The Hip Hop Orchestra Experience
Rap & Rhapsody
A music clinic where strings meet hip-hop. Two days inside your program — and your players finish performing arrangements written for them, live, with the artist who wrote them.
For this performance, I had the honor of performing “I WISH” alongside 13 talented high school musicians. This performance is more than a song. It is the beginning of a larger vision for music education—one rooted in creativity, culture, collaboration, and the belief that there are no limits to what young musicians can create.
This is what Rap & Rhapsody is all about.
- Directed by:
- Tyla Barnes
- Orchestra Director:
- Kyra Totillo
- Music Arrangement:
- Madison Bush
- Artist / Creator:
- YUNG Citizen
01 / The premise
Say orchestra and everyone in the room pictures the same thing. Beethoven. A hundred years of repertoire, and one narrow idea of what a violin is for. Your students hear that idea too — and some of them quietly decide music isn't for them because of it.
Students discover their instrument is bigger than classical
Everyone assumes an orchestra kid lives inside a box
Before this experience, I only viewed the violin as a classical instrument, but this event widened my horizon to other possibilities.
02 / The clinic
Two days, start to finish
A two-day intensive built to drop into a school week. Day one: discover and build. Day two: create and perform.
03 / Voices
What they said afterwards
I felt this taught me that I can do things I wouldn't normally try, and it definitely makes me consider different future paths for myself as a musician.
It felt amazing playing with other people and the opportunity taught me that I'm heading in the right direction with my music.
It was very different from things like concerts and typical rehearsals, so it was a great experience to be a part of it.
My students are better musicians because of this, and you were so kind and inspiring. We received a lot of compliments and loved collaborating with you.
The string arrangements were engaging, accessible, and fun to play, and they loved performing with YUNG Citizen at the end of the session. I would highly recommend this workshop to any teacher looking to add new styles to their teaching.
04 / Inside the session
The room it happens in
05 / Why it gets booked
Two people have to say yes
Why string players love it
- They see the instrument differently. The violin stops being a classical object and starts being theirs.
- Hip-hop unlocks rhythmic skill. A different feel, a different subdivision — skills that go straight back into the classical repertoire.
- Creativity and structure, not either/or. The discipline they already have becomes the thing that lets them improvise.
- They perform at the end. Nothing builds confidence like finishing day two on stage.
Why directors book it
- Ready to run. Arrangements, structure and masterclass come built. No extra planning on your desk.
- Sheet music included. Sent ahead, pitched to your players' level.
- It recruits for you. "A hip-hop artist is coming to work with us this year" fills seats in a way a concert programme does not.
- Two days. Day one builds the music, day two puts it on stage.
What the school provides
- Orchestra students, and a rehearsal space
- Instruments and music stands
- Sound equipment for the final performance, if needed
That's the whole list.
06 / The artist
YUNG Citizen
Composer, producer and hip-hop artist based in Charlotte, North Carolina. He writes the arrangements, runs the clinic and performs the showcase — the same person your students rehearse with is the one on the record.
Rap & Rhapsody grew out of a simple observation: students spend years becoming excellent at an instrument while being shown exactly one thing to do with it. The clinic is the counter-argument, and it takes two days.
Founder, composer and visionary of Rap & Rhapsody. Also works in sound design and scoring for film and brand campaigns.
07 / What it's becoming
A national hip-hop orchestra
The clinic is the first move. The plan is a multi-day national conference — high school and college ensembles, music educators and industry professionals in one building.
- All-State Hip Hop OrchestraOrchestras from across the country rehearsing and performing as one ensemble.
- Educator seminarsTeaching guides and curriculum integration for music teachers.
- Workshops & clinicsLed by working producers, artists and composers.
- Career & college fairUniversities, scholarships and professional mentors in the room.
Pilot conferences in selected states, building toward a national rollout across Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, Charlotte, Chicago and Houston. Schools that host a clinic now are first in line.
08 / Questions
Questions directors ask
The practical side, before you book the call.
Where does the clinic travel?
Nationwide. Rap & Rhapsody comes to your school, wherever it is in the United States.
Which grades is it for?
High school orchestra programs, grades 9 to 12.
Can band or choir students take part?
No. The clinic is built for orchestra programs only, and the arrangements are written for your orchestra.
How much does it cost?
Contact us for pricing. Book a discovery call or email yungcitizen704@gmail.com.
How far ahead should we book?
Months in advance. That leaves time to build a proper schedule with your program and to plan travel.
Do students need to learn the music before Day 1?
They need to have at least looked through it. The sheet music arrives ahead of the visit so the two days go into playing, not sight-reading.
09 / Book it
Bring it to your orchestra
Talk it through
A short call about your program, your dates and what your players are ready for. No pitch deck — you're looking at it.
Book a discovery callSend it up the chain
A one-page summary for the person who signs off — what it is, what it costs you in time, and what your students walk away with.
Download the one-pager