Sonnet Man

Academic Entertainment proudly introduces, The Sonnet Man, featuring inspiring rap artist Devon Glover. Written and produced by Arje Shaw, The Sonnet Man is taking classical literature and infusing it with modern day hip hop, blues, and jazz. Yes, people: Shakespeare's Sonnets to hip hop beats! After performing songs, Devon will then break down the written word of Shakespeare for the students to get a better understanding of the meaning behind the words. We are so excited about bringing The Sonnet Man to the family here at AE, Inc. - Academic Entertainment

Devon Glover, aka The Sonnet Man, combines Shakespeare’s sonnets and Hip-Hop to appeal to audiences of all ages.

He is currently running a Kickstarter campaign (and is very close to success) with the goal of raising funds to create a curriculum guide, as well as create additional sonnets and videos for students and fans of Shakespeare. If you’d like to contribute, click here for the actual Kickstarter page.

Devon will be in Los Angeles this fall working with Salty Shakespeare on their production of Richard III directed by Nancy Linehan Charles. For more about The Sonnet Man visit www.thesonnetmannyc.com. The Sonnet Man has appeared on The Today Show, Schools and Universities throughout the NYC area, and an annual performance in Negril, Jamaica, featured in the Soul Rebellion concert for the NEET program. - Shakespeare in LA

‘On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…a Shakespearean rapper from NYC?’ Such was the holiday treat enjoyed by students, staff, graduates, and guests at The Shakespeare Institute’s most recent Christmas party, held in the school’s Hall in Stratford-Upon-Avon on Thursday 12 December, 2013. We were delighted to welcome Devon Glover, ‘The Sonnet Man’, a musical and spoken word performer from New York City who presented his ‘Hip Hop Shakespeare Fusion’ as a part of the evening’s entertainment. Glover’s show, conceived and produced by Broadway playwright Arje Shaw and in association with Jones Street productions, combines a selection of Shakespeare’s sonnets in their original form with music and rap ‘interpretations’ of the lyrics.



Though based in New York, Glover has taken his production to various elementary and middle schools, drama clubs, and colleges and universities (among other venues) across several continents. He has featured his act on The Today Show in the USA and will be performing at the prestigious Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, Canada from 10-12 July 2014. Glover’s website maintains that his production aims are to introduce students and youths to classical literature—namely, Shakespeare’s sonnets, both those found within his plays and those taken from his collection of what Francis Meres deems his ‘sugred Sonnets’, first published in 1609—using methods that will increase creativity and enthusiasm, while also establishing foundations for an ‘appreciation of the arts’.[i]



If his performance on the 12th of December was any indication, Glover is more than capable of meeting these aims. His fresh, engaging perspective on the sonnets and his inclusion of audience members into the production seem potent tools for capturing the hearts and minds of young learners. In using hip hop and r & b to gloss what might at first seem difficult material, Glover immediately makes Shakespeare easily understandable and culturally relevant to today’s youth…and also enjoyable for those of us who are adults! Personally, I would use and recommend his CD without hesitation as a component of poetry units in secondary and later elementary classrooms.

More information on ‘The Sonnet Man’ can be found at the following website:

http://www.thesonnetmannyc.com/Home.html - Cathleen McKague

Devon Glover (The Sonnet Man)
Devon Glover Forum
Devon Glover, also known as The Sonnet Man, is a teacher, writer and rapper from Brooklyn, New York, who sets Shakespeare’s sonnets to Hip Hop. A product of the New York public school system, Devon is the first in his family to graduate college (Ithaca, as a math and music major on full scholarship). As The Sonnet Man, Devon’s appeared on The Today Show and at Shakespeare festivals and performs at schools, theatres and universities around the United States and abroad. His performances include songs from his Sonnet Man CD, which Theater Mania called “Grand!” This year, The Sonnet Man is honoured to perform for the Shakespeare Institute in England at Stratford-upon-Avon, as well as the Stratford Festival in Ontario. A member of the avant-garde L.A. Salty Shakespeare Company, Devon wrote and performed Richard the Third in rap. Last year, The Sonnet Man was featured at the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, the City College Student Shakespeare Festival and the Soul Rebellion Hip Hop Festival in Negril, Jamaica. He is presently based in L.A. and managed by Jones Street Productions. - Stratford Shakespeare Festival

Recording artist and educator Devon Glover travels the globe rapping Shakespeare’s sonnets–all to bring the word of the Bard to the masses. While in high school Glover was hardly a fan. In fact, he avoided the Bard ever since his senior English teacher sent him home alone to read King Lear. The text was so foreign and intimidating, he refused to even open the book.

