Miriam: Can you talk a bit about the production component? I know you didn’t do it this year, but the one from the year before – can you talk about how producing hip-hop versus just learning to deconstruct it helps with the whole project of literacy?

Neil:

Right. It’s interesting because a lot of the rhymes and material that’s produced as a result of having the deconstructing portion of the class, they are very true to the participants; they are rhymes that communicate certain frustrations that they have that we encourage them to deal with, or at least identify. The actual writing the rhymes portion is very – it’s not easy, but it’s easier compared to the production part of it.

It’s fine to write, - like, it all rhymes when you’re writing it down on paper, but to actually get down to recording it on top of the beat, that takes a bit more technical skills.

I think something that we want to develop more with the next run is to have actual infrastructure set up to give these kids the lessons and the workshops on how you hold the mic, how you project your voice, how you enunciate clearly, how you time yourself with the beat. These are all things that we need to teach these kids about the workshops, and then actually have the technical skills and the technical personnel to make that happen.

That’s just something that we need to work, and I’m sure, Miriam, you’re going to be involved in that part of it somehow! I think it would be amazing for them to have their own song on a beat, and they are MCing or singing, whatever they want to do, and then they can take it away with them. That’s been an initial vision that we’ve had for the program in the past two runs that unfortunately hasn’t come complete, but we’re confident that it will at some point. Once we do it once, it’ll be easier after that, so it’s just about setting it up so it actually goes well, and goes smoothly.

Miriam: But in terms of the production component?

Neil: What do you think the kids get from that, or –

Miriam: Just in terms of, it is made more valuable let’s say. Or can you talk about its value in comparison to the part where they learn to deconstruct, or they learn to rhyme.

Neil:

I see what you mean. I think it’s interesting that the participants all have varied interests. I know even in LTHH there were more participants that were interested in the writing component. There were some participants that were interested more on the production; working with the turntables; working on the computer, that sort of stuff. I think having the production element to it is good because it just makes our program richer. It makes those kids that want to better their skills with production, and maybe they’ve never worked with Pro Tools or Fruity Loops, or whatever program we would use.

If they have an interest for it, we’re giving them the opportunity to learn it, and work with it, that maybe they wouldn’t have had otherwise.

I think a lot of the kids, like we said about hip-hop being so pervasive, they look at it and see this end product, and it’s so sexy. They’re like, “I want to make that!” It’s good for them to go through the production because they see that it’s not all that easy – it takes a lot of work and perseverance to make an end product that you’re satisfied with.

I think maybe it’s a reality check for them. I don’t think they recognize that you have to make the beat, and then you have to time it up with the recording of the voice, and if it’s off then it sounds bad. These are all things that I don’t think they’re fully aware of when they go into it. When they do go through it, maybe a lot of kids that were really into the idea of production, they’ll realize it’s not for them and move onto something else. If they really like it, then they’ll be like, “Yes! I’m going to get better at this!”