WEBVTT - Art is Essential, Not Elective 0:00:11.840 --> 0:00:14.560 Good morning, peep Sena. Welcome to Okay f Daily with 0:00:14.680 --> 0:00:18.759 Meet Your Girl Danielle Moody, recording from the Long Island 0:00:18.760 --> 0:00:22.599 Home Bunker. Folks, I'm really excited about the interview I 0:00:22.680 --> 0:00:24.840 have coming up next. You know that whenever I have 0:00:24.880 --> 0:00:29.080 the opportunity to speak with educators, I'm always so happy 0:00:29.120 --> 0:00:32.600 to do so because I think that teachers, not only 0:00:32.640 --> 0:00:35.839 because I am a former educator, but teachers are just 0:00:35.960 --> 0:00:39.879 so disrespected in this country. And we know that we 0:00:40.000 --> 0:00:43.839 know a country based on what it is that they value, 0:00:44.159 --> 0:00:46.640 and the fact that teachers continue to have to do 0:00:47.240 --> 0:00:50.640 bake sales or take money out of their own pockets 0:00:50.640 --> 0:00:54.200 in order to buy school supplies for children, or just 0:00:54.440 --> 0:00:57.200 get any type of respect and are not demonized for 0:00:57.280 --> 0:01:00.000 wanting to teach the truth about the founding of this nation, 0:01:00.400 --> 0:01:03.600 or who should be celebrated as the heroes and the 0:01:03.640 --> 0:01:08.000 patriots in this country. Not to mention, folks, not to 0:01:08.040 --> 0:01:11.040 mention the fact that being a teacher in these United 0:01:11.080 --> 0:01:13.760 States means that you're putting your own life at risk 0:01:13.880 --> 0:01:17.600 of gun violence because of the consistent and unrelenting mass 0:01:17.600 --> 0:01:20.959 shootings that happens in our nation's schools. So I'm really 0:01:21.000 --> 0:01:23.680 excited to be able to get into this conversation with 0:01:23.760 --> 0:01:27.240 men Deep Setti, who is a teacher at June Jordan 0:01:27.720 --> 0:01:32.600 School of Equity in San Francisco and received an amazing 0:01:32.720 --> 0:01:37.640 grant from Save the Music, the Jay Dilla Music Technology 0:01:37.680 --> 0:01:41.640 Grant last year as a way to engage young people 0:01:42.240 --> 0:01:46.600 in the arts in music. You know, not to mention 0:01:47.720 --> 0:01:51.600 write the attacks that we have seen on curriculum, the 0:01:51.720 --> 0:01:55.160 fears that teachers have of even uttering the words gay 0:01:55.720 --> 0:02:00.200 or talking about any type of difference whatsoever. The arts 0:02:00.240 --> 0:02:04.480 and music is always right on the chopping block in 0:02:04.520 --> 0:02:07.880 our nation schools because it's not considered as important as STEM. 0:02:07.960 --> 0:02:12.359 It's not considered as important or needed. Meanwhile, I think 0:02:12.400 --> 0:02:15.160 that what we all understood, particularly at the height of 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:20.960 the pandemic, is how important art, music and connection is 0:02:21.040 --> 0:02:23.520 to our day to day lives. One of the things 0:02:23.520 --> 0:02:29.320 that I'll talk to Setti about is, you know, basically 0:02:29.840 --> 0:02:33.079 I don't know about you all, but during quarantine, if 0:02:33.120 --> 0:02:37.679 I wasn't in one DJ's live on Instagram, I was 0:02:37.720 --> 0:02:42.560 in another DJ's live. I got through being in quarantine 0:02:42.600 --> 0:02:45.960 and dealing with all of this uncertainty by dancing around 0:02:46.040 --> 0:02:49.360 my apartment by dancing around my home by being able 0:02:49.400 --> 0:02:53.120 to connect with other people that just needed a release. 0:02:53.600 --> 0:02:55.880 And that is what I think that the arts and 0:02:56.000 --> 0:02:59.519 music allow for, is that released. And so for me, 0:03:00.240 --> 0:03:02.520 you know, I wish that in this country that we 0:03:02.720 --> 0:03:07.720 looked at music and the arts as essential rather than 0:03:07.880 --> 0:03:10.960 as an elective something that is, you know, a nice 0:03:11.000 --> 0:03:13.919 to have, but you don't need. What does a society 0:03:13.960 --> 0:03:18.639 look like without music makers, without artists, right, it is 0:03:18.720 --> 0:03:23.200 devoid of passion, of innovation, of beauty, and those are 0:03:23.240 --> 0:03:27.480 all the things that are necessary, particularly when times are difficult. 