What needs to be different in the classroom involving music? Music – meaning sounds from instruments or vocals – can allow individual expression in numerous ways, including conveying emotion and feeling through harmony.

Steven Hill, a Park University student, suggested the university should have a class that branches out further from the standard music appreciation course Park University that’s currently in the catalog.

Hill is an underground professional hip-hop artist going by the name of Steven4AReason.

Or for short, you could call him $4AR. He and I share a lot in common, as I perform under the artist name CHRIZZY. We both agree that an “urban music appreciation class” would be amazing. It could teach students who want to produce and mix music that usually focuses more on life outside of the classroom the importance of education and making influential connections while learning.

In general, music appreciation is phenomenal. There’s so much to learn by digging into the history.  For an urban music appreciation course, students could also work on song production with peers and the community. They could interact with artists and DJs. This mentorship would give the students a perspective and an actual idea of what it would really take to pursue a music career.

We know the industry is competitive and there’s a high road to success. But even if they don’t make it big, this type of class could uncover the song inside of everyone. That’s the beauty of music. This class could do so much more than just opening minds to doorways to better skill sets and personality traits.

Nurturing musicians will provide support, positivity, and hope. This course could provide knowledge through constructive criticism and establish a group of loyal relationships.

In turn, this could undoubtedly create a strong community around these aspiring students for music. This support system could protect them from failure and shame and remind them that anything truly new and imaginative will have faults no matter what.

To be in a classroom free to express oneself in music could be one of the best programs benefiting Park University students as well as the professor through inspiration and discovery. Learning the history between the urban music as well can really help find someone’s call to a certain genre or position in the world of music.