At StyleBlazer, there are two things we absolutely love: great fashion and music. And of course, we love celebrating women doing extraordinary things. Last night, we had the honor of getting a private DJ lesson at New York City’s Scratch DJ Academy. Started by Scratch CEO Rob Principe and the late Jam Master Jay of Run DMC in 2002, the Academy continues to sell out semesters, and has become a mecca for DJ’s worldwide. In addition to New York City, Scratch has opened new locations in Los Angeles, Miami and most recently Chicago. The fab DJ Vida, who has rocked parties from her Miami hometown to weddings for SNL cast members, broke down the basics for our session.
You may think the DJ just flicks a couple of switches to get the party going, but we quickly learned why it’s such an art form. We learned the basic scratches, and ways to scratch the “Ahh fresh” sample: the baby, the dribble, the drag, and release. And that’s just one turntable! While we got our scratches going, we cued up samples on the second turntable. We learned how to play with the sound for extra effect, and transition one song into the next. And the most fun, we learned how to bring the beat back.
The best will tell you that the greatest DJ’s feel the music. We learned ways to find the beat on the one of the four count. Once we found the groove, our heads were nodding to the beat!
Want to get involved? The Scratch Academy offers classes in over 35 states, complete with a DJ certificate and a graduation ceremony. Brown girls rockin’!
Peep us flipping rocking the turntables below!
StyleBlazer Must Reads:
- Star Witness: 15 Celebrities Who Were Witnesses or Called to Testify in Major Cases
- You're Doing it Wrong!: 15 Movies Based on a True Story That Received Backlash From Their Real-Life Characters
- They Survived Torment, Humiliation, And Degradation Before Fame: 15 Stars Who Were Bullied
- Fashion Forward: 12 Savvy Entrepreneurs To Take Note Of
- In Honor Of Asian American Heritage Week, 12 Of Our Fave Asian American Designers
- They're Greenlighting This? 14 Upcoming Movies That Make Us Question Hollywood's Thought Process
- Musicians At The Movies: 15 Rock Stars, Rappers, And Pop Icons Who Received Their Own Film Vehicles
- 15 Musicians With The Biggest World Tours!
