Prof Lukas on Music and Arts Education

How did you get into making music, and how did arts education (or lack thereof) affect you and your music?

Freestyling. That’s how I got into making rap. The first time I just let my mouth run, and it actually rhymed, I was hooked for life. There’s millions of people out there who know what I’m talking about. That feeling of pure consciousness and unconsciousness at the same time. Total focus. It’s like crack.

As far as making music goes, I went to school at a place called Ramsey IFAC in Minneapolis. That school was the shit. I don’t know if they still got it the same way, but it was mandatory to play an instrument there. So it wasn’t a coincidence that all my close hommies all had a general knowledge of what music was, and how to create it.

I remember sitting in the orchestra, a complete fuck up, Gampo Style. I never paid attention to shit. I would be sneaking around under the chairs trying to look up skirts, going around sticking gum on dudes jeans. I couldn’t read music. Still can’t. But when it came time to learn new songs, I was always down. I would play my violin super quiet the first couple time through a song. One thing that Ramsey gave me was an ear. Even if I don’t play an instrument, I can pick it up, and play a half-assed tune in a couple minutes.

As far as Art education in general, I’ve had that. I did my time at a college called MCAD. Those dudes are for real about that shit. I paint, draw, design. All that. Got to love it. I would say I approach visual arts the same I do my music. I jump in quick, then refine my way out to the finish. The creative process, for me, is almost exactly the same. What up Mike, what up Stazi, get your learn on. Go to my MySpace. Add me on Facebook as Prof Lukas. Love me hard.

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