordings.
I failed to mention Crash Test Dummies, one of the more promising bands from Winnipeg, due to the uncertainty about their future status. They were enormously influential from about the mid-1990's to their last release in 2004. It is unfortunate that apparently artistic differences have taken their toll on the Dummies.
Country/Folk
Canadian singers have made tremendous strides in country music over the last several years and dusky voiced Kathleen Edwards is no exception. Her 2005 release "Back to Me" won her critical acclaim in the U.S., appearing on the David Letterman and Jay Leno shows and opening for Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. No less interesting, though decidedly more alternative, the Cowboy Junkies have made a career of turning country music on its head. From sultry renditions of Patsy Cline's "Walking After Midnight" on their 1998 disc "The Trinity Session" to the folkie "Two Soldiers" from 2005's "Early 21st Century Blues", which is eerily reminiscent of the 1970's protest anthems of Dylan and Lennon.
Ontario bred Grievous Angels is certainly one of the most interesting country acts to come along in recent years. Blending new beats, along the lines of the country-pop sounds of Keith Urban and the Dixie Chicks, with the twangy sounds of early 1970's country music. Unfortunately, their once promising career appears to have stalled with the entry of singer Charlie Angus into the political arena – having been elected to Parliament in 2004. It is hoped that once Mr. Angus has served his term that he will return to making music once again, however, at this time that prospect remains uncertain. One also cannot forget the irrepressible k.d. lang, though to refer to her as a purely country act would be selling her short. Lang's amazing vocal talents have been employed on everything from contemporary country to torch songs to pop standards and back again. Her versatility and vocal range are legendary and not listing of Canadian musicians would be complete without her.
Other
Alas, this article is too short to be truly inclusive, but I could not get by without listing two of my all-time favorites. Sue Foley and Diana Krall are two of the most impressive musical talents Canada has to offer, and as a citizen of the U.S., I must thank Canada for these two wonderful chanteuses. Foley, a blues guitarist/singer/songwriter from Ottawa, honed her chops primarily in Austin, Texas, but oddly enough, is rarely recognized in the U.S. except amongst blues enthusiasts. A true virtuoso on guitar with an unusual but delightfully reedy quality to her voice, she has managed to impress some of the biggest names in the business including, B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Koko Taylor.
Sue's latest CD, "New Used Car" (2006) was recently released to excellent reviews. Diana Krall, who hails from Vancouver, is as lovely to look at as she is to listen to. Enchanting is the best way to describe her hypnotizing smooth Jazz sound. She really broke through in the U.S. in 2000 when she toured with Tony Bennett. Her work with Elvis Costello (who she married in 2003) served to further increase her popularity. Though she currently resides in New York, she has maintained her Canadian citizenship and was made and officer of the Order of Canada in 2005.
Author Bio
Kenny Auyoung: Webmaster @ GetMeABand.com - Looking for a band? Search through thousands of musician's profiles to find the right band members in your local area. Find musicians, start a band, and play music - www.getmeaband.com.
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How to Promote Your CD
By: Rashi Singh
Congratulations! Your debut CD is now recorded, replicated, packaged, and ready for market. It’s an amazing feeling to see the fruit of your labor in front of you, nicely packaged as a CD that’s ready to be sold alongside the big wigs in the industry. One small problem: you don't have the backing and capital that the big wigs do to promote your CD... and you just know your CD can be a huge success in the market.
Promoting a CD can seem like a daunting task at first, especially if you haven't done anything like this before. Here are a few tips and ideas on how you can get started promoting, and selling your music CD.
1. First, you should plan a launch party. Tell all your friends and fans when the CD is going to launch, and generate some buzz. Let local papers and shops know as well, and have them help you spread the word.
2. Network - tell everyone you know about your new CD. Ransack that mental rolodex of yours, and hit everyone you know, and tell them to do the same. Believe it or not, this is probably your best resource!
3. Have a website before your CD launches, and use it to promote your CD. Set up a page on myspace and other similar sites that allow navigators to sample your new tracks.
4. Look into setting up an email list for your fans. Before the CD launches, send out an email letting everyone know. It’s cheap, it’s easy and it’s a fast way to get the word out about this and other upcoming events.
5. Write a press release and put it on your website. You can find lots of examples and instructions of how to do this online.
6. Contact the music reporter(s) at your local newspaper(s). Don't leave out the smaller papers - sometimes they are the heart and soul of the local music scene.
6. Offer a free copy of your CD to local radio stations. Remember the school stations - they frequently tend to favor local artists. If they play it, it could pay off quite well for you.
7. Approach internet radio stations, and offer them the rights to play your CD for free. Every time they play a track, you receive free advertising.
8. Call DJ's and DJ companies and offer a free copy. If they play your CD, that's more free advertising.
9. Get a barcode for your CD. This can help encourage retailers to sell your CD.
10. Get your CD sold at online distributers, such as cdbaby.com or amazon.com
11. Sell merchandise with your name or the band's name on it. This is not only a little extra revenue - it's great advertising.
12. Find out if there is a music show on your local TV stations, and see if you can be featured.
13. Cross-promotional deals - Talk to another similar band, and work out a cross-promotional deal. ie. They promote your CD at their shows, and you promote their CD at your show. Or even better...
14. Work out cross-promotional deal with several bands. Each band contributes a track or two to a sampler CD. Then each band gives away the sampler CD as a "bonus" with every CD they sell of their own.
15. Naturally, you should promote your CD at every show you play
There are lots of things you can do to realize your dream faster. These are some simple ideas on how you can begin to promote your CD, and get the word out to your future fans. Good luck!
Author Bio
Rashi Singh is with Duplium Corporation, a CD Duplication company based in Dallas and Toronto. Duplium provides top quality CD and DVD Replication, customized printing and packaging, and full-scale fulfillment solutions. Visit www.duplium.com for more information or to receive a quote.
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