Overview

"In this present age, aspiring performers, musical artists, and singers of all kinds engage with hip hop and hip-hop stylizations. Turn on the radio today and you will hear music from the likes of Bruno Mars, Miley Cyrus, and Billie Eilish—songs you might place into the generalized category of ""pop singers."" However, many top 40 pop tunes of today derive their musicality, style, and sound from hip hop, often employing hip-hop stylized vocalizations. This is even the case with contemporary musicals like Hamilton and In the Heights. In Hip-Hop and Rap Music: A Performer’s Guide, Melissa Foster equips aspiring performers, musical artists, singers, and hobbyists with the tools and knowledge needed to appreciate the rich art form and perform it with genuine authenticity and fluency. Part 1 provides a rich tapestry of important considerations for performers, including the development of hip hop; a roadmap to different styles; a brief introduction to the political, social, and racial context of hip-hop’s emergence; and an investigation of hip hop’s vast influence on contemporary music. Each performer must find an authentic, holistic way into the stylisms, physicality, parlance, and sound of hip hop that will resonate with both their lived experience and their bearing, and understanding hip hop’s rich background is a vital first step towards this. Part 2 presents a wealth of practical exercises and techniques designed to condition a performer to meet hip hop’s technical demands and facilitate hip-hop performance stylisms. This section delves into vocal techniques to address such building blocks as inhalation, breath management, articulation, movement and grounding, rhythmic control and ownership (including an in-depth look into finding the ‘pocket’ which is crucial to hip hop), pitch, resonance, storytelling, riffing (in both a musical and holistic approach), vocal health, and microphone techniques. Part 2 will also include interviews and tips from various hip-hop artists and industry professionals which will bring to life and reinforce the challenging nature of the form’s requisite skills. Hip-Hop and Rap Music: A Performer’s Guide will equip performers with the tools and knowledge vital to approaching authentic and masterful performances of hip hop."

Full Product Details

9781538167175

Table of Contents

Reviews

"Melissa L. Foster generously welcomes all to the collision of history, culture and art forms that is hip-hop. Her collaborative approach lifts up voices of the movement's key players and artists and includes wisdom of fellow pedagogues and music experts. This book will inspire performers, teachers, and coaches to seek a more respectful, authentic approach while its clever commentaries coax readers to laugh out loud every step of the way. Melissa L. Foster has successfully created a 'How to Understand and Execute Hip-Hop Music for Dummies' with Don't Sweat the Technique. It really is an embarrassment of riches for students, teachers, and performers alike. This book is a masterful examination of not only the deep roots of hip-hop and rap, but also it includes very detailed, easy-to-follow technical guidelines for the performance of these genres. I am deeply appreciative of Foster's willingness to pose complex questions about authenticity and her encouragement for readers to discover for themselves where they stand on some difficult subjects. The book is a fantastic guide for any level of artist or teacher who is interested in exploring and celebrating the roots of so much of our music today This book is a rarity, covering the historical genesis of hip-hop, rap, and other popular vocal genres. Melissa L. Foster has created a user's guide to the delivery of the most contemporary vocal genres--a ""how to"" manual of rapping with fabulous vocal techniques for the artist and advice worthy of the classical singer."

"Foster generously welcomes all to the collision of history, culture, and art forms that is hip-hop and lifts up voices of its key artists. This book will inspire performers and teachers to seek a more respectful, authentic approach. --Colleen Brooks, Teaching Faculty II, voice & opera theatre, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Melissa L. Foster has successfully created a 'How to Understand and Execute Hip-Hop Music for Dummies' with Don't Sweat the Technique. It really is an embarrassment of riches for students, teachers, and performers alike. --Zachary Piser, performer and actor, Dear Evan Hansen Melissa L. Foster meticulously unravels the past five decades, offering readers deeper insight into the diverse styles encompassed within the realm of hip-hop. Her technical drills target the specific needs of these artists in a way that is accessible and grounded in vocal function. American popular music is rooted in Black American music, and it is way past time for our industry to recognize the impact of hip-hop on American society and culture. This book is essential reading for artists seeking to enhance their grasp of this art form and for educators aiming to become more effective mentors to 21st-century artists. --Matt Edwards, Associate Professor of Voice and Theatre, Shenandoah University This book gives young artists the context to fully appreciate and understand the genre of hip-hop and the tools to take it to exciting new places. I'm grateful to have been part of the process. --redveil, critically acclaimed rapper This book is a rarity, covering the historical genesis of hip-hop, rap, and other popular vocal genres. Melissa L. Foster has created a user's guide to the delivery of the most contemporary vocal genres--a ""how to"" manual of rapping with fabulous vocal techniques and advice. --Gary Kline, professor of Musical Theater, Carnegie Mellon University This bookis a masterful examination of not only the deep roots of hip-hop and rap, but also it includes very detailed, easy-to-follow technical guidelines for the performance of these genres. I am deeply appreciative of Foster's willingness to pose complex questions about authenticity and her encouragement for readers to discover for themselves where they stand on some difficult subjects. The book is a fantastic guide for any level of artist or teacher who is interested in exploring and celebrating the roots of so much of our music today --Ann Evans Watson, clinical associate professor of Musical Theatre, University of Michigan"

Melissa L. Foster has successfully created a 'How to Understand and Execute Hip-Hop Music for Dummies' with Don't Sweat the Technique. It really is an embarrassment of riches for students, teachers, and performers alike.--Zachary Piser, performer and actor, Dear Evan Hansen

Author Information

Melissa Foster is an Associate Professor of Instruction in the Department of Theatre at Northwestern University and is on the faculty of The CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute at Shenandoah University. She is an educator, voice coach, theatre artist, researcher, and speaker. As a voice teacher, she specializes in musical theatre, pop-rock styling, the history and performance of hip hop, and opera/musical theatre crossover. Visit her website: melissafostervoice.com.

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