Composition: Intro to DJ Basics and the History of Hip-Hop

Don’t Blame the World, It’s the DJ’s Fault! Be in the mix of the history of Hip-Hop and learn what it takes to be a DJ from the creators of Hip-Hop themselves.  

In this highly interactive, hands-on class, students from beginner to advanced hone their skills in the art of mixing, crate digging, and selecting music under the guidance and mentorship of Usdan Artists in Residence and legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee DJ Kool Herc and The First Lady of Hip-Hop Cindy Campbell, as well as a professional educator and special guest DJs. Over the course of four weeks, students build their active listening skills and improvisation to create an original DJ set using professional DJ controllers and software that gets the crowd jumping.

Students graduate from class with not only a DJ set that represents a multitude of their identities, but also a rich appreciation for all the elements of this historic cultural and musical movement. At the end of this class, students are invited to perform at Festival, the annual Hip-Hop Pool Party, and other special events. 

Pre-requisites: No prior experience required. We encourage all passionate music lovers to apply. Students will be asked shortly after enrollment to submit a statement of interest for entry into the class. Please note, students that are comfortable with loud music and noise, as well as collaborative and independent work, will thrive best in this class.