IAHHE Newsletter 8-3-08

This year's IAHHE summer program was a joyous expression of positive energy and student identity. 　The goal of our summer program is to help students gain a sense of themselves and their history, develop literary skills, build vocabulary, and learn techniques for positive self-motivation.

Through the medium of hip hop students also learn how to think quickly, critically and contextually. They learn how to bring together various topics and see how individual ideas are connected together through threads of information.

Instead of receiving isolated facts in separate learning situations, the students connect all of these units of information and experience them through performance. The student develops the skills to bring these ideas together through learning how to freestyle rhyme and also how to compose rhymes that bring together the multifaceted areas of their education.

On a personal level, it was amazing to see close to 100 students on a stage in front of their parents and teachers chanting positive affirmations about themselves. Students who normally would not say anything were chanting at the top of their lungs and students who may say too much sometimes were also chanting the same positive words: "We don't need nothing else but health wealth and knowledge of ourself!"

It was a beautiful presentation and one that warmed the hearts of parents and staff alike.

The students created from start to finish a demo CD with positive lyrics. Each group democratically created the lyrics and the beat and a CD cover for each group was chosen from their designs. They performed the songs and rehearsed a skit that included the song in it.

The theme of the CD and the skit was their “Declaration of Importance.” The storyline supposed that an alien came down to destroy the earth and gave the students an opportunity to save themselves if they could come up with some reasons why they were important in a document called a "Declaration of Importance."

Each student created their own list of important attributes and the groups collectively composed their rhymes from each other's list.

We are excited about continuing with this group of students in the afterschool program in the fall.

The program was run by the following staff members:

Dr. William E. Smith (director) is a former professor at American University and wrote a book on hip hop called “Hip Hop as Performance and Ritual.”　 He is a renowned jazz musician who has performed with James Moody, Kenny Burrell, Donald Byrd and has his own jazz group The WES Group that has toured extensively for 13 years.　 He is also an MC and has an upcoming hip hop and neo-soul project, “More Light” that will be released the beginning of 2009.　 As an MC he has performed for several rallies and festivals in the DC area and he regularly incorporates hip hop into his jazz performances.　 His songs, “Katrina,” and “More Light,” have been featured on several radio stations including WHCJ 90.3 FM Savannah, GA and WPFW 89.3 FM Washington, DC.

Khalif Bobatoon is a dynamic performer.　 He is an accomplished saxophonist who has traveled around the world playing with many groups including Malcolm Jamal-Warner’s group Miles Long and the South African reggae artist Lucky Dube.　 Khalif studied saxophone under the tutelage of the late great Jackie McClean.　 Aside from being a jazz musician, Khalif is also an accomplished actor who has appeared on shows like Hill Street Blues, Cagney and Lacey, and the Cosby Show.　 His talents as a performer also extend to singing and MCing and he has recorded with long-time soul artist Teena Marie and performed with many other well-known artists.

Baye Harrell as an MC has been an integral part of a Hip Hop duo known as the Hueman Prophets for several years.　 The group is a unique blend of theater and hip hop that incorporates situational storylines into the lyric and performance of each piece.　 They are a part of a growing art movement in hip hop music.

　If you would like to contribute to the program by donating money, offering equipment, supplies or materials you can contact us at the information at the end of this newsletter. If you would like to volunteer you can contact us as well.

Coming next month on Friday, September 26th we have our second annual IAHHE Conference at the Historic Carnegie Library in Washington DC.　 Below is the press release.

International Association for Hip Hop Education

　　　　　　　　　　

Contact: William Smith　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Phone: 202-526-5929

Email: wsmith@iahhe.org

www.iahhe.org

For immediate release

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR HIP HOP EDUCATION TO HOST SECOND ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The International Association for Hip Hop Education, IAHHE hosts its 2nd Annual Conference at the Washington, D.C. National Music Center (Historic Carnegie Library) on Friday, September 26, 2008 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The conference consists of scholarly research presentations from individuals who will discuss their research findings on Hip Hop. Workshop sessions will engage individuals in creating curriculum for the classroom. The conference provides a place for hip hop educators, artists, administrators, publishers and others to network and share ideas. The conference also intends to equip educators with methods and curricula in all areas of study to educate their students using the art form of hip hop.

To pre-register for this conference individuals may go to iahhe.org. On-site registration begins Friday morning at 8:00 a.m. and closes at 12 noon.　 The cost of registration is $75 or $100 for conference registration and a one year membership in IAHHE.

The International Association for Hip Hop Education is a non-profit organization committed to bringing together those interested in elevating hip hop to its long-deserved status of a respected art form and as an exciting and viable tool for education. The founder of IAHHE is William E. Smith, Ph.D. Dr. Smith is the author of "Hip Hop As Performance and Ritual".

For more information on the International Association for Hip Hop Education, IAHHE or to register for the conference please feel free to contact William Smith at wsmith@iahhe.org or visit the website at www.iahhe.org.