The politics is in the drums: Producing and composing in the music classroom.

The article focuses on the evolving role of music technology education in schools and universities, emphasizing the need to critically address the racialized divide between European-descended "art" music and Black popular electronic musics such as hip hop. It argues that music educators should center the "Black Electronic"—a term referring to the polyrhythmic, groove-based traditions rooted in West African music and their electronic descendants—in curricula to foster cultural relevance and inclusivity. The author critiques the predominance of Western classical music aesthetics in music education and highlights how this perpetuates a white racial frame that marginalizes Black musical forms. An example project, the Song Transformation, is proposed to engage students in sample-based music creation grounded in hip hop practices, encouraging critical reflection on cultural, aesthetic, and intellectual property issues.