His next brush with Shakespeare happened in 2010, while working as a teaching assistant at New Utrecht High School in his hometown of Brooklyn. Glover was completing his BA degree in mathematics when Wendy Haim-Violette, an English teacher, asked if he could help teach Othello. She knew Glover used rap to teach everything from math to grammar and had been working with Flocabulary, a company that creates educational hip-hop songs for grades K-12. This time his only option was to open the book. As he re-read and re-read Othello out loud, he discovered that the rhythm of iambic pentameter translated perfectly to the rap beat. “Shakespeare was the first hip hop artist,” he says.

For Haim-Violette’s classes, Glover rapped the Bard’s dialogue and then rapped his translation, which always had rhymes. Her 12th-grade students took his performances as a rap challenge. “I can rhyme better than you!” Suddenly, students were voluntarily taking their books home to read and create their own interpretive rap for class.

“Some students came in with really good raps, and others not so good, but the point was they were reading” and learning.

This opportunity changed Glover’s life. A couple months later, he meet Broadway and music producer Arje Shaw (best known for his 2001 Broadway production of The Gathering, which he also wrote, starring Hal Linden). Shaw was looking for a hip-hop artist to rap the sonnets in schools. Glover says that they met by chance, when a friend of his told Shaw about Glover.

In their first meeting, Shaw “he told me that there were easier ways to present Shakespeare to students.” And that is with the sonnets “one page at a time.”

Now Glover is working as The Sonnet Man full time, performing around the U.S., Canada, England, and he has even gone to Jamaica a couple times. He has been a guest on several news programs including the Today Show. After a successful trip to the Bard’s hometown in Stratford, he has been asked to return to England, where he will perform at Shakespeare’s former grammar school as well as for the Stratford-Upon-Avon Literary Festival.

Glover’s motivation to teach and expand the minds of students stems from his years growing up in Brooklyn with few opportunities. While he was a good student, he now realizes that he and his fellow students had a narrow understanding of life’s possibilities. Extracurricular activities and after-school programs were limited, and his school didn’t teach any trades such as mechanics and welding. “We grew up rapping and having hoop dreams. There’s so much more in the world,” and Glover wanted to be a part of providing new options.

“I had teachers who helped me, and I wanted to do that for my little brother and for other students.” Now, Glover sees a lot of disappointment. “Students feel they don’t have a future.” They need problem solving skills and a way to articulate and express themselves through language. “It’s easy to give up. I almost did. Now, I use my life as an example to help others…I was a hyper student, but I was able to present myself to adults so the teachers knew I was not just all energy.”

Often Glover sees kids race into class “cursing and screaming,” and generally being rowdy, but those same kids listen and pay attention when he raps and even thank him for teaching them. “Shakespeare needs to be heard,” says Glover. Rapping the Bard gives the students a way to hear him that is familiar to them.

Glover’s next project is called “154 for 451.” The goal is to analyze, translate, and score all 154 sonnets for concerts around the globe in celebration of Shakespeare’s 451 birthday next April.

“I may not have all of them memorized,” says Glover, “but hopefully most of them will be.”

Glover is working on rapping more than just Shakespeare’s sonnets. He is also recording a series of songs to help student’s learn the Bard’s plays. For Richard III, he has written several pieces including “War of the Roses”, an introduction to the play; “All Hail King Richard”, about Richard III’s assent to the crown; and “Death to Richard” about Richard’s nightmare when the spirits he has murdered haunt him. Currently, Glover is also in the early stages of analyzing Macbeth. His copy is covered with bookmarks and memos. To help keep his translations accurate, he works with Shakespeareans, teachers, and translation books.

