Scratch DJ Academy

I’ve taken five classes here so far, and I am very, very happy with the program.
Scratch Academy is hosted within the SAE Institute, in its own studio. Students with some experience have the option of «testing out» of classes that cover the skills they already have, or you can «start from scratch,» with DJ 101. Classes can be taken individually, or as part of the certification program, which takes about a year. DJ 101 starts out with learning how to use all the equipment, song mapping, and beatmatching; mixing and scratching classes get progressively more advanced from there. Classes meet once a week, but there are also three four-​hour practice sessions offered per week, where students can sign up to use the equipment. On days when it’s not too busy, it can be like getting a private lesson for free.
The studio has nine sets of decks: five sets of turntables and four sets of CDJ’s, as well as boxes and accessories for Traktor and Serato software. SAE itself is a nice, relatively new and well-​maintained facility.
The instructors are all experienced, working DJs. Some are more involved than others. They are a no-​bullshit kind of crew: very encouraging, but they do not sugar coat anything about anyone’s performance or the nature of the industry. That said, anyone who is really enthusiastic and determined to improve will receive a lot of support. The lead instructor, Adam (DJ Toadstyle), is one of the best teachers I have ever had, hands down.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the school’s attitude toward female students. There is a pretty good ratio of women to men, which continues to improve. Overall I feel very supported without being singled out. So far it simply hasn’t been an issue at all.
I highly recommend Scratch Academy to anyone interested in learning to DJ or improve their skills.