You probably wouldn’t know it by looking at them, but Pierce Freelon and his colleague Stephen Levitin are both professors at the University of North Carolina. Together they teach Beat Making Lab at the university, where students learn the basic skills needed to create and distribute beats for various genres including hip-hop.
In addition to teaching, both men are world-renowned musicians. Freelon emcees in the band The Beast, and Levitin aka Apple Juice Kid, has produced beats for several prominent figures in the music industry, including Wale, Azealia Banks, and Mos Def. Last summer after crowd sourcing enough funds, the duo traveled to Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo to build a beat making lab in the city that, up until recently, was controlled by the M23. During their time in Goma, Freelon and Levitin taught students how to design beats, how to freestyle, and utilize instrumentals in their music.
In response to the success of their trip to the DRC, the pair traveled to Portobelo, Panama to build an additional studio with the collaboration of the local community. Their next stop? Senegal. With each new city they will work with PBS Digital Labs to produce a web series sharing the stories of their adventures as well as the music produced. Freelon describes the work they are doing:
We are at the beginning of an inspiring journey. As a musician and professor I feel humbled by the opportunity to share some of my knowledge, and to learn from and collaborate with youth from around the world.
(Photo credit: PBS)
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