The Sonnet Man’s most recent performance at the 2014 Stratford Festival in Canada is on YouTube. - Deborah Voorhees (The Shakespeare Standard)

Five Things to know about Devon Glover

When Devon Glover isn’t working as an emcee on Flocabulary projects, he works at an after-school program in a tough Brooklyn neighborhood. In addition, he recently collaborated with a Broadway producer to create The Sonnet Man, a collection of Shakespearean sonnets in hip-hop form. Devon was a math major in college but had to leave a semester before graduation to help his mother and brother with some personal issues. His inspiring story was featured this January on The Today Show.

Devon sat down with Flocabulary this week to tell us Five Things about himself:

1. Tell us about The Sonnet Man project you just worked on. What were the challenges of combining Shakespeare and hip-hop?

While reading a few of Shakespeare’s plays, I found that Shakespeare wrote to a rhythm. His use of iambic pentameter was unbelievable. I believe Shakespeare spoke his own type of slang in his time. Some believe Shakespeare was the first MC: a lot of his characters spoke in rhyme, and his wordplay was great.

A Broadway playwright, Arje Shaw, had the wonderful idea of bringing Shakespeare to schools and theaters, and he began with the smallest of Shakespeare’s works: his sonnets. Due to my experience with Flocabulary and working with students, it was just a great fit for us to work together and form the Sonnet Man. It’s a way to enjoy Shakespeare’s words in music form, and to modernize his words for today. A hip-hop collaboration between the Bard and myself.

2. What advice do you have for students reading Shakespeare for the first time?

Don’t be afraid to form your own thoughts and opinions about his works. There are multiple themes in his plays and poems, so there is a lot you can say. And remember, those words were written in the 1600s. Though the words are beautiful, some may be difficult to understand–some of those words can’t even be found in today’s dictionaries! So take your time. It’ll be worth it.

3. You were recently featured on The Today Show – what was that experience like?

It was a surreal experience. I didn’t know what to expect while sitting on the couch with Kathie Lee and Hoda. I also got to entertain a couple of actors and other guests who watched us rehearse.

4. You’ve lead workshops for Flocabulary to help students develop their voices as poets and spoken word artists. Why do you write rhymes yourself?

I write rhymes for lots of reasons. It’s a way for me to vent out my thoughts-whether it’s happiness or frustration. A lot of music inspires me to write rhymes. My rhymes are like my own journal.

5. What’s something that’s been on your mind recently?

The school system in NYC has been on my mind. I’ve been researching about social promotion (promoting a student because of age) and whether that is good for the student and school system.

Charter schools are also really interesting to me. There are a lot of new charter schools opening throughout Brooklyn-either sharing a building with a public school, or simply taking over. There are a lot of public schools closing down, forcing students to transition to other schools-which I don’t believe is good. In addition to working for Flocabulary, I also work for an afterschool company in a building that has 4 different schools. Each school and company is implementing its own way of teaching. To be honest, I don’t know which system works best. But there are lots of problems that arise when lots of schools share the same building.

The challenges we face in education are intense – but I’m glad to be doing my part to help! - Flocabulary

Even before Jay-Z's recent foray into book publishing, many have tried to equate hip-hop with poetry throughout the years. While it's usually a stretch, sometimes the two do come together for a head-scratching theatrical production. That's what is happening in Queens on Feb. 12, just before Valentine's Day, in a production of 'The Sonnet Man.' The act, which stars Devon Glover, presents an energetic hip-hop fusion group that sets Shakespearean sonnets in a modern pop context.

The show was conceived by Broadway playwright Arje Shaw ('The Gathering') and features musical direction by Daniel Lynas. As the promoters tell it, 'The Sonnet Man' hopes to blend classic literature with an "urban beat" in order to introduce a new generation to the works of Shakespeare. While we're not sure that the ultra-famous playwright has much content that relates to the hip-hop generation, this does seem like a unique idea for a night out.

'The Sonnet Man' performance will be the first show of the season for the Jackson Repertory Theatre in Jackson Heights, Queens. The venue will feature a new concert-based show each month with tributes to Colombian music (March), modern dance (June), classical chamber music (August) and jazz (September) to follow February's ode to Shakespeare. - Hip Hop Unplugged Series

Devon Glover is a Hip Hop artist, educator, performer, poet.

