Learn how to remix a rap track!
As part of the wide range of resources VIP Studio Sessions offers, we recently launched new content for schools based on Grown: A Grime Opera, enabling schools to remix and perform the Grime and Opera hybrid.
For teachers who want to build up to this, we recommend starting with our new ‘How to Remix A Rap Track’ guide [login required]. Remixing is a key part of music production in the modern era and artists will often ask for their songs to be remixed as part of a release.
A pop singer, for example, may want a ‘club’ version of their song to widen its appeal and to get their songs played more, especially by DJs.
Rappers and rap producers also do this, so for any young producer, learning these key skills is not only fun; it gives them an insight into the mechanics of other professionally-produced tracks.
There are three fundamental options when remixing a rap track:
- You use an existing rap recording or ‘acapella’ and place it over your own track
- You take an existing song and edit, reorganise or rearrange it to create a new version
- You re-vocal over an existing song
Our new resource invites students to try out the first option: to create their own beats and add raps performed by professional Grime artist, Eyez, on to it. They can choose from 10 different tracks before creating their own backing beat by following our Step-by-Step tutorials.
Once students have chosen which rap they are going to use, they will download the ‘stems’ from the Grime opera, and are taught how to upload these into the online studio, ready to remix.
When young people learn the possibilities of combining an existing rap and producing their own beat, they often go onto to write, perform and record their own raps; their own complete and unique songs.
Check out our recent #TrackOfTheMonth winners from Cardinal Numan school in Brighton, who created a beat using VIP before adding the acapella from Grown: A Grime Opera on to it:
Log in to view all of these resources today.
If you are a new school and haven’t used VIP before, you can request a free 30-day trial here.
VIP Studio Sessions is the award-winning music education platform from Charanga. It provides everything young people need to create, produce and release their own music in the classroom and beyond.