“The Jump”

Sithy preparing to operating Native Instruments Traktor controller

It has been an incredible privilege to witness the progress of Give a Beat’s “On a New Track” program. The passion, commitment and joy exuded from everyone involved is utterly self-evident. This being a pilot program, we are continually learning and growing each day, with an eye toward refining our craft and providing the best experiences possible. 

At the beginning, the program’s many goals seemed rather ambitious when seen all at once, especially for some of our students without a strong technical background. In order to provide a program that best suited the needs of our participants, our team trimmed the curriculum, streamlined the technical content as much as possible, and repeatedly reassured our participants with messages of, “we know it’s a lot, go at your own pace, don’t worry, it’ll come, just gotta give it time, etc...”  By the end of our second class, it was clear that many in our group, while still in great spirits, were feeling overwhelmed by all the new material.  “Give it time, it’ll come...”

Jonathan explores Ableton

Fast forward to the end of Class 4, and… “The Jump” has taken place, clear as day! Signs of big smiles, hearty laughter and a shared sense of accomplishment, mutual respect and admiration were flowing in all directions. It was so inspiring to see the students' comprehension level “jump” to a level of comfort and ease. In a major tribute to the determination of our students, teaching artists, mentors and support team, on this day we heard everyone in class either share a beat they’ve created and/or a mini DJ set! What a beautiful experience to be a part of. The group is indeed “getting it…!” Here’s to the next jump!