Bio: Devon Glover was born and raised by a single mum in Brooklyn. He went through New York Public School System, and had to quit college to help his family financially. He started performing, teaching and tutoring to raise his tuition. He now has a degree from Ithaca college and is committed to teaching, inspiring and raising the consciousness of young people through music.

The Sonnet Man sets Shakespeare’s soulful sonnets to song with a contemporary hip hop twist, blending classical literature with an urban beat and introducing a whole new generation to The Bard and his most beloved poetry.

What he does:

Performance: The Sonnet Man fuses Shakespeare’s works with hip-hop. He takes The Bard’s lines and add them to a contemporary beat, followed by a hip hop breakdown in his own words. Through Hip Hop, Shakespeare becomes exciting and fun, introducing young people to classical literature, raising literacy, improving communication skills, encouraging greater enthusiasm for learning, creativity, confidence, and sets a foundation for appreciation of the arts.

Shakespeare for Kids workshops – The Sonnet Man’s workshops for kids helps them turn into Hip Hop Sonneteers. Interactive performances give audience members the keys to unlock some of the most famous verses ever written. He teaches how to create our own Hip Hop versions of these timeless pieces and invites people to perform.

Flocabulary – online learning platform to deliver educational hip hop songs and videos to students in grades K-12. The program reaches a weekly audience of 5 million students. The mission is to foster a love of learning in every child. The emphasis of the program is on creativity, critical thinking and performance. The Sonnet Man also does motivational workshops with working artists and teachers.



Featured:

The Today Show

Performed in Negril, Jamaica by special invitation from the Board of Education in the Soul Rebellion Hip Hop Festival

Performed at New York City New Music Festival

Toured across USA



Quotes:

“I found that Shakespeare wrote to a rhythm. His use of iambic pentameter was unbelievable. I believe Shakespeare spoke his own type of slang in his time. Some believe Shakespeare was the first MC: a lot of his characters spoke in rhyme, and his wordplay was great.”

“My goal is to show the true beauty of Shakespeare’s words-the greatest writer of all time. His words were written with much emotion, and (many parts) in rhythm and rhyme. Shakespeare’s works also display many different forms of figurative language. A wonderful form of edu-tainment.” - Storymoja Hay Festival

MARQUETTE- When thinking of William Shakespeare, the first things to come to mind might be iambic pentameter and antique language - probably not rap and hip hop.

But Devon Glover, known as The Sonnet Man, has transposed Shakespearean sonnets into hip hop songs, giving students a way to connect with a complicated language. Glover's songs begin with him rapping a Shakespeare sonnet and then explaining the poem in his own words through a rap song. The melodies of the songs are based on the theme of the sonnet. Glover said he uses hip hop music because he loves it, students connect to it and Shakespeare's writing connects with it better than any other genre.

"Coming from Brooklyn I know 8- year-olds that can recite over 100 rap songs," he said. "So I use this more as a mnemonic device to give them something good that they'll want to hear again and then they'll suddenly learn it without even knowing."

Marquette Alternative High School students got to see Glover perform at Northern Michigan University this week. During his show, Glover told the students he struggled with Shakespeare when he was their age. When he went off to college he studied math to avoid it.

"Unfortunately in 2006-2007 I was one class short (of graduating). I actually studied math with the goals of becoming a math teacher," Glover said during his performance. "I was trying to find a way to get into the schools and I had a passion for music, so this was one way I could get into the classroom and to get my degree."

After his performance, students from MAHS had a chance to meet and talk with Glover. He said he had some students tell him that they were going to read Shakespeare. Glover said one student even told him that maybe class work would be easier now.

"I do this because I have a drive for education. My career was to be focused on the future and if I wasn't doing this I would be teaching math," he said. "So this is just another way to reach the youth and inspire them in some way."

As Glover was trying to inspire the students, he also inspired a teacher. Nora Torreano, an English teacher at MAHS, said Glover's performance was inspirational to to her as a teacher. She saw somebody come in and connect with her students and get them interested in something right away.

