Arts and Music

Beat Making Lab

We build studios in cultural centers around the world and train youth musicians in the art of beat making. Follow our adventures with new episodes here every Wednesday. Find us on Facebook at beatmakinglab, or chat us up on Twitter @beatmakinglab.

#FijiChallenge w/ Walshy Fire of Major Lazer

2m 48s

Walshy Fire plays you a Fijian Chant, Apple Juice Kid tells you the basics of Moombahton, we play the winning beat from the Senegal Challenge, and you get a chance to be featured on Mad Decent and Beat Making Lab via ETC!ETC!.

Episodes

  • #FijiChallenge w/ Walshy Fire of Major Lazer: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    #FijiChallenge w/ Walshy Fire of Major Lazer

    S1 E22 - 2m 48s

    Walshy Fire plays you a Fijian Chant, Apple Juice Kid tells you the basics of Moombahton, we play the winning beat from the Senegal Challenge, and you get a chance to be featured on Mad Decent and Beat Making Lab via ETC!ETC!.

  • Sampling w/ Flip Flops and Ski Beatz: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Sampling w/ Flip Flops and Ski Beatz

    S1 E21 -

    A man in Fiji hits a PVC pipe with a flip flop, that sound meets a 17-year-old drummer in North Carolina. A beat is created. And around it all, Platinum selling producer Ski Beatz (producer for Jay Z, Camp Lo and Jay Electronica) lets us know why he even samples in the first place.

  • Trapped In Paradise: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Trapped In Paradise

    S1 E20 -

    Welcome to Fiji. Local rapper/producer Dave Lavaki (aka Mr. Grin) explains how they are building a scene 8000 miles away from the music industry.

  • Heartbeats of Fiji: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Heartbeats of Fiji

    S1 E19 - 9m 59s

    Ben is searching for purpose. Masi is following a dream. From separate islands, yet connected through Hip Hop and Electronic music production, their paths crossed at the Fiji Beat Making Lab.

  • Behind The Beat: First Beat Making Lab (2011): asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Behind The Beat: First Beat Making Lab (2011)

    S1 E18 - 2m 28s

    The first Beat Making Lab was launched at UNC-Chapel Hill in the Fall semester of 2011, as a 3 credit hour course in the music department founded by Dr. Mark Katz (now the chair of the music department) and Stephen Levitin (aka Apple Juice Kid). This episode, shot and edited by UNC student Jon Kasbe for Reese News, shows the on-campus origins of the now international program.

  • Get Your Drums Right: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Get Your Drums Right

    S1 E15 - 2m 31s

    Why do so many beginning producers' beats sound flat? Because they make the error of using the factory drum sounds that come with their beat making software. One of the cardinal rules of beat making is: if you want to create an interesting beat - start with an original kit.

  • Health Worker Beat : asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Health Worker Beat

    S1 E14 - 2m

    Ina, a Senegalese beat making student, takes a field trip to an Intrahealth hospital to make a beat. She records baby squeals and blood pressure gauges; and interviews health workers and community leaders about family planning. These recordings were then delivered to a group of Fijian beat making students, who composed an instrumental entirely comprised of the found sounds.

  • Beat Making Challenge #2: Kora Riddim: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Beat Making Challenge #2: Kora Riddim

    S1 E13 - 2m 2s

    An all women's group of African beat makers recorded a kora player and created a dancehall-inspired riddim out of the sample. Now its your turn.

  • Female Hip Hop Crew Makes Beats in Senegal : asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Female Hip Hop Crew Makes Beats in Senegal

    S1 E12 - 2m 44s

    "The people need a female rapper," says Toussa, the president of GOTAL; an all-women's collective of Senegalese rappers, producers, singers and beat makers who paired with a woman-led NGO called Speak Up Africa to write songs about global health issues in their communities.

  • Behind the Beat: Portobelo : asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Behind the Beat: Portobelo

    S1 E11 - 4m 2s

    Apple Juice Kid samples comparsa band Barrio Fino, records hip hop/jazz quartet The Beast and flirts with renowned vocalist Yomira John in this episode, which reveals the production behind the song "Portobelo."

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