Berklee College of Music's Alumni Grant Program selected The Boston Hip-Hop Alliance among its award recipients for 2006. The Boston Hip-Hop Alliance (BHHA) is a community and service organization for Hip-Hop professionals in Boston and beyond. The BHHA, whose four Co-Founders include Berklee Alumni James Auburn (Tootle) and Darcie-Nicole Wicknick, carries nearly 450 member individuals and businesses. Members come from all levels and areas of Urban music and arts professions from upstart to high profile. Members hail from across the United States and throughout the World, across generations.
The BHHA, whose Co-Founders run the organization strictly as volunteers, will use the Berklee Grant to enhance the safekeeping and storage of their vast Print Media Archive, extend membership outreach, create new workshops and coinciding materials, and toward efforts to build relationships with arts, tourism, and educational businesses in Mississippi and Louisiana through The Best Way to Help the Gulf Coast is to Visit campaign.
The Boston Hip-Hop Alliance aims to provide support and added connectivity for Boston’s Hip-Hop professionals and those outside of its own scene. Through workshops, community discounts, an archive, professional development, and The Boston Hip-Hop Exchange program, the BHHA lives up to its motto: Vision. Visibility. Voice. The BHHA actively commits itself particularly to Hip-Hop’s founding legacy for community elevation, collaboration, peace, and artistic expression. Preservation of Hip-Hop history is paramount.
In addition to this grant, the BHHA has received participation by way of volunteerism, in-kind donations, and membership discounts from members and other businesses. The BHHA often reciprocates by providing adjunct publicity and volunteer support in many ways to community organizations, schools, and Hip-Hop events.
Darcie-Nicole Wicknick is a Berklee graduate in Music Business/Management, Voice Principle, and serves the BHHA as Managing Director. She is also the founder of “…Ask Darcie” Music Business Consulting. James Auburn (Tootle) is a Professional Music, Piano Principle Alumnus and acts as Resident Hip-Hop Historian for the BHHA. Both are actively involved with education, lecturing, and journalism, and perform together regularly in their R&B and live Hip-Hop band Velvet Stylus. The BHHA is also founded by Vanessa Carey and Clifton Bennett and is appreciative for its volunteers as well. Membership to the BHHA is free.
For more information about The BHHA
www.hiphopalliance.org
www.myspace.com/bostonhiphopalliance
hiphopalliance@hotmail.com 617-787-5798 x2