0:03:27.880 --> 0:03:33.880 And so I love this conversation with Setix because one 0:03:34.040 --> 0:03:38.720 we get into the importance of just kids having the 0:03:38.840 --> 0:03:43.240 space to be able to express themselves, right, to not 0:03:43.360 --> 0:03:48.279 be shut down, and to find different avenues to express 0:03:48.560 --> 0:03:52.160 the trauma that is this moment in our lives. You know, 0:03:52.280 --> 0:03:56.320 I think about it often that we as adults have 0:03:56.440 --> 0:03:58.960 the language, have the ability to kind of roll with 0:03:59.000 --> 0:04:03.520 the punches, and even for us the last several years 0:04:03.800 --> 0:04:07.400 under the Trump administration, dealing with a global health pandemic, 0:04:07.640 --> 0:04:11.840 the unrelenting gun violence that we see on a day 0:04:11.880 --> 0:04:16.880 to day basis, with mass shootings, we lose our own 0:04:16.960 --> 0:04:19.479 words and our own ability to want to get out 0:04:19.480 --> 0:04:25.400 of bed. So imagine now dealing with those compacted crises, 0:04:25.880 --> 0:04:32.279 and then also going through hormonal changes and society, trying 0:04:32.279 --> 0:04:34.960 to figure out where you fit in your school, in 0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:38.520 society and your community, and then on top of that, 0:04:38.640 --> 0:04:40.680 dealing with all of these issues. So I think that 0:04:40.720 --> 0:04:45.039 the work that Mundeep is doing with the June Jordan's 0:04:45.080 --> 0:04:48.920 School of Equity and that other educators are doing like him, 0:04:49.320 --> 0:04:53.040 aren't necessary and should be lifted up and applauded and 0:04:53.440 --> 0:04:59.200 frankly replicated, particularly now. So coming up next my conversation 0:04:59.560 --> 0:05:08.920 with teacher rapper musician mand Deep Seti. Folks, I'm very 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:12.400 excited to welcome to okay f Daily for the very 0:05:12.440 --> 0:05:17.240 first time, um Mand Deep Seti aka Seti X, who 0:05:17.400 --> 0:05:21.080 is a teacher at June Jordan's School of Equity in 0:05:21.120 --> 0:05:26.680 San Francisco and also a rapper musician. Seti, I want 0:05:26.720 --> 0:05:30.279 to start off our conversation today with kind of talking 0:05:30.320 --> 0:05:35.160 about the many attacks that teachers have been under um 0:05:36.520 --> 0:05:40.919 by the far right, by conservatives, and you know where 0:05:41.040 --> 0:05:45.640 you see the role of the arts of music education 0:05:46.720 --> 0:05:51.280 in our school systems, particularly now when you know curriculums 0:05:51.279 --> 0:05:55.599 are being overturned or narrowed. What role do you see 0:05:55.640 --> 0:06:00.680 that music and the arts play in a child's education. Well, 0:06:00.680 --> 0:06:02.320 it's so great to be here with you on woke 0:06:02.360 --> 0:06:05.479 af Thank you Danielle for having me um. I think 0:06:05.800 --> 0:06:09.680 number one as a teacher. You know, one thing that's 0:06:09.760 --> 0:06:12.160 very clear, especially after the pandemic, is that we are 0:06:12.279 --> 0:06:16.880 essential workers. Right, So teachers are essential workers. And one 0:06:17.080 --> 0:06:19.840 on one hand, it was being propped up like you know, 0:06:20.360 --> 0:06:23.000 so much love for the essential workers. But then if 0:06:23.000 --> 0:06:24.919 you look at the back end, the statistics of what 0:06:25.000 --> 0:06:27.280 teachers are paid, what they have to deal with not 0:06:27.320 --> 0:06:30.159 only with supporting our students, but also the rise of 0:06:30.200 --> 0:06:35.080 school shootings, the rise of violence, the rise of conservative 0:06:36.000 --> 0:06:39.400 overturning of you know, basically ethnic studies, that's going on 0:06:39.440 --> 0:06:41.760 in the schools where students are actually getting to learn 0:06:41.760 --> 0:06:44.880 who they are and what real history actually is. So 0:06:45.120 --> 0:06:47.600 I think that's that's important to remember, is that teachers 0:06:47.600 --> 0:06:50.039 are essential workers and that they are the ones that 0:06:50.080 --> 0:06:53.960 are with our young people every day basically figuring out 0:06:54.000 --> 0:06:55.960 what the future is going to look like, you know 0:06:55.920 --> 0:06:59.520 what I mean. And so where arts comes into plays 0:06:59.560 --> 0:07:03.599 the crea of mind, which is something that is supposed 0:07:03.640 --> 0:07:07.000 to be nurtured through a human experience. But we know 0:07:07.080 --> 0:07:13.240 that school systems don't necessarily cater to the arts first, right. 0:07:13.280 --> 0:07:15.400 It's always something as an elective or something you get 0:07:15.440 --> 0:07:17.680 to choose at the end of the day. And so 0:07:17.880 --> 0:07:21.000 for me, as a teacher who's heavily invested in arts 0:07:21.040 --> 0:07:25.720 based learning, I've learned and seen firsthand that arts based learning, 0:07:25.920 --> 0:07:29.520 project based learning using tools such as music, visual are 0:07:30.120 --> 0:07:35.080 using tools including technology, creates a whole different experience for 0:07:35.120 --> 0:07:37.520 students where they feel welcome in the classroom, they feel 0:07:37.520 --> 0:07:39.840 safe in the classroom, and most of all, they feel 0:07:40.560 --> 0:07:43.960 the ability to be themselves. And that's where learning happens. 0:07:44.000 --> 0:07:47.560 Because if they have this wall up of protecting themselves 0:07:47.560 --> 0:07:50.520 throughout the day, then it's harder to reach the true 0:07:50.560 --> 0:07:53.880 self of learning. So I think that arts based learning 0:07:53.880 --> 0:07:56.440 and education allows for students to really open up to 0:07:56.560 --> 0:08:00.360 new ideas. Yeah, and I just you know, I want 0:08:00.360 --> 0:08:03.280 to echo something that you said about teachers being essential workers, 0:08:03.400 --> 0:08:05.240 you know, And I've been thinking about this a lot, 0:08:05.480 --> 0:08:08.120 um And I am a former educator. As folks who 0:08:08.120 --> 0:08:10.880 listen to Woke a f no UM, I taught first 0:08:10.880 --> 0:08:15.280 and second grade UM special education and general education in Washington, 0:08:15.360 --> 0:08:19.000 DC before I went into education policy. And you know, 0:08:19.160 --> 0:08:21.360 what I will say is that you can tell what 0:08:21.520 --> 0:08:25.400 a country values by who is making the most money. Right, 0:08:25.840 --> 0:08:29.000 And when we look at teacher salaries and we look 0:08:29.040 --> 0:08:33.000 at many strikes that we've seen happen across the country 0:08:33.240 --> 0:08:37.560 in different cities and in different places, you know, teachers 0:08:37.800 --> 0:08:43.880 are probably the most undervalued position, right that has such 0:08:44.320 --> 0:08:48.680 as such as such a consequential position though in a 0:08:48.800 --> 0:08:52.000 child's life, right, Like, I know that, you know you 0:08:52.120 --> 0:08:54.679 must have a story, as I have a story. You know, 0:08:54.960 --> 0:08:58.320 what was that teacher that turned you on to music? 0:08:58.400 --> 0:09:01.600 That turned you on in a way that kind of 0:09:01.800 --> 0:09:05.160 that that changed the trajectory of your life? Straight up? No, 0:09:05.440 --> 0:09:08.560 I have that teacher. And that teacher miss shout out 0:09:08.600 --> 0:09:12.280 to miss mystery. She was a brown educator, so I 0:09:12.320 --> 0:09:14.200 saw myself in her. I was like, Okay, this is 0:09:14.400 --> 0:09:16.840 South Asian person of uh you know what I'm saying, 0:09:16.840 --> 0:09:19.079 South Asian descent. We can I can connect with that. 0:09:19.320 --> 0:09:21.440 And then she had a project will basically allowed us 0:09:21.440 --> 0:09:23.200 to like, instead of writing an essay, you could write 0:09:23.200 --> 0:09:26.439 a song. And that was my introduction into from poetry 0:09:26.480 --> 0:09:29.440 into music. Which propelled me into a full time career 0:09:29.920 --> 0:09:33.199 until I became shifted over to education to tour and 