For the last few years, the author has been implementing a pedagogy that infuses musical composition--specifically the recording of electronic music--into his first-year composition courses. The author and his students have been quite surprised by the theoretical and practical connections that exist between the production of popular electronic music and the production of academic writing. Certainly, students learn a great deal from this interdisciplinary endeavor; even though they have no prior musical training and are only beginning their journey toward becoming academic writers, many of them seem naturally inclined to occupy the ideological chasm that yawns between the DJ's booth and the study group. By simultaneously drafting music and drafting essays, they seem to internalize very easily some fundamental abstractions that characterize the composing process: the messy, nonlinear nature of writing; the importance of citing and the tricky business of building upon prior knowledge; the social purposes of creating and sharing original work; the enigmatic notion of original voice, and the reciprocity required for successful coauthorship. Focusing on these lessons, the author discusses the details and implications of this pedagogy.