"Sometimes it takes me months to build up to something or get them excited about something," Torreano said. "It's inspiring to me to watch this and kind of get excited about teaching again."

Torreano received an email from the organizer of NMU's annual UNITED Conference asking if she would like the opportunity to bring her students to see Glover perform, so she grabed it.

"Our kids do better with hands-on activities, things they can witness and interact with instead of people talking at them and we all thought it would be a really good cultural experience for them as well," she said.

Before coming to see Glover, Torrenao said some of her students were worried that they wouldn't be able to understand the poems. But Torrenao thinks that hip hop and rap helps the students realize the emotion put into it, she said.

"(Shakespeare) was meant to be acted and performed and not just read," Torrenao said. "I was hoping that the emotion of the performer would come out and they would also have the connection of the type of music that a lot of them enjoy listening to.

For more information on Devon Glover, The Sonnet Man, and to hear some of his work visit www.thesonnetmannyc.com.

Adelle Whitefoot can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 243. Her email address is awhitefoot@miningjournal.net - The Mining Journal

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…a Shakespearean rapper from NYC?’ Such was the holiday treat enjoyed by students, staff, graduates, and guests at The Shakespeare Institute’s most recent Christmas party, held in the school’s Hall in Stratford-Upon-Avon on Thursday 12 December, 2013. We were delighted to welcome Devon Glover, ‘The Sonnet Man’, a musical and spoken word performer from New York City who presented his ‘Hip Hop Shakespeare Fusion’ as a part of the evening’s entertainment. Glover’s show, conceived and produced by Broadway playwright Arje Shaw and in association with Jones Street productions, combines a selection of Shakespeare’s sonnets in their original form with music and rap ‘interpretations’ of the lyrics.



Though based in New York, Glover has taken his production to various elementary and middle schools, drama clubs, and colleges and universities (among other venues) across several continents. He has featured his act on The Today Show in the USA and will be performing at the prestigious Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, Canada from 10-12 July 2014. Glover’s website maintains that his production aims are to introduce students and youths to classical literature—namely, Shakespeare’s sonnets, both those found within his plays and those taken from his collection of what Francis Meres deems his ‘sugred Sonnets’, first published in 1609—using methods that will increase creativity and enthusiasm, while also establishing foundations for an ‘appreciation of the arts’.[i]



If his performance on the 12th of December was any indication, Glover is more than capable of meeting these aims. His fresh, engaging perspective on the sonnets and his inclusion of audience members into the production seem potent tools for capturing the hearts and minds of young learners. In using hip hop and r & b to gloss what might at first seem difficult material, Glover immediately makes Shakespeare easily understandable and culturally relevant to today’s youth…and also enjoyable for those of us who are adults! Personally, I would use and recommend his CD without hesitation as a component of poetry units in secondary and later elementary classrooms. - Shakespeare In Education

On Thursday, October 24, 2013, Devon Glover, aka The Sonnet Man, made his first West Coast appearance, as he visited Animo Western Charter Middle School! He donated one hour of his time to lead a workshop with my Advanced Drama students, and then he donated an assembly performance for the entire school!

During the workshop, my class learned all about sonnets - the structure of quatrains, couplets, rhyme scheme, iambic pentameter, etc. He then led students in creating a couplet that rhymed with their names. Finally, students were inspired to write their own sonnets for him. We hope Devon visits again! Thank you!! - Ms. Charrow's Chalkboard

Devon Glover studied a bit of Shakespeare in high school. He'd read a few plays. He'd seen "West Side Story" and "Ten Things I Hate About You" and "The Lion King" -- loosely based on "Romeo and Juliet," "Hamlet," and "The Taming of the Shrew," respectively. He knew the basics. Then one day...


...Devon's friend, Melissa Guttman, introduced him to esteemed Broadway playwright, Arje Shaw, who had an idea: make Shakespeare's sonnets more accessible by setting them to hip hop beats. Having dropped out of college to help support his family, Devon welcomed the chance to tap into his spoken word talent and hit the books despite a sabbatical. Producer Daniel Lynas brought fresh beats to the mix, and the whole thing went full circle thanks to vocals by none other than awesome friend, Melissa Guttman. Thus, Devon Glover became The Sonnet Man.

