Ian Levy

Ian Levy

Artist

My name is Ian Levy and I am a masters student in Counseling, hip-hop artist, spoken word poet, and trumpet player. I began writing music with the sole purpose of exploring my emotions. Growing up with a trombonist and an opera singer for parents, my early life has been saturated by music. Classically trained as a trumpet player with a strong background in jazz, I soon started to see the music I was making as an extension of myself. After spending significant time working towards an undergraduate degree in music performance, I decided to redirect my attention to psychology. I am currently pursuing an Ed. M at Columbia University Teachers College. Music has been my tool for self-discovery and I intend to use my work, as an artist, educator, and counselor

to help today’s youth become more critically aware of their own emotional lives through both musical and lyrical expression. Since starting my Masters program in 2011, I have made real progress towards that goal. In December of 2012, my theoretical research paper titled Hip Hop and Spoken Word Therapy was published in the Journal of Poetry Therapy. As a follow up to this theoretical piece, I began running hip-hop workshops teaching the art of lyricism. Through this art form I hope to create a space for young people to learn to speak descriptively about their feelings. Recently, I presented a student poster at The 30th Annual Winter Roundtable Conference at Teachers College. With no lack of passion or diligence, I have dedicated my life to pursuing music as a means of conscious reflection.