* the SCRATCH DJ ACADEMY post got deleted magically so here it is again. sorry!

Last month, your ladies of RandumbMiami got a chance
to sit down and chat it up with DJ Trippin from Scratch DJ Academy
to talk a little about this hidden gem
and how, if you want to get your name out in the DJ world,
Scratch is the place to be.

RNDM: Hi Trippin!
DJ Trippin: Hello, how are you?

RNDM: Good. How are you?
DJ Trippin: I’m tired but I’m good.

RNDM: It’s all in a day’s work.
DJ Trippin: A night’s work really.


RNDM: Yea I suppose so. So, tell us about Scratch. We know there’s a location up in New York. How did the Miami location come about? Has it always been planned?

DJ Trippin: Scratch in NY has been open for about 5 years now and they’re very successful there. In terms of their operation, it’s much larger than this one. They’ve got multiple rooms and if you’ve ever seen the pictures on the website, it looks phenomenal. Even though I wasn’t here when we first opened, I know that our location opening did have to do with expansion. Making sure people from all over the country would have a place to go. For people who can’t make the trip all the way to New York, getting a southern location was an essential step. There is also a Los Angeles location, as well as 3 brand new locations in Jamaica.



RNDM: What do you do here at Scratch?

DJ Trippin: I’m the Manager of Operations and Head Instructor. Head Instructor meaning anytime there’s a class that I’m here for I’m the one in charge of that. Teaching the students all different classes; the 101 which is like a beginner course, the 151 which is more intermediate for people with experience, the 202 course which is primarily for scratching. You learn how to do all sorts of scratches. That’s actually how I got involved here. I signed up for the 202 class and kinda came in and met people, picked up some extra tips that I didn’t know that DJ Immortal, who was the teacher for that class, showed me. Besides teaching classes, I work on all the behind the scenes stuff (outreach, phone calls, etc.).


RNDM: Who else is with you here at Scratch?

DJ Trippin: Currently it’s me, DJ Immortal, DJ K-Razor, DJ Hurricane, DJ Ruen, DJ Jax, DJ Jay Sample… pretty much anyone who is a regular DJ on the Beach is associated with Scratch in some way. DJ Irie is affiliated with us as well. He comes is from time and time and talks to the students, gives them the insight to the business world. DJ Craze has also been involved. It’s good to have someone like Craze, a bigger name, to come and talk to students.

RNDM: It doesn’t make it feel so far away.
DJ Trippin: Yea, exactly.



RNDM: Do you guys have any guest DJs that come in?

DJ Trippin: When the Winter Music Conference comes around and everyone from all over the world is here. Last year, we had the Animal Crackers (DMC team champs), DJ Netik (2007 World Champion), DJ I-Dee, DJ Q*Bert, a lot of different people.

RNDM: So you open the doors pretty much for anyone to come in.

DJ Trippin: Yea, it’s open door policy here. Even If there’s someone who just DJs a little bit in their bedroom somewhere in Minnesota or wherever, they can go ahead and come on in and you know, show us their stuff, make some contacts, etc.

RNDM: Tell us a little bit more about the classes. You said there are 3?

DJ Trippin: There’s multiple. There’s a main 3 in my opinion. The 101 which is the beginner course is for people who maybe have never even seen a turntable. We teach you from the ground up, what everything is, what it’s called, how to hook it up. The first steps of being a DJ, matching beats and baby scratches. Basic music theory, nothing you would need a degree from SAE or Full Sail to get in. We don’t get into poly-rhythms or anything like that, it’s pretty straight forward. The 151 is for people who already have the DJ skill in their practice, people who have been DJing for a while and want to take all their skills and apply it to a mixtape. They’ll record a mixtape or a live set over and over. Like a demo. That class is a lot of fun. The 202 is the 3rd main class which is all scratching. Every week you learn a new scratch. We all get together and scratch, have like jam session. Those are the most popular 3.

RNDM: How long do the courses run?

DJ Trippin: 6 weeks, 1 time a week for an hour and you get unlimited access to the academy for practice time, seven days a week.




RNDM: What are these stations (referring to the desks on the side of academy) for?

DJ Trippin: This is for our music production class. The music production class’s main emphasis is to teach people how to make beats. We don’t get into vocal recording or sound engineering or anything like that. Usually by the end of the class everyone leaves with a finished beat, four to five by the end of the semester. It deals with Ableton and Reason, two of the industry standards for music production. It’s a real small and private class. Everyone gets their own speakers, computers, midi keyboard.