Refresher course: In addition to his legendary plays, Shakespeare also composed 154 delicious sonnets -- short poems adhering to the following structure:

+ Fourteen lines long.

+ Ends with a rhyming couplet (that usually sums up the theme).

+ Written in iambic pentameter (da-DA, da-DA, da DA, da DA, da DA).

+ Favoring themes of love, beauty and life's temporal nature.

These themes, Devon points out, are timeless -- and with the right delivery, haven't skipped a beat in 400 years. The Sonnet Man lets Act in on lessons learned from studying The Bard.

ACT: Have you learned anything striking about the human condition -- qualities and themes still applicable today, perhaps?

DEVON: I believe [they] haven't really changed much. Whether it's the feeling of love or hate, happiness or sadness, emotions are still the cause of most of our actions. Shakespeare's words were very proverbial, especially his sonnets. Comparing Shakespeare's works with others, I believe the best creative work is emotion-filled.

ACT: If Shakespeare was around today, do you think he'd join in on the rap?

DEVON: I believe Shakespeare could join in with rap music. I picture The Bard more of a spoken word artist than a rapper, but a lot of his more emotional parts are written in rhyme.

ACT: In 400 years, what contemporary artist do you think will go down in history as Shakespeare's 2012 equivalent?

DEVON: A couple artists who come to mind are Mos Def (Yasiin Bey), Common, Black Thought (from The Roots), Bob Dylan, Jay-Z, and André 3000. A lot of their songs are emotion-filled and their projects are theme-based.

I believe the rapper Nas will go down in history as the 2012 equivalent of Shakespeare. He writes a lot about his upbringing and wears his heart on his sleeve. Although he is very musical, his words are very poetic, with themes and messages. He also knows how to raise a few eyebrows with his work, like Shakespeare did in his day.

ACT: You teach and conduct workshops. What do you hope to bring to the education system that might be lacking today?

DEVON: I hope to bring an innovative way to vision Shakespeare's work. I also would like to bring music into the classroom more. Because of repetition, music is one of the best ways of memorization for students. I would like my workshops to bring inspiration and encouragement to read more.

ACT: It sounds like your decision to postpone college was a difficult one. What message do you have for young people trying to decide whether college is right for them, particularly given affordability barriers?

DEVON: I believe that higher education works wonders for a person's well-being. There's always more to learn. In our society, college is essential to earning a living, and succeeding in life. For those who don't believe college is right for them, it's possible that college is just not right for them at that particular time. Sometimes, all it takes is a plan. If you have a goal, follow it. Most goals are going to take some knowledge or form of education to achieve it.

I understand a student's struggles with going to college because of financial reasons. However, there are plenty of resources that can help a student's pursuit to a higher education. It takes a little research. I found a way to do it by keeping the dream alive, and last summer 2011, I graduated, received my BA degree from Ithaca College, majoring in mathematics.

The first CD installment of The Sonnet Man is available on iTunes and Amazon. The Sonnet Man is currently working on the second installment of The Sonnet Man series, which will feature the single, "Hip-Hop Hamlet (H. H. H.)" You can increase the project's impact in schools and communities by supporting The Sonnet Man's upcoming Kickstarter campaign, launching next week. - Act.MTV.Com

Devon Glover -- The Sonnet Man (James St. Productions)
Songwriter-performer Devon Glover offers up six of Shakespeare's sonnets for a new generation on this impressive album. After performing the sonnets to a contemporary beat, he offers an interpretation of them with a new song, with elements of the jagged rhythms of rap and the smoothness of rhythm and blues. The intelligence in the "translations" is grand, for example "Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope" becomes "Why can't I be the guy with the front porch,/and with good prospects and friends? A couple of Porsches?," and one senses this could be the way to inspire a new generation of Shakespeare-lovers. - Theatermaina

The Jackson Repertory Theater is set to open its 2011 season in Jackson Heights with a performance of “The Sonnet Man,” an innovative blend of music and Shakespeare conceived by Broadway playwright Arje Shaw as a way of exposing young people to classical literature through a genre they know and love: hip-hop.

The concept for “The Sonnet Man” was dancing in Shaw’s head for 15 years before emerging into a long-anticipated reality last year.

