Hip Hop Songwriting
The best part about songwriting is being able to use your imagination and build any story you want! In Hip Hop, writing a song is all about getting to the point where the listener can visualize, experience and feel what you’re saying in your music through your rhymes and words. This 8-week, FUN-fueled class will set learners ages 7-9 up for songwriting success, making them much more prepared to record and hit the stage.

Course Description
The hardest part about songwriting is creating a foundation and clear story arc for the song. There are so many artists out right now who don’t have a clear understanding of the start of this genre and how it got to where it is today. This factor takes part in why many artists find it hard to have a sustainable career as an Emcee and Rapper due to the lack of true self-identity.
This 8-week class gives learners an educational, playful, and highly empowered start to songwriting for Hip Hop, so that when they do start recording in the studio or performing on stage, they know basic knowledge, and have a deep intrinsic connection to music.

Starting songwriting classes with an instructor who deeply understands and designs activities around specific songwriting techniques offers kids a life-changing start to their musical journey. Topics that might be tedious or frustrating to learn in a traditional lesson setting, can be made FUN when you add community, creative expression and games.

Class begins each week with a 10 minute free write session, a Hip Hop Pioneer of the day acknowledgement and ice-breakers. Students will show off their weekly projects (which are provided in the student workbook!), learn tools for giving each other support, and learn about and hear some of the world's greatest emcees and Hip Hop songwriters!

We will start by playfully learning the basic foundations of Hip Hop: rhyming, storytelling, style, etc. By the end of the session, each child will have either begun or completed** their first Hip Hop verse revolving around the song theme of the day. (**Dependent on their developmental stage, learning style, etc. It's not a competition, and all musicians learn at different speeds!)

 Each week, students complete practice goals and complete a creative activity.

Students will graduate from this class with the knowledge necessary for recording sessions and live performances! Through weekly "musician affirmations" they will also identify as musicians, which research shows most predicts whether students will continue music learning as they grow.


These dates do not necessarily match when we will host class, but you can reference our 8-week curriculum here:
Week of March 22nd: Origins of Hip Hop week 1 (original curriculum by You Be You - all youth-appropriate - see source section!)
Week of March 29th: Origins of Hip Hop week 2 (original curriculum by You Be You - all youth-appropriate - see source section!)
Week of April 5th: Catchy melodies for song hooks
Week of April 12th: Rhythm and Flow week 1
Week of April 26th: Rhythm and Flow week 2
Week of May 10th: Metaphor and figurative language
Week of May 17th:  Project share!