RNDM: Do students have to bring their own computer?

DJ Trippin: They can if they want to but we provide them for the students so they don’t have to.


RNDM: Do people come here for a lot of different types of music?

DJ Trippin: People usually think that because it’s called Scratch DJ Academy, “All their about is about scratching and Hip-Hop” but I would say 60% of our students are into House music or electronic music. We, of course, also have people who are into Hip-Hop and then some funky stuff too. We have people who are just into experimental music like IDM or dub-step and reggae. We also have situations where they come in and say, “My parents have a collection of classic rock and 80s freestyle and I want to combine this.”



RNDM: Are the classes affordable?

DJ Trippin: Yea, the classes are super affordable. They’re only $300 dollars for the entire semester. Compare it to guitar lessons, it’s like $150 for about an hour (one lesson) and what else do you get out of that? Nothing. We have all the community access out here, the free practice time, hands on all of our equipment.

RNDM: So it pays for itself and twice over.

DJ Trippin: I mean, I had to pay for the course, obviously, when I signed up here and it worked out well for me. Im an exception yes, seeing as how Im now a big hand in running the place but even if that hadn’t happened I wouldn’t have felt like “Oh that was a waste of money.” Even leaving having learned what they showed me and the networking was great.

We have payment plans too. Students don’t have to come in and put $300 down when the class starts. They can put down a deposit and pay it off as they go. We’re pretty lenient with that. But... we will find you! [laughs]


RNDM: Do you guys do events with the students?

DJ Trippin: We have an events business called Scratch Events. It’s like a booking agency for DJs. Any event that needs a DJ we can provide one for them. We usually send out our celebrity DJs but we also provide an opportunity for the good students, who’ve been here for a long time and have shown that they’re ready for that type of thing, to get involved in that business too. It’s not guaranteed but we do provide that opportunity for those who put in that effort.


RNDM: How would you describe advancement opportunities or the benefits, career wise, to coming to Scratch?

DJ Trippin: The doors always open, like I said before, so it can’t hurt you at all. The main benefit of coming out here is that you personally get to meet pretty much every DJ from South Beach that’s involved in the community all in one spot. Secondly, improvement of your own skills. Tightening up your mixes, learning industry secrets, that sort of stuff that always advances people. In terms of working for Scratch, we’ve sent our students on a cruise ships to DJ before.

RNDM: And they get paid?

DJ Trippin: Yea. I did it last summer and it was a lot of fun.


RNDM: Hey, do you ever get girls in here?

DJ Trippin: Not as many as we would like. I would say about 25%.

RNDM: Why do you think that is?

DJ Trippin: I honestly have no idea. Why do YOU think that is?

RNDM: Hmmm... We don't know either. I guess shaking your ass to the music is easier than spinning it. We’d love to see more female DJs though.

DJ Trippin: Us too.



RNDM: Do you have to be a certain age to sign up for Scratch?

DJ Trippin: Nope, there's no age requirement.

RNDM: Can you be four years old?

DJ Trippin: We’ve had four year olds before actually. We did a free class for kids and we had phone books and milk crates out so they could reach the turntables. You don’t expect them to focus or even understand but some of them really get it. It was cool. Even DJ Immortal’s daughter comes here and she scratches pretty good for a four year old!


Until you can make it out to South Beach, enjoy our little video tour of the Academy below:



Interested? Of course you are!
Visit them at

www.scratch.com
www.meanmachineaudio.com


*love

As if Barack Obama wasnt amazing enough..Dude was playin ball on election day.

yes.

Coolin on the couch with his fam awaiting results, this guy has it all under control.

I love it.







Yes we have.

RNDM for BARACK OBAMA.

Stay live

SOURCE: Yahoo News!

Putting aside all political affiliations and involvment.

Some words...

Its a new day.

Just like any other, we wake up in the morning, pray to our gods, thank them for letting us live another
day and to help us get through our everyday struggles.

We are never really prepared for bad situations.
A plundering economy and the mere thought of another depression in the country that held the utmost respect from the world some 7 years ago simply cannot be fathomed.

We are America. The land of the Free, home of the brave.
Where our constitution begins with the phrase "We the People".
We are a never faultering institution.
Even so, As Michelle Obama would say, "We the people", never included me.

I know many of us wake up with hope glistening in our eyes, hope of overcoming our obsticles,
whatever they may be, but hope sometimes flickers away.

There is no eternal flame, at some point, the candle becomes a puddle of wax and the flame slowly dims to nothing.

I wake up this morning with the same hope as always, now pushed further by the progression of the country I live in.

