Could you first introduce yourself for the reader?
I am Jim Reiss; founder, tutor, managing director and chief tea-boy at DJ School UK.
What happens at DJ School UK?
DJ School UK uses DJ and Music Production to engage and educate anyone and everyone. We are a non-profit company who use funding to share our love of music and DJ skills, especially with young people who may not normally get the chance. To help raise funds we also offer private clubs and lessons to anyone of any age or ability. We work hard to give our DJs the highest musical understanding and ability and aim to have them qualified as equal to traditional musicians.
What do you offer to young people?
We offer weekly after school clubs, long term projects, private lessons, short courses, school and youth group visits, music lessons, gigs, accreditations, qualifications, career advice, and safe social events.
What activities are most popular for young people and why?
Our after-school DJ Clubs and projects are most popular – I'm not exactly sure why but I think the combination of high-level musical teaching and fun social environment has a lot to do with it.
How do you incorporate technology into the work that you do?
DJing is constantly evolving with technology. The two are literally intertwined.
Could you give an example of a recent project you have run, and the impact it had?
Our Beat Team joined a wider project and remixed a classic jazz song using just scratching, drum pads and turntablist looping. We then played this and jammed with other bands live in front of thousands of people at The West Yorkshire Playhouse. For our DJs, it was good for them to jam and play with other musicians. For the audience and other musicians, it was hugely enlightening to realise that DJs do more than play other people's records and put their hands in the air.
Do you run Arts Award? If so, what do you offer and how can young people get involved?
Yes! We really rate Arts Award and deliver it at all levels – All young people at our after-school clubs are offered it and anyone who takes it up is supported to complete it. Anyone interested in doing an Arts Award using DJ skills should get in touch via the link below.
Are you an Arts Award Supporter? If so, what do you offer to young people doing Arts Award?
Our main current funders Youth Music pay for all the moderations so young people doing Arts Award with us get it 100% Free.
Do you publish any online resources that young people doing Arts Award could use?
Yes – our Website is currently under re-development and we will soon have free tutorial videos, interactive puzzle books and more.
For now, we have a very simple page but it is still jam-packed with information and tips, including our jargon-buster glossary of DJ terms. https://djschooluk.org.uk/resources/
How has the DJ music scene changed in the last few years?
Like most things the DJ music scene comes and goes in cycles – for a while the superstar DJ ruled the world and everything was getting a little boring. Now we are happy to say that #realDjing is becoming more popular again – this means using the DJ equipment as a musical instrument, having DJs express themselves and respond to their audiences, and seeing DJs nurture underground scenes and help them grow. These elements of the DJ scene never went away by the way, it's just that with all the excitement of the pop scene over the last few years it was hard to see the #realdjs through the hype.
Is DJ-ing with a turntable 'better' than using a computer?
This is like asking if a race car is better than a lorry - it totally depends on what you want it to do, and what you actually do with it. IMHO if you are creative and musical and create emotions in your listeners then you are a musical artist. If you play songs from start to finish without any input, thought or feeling you may as well listen to Spotify on shuffle.
Is there anything up-and-coming that you think will impact the art form?
As younger DJs and students learn how to scratch and juggle at the same time, as use drum pads and music production it is developing a whole new world of digital DJing where literally nothing is off-limits. DJs like Woody, Brace and others are using modified equipment so they can alter pitch while scratching and groups like the "Fresherthans" and "9 o'clock" are showing how DJs can work together as musicians in bands to create stunning new music. In musical terms, DJing is still very young and so the art form is being impacted all the time.
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