• Latest
  • Trending
Hip Hop Education Retreat

Hip Hop Education Retreat

January 14, 2025

Ensemble Sound – Simple Steps for MONUMENTAL Results!

July 18, 2025
Meet Chief Musician Noel Marcano By U.S. Coast Guard Band Staff

Meet Chief Musician Noel Marcano By U.S. Coast Guard Band Staff

July 17, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
Marching Band Camp: 5 Pro Tips for Directors From WindConductor.org

Marching Band Camp: 5 Pro Tips for Directors From WindConductor.org

July 16, 2025
Making Hard Decisions as a Leader

Making Hard Decisions as a Leader

July 15, 2025
My Story

My Story

July 12, 2025
Doing Better Next School Year

Doing Better Next School Year

July 10, 2025
Bring Harmony to Your Classroom

Bring Harmony to Your Classroom

July 10, 2025
Composing for Middle and High School Choirs – A conversation with Laura Farnell and Reginald Writer – Part 1

How Choir Practice Builds Confidence in Middle School Students

July 5, 2025
I Love ASTA!

I Love ASTA!

July 3, 2025
Technology: DAW Bundles

Features You Must Have in a Small Portable USB Audio Interface!

June 28, 2025
Choosing the Right Microphone(s) to Record Your Choral Rehearsal

Choosing the Right Microphone(s) to Record Your Choral Rehearsal

June 28, 2025
Best Budget Microphones for High School Podcasting

Best Budget Microphones for High School Podcasting

June 30, 2025
Friday, July 18, 2025
  • Contact
SBO+
  • Departments
    • Concert Band
    • Orchestra
      • String Section
    • Choral
    • Marching Band
    • Jazz
    • Modern Band/Popular Music
      • Mariachi
    • Theater
    • Editorial
      • Upclose
      • Advocacy
        • NAfME Neighborhood
        • MAC Corner
        • MusicEd: Mentor Minute
      • Commentary
        • Bubbett’s Bookshelf
        • Leadership Tips
        • Perspective
        • InService
          • America’s Bandmasters
          • America’s Musicians
        • Tone Deaf Comics
      • Features
    • News
      • Headlines
      • New Products
    • Performance
      • Woodwinds
        • Wind Talkers
      • Percussion
        • GoodVibes
      • Repertoire
      • Playing Tips
    • Technology
    • Travel/Festivals
      • Fundraising
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Awards/Entries
    • Teachers’ Choice Awards
    • 50 Teachers Who Make a Difference
  • Subscribe to SBO+
    • Subscribe
    • Login/Manage Subscription
    • Support
  • Advertise
    • Email PR!
No Result
View All Result
  • Departments
    • Concert Band
    • Orchestra
      • String Section
    • Choral
    • Marching Band
    • Jazz
    • Modern Band/Popular Music
      • Mariachi
    • Theater
    • Editorial
      • Upclose
      • Advocacy
        • NAfME Neighborhood
        • MAC Corner
        • MusicEd: Mentor Minute
      • Commentary
        • Bubbett’s Bookshelf
        • Leadership Tips
        • Perspective
        • InService
          • America’s Bandmasters
          • America’s Musicians
        • Tone Deaf Comics
      • Features
    • News
      • Headlines
      • New Products
    • Performance
      • Woodwinds
        • Wind Talkers
      • Percussion
        • GoodVibes
      • Repertoire
      • Playing Tips
    • Technology
    • Travel/Festivals
      • Fundraising
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Awards/Entries
    • Teachers’ Choice Awards
    • 50 Teachers Who Make a Difference
  • Subscribe to SBO+
    • Subscribe
    • Login/Manage Subscription
    • Support
  • Advertise
    • Email PR!
No Result
View All Result
SBO+
No Result
View All Result

Hip Hop Education Retreat

January 14, 2025
in January 2025, Archives, Modern Band/Popular Music
Share on Facebook
ADVERTISEMENT

The weekend of November 15th, 2024 marked a pivotal moment for the integration of Hip Hop into K-12 education, as a diverse group of approximately 30 educators, Hip Hop practitioners, activists, foundation leaders, and Hip Hop enthusiasts gathered to engage in a critical discussion about the creation of Hip Hop Guidelines for music teachers in K-12 schools. The Hip Hop Education Retreat was in session!