Race was a big issue in this election, as gender would have been if Hilary would have won the democratic ticket.

Its almost unfair to concentrate on the race issue in this presidential election, or the gender issue for that matter.
As Senator Clinton & Senator McCain, Senator Obama had strong points in his campaign and prevailed.

Prevailed amoungst doubt and nehsayers.

Nevertheless, race becomes a huge factor in this election, and who are we to neglect the years of
struggle that those of color faced just 40 years ago. When those of a color other than that of the purest milk
could not vote, or be heard. The promise land is near. Hilary would have made the same strides for women.

Take time to sit and take in an incredible milestone in american politics and culture.

Change is something we all hope for.

We are almost brained washed into thinking change would only come from a man who's campaign slogan was "Time for a Change"

Whatever president was elect, Change is something that needed to come regardless, that us as a people, as the population of this country must demand if this country expects to maintain its world wide respect, or at least whats left of it.

President Obama's acceptance speech, was 15 minutes of impeccable speaking. Quoting the likes of Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln. His conviction and attitude only reassures me we have chosen the correct man for the job.

I am one of the 35 million people who supported now President Elect Barack Obama.

I am a Liberal.

I am the New Generation Hippe and Obama my Kennedy.

Change and Hope must not falter. Progression must not stop. Change must continue for generations to come. All for the greater good of this country and its inhabitants.

We won't be here forever. We can only hope the lives of our children and our childrens children will be better than these past 8 years.

Im not big on politics, to be honest a lot of it is bullshit to me. Nothing but false promises and activities behind closed doors where the media plays such a good roll in keeping us entertained.

But I must say, this election made me realize how significant it was for Senator Obama to win, for everyone.

It show's how we've come along, and how much further we can move in the future. Change is here, and I am very proud to have witnessed it.

Whatever happens from here, stay strong my people. Live life and live happy.

Stay live.

only been four months...

you're still very missed.

*love

Its been a hot minute since I communicate with ya'll but I ain't even worried cause Relz has def. been holdin ya'll down.

I'm computerless at the moment and it pains me but, I'll be back n posting soon enough.

I'm being a rebel on my computer at work and posting on one of my favorite stores and lines.

My friends at the Brooklyn Circus are having their BKc Black Out of 2008,
"Varsity Duffle Raffle”

What’s an Annual “BKC Black Out” shopping experience without a Giveaway?

All you have to do is spend $100 or more between now and Thursday November 27th, and you’re automatically entered to win your choice of: Grand Prize: An unreleased Blue or Red BKc Varsity Jacket (value $300) OR The Brooklyn Circus + FILA Varsity Duffle Bag (value $260), in this economy anything you win is priceless.

The Grand Prize Winner is solely responsible for all costs, taxes, fees, and expenses associated with any element of the prize not specifically addressed above.

These Jackets and Duffles are HOT.

You have no idea how much I want one of each in my very well proportioned hands.

Drool...

Stay live

Source: BKC Blog

So... this is kind of last minute. But anyone who consistently reads this blog is in for a treat!

Another FREE JAY-Z CONCERT!

LAST CHANGE FOR CHANGE RALLY WITH SHAWN "JAY-Z" CARTER, AND KEVIN LILES
Harry T. Moore Memorial Baseball Field
Florida Memorial University
15800 NW 42nd Ave
Miami Gardens, FL
Gates open: 2:45pm EDT
Rally begins: 3:15pm EDT

If you can make it out, let us know how it went!

*love

So we've been slacking lately in regards to post but with the way things are right now we gotta hustle hard and hustle daily. While we keep doing what we gotta do to survive, we haven't forgotten about our Randumb familia and appreciate your daily love and support. Any questions, comments or feedback can always be left at randumbmiami@gmail.com.

Reading up on some news today, I discovered something very interesting. You can't wear Obama (or McCain or Nader) tshirts, buttons or any other pieces of clothing to go vote. This is called "passive electioneering" & although not really applicable in Florida, other states (Like Virginia & Pennsylvania) have gone full throttle and outlawed it. Basically, anyone wearing such items can & will be turned away and not allowed to vote.

I'm not exactly sure what the truth truth is but I do know that there will be a lot of first time voters at the polls all over the country on Tuesday and this law will be preventing some of these to be turned away. Because really... Someone standing in front of me with a Ralph Nader shirt is going to encourage me to vote for him. -_-

In any case, spread the word to all those close to you and [just to be safe] keep your shirts at home. ORRRR throw a jacket on top!

*love