Hip Hop, Poetry and Literature Merge at Tiogue School

Students at Tiogue Elementary School exercised their minds, bodies and imaginations recently during a five-day Cultural Arts Workshop featuring "Shakespeare to Hip hop". The inspirational and intriguing presentation was organized and performed by Regie Gibson, Marlon Carey and Yunus Quddus, and consisted of storytelling, in-class writing and performance sessions. 

Students from all grade levels at Tiogue participated in the workshop throughout the week with age-appropriate activities and performances. The week began with presentations for younger students which involved poetry, storytelling and music, as well as workshops for older children that focused on storytelling and dramatic interpretation of folklore, nursery rhymes and fairytales.

Each day, during scheduled workshop times, students were engaged in activities that were not only fun, but educational, incorporating narratives, non-fiction themes and figurative language (metaphors, similies, idioms, etc.), into group and individual writing assignments and performances. Carey, Gibson and Quddus gave performance tips and coaching in preparation for several 20-minute Student Showcases at the end of the week, starring groups of students from grades 3-5, who read (or rapped in some cases) their individual poems and writing pieces in front of their teachers and classmates.

"Shakespeare to Hip hop" travels to both public and private schools across New England and beyond and its performers have garnered much praise for their ability to make the written word come alive through their own performances.

Founding members Carey and Gibson, who both consider themselves poets, scholars, musicians, mentors and educators, explained that the name “Shakespeare to Hip hop,” refers to the bridging of the generation gap that exists between those raised strictly on the Classics of literature and children, who are heavily influenced by popular culture.

Carey pointed out that Hip Hop was once a taboo subject at suburban dinner tables, but today it is ubiquitous in advertising and culture, with many rap and hip hop artists performing on international stages, television shows and even at the White House.

By embracing the traditions and foundations of the past and the best of the present, the group is able to connect with students of all ages in a way that effectively makes learning language and literature cool, and fun.

Though the group's use of various instruments, along with musical and rhythmic elements of the hip hop genre, they are able to foster communication between the students and themselves.

Recently, as many teachers have been working hard to find ways to expand their curriculum to further engage their students, the demand for the group has been increasing, allowing the performers to branch out into after-school and mentoring programs.     

The group's members have been described as "gifted" and "inspirational", but they agree that they would like to be recognized simply for sharing their energy and talents with the students they encounter in their travels, as they work to ensure a better future by empowering kids through the spoken and written word.

For booking and other inquiries, contact Regie and Marlon at Shakespearetohiphop@gmail.com.