Dr. Elliot Gann Brings Global Hip-Hop Innovation to Howard University

Respect the Technical: Therapeutic Beat Making for Healing, Education, and Global Exchange

This interactive workshop invites participants into the world of Therapeutic Beat Making (TBM)—a healing-centered, culturally grounded approach that uses Hip Hop beat-making and music production to support wellness, learning, and empowerment. Developed by Dr. Elliot Gann, a licensed clinical psychologist, Hip Hop artist/producer (@phillipdrummond), and Executive Director of Today’s Future Sound, TBM weaves together clinical wisdom, educational practice, music technology, and the creative spirit of Hip Hop culture.

Through a live beat-making demonstration using Ableton Push and other production tools, attendees will get hands-on with the same techniques that help young people regulate emotion, express themselves, build creative confidence, and strengthen social-emotional skills. These practices have been especially impactful in underserved schools, juvenile justice settings, and community-based programs—meeting youth where they are and honoring the genius they already possess.

The workshop also explores the global reach of TBM. Dr. Gann shares stories from international Hip Hop diplomacy and cultural exchange initiatives he’s facilitated in Chile, Mexico, and Australia through the U.S. Department of State and Partners of the Americas. These experiences highlight how beat-making becomes a universal language—one that connects communities, bridges cultures, and sparks healing and possibility across borders.

Whether you’re a scholar, educator, artist, clinician, organizer, or student, this session offers a welcoming blend of theory, practice, story, and sound. It demonstrates how Hip Hop production technologies can uplift communities, strengthen identity, and support healing-centered, culturally affirming education—locally, globally, and everywhere in between.