Lamont Holden, known in the music production community as TheLetterLBeats, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Audio & Recording Technologies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne, where he teaches Beatmaking, Critical Audio Listening, and Audio Recording techniques. Additionally, he is a music producer, DJ, podcast host, videographer, social media content creator, sound designer, and audio engineer having worked at the pulse of the music industry in Atlanta, GA. Professor Holden launched the “Illini Anthem” project at the UIUC by combining hip hop music and culture with new athletic and school spirit traditions. Professor Holden earned his B.A. from the University of Illinois in 2004 and an M.A. in Teaching & Education at National Louis University in 2011.
Adam Kruse is Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he teaches music education courses primarily in areas of popular music and music technology. He is a co-leader for the Hip-Hop Xpress project and also co-directs the Illinois School of Music’s Summer Hip-Hop Camp. Kruse completed his Ph.D. in music education at Michigan State University and earned a Master of Arts degree in secondary education and a Bachelor of Science degree in music education from Ball State University. As a graduate student, Kruse earned an Excellence in Diversity Award, a Research Enhancement Award, and a Dissertation Completion Fellowship. His dissertation titled, “‘They Wasn’t Makin’ My Kinda Music’: Hip-Hop, Schooling, and Music Education,” won the 2014 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Council for Research in Music Education. Kruse’s current scholarship focuses on Hip-Hop music learning and engagements of Hip-Hop culture in school music settings. He presents frequently at national and international conferences and has published in many of the field’s leading journals.