WE HAVE RUN 3 SCHOOL HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS WITH THE INNOVATIVE WORK–SHOP CREW WHO HAVE BUILT AN INSPIRING INNER CITY COMMUNITY OF LEARNING THROUGH SHORT COURSES IN LIFE SKILLS AND ALTERNATIVE ARTS FOR ADULTS AND KIDS.

THE HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS WE HAVE RUN IN REDFERN HAVE FOCUSED ON BRINGING OUT THE CREATIVITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE, WRITING SONGS THAT DESCRIBE THEIR PASSIONS AND INTERESTS.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO MANY MORE WORKSHOPS IN THIS INNER CITY HUB OF CREATIVITY.

THIS PROGRAM INVOLVED A WIDE VARIETY OF YOUNG KIDS AGED 7–14 YEARS WHO WROTE A GROUP SONG THAT COMBINED A TOWN ANTHEM AND THEIR FANTASY SUPERHERO POWERS!

“I CAN’T SPEAK HIGHLY ENOUGH OF THE EXPERIENCE OUR STUDENTS HAD. WRITING LYRICS, BRAINSTORMING IDEAS AND THEN INDIVIDUALLY RECORDING THEIR PART OF THE RAP TO CREATE A COLLABORATIVE PIECE, WAS AN ENRICHING AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCE FOR ALL OF THEM. I WAS THRILLED TO SEE THAT BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS SURPRISED THEMSELVES WITH WHAT THEY WERE CAPABLE OF UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF JOEL, AND THEIR CONFIDENCE GREW AS THE DAY WENT ON. A FUN, EDUCATIONAL AND WORTHWHILE EXPERIENCE.”

LISA MINNER, EDUCATION OFFICER, WESTERN PLAINS CULTURAL CENTRE

PRESS

•DAILY LIBERAL

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WE HAVE FACILITATED SEVERAL WORKSHOPS AS PART OF THE LOVE BITES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSUALT PROGRAM FOR YEAR 9 AND 10 STUDENTS IN INNER WESTERN SYDNEY AND BANKSTOWN. THE HIP HOP WORKSHOP IS THE FINAL SECTION OF THE LOVE BITES PROGRAM, AND ALLOWS STUDENTS TO ENGAGE WITH THESE SERIOUS ISSUES IN A UNIQUELY PERSONAL AND GENUINELY PERSONAL MANNER.

“I HAVE WORKED WITH JOEL RAPAPORT AND SCHOOL OF RAP DELIVERING WORKSHOPS TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT THROUGH INTERACTIVE MODULES WHICH BUILD ON KEY MESSAGES IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS OF HIP HOP. JOEL APPROACHES HIS PROFESSION WITH YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SKILL AND SENSITIVITY. I AM ALWAYS IMPRESSED WITH JOEL’S ABILITY TO QUICKLY BUILD RAPPORT WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, FOSTER THEIR CONNECTION TO MUSIC, ENHANCE THEIR LYRIC CREATION AND MOST IMPORTANTLY GIVE THEM ENCOURAGEMENT TO PERFORM, RECORD AND POLISH THEIR WORDS IN THE EDIT SUITE.”

LISA SMAJLOV, INNER WEST LOVE BITES COORDINATOR / COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR, ROZELLE NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE

•LOVE BITES BANKSTOWN

WE PROGRAMMED A FULL DAY OF HIP HOP SONGWRITING WORKSHOPS FOR OXLEY COLLEGE’S INAUGURAL POETRY WEEK, WITH SHORT WORKSHOPS FOR EVERY ENGLISH CLASS IN THE SCHOOL. WE BROUGHT IN THE SKILLS OF JESWON (THUNDAMENTALS) TO ASSIST WITH THE WORKSHOPS ALONGSIDE JOEL RAPAPORT AND LORENZ PRICHARD AS WORKSHOP FACILITATORS.

WE CREATED A PROGRAM THAT USED THE MAIN THEMES OF EACH YEAR’S ENGLISH SYLLABUS AS THE INSPIRATION TO WRITE HIP HOP LYRICS. WE HELPED STUDENTS WRITE A SHORT VERSE AS A GROUP AND PERFORM THE VERSE TO THE REST OF THE YEAR GROUP. THE QUALITY OF WRITING FROM EACH GROUP IN SUCH A SHORT SPACE OF TIME WAS IMPRESSIVE, AS WAS THE VARIETY OF STYLES FROM DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS.

