DJ Seminars Offered for the Next Generation of Diplos

Everybody wants to be a DJ. That’s what I’ve gathered since I started college in 2009, anyways. For some keyboarding kids, university life is a four year gig: starting off in small underground venues (their dorm rooms) and eventually upgrading to the Main Stage (Alpha Phi’s Homecoming Mixer!)

Sarcasm aside, the growing popularity of EDM and success stories from Generation Y DJs like Madeon and Porter Robinson has inspired many youngsters to give beat making a whirl. But do we kids know much beyond our three day benders at Electric Zoo?

New York based DJ School Dubspot seeks to enlighten the next generation of producers and electric innovators with an educational college tour called CNTRL: BEYOND EDM- ELECTRONIC & TECHNO(LOGY) BASED MUSIC. Launching on October 29, English-Canadian DJ Richie Hawtin and Germany’s Loco Dice are headed to 17 U.S. and Canadian colleges to teach young EDM fans both the roots of the music and the future of music technology and performance. Topics for the CNTRL curriculum include how to blend old-school Djing with modern technology, the importance of sound quality, and the art of digital DJing.

CNTRL aims to leave students with a deeper understanding of the development of the genre, and that the sound now sweeping the continent is the work of over two decades. And Dubspot isn’t the only DJ school trying to educate the masses. Take a class at Scratch DJ Academy, founded by legendary RUN DMC’s Jam Master Jay in 2002, and you might find A-Trak at the podium. Red Bull has founded their own Music Academy, holding hands on production workshops in cities worldwide. But what does the youth take away from these lessons in Turntables 101? Are these programs simply capitalizing on a craze, or are they making a genuine attempt to further the musical talents of potential Ultra headliners?

For young bassheads who take their work seriously, the CNTRL program could really take flight. The idea that EDM is a rising fad is a misconception often frustrating for those who’ve dug the genre for years, and a little history lesson from credible artists would probably speak volumes to these aspiring DJs. A better understanding of the context of dance music- where it’s been and where it’s going- could compel these budding artists to explore a deeper meaning within their respective work. With that said, I can’t see this seminar hitting neon-clad rave babies any harder than Avicii‘s set at Electric Daisy Carnival. If anything, CNTRL might help weed out the future beatmakers of North America from those who are looking to lay down tracks at a college party for free beer.