0:09:34.080 --> 0:09:36.520 make music and hip hop music and share that with 0:09:36.559 --> 0:09:39.040 the world. So I mean, for me, that was life changing, 0:09:39.080 --> 0:09:41.240 and I'm trying to like take that to the next 0:09:41.320 --> 0:09:43.720 level with what I'm doing. So, you know, I'm a 0:09:43.800 --> 0:09:46.160 hip hop artist, but now I'm a full time educator, 0:09:46.200 --> 0:09:48.679 So I'm bringing that into the classroom. And our courses 0:09:48.679 --> 0:09:50.880 are designed to give students real life skills so that 0:09:50.920 --> 0:09:54.560 they can use the technology, get paid internships, and yes, 0:09:54.720 --> 0:09:59.640 disrupt the um kind of white supremacy and white privilege 0:10:00.080 --> 0:10:03.480 that exists within even the creative community and the creative 0:10:03.600 --> 0:10:07.160 economy as well as the tech economy, you know what 0:10:07.200 --> 0:10:09.960 I'm saying. So we're in San Francisco. We're fighting against 0:10:10.120 --> 0:10:12.920 rapid gentrification. We're an outer mission, you know what I'm saying, 0:10:12.960 --> 0:10:15.200 Like people who work at these tech companies are buying 0:10:15.240 --> 0:10:17.920 houses that our students, you know, the neighborhoods are students 0:10:17.960 --> 0:10:20.440 live in, and these are now over million dollar houses 0:10:20.800 --> 0:10:23.640 and we're still in neighborhoods that are fighting against you 0:10:23.640 --> 0:10:28.280 know what I'm saying, These financial economic turmoil that's been 0:10:28.320 --> 0:10:30.880 happening for years. So there's a lot going on with 0:10:30.920 --> 0:10:34.560 our students, and so music definitely plays a large part 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:37.000 in a multitude of ways of their healing and of 0:10:37.040 --> 0:10:41.520 their kind of their voice. In twenty twenty one, you 0:10:41.559 --> 0:10:46.240 were the recipient of the Saved Save the Music grant 0:10:47.240 --> 0:10:50.120 from Jay Dill, and I want you to talk a 0:10:50.160 --> 0:10:53.280 bit about that, but then also my frustration that we 0:10:53.320 --> 0:10:56.200 need grants in order to save the music because our 0:10:56.280 --> 0:10:58.920 schools and the arts are not being funded in a 0:10:58.960 --> 0:11:04.080 way that makes it secure. So speak to speak to that. Yeah, 0:11:04.080 --> 0:11:05.839 So when I arrived at the school that I work 0:11:05.920 --> 0:11:08.920 at now, there was no music program. And so if 0:11:09.000 --> 0:11:12.320 that blows my mind, because we're in an area of 0:11:12.360 --> 0:11:15.120 San Francisco and the Bay Area which is known for 0:11:15.760 --> 0:11:18.800 changing the way that independent music, independent hip hop work, 0:11:19.120 --> 0:11:22.520 it lives in the US and the world, and so 0:11:22.920 --> 0:11:27.120 we're in this mecca of music business and music technology, 0:11:27.120 --> 0:11:29.320 but we have no music program at our school. So 0:11:30.640 --> 0:11:32.560 in that sense, you know, there was a It was 0:11:32.600 --> 0:11:35.520 an eye opening experience for me. But as a musician, 0:11:35.559 --> 0:11:38.840 I looked at out there and I found this resource 0:11:38.880 --> 0:11:40.920 and shout out to save the music because they believed 0:11:40.920 --> 0:11:44.520 in me. When basically no one else did, and they 0:11:44.600 --> 0:11:47.280 allowed us to apply for this grant, which we received, 0:11:47.320 --> 0:11:50.200 the Jay Della Music Technology Grant, which is named after 0:11:50.240 --> 0:11:53.480 the late hip hop producer Jay Della James Dewey Yancy 0:11:53.520 --> 0:11:56.160 at a Detroit and who changed the sound of music 0:11:56.240 --> 0:11:57.800 and so for us to be able to carry on 0:11:57.880 --> 0:12:01.120 his legacy is such an on her. And we recently 0:12:01.160 --> 0:12:03.720 hosted Ma Dukes, who is his mother, who came by 0:12:03.880 --> 0:12:06.720 and got to see the work that our students are doing. 