London Jazz Festival, in association with BBC Radio 3, Friday 12 to Sunday 21 November 2010

Calling all musicians, rappers, beatboxers, lyricists or anyone who just loves music, aged between 10 and 16 years. Don't miss out on the chance to work with US rapper and beat boxer Napoleon Maddox.

Some of Napoleon’s thoughts on music:

“My view of music is that it is an expression, half technical and half social. It is important to understand and develop the skill of making sound and it is equally important to have something to express (and an audience with which to share it). The ideal situation is that the social helps to develop the technical and vice versa through interaction and documentation - whether the document is oral or written.  My favourite pieces of music communicate things that are universal in a unique way - even if the concept or feeling once seemed obscure.

My main musical focus is in hip hop. Hip hop is sometimes not treated as music by performers and sometimes is not acknowledged as music by critics. Contrary to what many may believe, hip hop involves a lot of technique. However, many of the skills developed around the genre do not come from conventional music practices.

The best hip hop connects a wide array of musical and cultural experiences. There are a million ways to express yourself within hip hop. This provides the freedom to connect with anyone whose feelings you understand, no matter the culture."

Click here for more information on the workshops Napoleon is running this October half term.

Photograph by Emile Holba