Shaw’s vision was to successfully blend Shakespeare with hip-hop, and “The Sonnet Man” does just that. The group, which consists of rapper and lyricist Devon Glover, DJ Daniel Lynas and background vocalist Melissa Gutman, delivers a seamless fusion of hip-hop and Shakespearian sonnets, which are altered by a mixture of modern lyrics.

The balance of melodic beats and poetry draws a diverse audience that includes hip-hop lovers as well as Shakespearian aficionados. But perhaps the most powerful element of “The Sonnet Man” is the group’s ability to educate urban youth about classical literature through the fun and universal medium of music.

Brooklyn native Glover, 29, shines as the group’s frontman, along with the core group of Lynas and Gutman who performed with him on the self-titled debut album that was released last year.

On Jan. 6, Glover, Shaw and Guttman appeared on NBC’s “Today Show,” where they performed “Sonnet 18,” Glover’s favorite track from the album.

“I really wasn’t nervous about the performance. I feel like I was ready for it. But I was kind of nervous about the interview – I’m not used to interviews. It was surreal but a great feeling to be there,” Glover said.

Using music as an educational tool suits Glover, who currently works as an assistant after-school teacher and academic tutor. Whether it’s on stage or in the classroom, Glover’s main goal is to educate. He has one class to go before he earns undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Education from Ithaca College.

“Whether I’m teaching Shakespeare or math, I just want to send a message,” Glover said. “The Sonnet Man” allows him to teach Shakespeare’s classic poems in a way that kids will more easily remember, because they are put to catchy beats.

The “Sonnet Man” songs are a collaborative effort. Glover, along with Shaw and Lynas, read through all of William Shakespeare’s 154 sonnet poems. They select sonnets that resonate with them on an emotional level, or carry a universal theme. Glover said he reads about 10 sonnets per day, looking for inspiration.

“The ones that speak to me when I’m reading them, they are the ones that I’ll want to record because they are heartfelt,” Glover said. After selecting a sonnet, Glover brings it to the rest of the creative team. Shaw, Lynas and Guttman help arrange the sonnet to instrumentation, and Glover colors it with fresh lyrics. “Everybody adds elements to the sonnets,” Glover said.

“We try to think of the mood [Shakespeare] was in when he wrote each sonnet. If it’s a feel-good mood, we’ll put it to a happy beat, and if it’s a somber mood, we’ll do a more bluesy song,” Glover said.

“The Sonnet Man” has been going strong since gaining national exposure on “Today.” They recently performed a cabaret-style set with a full band at Triad in Manhattan, and Glover said a second album is in the works, though a release date hasn’t been set.

The upcoming performance at the Jackson Repertory Theater falls on the weekend before Valentine’s Day, so Glover said they will focus on performing love-themed sonnets.

“Shakespeare wrote a lot about love, and its Valentine’s weekend, so it will be special,” Glover said, adding that he admires the Bard’s technique of writing “with his heart on his sleeve” — a phrase he coined, incidentally, in the play “Othello.”

“I think it’s going to be a wonderful event, so I really hope there are a lot of couples who will appreciate it,” Glover said. “This is not your typical hip-hop. It’s smooth. This is music that might draw - Rousseau Writing Samples

“The Sonnet Man” is the idea I hated, but I went there anyway.

The guy, Devon Glover, hip-hops Shakespeare’s sonnets – the nightmare of a teacher of Literature. But in fact, he is a teacher himself. So why does he do that?

Firstly, it’s A/art. It’s a performance. He isn’t just rapping the sonnets. He also writes the “explanation” songs, which can help to understand what Shakespeare was talking about. Secondly… it’s an attempt to finally make more people interested in William Shakespeare’s works.

I love to criticize. But after seeing “The Sonnet Man” and seeing how passionate he is about what he’s doing… it’s hard to say something against it. After all, would somebody even bother saying anything if he was reading Shakespeare “on” the classical music”? I doubt that. So, while I’m not completely freed of my scepticism, I must admit – I enjoyed it. That’s exactly why it would be worthwhile to learn more about him (and then see the performance for yourself!):

- Asya Romanova