One of the biggest challenges we
face in our mission to promote
instrumental music in hip hop
culture is that youth associate
rappers and producers as
"musicians" more than they do
instrumentalists.
Kids today know that beats and
samples are routinely mixed to
make music so taking up an
instrument, particularly a brass,
woodwind or string, is either
obsolete or for "that other kind of
music".
We are in the early stages of
lobbying Members of Congress to
hold a hearing and make a
resolution declaring that rap is a
spokenword/ poetic artform.
Distinguishing rapping (not the
music behind a rap) from musical
performance will do two things:
1) Open up a national dialogue
about the subject thereby putting
instrumental performance in focus,
and; 2) Give educators ammunition
needed to persuade youth that
they can participate in hip hop as
an instrumental musician while
educating them about the process
of how music is actually made.
As we get further along with our
lobbying efforts, we are also
building a base of supporters who
will contact their state
representative at the appropriate
time. Please sign up below to
receive information.
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