The
following article appeared in the Arizona State University State
Press on February 7, 2002
DJ
class puts new spin on study time
By Tia D'Ambrose,Assistant
Editor, State Press Magazine
Media Credit: Photo by Laurie Ellis/State Press
Photo: Instructor
Rob Wegner gives his Club DJ class a quick "how to"
on working their way around a turntable.
Put the needle on the rec
put the needle on the reco put the needle on the record
and it goes a little something like this
Welcome to Club DJ Lessons
at Scottsdale Community College (SCC). Instructor Rob Wegner
hopes this class will introduce an entirely new genre of record
mixing as an art, science and business venture.
The passing of the needle
has begun. The competitive nature of mixing the smoothest sounds,
working the biggest crowds and matching beats to a tee is evolving
to camaraderie of sorts, at least at SCC.
Wegner brings his 20 years
of turntable experience to the classroom. The DJ who has spun
for clubs like 411, Axis Radius, Sanctuary and currently Voodoo
Lounge, is a legend in his own right, especially in a heavily
rock-infused city like Phoenix.
But, today, valley DJs
are considered by some to be veering away from rock and mixing
their own beat styles, respectively. The once presumed fad has
consistency and doesn't seem to be budging anytime soon.
Wegner, 37, is a prime
example that DJs are sticking around for decades. Wegner is well
aware of the potential and vast opportunities DJs have today.
It's just a matter of convincing the academic world.
"Colleges and universities
are centers of research and innovation. They should by nature
be one step ahead of the curve. When it comes to this, they're
two steps behind," he said.
Wegner is well aware of
the little knowledge of club DJs that college campuses extend
to students. With a B.S. and M.A. in political science from ASU,
Wegner hopes to educate the school and students on the thought
process a DJ goes through.
"Just like a writer
constructs sentences, a DJ constructs sets. There's a reason,
a rationalizing that goes on," said Wegner. "We're
like writers or even lawyers. A lawyer picks the cases that he
or she wants because they're trying to make a persuasive argument.
And the DJ picks his or her songs because they're trying to make
a persuasive argument in getting you to dance."
Starting this week, Wegner
is leading a new generation of DJ hopefuls. Every Monday night
for an hour and a half, students with spiky hair and spacers
in their ears sit alongside balding men in leather bomber jackets.
Men and women of all ages and experience levels are there to
learn about what it takes to move a crowd.
Tom Clark, 22, a full-time
student at SCC and Paradise Valley Community College, has been
immersed in the club/rave scene for three years. He and his girlfriend,
who is also taking the class, just bought equipment to DJ last
year.
"We want to learn
more about DJ'ing. We want to get more knowledge, contacts and
just get to know our equipment better," said Clark.
Club DJ Lessons is in its
second semester, but by far, the first of its kind on any local
college campus. The course material, "Turntable Basics"
by Stephen Webber, has never before been assigned in a college.
However, getting the class off the ground wasn't easy. It took
some convincing on Wegner's part to get the department head's
OK.
"I think a lot of
people in the college and university system view this (Club DJ'ing)
as a subculture. They don't see it as the mainstream - yet."
According to Warner Brothers
Publications, as Wegner cites in his syllabus, there are now
over 200,000 DJs in the United States. Also, the DJ industry
generates more than $10 billion a year. If the numbers don't
begin to legitimize the work DJs are doing, perhaps bringing
the lessons to a classroom will.
Student Ray Miranda, 30,
is taking this class to further his skills and have questions
answered that, before, he felt no successful DJ would share.
"To tell you the truth,
I'm starting a record label. I want to make $100 grand a year
and this is going to be my way to do it," he said with wide
eyes.
Miranda, a Chicago native
and full-time printer, made the comment, "People around
the country don't think of all the good things coming to this
city. They are thinkers here."
Wegner plans on proving
Miranda right. DJs have to think not only about equipment like
turntables, mixers, CD players, headphones and the like, they
also need to be open minded when playing for diverse crowds,
flexible to accommodate changing music trends, street savvy and
responsible.
Guest speakers throughout
the semester include: DJ Radar (rumored to be sixth in the world
for scratching); DJ Kevin Brown (of Swell Magazine); DJ Timothy
Heit (of Sonik Magazine); DJ Shad (resident DJ at Axis Radius);
and Steve Ratz (DMA Magazine feature writer).
Some students have been
professional status DJs for several years and some bring only
enthusiasm for the subject as preparation for the semester. Either
way is perfectly fine with Wegner.
"The only prerequisite
for the class is a love of music. If you do not love music, then
you should not be in this class."
Reach Tia D'Ambrose at
tia.dambrose@asu.edu.
