A small group of students gathered with a local DJ to learn the different elements of deejaying, form the traditional turntables to the use of computerized technology.
“Before I start, I just want to say that this is by no means the end all be all of what deejaying is,” said Christopher “DJ Cle-OH” Johnson, a junior studying international business. “Deejaying today, there are so many different forms”
The event, a part of Hip-Hop Awareness Week on Thursday evening, kicked off with an introduction to the different pieces of equipment a DJ would use, such as turntables and a MIDI controller.
Johnson told the attendees he uses turntables to “stay true to the art” and essentially, a DJ can use any equipment after learning the concept of turntables.
Traditionally, turntables with vinyl and a microphone are where deejaying began, but when it comes to equipment, it is a preference, Johnson said.
Johnson broke down the most important elements of performing as a DJ: crowd engagement, mixing and scratching.
A DJ can have all the technical skills, but still not engage the crowd, Johnson said. Once, when performing following a deejay with more technical skills, Johnson said he still had a better effect on the crowd.
“Even though I knew he had better skills than me, at the end of the day, I still got a better reaction just because the music I played and the personality I have when I am on stage,” Johnson said in the workshop.
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Johnson shared the importance of taking care the expensive and fragile equipment, and said how mixing is essential to avoid silence while performing for a large crowd.
“I feel like my favorite phrase is ‘the DJ is not a jukebox, we’re DJs,’ ” Johnson said during the workshop.
The circumstances dictate the music the DJs play, but if someone makes a suggestion that fits the current situation, he’ll play the song, Johnson said.
As a third-generation DJ, Johnson said he wanted to share the art of turntablism, or the use of turntables, and give an idea how different styles of deejaying can be differentiated. It’s easy to forget where deejaying originated, he added.
John Brown VI, a senior studying painting and drawing and the president of Hip Hop Congress, expressed a similar concern and a reason why the event is so useful. Some people see deejaying as just a person with a laptop without recognizing the technology and history, he added.
“I think the importance of the event is that it does show another aspect of hip-hop and it’s more of a hands on thing in terms of deejaying … People don’t really understand where the history of deejaying comes from,” Brown VI said.
The DJ element of hip-hop was showcased through the use of different mediums, said Candice Wilder, a sophomore studying journalism and historian of Hip-Hop Congress.
“I’m always interested in the DJ part of it … I am always interested in learning about the analog DJ, but it’s always cool to learn about the new stuff too,” she said.
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