0:12:06.800 --> 0:12:09.800 She listened to their music, and she told us that 0:12:09.840 --> 0:12:11.320 at the end of that that she wished that there 0:12:11.320 --> 0:12:13.920 were more schools like this and more programs like this 0:12:13.960 --> 0:12:18.360 because she saw the value of music that was taking 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:20.439 place and how it was changing lives right in front 0:12:20.480 --> 0:12:23.360 of her. So it's really a blessing to have this 0:12:23.480 --> 0:12:26.120 grant and to have these resources. But I think that 0:12:26.200 --> 0:12:27.960 it is a It has been a wake up call 0:12:28.040 --> 0:12:31.000 for our district and for other programs to see like, 0:12:31.080 --> 0:12:33.959 oh wow, like investing in the arts actually does make 0:12:33.960 --> 0:12:37.200 a difference, because I think for years people ignored that. 0:12:38.960 --> 0:12:41.760 Can you explain, like paint a picture for us about 0:12:41.840 --> 0:12:45.640 how you are utilizing music in the classroom and what 0:12:45.840 --> 0:12:49.800 your and what this program actually looks like and the 0:12:49.840 --> 0:12:53.000 ways in the different ways, the innovative ways that you 0:12:53.160 --> 0:12:56.320 are that you are educating youth. Right, So, we know 0:12:56.400 --> 0:12:58.480 that a lot of our students are used to the 0:12:58.559 --> 0:13:02.440 iPhones or Android, and so we decided to go work 0:13:02.440 --> 0:13:06.400 with Save the Music to create iPad based curriculum. So 0:13:06.400 --> 0:13:09.240 we use iPads. We two students how to make music 0:13:09.320 --> 0:13:12.800 on Garage Band. So for students who have music experience, 0:13:12.920 --> 0:13:14.560 they can step in right where they are if they 0:13:14.640 --> 0:13:17.920 have music theory or instrument experience. And for a student 0:13:17.920 --> 0:13:21.880 who has absolutely zero experience making music can also feel 0:13:21.880 --> 0:13:23.840 on day one that I can do this too through 0:13:23.880 --> 0:13:28.120 different tutorials and formulas that we use through Garage Band. 0:13:28.160 --> 0:13:31.480 And so this accessibility is the main key for our 0:13:31.520 --> 0:13:34.840 program because we know that technology is not accessible for 0:13:34.880 --> 0:13:36.680 a lot of our students. You know what I'm saying. 0:13:36.679 --> 0:13:39.360 Seventy five percent of our students qualify for a free lunch, 0:13:39.400 --> 0:13:43.480 So that shows you their economic situation. And at the 0:13:43.600 --> 0:13:45.760 end of the day, most students don't have a device 0:13:45.800 --> 0:13:48.440 at home, whether it's a computer or an iPad. Right, 0:13:48.679 --> 0:13:51.080 they may have a phone, but that's about it. And 0:13:51.120 --> 0:13:54.320 so we're allowing students to get on these devices and 0:13:54.400 --> 0:13:57.800 to basically learn the same skills that you would pay 0:13:57.840 --> 0:14:01.400 to learn at any music program at maybe NYU or 0:14:01.440 --> 0:14:03.960 any sort of private program that exists in Los Angeles. 0:14:04.080 --> 0:14:06.680 This is the same skills, the same equipment that these 0:14:07.080 --> 0:14:10.120 professionals are using. So that's the main thing that our 0:14:10.120 --> 0:14:13.280 program is revolutionizing is the accessibility. And then those students 0:14:13.320 --> 0:14:15.880 who may have iPhones, they can also you know, air 0:14:15.960 --> 0:14:18.600 drop the file onto their phone. They can check out equipment, 0:14:18.640 --> 0:14:20.840 they can take it home and continue to work on it. 0:14:21.200 --> 0:14:23.840 We have microphones and headphone students can check out, and 0:14:23.840 --> 0:14:25.520 so when you come into our classroom, you'll see a 0:14:25.560 --> 0:14:28.160 multitude of things. You'll see students making beats. You'll see 0:14:28.160 --> 0:14:30.720 some students on the turntables learning how to DJ. You'll 0:14:30.720 --> 0:14:33.040 see some students in the vocal booth working on singing 0:14:33.120 --> 0:14:35.320 or rapping. And at the end of the day, we 0:14:35.400 --> 0:14:37.560 want them to express themselves, to be able to use 0:14:37.600 --> 0:14:39.960 that play space as a place of healing, as a 0:14:40.000 --> 