Charlottesville orchestra teacher uses hip hop to engage students Charlottesville orchestra teacher uses hip hop to engage students By Riley Wyant | May 11, 2021 at 8:53 PM EDT - Updated May 11 at 8:53 PM CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - An orchestra teacher in Charlottesville has found a unique way to engage hundreds of students both in the classroom and on social media. Walker Upper Elementary Teacher Emily Waters is mixing strings and hip hop beats to make music class more relevant. She won the 2021 James Madison University graduate school innovation award for her work on a new method book to help orchestra teachers across the country utilize hip hop in their classrooms.