4:00–7:00 PM
Arrivals & Hotel Check-In
The Bradley Hotel
204 W Main St, Fort Wayne, IN 46802
HIP-HOP EDUCATION CENTER × SWEETWATER
The Future of Hip-Hop Music Production
& Sound Design Education Retreat
A national gathering at the intersection of culture,
education, technology, and industry innovation.
FROM OUR HOST
Welcome to Sweetwater!
We are thrilled to have you on our campus for what we believe will be an exciting three days of music, education, and fellowship.
The Sweetwater campus is designed to inspire creativity and music
creation, and we hope you get a chance to experience that throughout
this conference. You are surrounded by people who believe, as you do,
that Hip-Hop is a powerful musical and cultural force of our time and
that it belongs at the center of music education.
Over the next few days, you will connect with fellow educators,
artists, industry leaders and more who share the same conviction as
you. You will form important, enduring relationships with colleagues
who will make a meaningful and lasting impact on the students you serve.
Sweetwater is proud to have you as our guests. If there is anything
we can do to make your experience better, please let me know. Thank
you for the work you do every day in your classrooms and communities.
We are honored to be on this musical journey with you.
Jeff Ostermann
Chief People & Cultural Officer
Sweetwater
AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
Retreat Hub
Everything you need throughout the weekend.
WHY WE’RE HERE
Retreat Goals
01
National Alignment
National Alignment
Strengthen national alignment around K–12 Hip-Hop
Music Education.
02
Cutting-Edge Skills & Tools
Cutting-Edge Skills & Tools
Equip educators with advanced production skills
and sound design tools.
03
Bridge Culture & Technology
Bridge Culture & Technology
Integrate pedagogy, innovation, and Hip-Hop culture.
04
National Network
National Network
Activate a cross-sector network committed to equity
and culturally responsive music education.
AUGUST 21–23
Retreat Schedule
Tap a day to open or close the schedule.
DAY 1
Friday, August 21
Hip-Hop Sound, Frequency & Energy
Friday, August 21
Hip-Hop Sound, Frequency & Energy
6:00–7:00 PM
Welcome Reception
Tiffany Vega’s Room – TBD
7:00–8:00 PM
Dinner
The Bradley Banquet
8:00–9:00 PM
FIRESIDE CHAT
Shifting Notes: Reimagining Higher Education
Through Hip-Hop
Dr. Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo, Brown University
Wendel Patrick, Peabody Conservatory of Music /
Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Bryan Powell, Music Will
Lyrical Jones, UCLA
Raney M. Antoine, Loyola University
DAY 2
Saturday, August 22
Hip-Hop Music Production Education
Saturday, August 22
Hip-Hop Music Production Education
8:15–9:00 AM
TRANSPORTATION
Hotel to Sweetwater
8:30–9:30 AM
Breakfast
Conference Room 1 – Sweetwater
9:30–9:45 AM
Opening Remarks
Jeff Ostermann, Sweetwater
Martha Diaz, HHEC
Performance Theater
9:45–10:45 AM
KEYNOTE
K-16 Hip-Hop Music Ed Guidelines Toolkit:
Music Production
Dr. Justis Lopez, HHEC
Pinqy Ring, HHEC
10:45–11:15 AM
KEYNOTE
The Future of Music Production
Suzi Analogue
Nasir Jones Fellow, Harvard University
(2026–2027)
11:15–11:45 AM
KEYNOTE
Development of a DJ Lab,
The Ohio State University
J Rawls
DJ O Sharp
11:45 AM–12:30 PM
FIRESIDE CHAT
The Future of Music Production in K–12
Tony Simmons, High School for Recording Arts
Michael Lipset, PhD., 4 Learning
Martha Diaz, HHEC
Chiho Fendler, Save The Music
12:30–1:30 PM
Lunch
Conference Room 1
1:30–2:30 PM
BREAKOUT LABS
Lab Sessions
Dolby Atmos Masterclass
Dope Candi
Dope Candi
Film Scoring & Sound Design
Grandmixer DXT, College Unbound
Music Production
Professor Carolyn Malachi,
Howard University
Performance Theater • Studio A • Studio B (Atmos)
2:30–4:00 PM
CHOOSE YOUR EXPERIENCE
Film Screening or Sweetwater Warehouse Tour
Film:
Sun Ra: Do The Impossible,
directed by Christine Turner / Firelight Films
(84 minutes)
OR
Tour:
Sweetwater Warehouse
4:00–4:30 PM
KEYNOTE
The Future of Music Production
Paul Miller aka DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid
Multidisciplinary Artist, Composer, Author,
Fulbright Specialist
4:30–5:00 PM
CASE STUDY
Reimagining the Hip-Hop Canon Through
Orchestral Grandeur: Passing the Crown
Juliette Jones
Monique Brooks Roberts
5:00–5:30 PM
FIRESIDE CHAT
The Hip-Hop Scholar:
Learning, Leading & Leaving a Legacy
Rich Nice, Bronx Community College
Grandmixer DXT, College Unbound
5:30–6:00 PM
Recap the Day + Feedback
6:00–7:00 PM
Dinner
Conference Room 1
7:00–8:30 PM
PANEL
Fort Wayne, Indiana Hip-Hop Artists,
Educators & Social Entrepreneurs
Performance Theater
DAY 3
Sunday, August 23
Access
Sunday, August 23
Access
8:45–9:00 AM
TRANSPORTATION
Hotel to Sweetwater
Everyone checks out of the hotel.
