Building Beats is an educational non-profit that provides DJing and digital music production workshops to underserved public school youth in New York City. We employ a team of professional DJs and music producers who help our students develop creative confidence through creating music with computers, tablets, and smartphones. Using exclusively web-based, cloud-based, and mobile software, Building Beats is able to hold workshops in many under-resourced schools and neighborhoods -- all that is required is a computer with an internet connection.
For the spotlight, Building Beats Co-founder/Executive Director Phi Pham will give a presentation on how to use digital music technology to engage young people in music-making. First and foremost, the presentation will include a survey and demonstration of the digital tools we teach with, as well as videos and songs that our students have produced with those tools. It will also cover the positive correlation between making digital music and building broader life skills like time management, self-reliance, and collaboration. Finally, Phi will discuss the impact of Building Beats so far within the communities we are working with, and where we plan to go in the next few years. The goal of the presentation is to give an overview of Building Beats and touch on the fundamental ways in which innovations in music technology are creating new possibilities for youth culture and development.
