For more than a decade, Alex Glover has been a staple at CICS Lloyd Bond, igniting passions and opening doors to a world of creative expression for students. What started as call-and-response raps during lunch duty has grown into a full-fledged Hip Hop class, student-led podcasting, and an upcoming CICS Lloyd Bond album! Through music, technology, and student voice, Mr. Glover is creating unique opportunities to inspire students at CICS Lloyd Bond and beyond.
Mr. Glover’s Hip Hop class goes beyond beats and rhymes by delving into the culture, history, and artistry of the genre, providing hands-on experiences. “I always wanted to show the positive side of hip hop because too many times, our kids hear just the negative things,” Mr. Glover explains. “I want them to know their voices matter and they can use hip hop to uplift their school and community.”
His students explore five elements of hip hop: MCing, DJing, knowledge, graffiti, and breakdancing. Students explore songwriting by expressing their feelings in journals, which then become the foundation for original songs. They learn about the art of graffiti, exploring both its positive and negative aspects, and experiment with various mediums like markers, crayons, and when the weather permits, non aerosol sprays. DJing teaches them the fundamentals of blending tracks using programs like DJ Pro and mini turntables. Even breakdancing is a collaborative effort, with Mr. Glover joining in the fun in learning basic breakdancing moves. For his youngest students like Kindergarteners, the focus is on emotions, safe spaces, and affirmations, all explored through the power of music.
Mr. Glover’s commitment to his students and the school community expands beyond his classroom. One of his most recent projects is “Beautiful Day,” a song written and recorded in partnership with two sixth graders, Naomi and Nadia. The duo worked closely with him to develop their lyrics, fine-tune their verses, and bring the song to life. “When I played the beat for the class, Naomi and Nadia immediately raised their hands wanting to work on it,” Mr. Glover recalls. I had them brainstorm about their school day and using what they had learned in my class, they were able to come up with rhymes and beats for their lyrics with a little of my guidance, and then we recorded the track in our mini studio.” With support from his independent label, hip hop collective GRYSKLL, the song was professionally mixed and will be available on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube, allowing students to see their work reach an even larger audience and take ownership over it. “This is a way for students to see that music can be a real path forward,” Mr. Glover says. “They’re creating something meaningful, and they own a part of it. Music is universal, and technology is the future. My students already engage with music and media daily—why not help them create it?”
Beyond the music studio, Mr. Glover has created podcasting opportunities, giving students a voice in a different medium and helping them refine their public speaking skills. They started by interviewing teachers about their days and later expanded to student-led news segments, including a Day of the Dead remembrance, Black History Month features, and school sports team interviews. “It’s a space for students to express themselves and talk about what matters most to them.” Though still in its early stages, Mr. Glover envisions podcasting growing into a fully student-led club, where students research, script, and record their own content.
The culmination of Mr. Glover’s efforts is to create a CICS Lloyd Bond album—a 10-track project featuring students and staff, incorporating rap, singing, poetry, and even podcast segments, so that everyone in the school community has a chance to contribute how they want. GRYSKLL is providing the backing tracks for the songs and supporting production so that the album can be pressed on vinyl, CDs, and tapes as part of a fundraiser to benefit his class. “This will be something students can take with them beyond school—something tangible that represents their creativity and voice,” he says. “Being a part of a community effort like this gives students a sense of leadership and ownership, and the freedom to have a creative space.”
And Mr. Glover’s work doesn’t stop there—he’s also developing a young children’s album, collaborating with teachers to address specific needs and challenges through music. Mr. Glover’s dedication to his students is evident in the unique opportunities he provides. With every song, podcast episode, and creative project, Mr. Glover is proving that Hip Hop is a tool for learning, self-expression, and community building—and at CICS Lloyd Bond, the beat is just getting started.
CICS Lloyd Bond is a Distinctive Schools campus. To learn more about enrolling your child, or joining the team, please visit CICSLloydBond.org.