9:00–9:30 AM
Breakfast
Conference Room 1
9:30–9:45 AM
WELCOME + KEYNOTE
College Unbound:
An Untraditional Pathway
Martha Diaz, HHEC
Dr. Justis Lopez, HHEC
Adam Bush, President, College Unbound
9:45–10:00 AM
KEYNOTE
The Future of Music Production:
Soul Science Lab
Building Beats • Power The Future • College Unbound
Chen Lo, Roc Nation School of Music,
Sports & Entertainment
Asante, Soul Science Lab
10:00–10:15 AM
KEYNOTE
The Future of Music Production:
On The One
DJ Bella J
On The One / College Unbound
10:30–10:45 AM
CASE STUDY
The Future of Music Production:
Girls Make Beats
Whitney Taber
Girls Make Beats / College Unbound
10:45–11:00 AM
FIRESIDE CHAT
The Future of Music Education
in High School
Dr. Justis Lopez, HHEC
Martha Diaz, HHEC
Jason Reyes, Founding Principal,
Bronx School of Hip Hop
11:00 AM–12:00 PM
DEBRIEF
K–12 Guidelines Feedback / Next Steps
12:00–1:00 PM
Oral History Interviews
Green Room
Participants leave for the airport.
THE COMMUNITY
Meet the People
Educators, artists, producers, engineers,
scholars, and cultural leaders from across
the country.
SPEAKER
SAMMUS
Dr. Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo
Brown University
View Bio
Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo is a Black feminist
rapper, beatmaker, and scholar from Ithaca,
NY with family roots in Côte D’Ivoire and
the Democratic Republic of Congo.
She is the David S. Josephson Assistant
Professor of Music at Brown University as
well as the Faculty Director of the Black
Music Lab.
SPEAKER
Suzi Analogue
Producer • Educator • Artist
Never Normal Records
View Bio
Suzi Analogue is an Afro-Indigenous music
producer, award-winning professor, and
interdisciplinary artist whose work bridges
beat culture, sound design, and
community-driven learning.
She is the founder of Never Normal Records
and has over a decade of experience at the
intersection of music, technology, and
education.
SPEAKER
DJ Spooky
Paul D. Miller
Artist • Composer • Author
View Bio
Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky is a
multidisciplinary artist, composer, author,
and producer whose work spans music,
technology, visual art, and contemporary
culture.
SPEAKER
J Rawls
Producer • Educator
The Ohio State University
View Bio
J Rawls is known for his music production
work with artists including Black Thought,
Busta Rhymes, Mos Def, Beastie Boys,
Aloe Blacc and more.
Dr. Jason Rawls is also an educator with
more than two decades of teaching
experience.
SPEAKER
DJ O Sharp
DJ • Educator • Designer
The Ohio State University
View Bio
Otis L. Sharp Jr., known professionally
as DJ O Sharp, is a Columbus-based DJ,
educator, designer, and community arts
advocate with more than thirty years of
experience in music, visual art, and
youth development.
SPEAKER
Dope Candi
Producer • Engineer • Educator
Immersive Audio
View Bio
Dope Candi is a Detroit-born international
DJ, music producer, and immersive audio
engineer known for her genre-expanding
blends of Hip Hop, house, future beats,
R&B, and soul.
GETTING AROUND
Transportation
Uber transportation vouchers are available
August 21–23.
Airport Transportation
Up to $75
Uber voucher for airport transportation.
Show QR Code
![Uber airport transportation voucher QR code](http://www.hiphopeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Airportqrc.jpg")
Hotel ↔ Sweetwater
Up to $75
Uber voucher for transportation between
the hotel and Sweetwater.
Show QR Code
RETREAT LOCATIONS
Where You’ll Be
Quick access to the retreat hotel and Sweetwater campus.
RETREAT HOTEL
The Bradley Hotel
204 W Main St
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Retreat arrivals, hotel check-in, and Friday evening programming.
RETREAT CAMPUS
Sweetwater Headquarters
5501 US Hwy 30 W
Fort Wayne, IN 46818
Main retreat programming, sessions, labs, and activities.
EXPLORE
Fort Wayne
Helpful local resources for your time outside
of retreat programming.
RETREAT LIBRARY
Resources & Downloads
Retreat materials, readings, program information,
and additional resources.
Full Retreat Program
PDF
↓
Research & Readings
Retreat resources
↓
Sweetwater Resources
Additional materials
↓
NEED ASSISTANCE?
We’re Here to Help
If you have questions during the retreat,
please connect with the HHEC or Sweetwater team.
WITH GRATITUDE
Thank You, Sweetwater
On behalf of the Hip-Hop Education Center,
thank you for welcoming our community to Fort Wayne
and opening the doors of Sweetwater for this important
gathering.
Your partnership and support have helped create a space
where educators, artists, producers, scholars, and
industry leaders can come together to learn, build
relationships, explore new technologies, and imagine
what is possible for the future of Hip-Hop music
production education.
We are grateful for your hospitality, your investment
in music education, and your commitment to creating
meaningful opportunities for the next generation of
musicians, producers, creators, and educators.
Thank you for helping us bring this vision to life.
Martha Diaz
President & CEO
Hip-Hop Education Center
On behalf of the HHEC Team
WITH GRATITUDE TO OUR RETREAT PARTNERS