0:14:43.320 place of safety and trust, so that they can just 0:14:43.600 --> 0:14:46.920 be who they are meant to be. You know, I 0:14:47.640 --> 0:14:51.400 love this so much. I love your program. I love 0:14:51.480 --> 0:14:54.760 the work that you're doing, particularly with you know, notably 0:14:55.320 --> 0:14:59.520 marginalized students. And I want to talk for a moment 0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:06.200 out how the pandemic, how the pandemic remote learning just 0:15:06.800 --> 0:15:11.240 impacted young people, young people that you know, your students 0:15:11.280 --> 0:15:15.320 that you come across, and how you know your program 0:15:15.520 --> 0:15:18.680 might have helped them kind of cope with this situation, 0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:23.400 with the uncertainty that we were all struggling to deal with. Definitely, 0:15:23.400 --> 0:15:25.680 it was a tough time and to be honest, music 0:15:25.760 --> 0:15:27.960 definitely saved a lot of us during that time. And 0:15:28.000 --> 0:15:30.280 so for us our students, you know, they had cameras off. 0:15:30.680 --> 0:15:32.640 You know, we don't know what's going on at home, 0:15:32.760 --> 0:15:35.720 and so on one hand, teachers are upset why are 0:15:35.720 --> 0:15:37.360 the cameras off? But at the end the other hand, 0:15:37.400 --> 0:15:40.120 it's like, well, you know, this is a very interesting 0:15:40.200 --> 0:15:43.320 experience that students are like being taught at from their 0:15:43.360 --> 0:15:45.840 home and we're asking them to show us their home. So, 0:15:46.240 --> 0:15:48.200 you know, I think for me, I was able to 0:15:49.120 --> 0:15:51.120 I was able to use it to an advantage actually 0:15:51.160 --> 0:15:54.280 because now that students are on their device, they can 0:15:54.600 --> 0:15:58.240 use the programs that I was using online and there's 0:15:58.280 --> 0:16:01.920 no like actions because you're on the device that you're 0:16:02.000 --> 0:16:04.280 using to make music, so I try to flip it 0:16:04.280 --> 0:16:07.360 into a positive and I saw more engagement from students 0:16:07.360 --> 0:16:11.200 that normally wouldn't be engaged in other remote learning. Right 0:16:11.240 --> 0:16:13.400 I'm hearing students are not coming to these other classes, 0:16:13.400 --> 0:16:15.720 but they would come to our beat making class. We 0:16:15.720 --> 0:16:19.080 were able to collaborate online. Students were able to share 0:16:19.120 --> 0:16:21.840 their screen and show their process. And at the end 0:16:21.880 --> 0:16:24.480 of it, we held a music production showcase where we 0:16:24.520 --> 0:16:26.800 invited people from all over the world to come see 0:16:26.840 --> 0:16:29.360 and hear these students. And I think it was definitely 0:16:29.440 --> 0:16:32.440 like life changing for myself and for other students, because 0:16:32.760 --> 0:16:34.280 you know, we're all stuck at home, but we have 0:16:34.400 --> 0:16:36.640 this point of connection that's so deep, and that music 0:16:36.680 --> 0:16:40.920 technology just brought us together. You know. I think about 0:16:40.960 --> 0:16:44.520 myself and the ways in which you know, d nice 0:16:44.960 --> 0:16:49.040 had created an entire life, you know, very much so 0:16:49.240 --> 0:16:53.480 a life saving community, you know, by djaying from home 0:16:53.520 --> 0:16:56.760 and going on Instagram live. I think about so many 0:16:56.800 --> 0:17:00.680 other DJs that I got to experience, and you know, 0:17:00.840 --> 0:17:04.920 during particularly those those initial days of being in quarantine 0:17:05.200 --> 0:17:07.399 and not knowing what's going to happen, and just and 0:17:07.720 --> 0:17:10.520 I realized at that point it set to like how 0:17:10.640 --> 0:17:14.199 important one. How important connection is right that we have 0:17:14.320 --> 0:17:18.879 all taken, uh, you know, taken for granted because of 0:17:19.000 --> 0:17:22.320 what social media has also provided, but also taken away 0:17:22.560 --> 0:17:26.440 in terms of personal contact. But then recognizing