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AMERICA'S
FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988, PUBLISHED
MONTHLY
The
following article appeared in DJ Times Magazine in July 2009,
pages 18-19.
School's In: How one Community
College is Helping DJ's Gain Some Respect
by Stacy Zemon
A decade ago, to celebrate the new millennium,
disc jockey and former drummer Rob Wegner started up a new educational
website called discjockey101.com.
He added some how-to content and before
long, the site was getting an amazing amount of traffic. Excited
about the level of interest, Wegner quickly upgraded it, and
soon a college student from Hong Kong, who wanted to drop out
of school to become a DJ, contacted him.
This young man's letter made Wegner wonder
why there weren't any college courses a person could take to
actually learn the art of DJing; however, little did he realize
that the day would come when he would become Father of the first
accredited "Live-Performance DJ" course and college
degree program in the country. Here's how he did it.
Wegner earned a Master's degree in Political
Science from Arizona State University (ASU) and had worked at
clubs on weekends while attending school. He weaned his way into
the DJing by drumming over the tunes the club jocks played to
add a live band vibe to the music.
"My hands would bleed from drumming
five hours a night" he says. "So I asked a few of the
DJs to teach me their art. They told me 'If we teach you, you
must pass on our knowledge to the next generation.' That was
in 1982, and I've made a living in this business ever since.
My big mentors are Chicago's Bad Boy Bill and DJ Z-Trip, who
I've gotten to gig with several times in Phoenix."
Wegner initially developed the curriculum
for the "Live-Performance DJ" course based on the information
in his website. Armed with a rock solid, college-level curriculum,
Wegner headed off to Scottsdale Community College (SCC) to inquire
about the possibility of launching it there. He had heard that
SCC had a reputation for being innovative, and it also didn't
hurt that Scottsdale is one of the wealthiest areas in the country,
as well as having a thriving resort, wedding and corporate market,
and world-class nightclubs.
Wegner was ecstatic to get the "green
light" to test and teach the class by starting it out as
a non-credit class, and he was encouraged that if enrollment
was strong then the course could become accredited. If Wegner
built the academic "Field of Dreams" for DJs, would
eager students come?
Vanessa Harmeyer (DJ Ness) was part of
the very first group of students. "The course helped me
tremendously by teaching me about the business aspects of DJing,
she says. "Various music formats for different types of
events, and the ins and outs of CD turntables and Final Scratch.
This technology was very new at the time. My favorite memory
is when I won the mix CD competition, which earned me an interview
on a popular dance music radio station. They played some music
from my mix and I got to talk about my career and the class."
After graduating, DJ Ness used her newfound
knowledge to get gigs and residencies ranging from hair and fashion
shows, malls, art galleries, corporate events, as well as bars
and clubs.
In 2003, Wegner collaborated with DJ Radar
on starting a non-credit turntablism class. Radar -- a turntablist
who had made history with a Vestax turntable by composing an
entire symphony piece called "Concerto for Turntable"
(on youtube.com) -- became the first DJ ever to perform at Carnegie
Hall. After Radar left SCC to tour the world performing with
symphony orchestras, DJ Ruthless Ramsey took over Radar's non-credit
turntablism class. After several semesters of teaching, Ramsey
authored the competencies to create the first accredited turntablism
class.
Meanwhile, enrollment continued to grow
for the "Live-Performance DJ Course" and three years
into its inception (2004), SCC agreed to let Wegner write the
curriculum that would make the class accredited. Much to his
delight, last year the head of SCC's Music Department, Dr. Christina
Novak, suggested that the school launch a college degree
for DJs.
"I'm totally psyched" says Wegner.
"Beginning in 2010, SCC will offer a certificate of completion
for taking the three accredited DJ classes, as well as several
other classes in the Music Department that are related, such
as Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Students who fulfill the
requirements of the certificate of completion, as well as the
typical requirements of a two year college degree, will receive
an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree.
Wegner strongly believes this degree will
elevate our profession, and gain some well-deserved respect for
DJs in the academic world as well as among clients and club owners.
And, as for those grads who have already completed courses over
the past nine years?
"Several are working for local mobile-entertainment
companies," says Wegner. "Some are working at some
of the biggest venues in Arizona as DJs, and I'm proud to boast
that one of our students collaborated with DJ Eddie Amador on
an original song called 'Spotlight' that went to #9 on the Billboard
Dance Charts."
Graduate Keith Katz went on to become the
resident DJ at the Phoenix location of Eventvibe, where
he is currently also the Promotions Director. "I have held
a couple of residencies at clubs in the area and DJ most of the
Greek events at ASU, such as frat parties, sorority socials and
formals. Rob's class was full of insight and hands-on experience.
He is truly a champion of DJs and makes a difference by teaching
new generations of DJs about our industry's history and future."
Michele Sparks recently played at The
Pussycat Lounge in Scottsdale for their weekly dance "Switch."
She agrees with her fellow graduates about the value of the DJ
course. "Rob is dedicated to helping every student learn
the tools necessary to succeed in the world of music and DJing,"
she says. "And the guest speakers he lined up were fantastic.
I learned a lot from hearing about their life experiences, and
it was great to meet some DJ greats for future networking purposes."
Both
Wegner and his classes have gotten a lot of support from the
Phoenix area DJ community and he has a long list of operations
who are eager to employ SCC DJ course graduates. Just this year,
SCC Added a "Digital DJ Performance" non-credit course
to its educational roster. This class was created by DJ Emile
Ananian, who authored the competencies for this class and recently
got it approved to become accredited starting next year. According
to Wegner, "Emile has made a lot of things happen at SCC
like getting world famous DJ's such as Z-Trip and Afrika
Bambaataa to speak to our students."
Wegner feels that being a DJ instructor
has made him a better professional because in order to teach
a subject, you have to first master the material. His interaction
with students and guest speakers have also kept him on top of
industry developments. His plans for the future?
"To keep teaching, and to get a scholarship
started in 2010," he says. "When I hear about DJs getting
$25,000 to $40,000 for a three hour set night after night
I start to wonder who might be interested in giving back
to our industry. For example, the 'Paul Oakenfold DJ Scholarship
Fund' has a nice ring to it."
Because of the efforts of Rob Wegner, his
curriculum collaborators, teaching colleagues, and the Music
Department at Scottsdale Community College, the future looks
bright for those students fortunate enough to enroll in the school.
Current and future grads will continue to elevate and contribute
to our profession.
Stacy Zemon is a veteran entertainer, and author
of The Mobile DJ Handbook and
The DJ Sales & Marketing Handbook.
