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Two professors from the University of North Carolina are harnessing the popularity of hip hop and electronic music by making it accessible with Beat Making Lab.
Stephen Levitin and Pierce Freelon, professional djs and emcees by trade, instruct students in the essentials of beat making by teaching them how to compose instrumental music using computers and software programs. Worth three university credit hours, the course does not require prior music training and a backpack can eventually house a complete music studio for future beat making masters.
Beat Making Lab sees music as a medium for change and expression, and in 2012 embarked on a partnership to bring the beats to young people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Students were trained in DIY music production and entrepreneurship, and in pay-it-forward style, taught community members what they learned, spreading the gift of music.
The initiative has gained traction bringing Beat Making Lab to Senegal, Panama, Fiji and Ethiopia, and in partnership with PBS Digital Studios, international beat makers are highlighted weekly in jamming webisodes.
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