North Grand H.S. Rap & Hip Hop Recording Club

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

I teach Special Education at an inner-city high school in Illinois. I work with grades 9-12 in co-taught classrooms as well as a resource room. All of the students at my school face great economic, social, and educational challenges. Almost all qualify for our free breakfast/lunch program. Many of their parents are immigrants who are working hard to support their kids and provide a better life for them. The gang culture is very big in the community and often spills into the school. It is a powerful draw to many young, impressionable students, and we often lose students to the lifestyle.

Many of our students are into rap music. It is a way to express themselves and an identity for them. Students are often walking around the halls rapping, sometimes a song they know, sometimes their own. When given a chance at free writing in English class, these students use rap lyric to make their point. The problem is, these students lack the knowledge and funds to express themselves fully through music. They watch rap videos and movies about recording, but have no idea how to get started. In addition, I feel that if students were able to express themselves in a positive manner, there might be less tension between staff and students, as well as between the students themselves.

The solution is not too difficult. I have the knowledge about recording and production. I want to work with these kids on creating their own music, something they can be proud of. The goal is to provide training and equipment for the kids to use. I will show them how to set up and operate everything, then they will be able to check it out and record on their own. We will do the training as part of our school's Student Development Program which meets once a month. In addition, I will hold weekly meetings to help train the students and provide feedback on their progress. What we need is your help with the equipment.

With your help you will empower students express themselves in a truly positive way. I gave some kids a demonstration the other day with my own equipment. We spent about 30 minutes recording a rap song. They were BLOWN AWAY. I can't walk down the hallway without being stopped by students asking how they can sign up. With your help, I can get the project started. I am providing a laptop and software at my expense, but we need the equipment. Thanks!