MATH + MUSIC=MONEY is a financial literacy curriculum incorporating music production with a holistic approach and a focus on mathematic comprehension using common core standards. Utilizing a portable fully equipped recording production studio and structuring the classroom like a production company allows the students to become familiar with business and financial responsibility. Youth will learn how to produce and create original instrumentals, format and structure a song, operate recording software, and manage financial accounts. This is a fun, productive and blended learning module with a goal of building self confidence by developing creative abilities and enhancing academic skill sets. Our targeted audience are youth from grades 6 - 12.
Students will develop their entrepreneurial skills by learning about marketing, promotion, and selling a product. Youth will learn to create original beats and develop the skills to efficiently operate recording and production software. This will allow a balance of creative and intellectual progression. The goal is to have a youth operated business within the classroom that will prepare them for the selling of their product at the end of the program.
Classes are broken up in creative and business groups. These roles within the groups consist of Music Producers, Accountants, Audio Engineers, Song Writers, Recording Artists, and Creative Directors. Our deliverables are not only enriched scholars and entrepreneurs- in- training, but a final CD is produced by the youth for the youth, and is sold to thier family, friends, and educators. Its an exciting process where students go from the creation process, the business process and then the manufacturing. This final product has been used to promote the program within their communities and recruit youth throughout the city to be a part of the program. This has been a proven method to bringing media and education to the forefront of youth development to meet today’s social challenges.
Inside The Classroom:
Mathematic questions are asked in word problem form. These scenarios are based on true stories and occurrences of music industry professionals. The difficulty level of the distributed workbook ranges from 6 to 12 grade learning standards. Questions, Scenarios and Answers (QSA’s) are asked daily. By answering these questions students gain the opportunity to receive class credit (fake money), that is later applied to the project budget and helps them pay for studio time and original music production. This incentive system is the financial literacy component that drives the professional development component of the program.
Statement by Zeke Cohen, Executive Director of The Intersection
" One of the top challenges facing young people growing up in poverty, is that our public schools typically do not teach financial literacy. As a result, many of our young people have never been taught to balance a checkbook or to avoid excessive credit card debt. This can wreak havoc on an already vulnerable populations finances. That is why I was so thrilled to sit in on a session of the Kariz Kids Math+Music=Money program. During the hour long session, I witnessed young people learning how to produce music while simultaneously learning financial literacy and math skills. I was blown away by how invested the students were, and by how willing to learn they became. The program fused music (which kids usually love), with math (which kids usually hate), in a deeply creative and synergistic way. The KKMMM curriculum is also common core aligned meaning it will augment the skills that students need to learn in order to graduate from high school. I am truly excited about the potential of this amazing new program to impact the lives of children in Baltimore and across the country."
CURRICULUM