Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Public Speaking Experience
Timeline
Generic

RAFIQUE ILLYAS-WATSON

Cleveland Heights,OH

Summary

A sample-based music producer and educator with a desire to contribute to advancing scholarly research on hip-hop culture and music. Dedicated to preserving and promoting sample-based hip hop while discovering new modes of musical analysis for the genre. Currently researching the form and function of humor throughout hip hop's history.

Overview

15
15
years of professional experience

Work History

Research Assistant

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum
2022.09 - 2023.06
  • Researched, wrote, and published artist biographies for educational music playlists on streaming platforms
  • Filmed video segments for educational videos on hip hop history for organization's website
  • Instructed students in hip hop sampling history and techniques

TEACHING ARTIST

CENTER FOR ARTS INSPRED-LEARNING
2012.10 - 2020.03
  • Developed and implemented hip-hop music composition program integrated into academic content standards for middle school to high school aged students throughout Northeast Ohio
  • Designed and followed lesson plans towards specific measurable outcomes
  • Provided instruction to students with diverse cultural backgrounds, learning levels, and social-emotional development


ASSOCIATE TEACHER

MONARCH CENTER FOR AUTISM
2008.08 - 2020.03
  • Assisted in both academic instruction and behavior management of students to fulfill IEP goals and Behavior Improvement Plans
  • Collected and entered data in Canvas application for accurate IEP reporting
  • Wrote progress notes to summarize student achievement towards IEP goals and objectives


Education

Ph.D. - Musicology

Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
05.2026

BACHELOR OF ARTS - Religious Studies

URSULINE COLLEGE
PEPPER PIKE, OH
2004

Associate of Arts - Religious Studies

CUYAHOGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
HIGHLAND HILLS, OH
2002

Skills

  • Lesson Planning
  • Verbal and Written Communication Skills
  • Curriculum Development
  • Special Education
  • Successfully completed CWRU UNIV 400 (Professional Development for Teaching Assistants) (Fall 2021)

Public Speaking Experience

  • Guest speaker and presenter at 2019 CWRU Popular Music Conference (Cleveland, OH)- Enacting Curricular Change in Music Education Through Vernacular Music
  • Guest Speaker and presenter at Delta Sound Labs (Cleveland, OH 2019)- Ableton Live Sampling Techniques


Timeline

Research Assistant

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum
2022.09 - 2023.06

TEACHING ARTIST

CENTER FOR ARTS INSPRED-LEARNING
2012.10 - 2020.03

ASSOCIATE TEACHER

MONARCH CENTER FOR AUTISM
2008.08 - 2020.03

Ph.D. - Musicology

Case Western Reserve University

BACHELOR OF ARTS - Religious Studies

URSULINE COLLEGE

Associate of Arts - Religious Studies

CUYAHOGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
RAFIQUE ILLYAS-WATSON