Music Production For DJs

Service Description

Fridays 7:00 - 8:30 PM / SEPTEMBER 18TH TO NOVEMBER 20TH Beginner Level (open to all) Duration: 10 weeks – 1 class/week – 90 minutes per class Total Instruction Time: 15 hours No experience necessary Capacity: 6 Students Description: Want to stand out behind the decks? This course teaches you how to build a unique sound through edits, re-drums, remixes, mashups, and blends — the tools working DJs use to differentiate their sets from everyone else playing the same tracks. Open to all skill levels, you'll learn practical production techniques designed specifically for DJ use: reworking arrangements, rebuilding drums for better mixability, blending tracks together, and crafting remixes and mashups that fit seamlessly into your own sets. By the end, you'll have a toolkit of original edits and a workflow you can keep using long after the course ends. Music Production For DJs — 10-Week Overview 15 hours total instruction Week 1 — Foundations & DAW Setup Get comfortable in your production environment and core workflow. Week 2 — Understanding Song Structure Break down intros, breakdowns, drops, and outros to know where and how to edit. Week 3 — Intro to Edits Create simple DJ edits: extended intros/outros and smoother transitions. Week 4 — Advanced Edits Re-arrange sections and build edits with more creative flexibility. Week 5 — Re-Drums Part 1 Rebuild drum sections from scratch while keeping a track's energy. Week 6 — Re-Drums Part 2 Refine groove and swing, applying re-drums to full track sections. Week 7 — Mashups & Blends Key/tempo matching and blending elements from multiple tracks. Week 8 — Intro to Remixing & Stem Separation Learn stem separation to isolate vocals, drums, bass, and instruments. Week 9 — Building Your Remix Arrange and rework separated stems into your own remix. Week 10 — Culminating Project: Final Remix Presentation Present your finished remix for feedback from instructor and peers. Culminating Project: Original Remix Using Stem Separation Students select a track of their choice, use stem separation technology to extract its individual elements, and build a complete original remix using the skills developed across the course. The final project is a polished, playable remix students can add directly to their DJ sets. Required materials: None required, but home access to Ableton Live 12 is encouraged. Students will work in pairs at work stations provided in class. They may also bring their own laptops if that is preferred.