THE SOUNDS OF THE STREETS PROGRAM IS 20-WEEK TAFE ACCREDITED MUSIC COURSE THAT TEACHES STUDENTS TO COMPOSE, PERFORM AND RECORD THEIR OWN MUSIC. WE HAVE FACILITATED A RANGE OF WORKSHOPS FOR STUDENTS AT SOUND OF THE STREETS, INCLUDING FREESTYLE RAPPING TECHNIQUES WITH INTERMEDIATE HIP HOP PERFORMERS, TO ADVANCED SONGWRITING TECHNIQUES AND VOCAL RECORDING.

JOEL RAPAPORT IS A CASUAL MUSIC TUTOR FOR THE SOUNDS OF THE STREETS PROGRAM.

DAVE KELLY – MUSIC TUTOR, CREATIVE YOUTH INITIATIVE, SOUNDS OF THE STREET.

“JOEL HAS FACILITATED SEVERAL ENGAGING AND INSPIRING RAP WORKSHOPS HERE AT MISSION AUSTRALIA, CREATIVE YOUTH INITIATIVE. IT IS AMAZING TO SEE WHAT JOEL CAN ACHIEVE IN JUST ONE DAY WORKING WITH STUDENTS.  HE MANAGES TO ENGAGE ALL STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF THEIR AGE, MUSICAL PREFERENCES AND EXPERIENCE, THROUGH PRACTICAL TIPS ON FREESTYLE RAPPING TECHNIQUES AND GROUP GAMES, TO BRAIN-STORMING SONG THEMES AND GROUP COLLABORATION ON WRITING LYRICS AND HOOKS. BY THE END OF THE DAY JOEL WAS ABLE TO HAVE ALL STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN THE COMPOSITION AND RECORDING OF AN ORIGINAL HIP HOP TRACK. JOEL WAS ALSO ABLE TO PROVIDE VALUABLE MUSIC INDUSTRY TIPS TO OUR STUDENTS INCLUDING EVENT AND PRODUCT PROMOTION, NETWORKING, BUILDING A FAN-BASE AND MUSIC EDUCATION OPTIONS”.

WE DELIVERED A FULL DAY OF HIP HOP ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS AT RANDWICK OOSH IN JANUARY 2015. WITH A TOTAL OF 120 STUDENTS ACROSS K-6, WE SPLIT THE DAY INTO 3 X 1.5 HOUR GROUPS OF 40 STUDENTS, BASED ON AGE. THE ACTIVITIES INCLUDED SIMPLE RHYMING GAMES, RHYMING PICTURE CARD ACTIVITIES AND A SHORT PERFORMANCE.OLDER STUDENTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE AND PERFORM THEIR OWN SHORT RHYMES ABOUT WHO THEY WERE AND WHAT THEY WANTED TO IN THEIR FANTASY SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

WE WORKED WITH A CLASS OF YEAR 7 MUSIC STUDENTS AT MARRICKVILLE HIGH TO TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO WRITE A SHORT 4 LINE RAP, AND THEN PERFORM TO THE CLASS. WE HELPED STUDENTS WRITE ABOUT WHO THEY WERE, AND SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT THEY LIKED TO DO. AS THIS WAS A YEAR 7 GROUP, NEW TO HIGH SCHOOL, IT WAS A GREAT WAY TO LET STUDENTS OPEN UP ABOUT THEMSELVES IN FRONT OF THEIR CLASSMATES.

WE WORKED A SMALL GROUP OF YOUNG PEOPLE FROM REFUGEE FAMILIES AS ONE COMPONENT OF A WEEK-LONG SCHOOL HOLIDAY CAMP RUN BY AUSTRALIAN REFUGEE VOLUNTEERS.WE WROTE A GROUP SONG ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS’ SHARED VALUES AND THEIR EXPECTATIONS OF EACH OTHER DURING THE CAMP. EACH YOUNG PERSON WROTE THEIR OWN LINES ABOUT THEMSELVES AND PERFORMED ALONGSIDE FACILITATORS TO THE REST OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE AND VOLUNTEERS.