Rap Writer's Delight

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending a workshop for musicians interested in working with young offenders. And the bonus of working with a beatboxer called Marv-ill.

We were split up into pairs to work on the kind of creative things that we, in turn, might be able to get people in prison to do.

After storyboarding some visuals, we were asked to take one scene and turn it into a song. We had half an hour to get it ready.  Thanks to Garageband and Marv-ill, we created a minor classic called Jack and the Beans. I'd never written the lyrics for a rap before, and Marv-ill wasn't used to collaborating. But our temporary partnership worked well, and I think we both got something out of it, including the laughter that some of the rhymes drew from our audience.

Most impressive of all was the range of rhythmic sounds that Marv-ill could produce from his own body. It somehow made lugging a drum kit in and out of the car, and setting it up and taking it down, seem slightly crazy.