DJ Equipment Reviews

The Rhythm program shows there’s more to learn from DJs than just spinning records

This is about a really great program I came across just surfing the web. It’s summed up like this: you’re a kid (well at the moment they’re taking 16 to 21 year olds in) who just didn’t get the break he needed, no matter if you’re into DJ-ing or not. You go into a room and you meet these professional working DJs who are willing to sit down with you, talk to you and teach you the basics of their trade. So by the end, you’ll know how to beatmatch, scratch and whatnot, but you’ll also leave with a lot more than that.

This is what the Rhythm program is all about, and that stands for "Reaching Halifax Youth through Harmony and Music". It’s an 8 week sponsored program for the youngsters of Halifax, where they’re learning the basics of DJ-ing, but in a fun and different way, straight from the working DJs himself. In this case, the role of the teacher in taken on by Craig Muise, whom residents of Halifax probably know better by his stage name, DJ Trixxx.

As it turns out, learning to DJ and then practicing your skills, gets you relaxed, unstressed, and is a skill that not too many people have (well, not in Halifax anyway). I wouldn’t really be able to say about the scientifically proven benefits of DJ-ing, but it does seem to help the young ones who are just beginning their lives. The Rhythm program is very popular, and this is hopefully only the first session, as the sponsoring will be ending in February. Then a new session will have to begin but there are high hopes that it will happen given the fact that such a program really is a godsend for many people and most of all, for some teens looking for their ways.

This first session of the Rhythm program started in March, as part of Reachability, a non profit disability organization based in Halifax, and was sponsored by the Canada-Nova Scotia Labor Market Agreement. The program is available to basically all youths in the range of age stated, no matter if they’re disabled in some way or not. This is again a great thing, because discrimination is not a problem, and soon enough, the unlucky teenagers in wheelchairs join the healthy ones under the same purpose, that of making great music.

Also, as DJ Trixxx himself says, you never know what comes out of a course like this, and that:" You never know – you could have the next protege here that could become the next big thing. It would be cool to be part of that,". And of course, professional DJs like DJ Trixxx also get a chance to remember how they started themselves when they take a look at the kids coming in.

A program like Rhythm is a great way of bringing working DJs together with youngsters and reach the teenagers in a more direct way. Not only will they learn a skill that they didn’t have, but DJ-ing also helps boost confidence, self esteem and all in a noticeable way, as when they leave the course, the kids are arguably more suited to the real life. While this doesn’t happen in a direct way, it certainly happens and it’s a lot more fun than going to psychologists or even learning these skills for yourself.

At the end of the course, the kids get a CD with their personal playlist and also a DJ software so they can keep on practicing at home, which is another great way to keep them interested. At this point, I can only hope that such a program catches on and starts becoming more popular, as I can’t think of anything negative coming out of it. Can you?

 

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