About Us
The Arts Greenhouse is a free hip-hop music education program serving Pittsburgh teens through the resources of Carnegie Mellon. Thus far, this goal has been met through music technology classes, music recording projects, workshops on special topics relating to hip-hop, and performances that bring socially conscious artists to Pittsburgh.
Currently the Arts Greenhouse leads music technology classes at Carnegie Mellon, guides recording projects with the School of Music, and teaches workshops around the Pittsburgh area. Pittsburgh teens, ages 13 to 19, are welcome to attend.
The center of Arts Greenhouse activities are our Saturday classes at Carnegie Mellon. We meet at 1pm in Margaret Morrison Hall. During the first hour, we talk hip-hop shop: music business, artistic approach, music history, social relevance, and whatever important issues we can address in the context of hip-hop. We also invite guest speakers to give presentations during this time on topics related to hip-hop, or issues that affect teens. Free pizza and beverages are provided for all participants.
Around 2pm we break out to work on music. Beatmakers work with Arts Greenhouse staff in the keyboard lab – where we have 12 music production stations equipped with computers, keyboards, and music production software. Meanwhile, rappers, poets and singers work on writing and recording rough drafts of songs – using beats produced by Arts Greenhouse participants. Every 2 to 3 weeks we head to the recording studio to work on final drafts of our songs with Carnegie Mellon head recording engineer, Riccardo Schulz.
Our favorite recorded tracks are gathered onto compilations that are distributed to participants, given away for promotional purposes, and sold to raise money for future Arts Greenhouse activities. The Arts Greenhouse reserves a non-exclusive right to distribute all music created with the program for promotional purposes, or for fund raising.
We also hold workshops and special events that take place off CMU campus, and take place on other days than Saturday. Check our calendar for dates and venues.
The Arts Greenhouse is supported by the generosity of the Sprout Foundation; Dean of Students, Carnegie Mellon; Pittsburgh Foundation Multicultural Arts Initiative; National Endowment for the Arts; Pittsburgh Foundation, Arts and Culture Program; Pittsburgh Council on the Arts; Heinz Endowments; Center for the Arts in Society, Carnegie Mellon.
Any questions? Please contact us:
Amos Levy, Program Coordinator
5000 Forbes Ave
Baker Hall 154
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
amoslevy@cmu.edu
(412) 268-5279
The Arts Greenhouse is an outreach program of The Center for the Arts in Society at Carnegie Mellon. For more information regarding the Center for the Arts in Society, visit http://www.hss.cmu.edu/cas/.