The primary group behind this initiative is the Hip Hop Roundtable, a collective of six experts and advocates in both education and Hip Hop culture. They have been collaborating closely with the Hip-Hop Education Center, and Music Will, an organization dedicated to the advancement of music education, to craft practical guidelines that would empower K-12 teachers to incorporate Hip Hop into their teaching practices, and the retreat was made possible with support from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Sweetwater.

This retreat comes as a response and potential solution for ensemble directors grappling with the “emerging ensembles” place in k-12 education, recognizing that Hip Hop and popular musicians possess a wealth of knowledge and resources accessible to the public. The Hip Hop Roundtable encourages all directors to engage in dialogue around “How do I as a director, incorporate popular music, and more specifically, allow Hip-Hop to be incorporated in my school’s curriculum?” Directors should consider that there are many people that are currently engaging with Hip Hop curriculum and production in schools, and they can be resources available in the field, ready and willing to help expand one’s knowledge in these areas. This retreat was an attempt to bring those experts together.

The retreat kicked off with a reunion of sorts, where many of the participants had a chance to reconnect, renew relationships, and share the progress of their work. Those in the room have been involved with Hip Hop in education for years, working to establish the idea that Hip Hop can be a transformative and valuable tool for educators.

For many, this was more than just a professional gathering; it was a meeting of like-minded individuals who had been fighting to elevate Hip Hop as a legitimate and crucial part of educational discourse. Led by Martha Diaz, a veteran in Hip Hop education and advocacy, and Founding Director of the Hip-Hop Education Center, the weekend brought together a wealth of experience and knowledge.

The task at hand was not an easy one: breaking down Hip Hop culture into parts that could be both accessible and relevant for K-12 teachers, some of whom may not have a deep connection to or understanding of the culture. Hip Hop, with its complexity and multifaceted nature, presents a unique challenge when it comes to its integration into formal education spaces. Each member of the retreat comes from different backgrounds, but they all shared a commitment to honoring the authenticity of the culture while making it approachable for educators. There were intense discussions, passionate debates, and a sense of collective purpose as everyone worked together to find ways of distilling the essence of Hip Hop into frameworks that educators could use to foster deeper engagement with students.

A key turning point during these conversations was the recognition of the difference between creating educational guidelines and developing curriculum. The idea of creating broad, adaptable frameworks for teaching Hip Hop is an important first step that allows for greater freedom and creativity within classrooms, making it possible for educators to integrate Hip Hop’s core principles—such as self-expression, social consciousness, and creativity—into their teaching. Teachers could then take the guidelines and tailor them to fit their unique classroom environments and student populations.

As the weekend progressed, new ideas emerged on how to present these guidelines in a way that would be both easy for teachers to understand and effective for them to implement in their classrooms. The group focused on the practical side of things: how to make Hip Hop accessible to teachers who might be hesitant or unfamiliar with the culture. One main takeaway was to create resources that explained the foundational elements of Hip Hop—its history, its core values, and the way it operates as a cultural movement—while also providing a few exemplars that educators could directly apply in their classrooms. It was suggested that later, members of the retreat and other colleagues could offer professional development workshops and training sessions for teachers, where they could receive hands-on experience with using Hip Hop in a teaching context.

Despite the challenges faced during these discussions, the overall outcome of the weekend was overwhelmingly positive. The group left with a renewed sense of energy, realizing that the work they had begun was just the first step in a much larger journey. There was a clear understanding that creating these guidelines was only the beginning, and that much more work would be required to ensure that Hip Hop could be meaningfully integrated into K-12 education systems nationwide. Nevertheless, the participants left the gathering feeling optimistic and driven, knowing that their efforts were laying the foundation for a future where Hip Hop would be recognized as an essential educational tool for young people.

The creation of the Hip Hop Guidelines for K-12 educators is a process that is actively unfolding, and it will soon become a tangible resource for teachers across the country.

These guidelines will not only offer teachers a roadmap for integrating Hip Hop into their classrooms, but they will also help to bridge the gap between cultural understanding and educational practice. This initiative is set to make a lasting impact on the way that Hip Hop is perceived within academic spaces, showing educators how to bring the culture to life in a positive, constructive, and engaging manner for students. In the near future, teachers will have the tools and support they need to create meaningful learning experiences that connect Hip Hop culture to the lives of young people, fostering creativity, expression, and critical thinking skills in the classroom.

