Hear how one Nova Scotian earned a PhD in education by recording a rap record
CBC News | Posted: June 22, 2022 7:43 PM | Last Updated: June 22, 2022
'There are other ways of learning, and hip hop is definitely one of those ways'
Michael McGuire, a multi-disciplinary artist, educator and rapper, has just completed his PhD in education at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax by recording a rap record.
McGuire, who performs and records under the moniker Hermit of the Woods, said his evolution from high school dropout to doctorate degree holder is rooted in his love and respect for hip hop.
"Growing up listening to Public Enemy and Canadians like Maestro Fresh Wes, they were always talking about interesting ideas and things that I wasn't necessarily learning in school," McGuire told CBC Radio's Information Morning on Wednesday.
"For me, hip hop was not just an exciting musical form and a cultural expression, but it was a way of learning about things in the world I didn't otherwise know about."
McGuire said his own struggles in school showed him the need for different approaches to education in order to be more inclusive of youth with different learning styles.
Listen to guest host Preston Mulligan's full interview with McGuire to hear how he went from giving workshops on how to rap and make beats to teaching university-level courses like Rap, Resistance and Religion.
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