the way 0:17:26.480 --> 0:17:31.439 that you you needed music, you needed gathering space in 0:17:31.560 --> 0:17:35.080 order to be able to even um, move through, to 0:17:35.119 --> 0:17:36.600 get out of you know, to get out of bed 0:17:36.600 --> 0:17:38.560 in the morning. And so when I think about myself 0:17:38.680 --> 0:17:41.840 and how I was dancing out around my you know, 0:17:42.000 --> 0:17:44.880 apartment in space, and I think about you know, your 0:17:45.160 --> 0:17:48.520 your young students, um, and what a lifeline it was 0:17:48.600 --> 0:17:51.359 for them. Um, you know, what are some of the 0:17:52.480 --> 0:17:55.679 I guess, what are some of the stories or you know, 0:17:55.760 --> 0:17:58.600 things that you can share in terms When people think 0:17:58.640 --> 0:18:01.639 again about music education or aren't they think of it 0:18:01.720 --> 0:18:05.119 as an elective? So explain why it isn't, why it 0:18:05.160 --> 0:18:07.439 shouldn't be looked at as an elective and instead of 0:18:07.680 --> 0:18:12.280 it should be viewed as essential. Right. I think that 0:18:12.320 --> 0:18:14.480 there's two ways to answer that question, and the first 0:18:14.600 --> 0:18:17.560 is that the experience is essential for students to have 0:18:17.800 --> 0:18:20.560 art and music right. And one story I have as 0:18:20.560 --> 0:18:24.479 a student who transferred from another school and they were 0:18:24.880 --> 0:18:28.640 not integrated into the community at all, they felt completely outcasted, 0:18:28.960 --> 0:18:31.200 and they took my music class just because they had 0:18:31.240 --> 0:18:33.560 no other choice, right, that was the only open elective, 0:18:33.880 --> 0:18:35.879 and so they ended up getting placed in my class. 0:18:36.200 --> 0:18:39.960 Fast forward two years, this is my best student. This 0:18:40.080 --> 0:18:44.440 student is performing at multiple venues in San Francisco, getting 0:18:44.440 --> 0:18:48.520 opportunities through our program, through Save the Music and our partners, 0:18:48.880 --> 0:18:52.800 and this student is now pursuing a professional career in 0:18:52.920 --> 0:18:58.280 music and getting internships where they're getting paid right. And 0:18:58.280 --> 0:19:00.320 and then the other side of that story, or the 0:19:00.359 --> 0:19:02.760 second answer to that question why it's essential is because 0:19:03.400 --> 0:19:05.159 later on finding out that the student who is an 0:19:05.200 --> 0:19:08.679 African American youth from the neighborhood is lives in a 0:19:08.720 --> 0:19:12.560 group home, right, and it's not inch, it's not in 0:19:12.600 --> 0:19:14.600 touch with their family and does not get the support 0:19:14.640 --> 0:19:16.960 from their family, And all of a sudden, this music 0:19:17.000 --> 0:19:20.560 program has provided a platform for them to express themselves, 0:19:20.560 --> 0:19:22.520 for them to find support for them to be who 0:19:22.560 --> 0:19:26.200 they are, right, And so there's healing going on, multigenerational 0:19:26.280 --> 0:19:30.920 healing going on. There's you know, equity in action with 0:19:30.960 --> 0:19:36.240 students getting industry level pay rates right that they reserve 0:19:36.359 --> 0:19:40.480 instead of having to work at you know, retail salaries 0:19:40.560 --> 0:19:42.720 or whatever it is or free right. As we know 0:19:42.760 --> 0:19:44.760 in the creative industry, a lot of us work for free. 0:19:45.160 --> 0:19:47.240 It's like we can get them paid right away. And 0:19:48.040 --> 0:19:49.800 I know that you put in work. I know I 0:19:49.840 --> 0:19:52.280 put in work for free before we were ever given 0:19:52.280 --> 0:19:54.960 a platform or create our own platform, right, and that's 0:19:55.000 --> 0:19:57.040 just what we do. But now we have the opportunity 0:19:57.080 --> 0:19:59.800 to present students with financial stability at such a young 0:20:00.040 --> 0:20:02.560 age if we can create those skills. And I think 0:20:02.600 --> 0:20:05.440 that's what arts education is about. It's not just about 0:20:06.400 --> 0:20:09.639 you