Welcome to the first edition Inside the BEAT!
I’m humbled and excited that 2019 marks the 10 year anniversary of BEAT and we’re making giant leaps this year. We’ll send bi-weekly newsletters to update you on the progress so you could be a part of it.
It’s been an incredible journey to witness the power of Hip Hop to unleash the creativity and potential in our youth. I have to first credit the amazing family of Bboys, Bgirls, Beatboxers, Producers, MC’s, teaching artists, and admin staff that make BEAT programs not only possible, but excellent. I’m so proud of this incredible team of professional artists that empower our youth by sharing, passing down, and teaching the skills that create this culture we call Hip Hop. We’ll be featuring their stories in every newsletter, so be prepared to get inspired!
I’m grateful to have garnered support from such a diverse cross-section of organizations and industries. Partnerships with major universities like Duquesne University and NYU have stepped in to clinically prove the efficacy and impact of our work, and collaborations with media companies like Nokia Bell Labs (with renowned beatboxer, Reeps One) have documented the spirit and philosophy of our Beat Rockers program through videos and short films like, We Speak Music Volume 4, which I urge you to watch (see below) and share.
Thank you for joining BEAT’s mission to empower our youth and communities through creative expression.
Sincerely,
James Kim
Watch the fourth episode of “When Art Meets Therapy” for a peek into our BEAT Rockers program.
