Our DJ Tutor visited DJ School UK in Leeds
Our DJ Tutor, Santino, has been teaching people to DJ for over ten years and decided to set up his own service - DJ Methodz - in 2018 to focus this work on providing opportunities to vulnerable and under-represented individuals and groups, as well as trying to identify the next generation of professionals. Santino strives for excellence in teaching DJ mixing skills, and wants to provide a service as good as any in the UK, but has never worked with any other tutors or schools so set out during the COVID lockdowns to find other people who might offer something in terms of skills and ideas sharing.
Sadly, Santino realised that not all DJ tutors and schools work to the same ethos. Some are purely corporate, money-driven and uninterested in the people they teach. This led Santino to the DJ School UK, managed by Jim Reiss. A browse of their website showed an almost identical approach to the work - inclusive, free, and for everyone. Due to the ongoing COVID situation, however, Santino had to wait until June of 2022 to make his CPD visit to Leeds.
Both DJ Methodz and the DJ School UK work closely with their local Music Hubs, and one thing Santino & Jim have in common is their shared desire to raise standards in DJ tuition - ethically and acidemically. Much of the CPD session was spent discussing the new National Plan for Music Education. It is precisely this kind of strategic thinking that can help take DJ'ing and DJ tuition to another level. Santino wants DJ tuition to be treated with same respect as other forms of music tuition, potentially with grades and similar pathways. Being able to discuss these ideas with a like-minded, and more experienced DJ/School Manager will help Santino to turn his ideas into reality.
How does this help the FMC project? When Santino meets a DJ with potential, the pathway stops pretty much with him. He can teach people to professional level, and create opportunities to play in clubs etc. but this cannot be compared to the pathway of a singer, dancer or violin player, for example, who can take their talent to a Conservatoire or Royal College. Influencing the decision-makers to include DJ'ing in their plans could establish DJ tuition in schools. This is the kind of legacy Santino wants to leave.
Other areas were covered as part of the CPD, including working with young women DJs, and social media presence. Since the CPD, Santino has set up DJ Methodz Instagram and Twitter accounts, and met with manager of the Hull Music Hub to discuss setting up some school projects. Jim also made Santino aware of an event in York which was all about the healing powers of Hip-Hop. Santino wants to prove the link between learning to DJ and positive emotional wellbeing and mental health so this event also had a big impact. Perhaps another FMC project could include this research?