Hessel Stoer, Music in Education: graduating with hip-hop and Chopin

Alumnus Hessel Stoer graduated in 2024 from the Music in Education programme with an Artistic Profile in classical piano. His graduation research focused on the influence of hip-hop on the personal development of young people. “It’s not about whether you can play Chopin perfectly, but what music can contribute to society.”

Frisian roots and 50 Cent

Hessel was born in Menaldum, a Frisian village between Leeuwarden and Franeker. “Not a bustling environment, more small and village-like. Even then I knew I wanted to do something with music; my mother is a classical singer and put me on piano lessons when I was five.”
At secondary school (VMBO) Hessel saw boys who spent a lot of time hanging around on the streets. “I have a bit of a mischievous streak myself, so I could easily relate to those boys. Around the same time I discovered hip-hop. My brother listened to 50 Cent and I loved it. To this day, hip-hop is my number one music style, genre and culture. I relate to the clothing style, I share the mindset, the rebelliousness, the rhyming, the poetry, and what it can bring when you share it with others. When you share your emotions through music, you also process them.”

STU33

Hessel conducted his graduation research at STU33, an open studio at community centre Het Dok, an initiative of the WIJ-team Lewenborg. The studio offers young people a creative and safe environment in which they learn to express themselves musically.
The core of Hessel’s research focuses on personal development and what STU33 can contribute to the development of young people. Under the guidance of producer Stijn Swarts (Stinna) and youth worker Arne Hofstede, participants create their own tracks. Hessel supports the young people in the creative process, following the hip-hop principle each one, teach one.
Hessel explains: “Stijn makes the beats, he’s behind the computer, and I talk with the boys. I try to motivate and inspire them. What do you want to talk about? What do you want to express? In the studio, the conversation is about their daily struggles. By rapping, thematising their problems and turning them into hip-hop tracks, they learn about themselves and from each other.”

Informal learning outside the school walls is something Hessel finds essential, and he believes places like STU33 are important. “This really connects with the boys; it fits our current society. That’s confirmed by literature from many other studies. Hip-Hop Therapy is part of this. A great deal of research has been done in similar open studios, in the Bronx where hip-hop originated.”

Zeyah

One of the young people who took part in the project is Zeyah. “In Year 6 I started writing music; my whole family does something with music. My father was a rapper and my mother sings. At some point Arne came up to me on the street and said: you make music, right? He invited me to come along. Now the studio is my second home. I always feel welcome here.”

Zeyah explains that he finds it difficult to talk about his feelings. “In my music I can write about them. If I didn’t rap, things wouldn’t have turned out well. Rapping keeps me off the streets.”
Zeyah has three clear goals. “I want to earn enough money so my mother doesn’t have to work so hard. I dream of becoming a big name and performing for thousands of people. But above all, I want to be a good role model for young people. A lot of young people spend a lot of time on the streets and try to make quick money. I want to show that there are less dangerous ways to earn money—by following your passion.”

Sunny Days

Hessel is the first student at the Prins Claus Conservatorium to graduate with research focused on hip-hop. During his graduation, he demonstrated the versatility of his ‘artistic profile’—both hip-hop and Chopin. Being part of STU33 as well as a secondary-school music teacher. Rapping without denying his classical roots.
It was also special that Hessel shared the stage with the young people from STU33 for the track Sunny Days. Hessel says: “When you find what connects you with others, you can create things together. The energy and power of making music together offers a positive outlook on the future.”

HanzeHero

Because of his distinctive graduation research, Hessel was named HanzeHero of 2024 by Hanze.