The work also must challenge and dismantle any forms of racial, gender, and educational stereotypes that persist within our educational spaces. The attendees were a diverse range of participants that included active producers, collegiate professors, songwriters, emcees, educators, change makers, curriculum developers, and grant seekers. There was a shared excitement in the room to make changes in music education to include popular music and technology: hoping to create not only racially diverse programs, but to also expand music programs genre and musical literacies inclusivity. So, whatever institution or musical background any of the participants derived from, the common goal is to assist music educators in curriculum and program development to include Hip Hop and technology in the field.

As the work continues, the anticipation is palpable. The vision of seeing Hip Hop Guidelines implemented in schools will soon become a reality, but the conversations sparked during this weekend gathering will continue to resonate throughout the educational landscape. The broader hope is that this effort will not only enrich music education but also have a transformative effect on how Hip Hop is viewed as an academic discipline and cultural force. With these guidelines, educators will be better equipped to harness the power of Hip Hop, empowering a new generation of students to engage with music, culture, and education in dynamic and innovative ways.

Dr. Jason Rawls is an Assistant Professor of Hip Hop at The Ohio State University. Dr. Carla Becker is an Associate Professor of Music Education at Delaware State University

MusicWill.org

You may also like:

Vote Now for 2014 Best Tools for Schools Flipping the Script on Music Education – Hip Hop in the Classroom 2012 ’50 Directors Who Make a Difference’ Report Spotlight on Hip-Hop with the Hip-Hop Roundtable Default Thumbnail2011 ’50 Directors Who Make a Difference’ Report
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

POPULAR STORY

  • 50 Music Teachers Who Make a Difference

    50 Music Teachers Who Make a Difference

    1358 shares
    Share 543 Tweet 340
  • When Selecting New Choral Music, Choose Success

    1294 shares
    Share 518 Tweet 324
  • Concert Band Set-up Fundamentals

    1093 shares
    Share 437 Tweet 273
  • The Immediate Threat to School Music Programs

    1008 shares
    Share 403 Tweet 252
  • TI:ME Announces Free PreSonus Revelator USB Microphone at 30th Anniversary Celebration at TMEA

    970 shares
    Share 388 Tweet 243
ADVERTISEMENT

SchoolMusic.Travel

Top 10 School Music Travel Destinations in the Northwest USA

Top 10 School Music Travel Destinations in the Northwest USA

Mountains, music, and vibrant cities — the Northwest offers unforgettable experiences for student groups. 🎷 1. Seattle, WA – Innovation Meets Inspiration• Why it’s great:…

Top 10 School Music Travel Destinations in the Northeast USA

Top 10 School Music Travel Destinations in the Northeast USA

From Broadway to Boston, the Northeast inspires music students with rich culture and iconic venues. From Broadway lights to historic concert halls, the Northeast is…

Top 10 School Music Travel Destinations in the Midwest USA

Top 10 School Music Travel Destinations in the Midwest USA

The Midwest is the heartbeat of America — and it beats in 4/4 time. The Midwest is the heartbeat of America — and it beats…

Top 10 School Music Travel Destinations on the West Coast

Top 10 School Music Travel Destinations on the West Coast

Coastlines, concert halls, and creativity — the West Coast delivers stunning performance opportunities. From iconic performance halls to scenic coastal venues, the West Coast offers…

Next Post
A Selection of Choral Music Reviews for the Middle School Classroom

Sharing the Gift of Music

  • July 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • June 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • May 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • April 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • March 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
© 2005 - 2025 artistpro, LLC
7012 City Center Way, Suite 207
Fairview, Tennessee 37062
(800) 682-8114

No Result
View All Result
  • Departments
    • Concert Band
    • Orchestra
      • String Section
    • Choral
    • Marching Band
    • Jazz
    • Modern Band/Popular Music
      • Mariachi
    • Theater
    • Editorial
      • Upclose
      • Advocacy
      • Commentary
      • Features
    • News
      • Headlines
      • New Products
    • Performance
      • Woodwinds
      • Percussion
      • Repertoire
      • Playing Tips
    • Technology
    • Travel/Festivals
      • Fundraising
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Awards/Entries
    • Teachers’ Choice Awards
    • 50 Teachers Who Make a Difference
  • Subscribe to SBO+
    • Subscribe
    • Login/Manage Subscription
    • Support
  • Advertise
    • Email PR!

© 2005 - 2024 artistpro, LLC 7012 City Center Way, Suite 207 Fairview, Tennessee 37062 (800) 682-8114

Wenger EndurAd Promo