know that having a good time. It's about real 0:20:09.680 --> 0:20:14.040 skills that can translate into real opportunities. And it's also 0:20:14.040 --> 0:20:17.280 about real healing. Yeah, And I just you know, and 0:20:17.320 --> 0:20:20.840 I love the fact too that you're placing your students 0:20:20.880 --> 0:20:24.679 in places where they can actually get paid, because many people, 0:20:24.880 --> 0:20:26.719 you know, would roll the rise and say, well, I 0:20:26.840 --> 0:20:29.359 intern for free, and that's you know, and that's part 0:20:29.359 --> 0:20:32.359 of the experience. And I think to myself that comes 0:20:32.400 --> 0:20:35.240 from a point of privilege, right, being able to to 0:20:35.920 --> 0:20:39.800 to decide that you're going to work for free because 0:20:40.000 --> 0:20:43.679 the knowledge is going to be payment enough means that 0:20:43.800 --> 0:20:46.560 all your other needs are met. But when you're talking 0:20:46.600 --> 0:20:49.919 about young people that are, you know, potentially living in 0:20:49.960 --> 0:20:53.119 group homes or in between homes or what have you. 0:20:53.560 --> 0:20:57.800 That money, right can go towards so much, and so 0:20:57.840 --> 0:21:01.800 I think that it's important to lift that a well. Definitely, 0:21:01.840 --> 0:21:04.239 I think that it is a place of privilege, you know, 0:21:04.280 --> 0:21:06.399 And I can say myself at times that I've been 0:21:06.440 --> 0:21:09.080 able to be an artist because of certain privileges that 0:21:09.119 --> 0:21:11.800 I've been born into or been raised with, right, and 0:21:11.840 --> 0:21:15.960 so my perspective understanding that is really the key to 0:21:16.119 --> 0:21:18.480 understanding their perspective. If you know who you are, then 0:21:18.560 --> 0:21:21.240 you can understand who others are. Right. And so I'm 0:21:21.280 --> 0:21:23.439 at a place where I try to meet the students 0:21:23.480 --> 0:21:25.879 where they are, and I think a lot of folks 0:21:25.880 --> 0:21:28.040 in our community don't understand that these students at a 0:21:28.080 --> 0:21:31.479 young age are financially already self reliant. So they may 0:21:31.520 --> 0:21:33.840 not be independent like lived at home. They still live 0:21:33.880 --> 0:21:36.040 at home. You still have a mom or dad or 0:21:36.080 --> 0:21:40.120 whoever caretaker Grandma's around, But at the end of the day, 0:21:40.280 --> 0:21:44.600 the financial flow is not happening through the family. It's 0:21:44.600 --> 0:21:47.520 happening independently. And if students need to take care of 0:21:47.600 --> 0:21:49.960 young ones or get to a certain place, like say 0:21:49.960 --> 0:21:52.800 they need to get to a free internship, they need 0:21:52.840 --> 0:21:55.200 to pay for of US or an uber there like 0:21:55.280 --> 0:21:58.639 there's a financial gap. So it is important to provide 0:21:58.680 --> 0:22:01.159 these opportunities to students. And I mean, I think that 0:22:01.160 --> 0:22:04.600 that is the way moving forward to kind of you know, 0:22:04.840 --> 0:22:09.040 enable them in that way as well the setting. You know, 0:22:09.240 --> 0:22:13.159 last question for you, what are you hoping? What are 0:22:13.280 --> 0:22:17.400 what are your hopes for this program? For you know, 0:22:17.640 --> 0:22:20.880 for for June Jordan's School of Equity where you are, 0:22:21.359 --> 0:22:24.959 and for music and the arts. I guess in our 0:22:24.960 --> 0:22:29.080 school system and our public education system at large. Well, 0:22:29.119 --> 0:22:30.920 you know, I'm working with Martha Diez and the Hip 0:22:30.920 --> 0:22:33.119 Hop Education Center in New York and we're doing the 0:22:33.200 --> 0:22:37.399 hip Hop Education and Equity Pilot grant in s fus D. 0:22:37.640 --> 0:22:39.720 And I think that for me, that is the future 0:22:39.880 --> 0:22:42.520 of education. And that's what I hope for the future 0:22:42.560 --> 0:22:45.240 of education is to bring in the hip hop education 0:22:45.280 --> 0:22:47.880 and equity element. However that may be whether it's through 0:22:48.359 --> 0:22:52.280