The DJ Academy has been operating for six years and is currently the largest DJ training organisation in the UK, with operations in Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Plymouth, Windsor and Worcester. The organisation operates 8 week part time DJ courses in all of the above cities, whilst also providing private tuiton ( 1-on-1) courses in Worcester, Bristol, Edinburgh Plymouth and Windsor. 2007 was a great year for the academy, with a nomination for Best DJ Training Course for the 3rd year running, at DJ Magazine's prestigious T-scan DJ awards. Also many of it's former students have gone onto bigger and better things, such as DJ Switch winning the DMC final. Our aim is to improve the standards of every student who enroll on the DJ Academy courses. To help achieve this goal we have working for us highly experience tutors including, DJ Trixta (Guinness world record holder for 6 deck mixing), DJ Fricktion (Def Jam UK), Richie Rufftone (5 times Scottish DMC champion), to name but a few.
From the complete beginner who simply wants to grasp the basics of beat mixing, to the competent DJ who is desperate to make it in the nightclub industry, the DJ Academy Organisation can deliver a course to suit everyone’s needs.
The organisation teaches to the highest of standards on all its courses whilst delivering the courses in a relaxed manner that ensures students have fun whilst they are learning.
All of the tutors are professional DJ’s with many years experience within the nightclub industry, who have a real passion for teaching. Their enthusiasm for passing on their knowledge, means they get as big a buzz from nurturing and developing the latest DJ talent as they do from rocking a dance floor of a thousand people.
An insight to the DJ Academy by a former student
The DJ Academy maybe just what you are looking for…
The DJ academy is a course aimed at training and educating DJs in every area of the industry. The comprehensiveness of the course makes it ideal, whether you are a professional club DJ, or absolute beginner, because the course is tailored to your ability. It’s been designed to help give you that extra edge and make sure you that you truly master the ‘art’ of mixing (or even learn how to mix at all) by tutors who are only too happy to give you priceless insights into the industry.
Having seen the DJ Academy course promoted at my usual DJ haunts I hesitantly decided to make the commitment and a little over two months ago, enrolled on their eight-week course with absolutely no idea of what to expect. After completing the initial eight weeks, I can truly say that it has been one of the most invaluable DJ’ing experiences I have ever had – not to mention a whole lot of fun.
And if that wasn’t good enough, everyone gets a chance to promote and play at their own night. How great is that?
My Experience:
After arriving at what was to be our class room for the next few weeks - The Cross club (Mosely) – we were warmly greeted by co-founder and industry renowned Celestian DJ, Andy King. As our first get-together got under way we began by taking turns in introducing ourselves and saying a little about our DJ experiences (if any) and what sort of equipment we had.
After which course tutors Andy King, Damien Deighan, Dj Trixta and Martin Wright blew us away in introducing themselves, and their DJ experiences. We were wowed by past achievements that I could not begin to recite in any detail here. But to name a few, Dj Trixta is a Guinness Book of Records holder for his six deck mixing technique with past residencies including Sunnyside up, Martin Wright is often playing internationally as well as having had residencies for the likes of Miss Moneypenny’s and Damien Deighan has had over 10 years experience and successfully run nights at clubs like Risa whilst currently running a weekly night at 52 Degrees North.
It was perfectly clear that there was no room for doubt as to the credentials of the people that were going to mentor us for the next few weeks. After hearing about their legendary DJ careers and the sorts of possibilities that could potentially be realized, we were all pretty hyped. We headed off in our newly formed groups, advanced, intermediate and beginners and our first lesson began. Four hours later I left knowing that enrolling on the course was one of the best choices I had ever made.
Week in week out we learnt something new and as the course developed so did our skills. I had arrived at the course expecting to learn a few tricks and maybe hone my skills well enough to make a respectable demo CD. And that’s exactly what I managed to achieve – not to mention a whole lot more. Each week I learnt something new that would have otherwise taken me years to realize. I am ashamed to admit it but I was even a little envious of the guys who were learning to mix for the first time as what they were learning to achieve in a matter of weeks, had taken me months! Without a doubt one of my favourite weeks had to be when we were taught how to scratch. Again it was one direction to DJ’ing that I had never tried but it was something I had always wanted to try.
But learning technique was only part of the learning curve.
Surprisingly, I found the lectures and handouts at the beginning of each week really helpful. The talks varied from the proper setup of sound systems, the marketing and promotion of nights, demo CD production and my personal favourite: microphone techniques. The years of industry experience from all the tutors really shined through as they stressed those important details that we all too often don’t spend enough time thinking about; from how to design a flyer - and even how to place a flyer so that people will pick it up, to how to ensure your demo CD gets heard or even how to go about running your own night.
I think herein lies the secret of the Academy. Both the industry and technique are revealed where previously they appeared mystified and out of your reach. And in the security of what you have learnt you develop the confidence to start making those early steps to mixing well, playing out, getting decent residencies or even running your own night.
And without a doubt the DJ Academy saves the best to last. Everyone get’s the chance to put everything they have learnt to the test and play out at a proper club! This typically happens a few weeks after the end of the course as to give everyone a chance to master their skills and enough time to promote the night.
Towards the end of the course the tutors asked for one or two volunteers to help organize our club night, which we had decided to be called RAW. I was typically overly-enthusiastic and hastily nominated myself. I knew it would be a great experience and with no shortage of zeal would give 1000 per-cent to the team and to making sure RAW was a top event. To be honest I had no idea how much work I was letting myself in for. But as a group I know we are looking forward to seeing the rewards in our big night. Part of what I do is help make sure that as many people as possible know about our night as well as making sure that all of our DJs know what is going on and get as involved possible.
At this point although not formally attending course meetings it’s far from over. The course tutors present the ‘graduation’ certificates on your club night – in my case Sunday 10th June. We will be assessed on our mixing abilities, our coursework and how successfully we promoted our night RAW. During the course you are expected to complete two bits of ‘homework’; the first was to design a demo CD and the second a flyer. Funnily enough we all get handed dozens of flyers each week. But if you ever get the chance to design a flyer it’s only then that you begin to realize how crucial it can be to the success of a night. A decent flyer must grab people’s attention and tell people everything they need to know about the night. As well as forming part of the coursework it was a pretty to do as everyone did their best to come up with a flyer design and we all decided on the best design [supposedly our flyer designs have been the Academy’s best so far - see attached]
The next job is to get the flyers printed and make sure everyone comes along to our meeting next weekend to plan the final stages of our promotion. With only six weeks to go it promises to be a great laugh were those who hadn’t touched a turntable until 9 weeks ago, as well as the bedroom DJs and the professional residents get together and show off their talents. Tutors, friends and the public all get together for one last night to celebrate the end of what was a great course.
Thank You DJ Academy!
DJ Noise
DJMikeNoise@hotmail.co.uk
