With the help of a prominent local rapper, Woori Yallock Primary School students channelled their inner lyricist during a unique and engaging experience on 29 October.
For the school’s grade five-six poetry unit, rapper Mantra taught students to write their own raps which were then performed at the end of the day.
Woori Yallock Primary School acting assistant principal Jessica Howe said the day was an invaluable experience for the students.
“It’s really lovely to see the vibes and how engaged they’re in it, and they’re all working hard and they’re all producing something at the end.”
Woori Yallock Primary School has had Mantra deliver his engaging hip hop workshops over the years, and though his busy schedule has made it harder for him to come out in recent years, he was able to drop by for a day.
“So we made it work, and he came out for the day and worked with the five sixes and they love it,” Ms Howe said.
Mantra delivers hip hop workshops to schools around the country where he works with young people, and facilitates mentorship programs for the disadvantaged or at risk.
Since the genre of hip hop isn’t typically associated with education institutions, the students are far more engaged and interested.
Ms Howe said Mantra started the session explaining his story before teaching students the details of rapping.
“He started with them in the morning talking about what rap means, what rap is, and he told about his back story, what he was like at school and how he got into rapping.
“Then he talked about the features and details of rap – so things like different beats and rhythms, and he worked with them on little dances to help remember the rhythm.”
Students also got the chance to hear Mantra’s lyrical genius in action when he freestyled in front of the class.
“He did a freestyle performance which all the kids absolutely loved and then they moved on to writing their own raps.”
Afterwards, students worked on their own raps and they got the chance to perform them on stage in front of a crowd.
“He spent time with them listening, helping, giving them feedback and suggestions to help them.
“Then at the end of the day they all went to the hall and if they felt confident enough, he got them up on stage, he played the backing beat for them and they all had the opportunity to perform their rap in front of the crowd.”
Ms Howe said the “glory moment” of the day was when the students felt game enough to spit some bars in front of their classmates.
“It blows our minds when the quieter kids or the not so confident kids, or the kids that do struggle with writing in itself, get up on that stage and perform a rap to a beat.
“It gives them the opportunity to be creative and no matter where their skillsets are they can still access that which I think is really important,” Ms Howe said.
In an interview with Beat Magazine, Mantra said his work with young people helped them recognise their self worth and express themselves.
“Programs like Voice For Change support kids who aren’t necessarily connecting with traditional forms of education, who are vulnerable or at risk, by giving them a platform they relate to, which allows them to share their ideas and perspectives,” he said in a Beat Magazine article in 2018.
Ms Howe agreed with the sentiment and said students were really engaged with the unit.
“The kids are all so engaged – no matter who they are or where their abilities are, every single one of them get into that unit and produce a rap,” she said.
“It’s definitely improving their literacy. I mean, they’re reading, rapping and rhyming, and tapping into that knowledge.”
