Your Beat. Your Words. Your Track.
Hip-Hop Production & Songwriting
Founded and directed by lifelong musician and educator Paul Josephs, MetroSonics Arts brings hands-on music production and songwriting to students across New York City. With over two decades of experience in NYC schools, Josephs has dedicated his career to inspiring the next generation of artists and creative thinkers.
In 2001, he launched the flagship MetroSonics program, now called “Your Beat. Your Words. Your Track.” It’s a music production and songwriting workshop for middle school, high school, college and adult students, and it guides participants through the complete process of creating an original track, from first idea to final mix.
Blending technology and community, the program encourages students to sample sounds from their surroundings, such as classrooms, hallways and city blocks, and turn them into beats. Under Paul’s guidance, they write lyrics, record vocals and layer instruments using professional-grade tools. The course ends with a fully produced, mixed and mastered song and a live performance, giving every student a tangible expression of their vision and voice.
Over the years, Josephs has brought the program to schools across NYC, partnering with leading arts organizations including Good Shepherd Services (since 2003), The Leadership Program, Arts Horizons, Safari East and Community Works. He has also taken it into the corporate space, leading workshops for companies like Live Nation to foster creativity and collaboration.
Beyond education, Paul Josephs is a seasoned recording artist and performer with two full-length albums on his label, Grey Wing Records. His credits include collaborations with Beyoncé, The Roots, Idris Muhammad, Citizen Cope and others.
Josephs is also a longtime practitioner and teacher of Tai Chi Chuan, Chi Kung, Nei Kung and meditation. For nearly 20 years, he has taught privately and in schools across the five boroughs, sharing the healing and grounding practices that inform his creative and personal life.
To hear Paul’s music, visit www.pauljosephs.com.
“The focus is for students to listen to their inner voice and write about things that are true to their life experience as opposed to mimicking what they are hearing and seeing on YouTube or the radio. We take them from being consumers to producers, using their life stories and self-expression as the means to create beautiful art.
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““Hip hop to me is art. Make sure it comes from your heart”
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