This three-hour masterclass expands on the content presented in Tuesday’s sessions, offering a deeper dive into Therapeutic Beat Making (TBM) and its research-backed applications. Dr. Alexander Crooke will present data from several youth-focused beat making studies, including a school-wide Hip Hop initiative in Sydney, co-developed with Today’s Future Sound. Results highlight the impact of beat making on psychosocial wellbeing, identity, regulation, and positive youth development.
 
The session will also include a live beat-making demonstration and detailed exploration of the TBM model’s theoretical underpinnings and practical use by Dr. Elliot Gann of Today’s Future Sound. Scott Griffiths (aka Optamus) will share his work delivering Hip Hop-based programming in schools, community centers, prisons, and remote Indigenous communities across Australia. He’ll also lead an interactive rhyme writing exercise and speak on a juvenile justice program that achieved a 50% drop in recidivism.