For those yearning to become a disc jockey, lessons from fellow DJs, YouTube tutorials, and countless forums and websites have been virtually the only options for learning. That’s no longer the case, however, as sibling DJ duo Austen and Scott Smart have teamed up to literally school you on how to DJ with their new syllabus that qualifies as a General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) program.
In partnership with the London College of Music Examiners, the Smart brothers’ FutureDJs educational initiative had previously worked to getting DJ gear officially recognized as an instrument for GCSE assessments, as well as creating free courses and curriculum on DJing for music students taught by greats like Goldie, Jaguar, Danny Howard, and others. Those courses have been expanded upon and compiled into a full-on national standard for secondary education musical students.
Complete with grading criteria for beat matching, scratching, track selection, and other DJ techniques, the new syllabus provides an in-depth education on the practice and culture of DJing. Coursework on the history of electronic music and different genres is also included in the program.
Pioneer DJ has vowed to lend a hand, and will provide a pair of their CDJs to each school offering the new FutureDJs curriculum.
The Smart brothers’ new London Music College-accredited program is the first of its kind, marking a milestone in the recognition of DJing as an art form, cultural phenomenon, and lifestyle. The aim of the program is “allowing more accessibility and diversity, giving students opportunity they may not have considered before now,” Sandra Allan of exam board AQA told The Guardian.
For more information, visit FutureDJs’ official website.
