BEHIND THE SCENES: DJ SESSIONS (FUNDED BY MAES)

What a couple weeks we’ve had! Over the past two weeks, Reform Radio has been home to our ever-growing DJ sessions programme, funded by MAES, with over twenty participants. Throughout the course, our participants have had hands-on experience behind the decks, learning how to beatmatch and blend, alongside sessions focused on self-promotion and sourcing gigs. We had DJ collective Do As You Please helping to facilitate the course, alongside some visits from GigPig and Genre Music throughout the week. To close the project, all of our incredible participants played a live set at Manchester venue The New Cross to an in-person and live-streamed audience.

We chatted to participants Jess and Jonathan to find out more about their journeys on the course and their wider plans on the DJ scene from here.

What are your names, pronouns, and current interests?

Jonathan: My name is Jonathan, I go by any pronouns, and outside the course I’m working on my career as a visual producer.

Jess: I’m Jess, my pronouns are she/her. I currently help run a comedy club in Northern Quarter. Apart from that, I love meditating and painting.

How would your friends describe you in 3 words?

Jonathan: Smiley, committed and passionate

Jess: Ambitious, laid-back and motivated

If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Jonathan: ‘Love In Your Meditation’ by Dezarie

Jess: It would have to be ‘Back Out of Hell’ by Meatloaf – it was the first album I knew all the words to when I was a kid and I probably still know all the words now! Every song is such huge tune so you can solidly rely on it.

Did you have much experience in DJing before and what’s your favourite thing about it?

Jonathan: I had no experience at all. But my favourite thing about being on the course has been getting behind the decks and just doing it – you learn more and more by the minute.

Jess: I have a controller at home but it has literally never seen the light of day so I didn’t really have much experience at all. However, my favourite thing about DJing has been finally getting to grips with the decks and learning different techniques, like blending songs and figuring out which tracks work alongside one another.

What prompted you to get involved with the DJ Sessions?

Jonathan: Personally, I feel like I have a vast knowledge on music of different genres and more generally I have a massive passion for music. I play the keyboard, I love singing and dancing, so I felt like I had the potential to be a sick DJ! I also felt that by learning to DJ I would have the opportunity to promote underrepresented artists from my hometown and community.

Jess: I have wanted to DJ for a while and I’d tried to learn by watching videos online but I think I’m better learning by doing. When I saw Reform were holding an in-person DJ Course, it was the perfect opportunity to get practising in the space. I had also done a Podcasting Course here before so I knew it was a great place with great people.

Let’s throw it back to your first day at Reform versus now, tell me a bit about your first impressions/feelings/emotions in comparison to how you feel now. What has changed? 

Jonathan: I definitely feel more confident overall and I’ve made great progress with learning about BPM and queuing tracks. Now, I’m focusing on blending and what effects I can use in my practice.

Jess: I know how much I love DJing now – it’s so much fun! I’m still not 100% confident but I have definitely got to grips with what I’m doing in terms of blending tracks, and I feel like I have an ear for when it’s right for tracks to come in now.

Do you have any role models on the DJ or general music scene that inspire your practice?

Jonathan: An obvious one has to be KAYTRANADA, but also Kabza De Small, who is an amazing amapiano DJ.

Jess: A general big inspiration in my life is Annie Mac – I would listen to her radios shows all the time. She’s the person that got me into dance music. But, all round, I just love seeing female representation on the DJ scene, it’s inspiring.

What’s your go-to genre to DJ?

Jonathan: Amapiano. I’ve been listening to it since 2019 and the genre has expanded so much over that time so there’s so much range within it now.

Jess: Definitely dance music.

Who would your dream B2B be? 

Jonathan: KAYTRANADA, of course.

Jess: I have to go big and say Chemical Brothers.

What will you take from the DJ course moving forward & what are your plans from here onwards? 

Jonathan: So next I want to start organising playlists of different genres, and I want to apply for some opportunities with the guests we had in to start playing live.

Jess: I just want to have fun with it really – I’m hoping to keep practising at home and see where it goes. I’m not really a planner so we’ll see what happens.

If you’d like to find out about our future courses at Reform, get in touch with our lovely Projects Team on projects@reformradio.co.uk.