Scratch DJ Academy

I moved to LA 2 years ago and barely knew anyone here until I started my DJ journey with Scratch DJ Academy. They have the best instructors and all the staffs are super friendly. I’m so glad to meet people who have the same interest and passion as me. We practice together and go out to support each other’s gig. It’s like a big family here.
I graduated from the DJ program last summer and started to gig out, noticing that the stuffs that Scratch taught us are extremely useful and valuable. I highly recommend Scratch Academy if you want to learn how to DJ. They have supervised practice time almost everyday, so even though you don’t have equipments at home you are still able to practice, and that is the only way to get better. I’m currently in the music production program right now, looking forward to release my very first EP by the end of the summer. I LOVE SCRATCH :)

Scratch DJ Academy was an amazing find for my DJ career and regular life. When I started Scratch, I was already four years into the DJ game but needed to refine and relearn my skills. I started at M101 and went through the entire certification program. My instructors were helpful, inspiring and tough. The program was not an easy program as you don’t automatically pass once you complete all six courses. Mr. Choc and Ver5e were my 101 instructors and then I had Dosa and Ramses for 202. After that I went with Shakee and V-​Fresh for 303 (which is actually one of the most important classes — Troubleshooting). My Scratch 202 elective was with V-​Fresh who is an amazing professor. Finally, for ⁴⁰⁴⁄₅₀₅ I had Hapa, Revolution, RobShot and Ver5e. This class put it all together but forced us to perform live numerous times and the learnings from the instructors and classmates was invaluable. I joke with DJ friends I made at Scratch that one of our hardest gigs in life will be the M505 Final Exam. This place is a very open and warm place for fellow DJ’s which is a rarity in LA. Now that I have been out in Southern California as a working DJ, the exposure we had to some of the best DJ’s in the world is astounding. To be able to pick the brain of a Mr. Choc or Revolution or get one on one lessons with other professors there is a huge benefit that must not be taken lightly. I loved my time in the DJ certification program and continue to return to support graduates.
I actually loved it so much, I re-​enrolled a second time for the Music Production program. This experience was different but just as impactful and enlightening. The class sizes are smaller which was great for me to be able to learn in a more intimate environment. I had the pleasure of going through the entire MP program with Buck who is very knowledgeable and patient. He knew just when to push me to do better and also gave out praise when it was well deserved. The growth I saw during the program with my production skills was quite measurable and the tools I was given/​taught I use on a daily basis. This curriculum is a bit tougher to get your hands around because you are being 100% creative and that can take you down the «rabbit hole». This is a good thing as creativity is good for the mind, body and soul! Once again, the exposure we get to other professional producers who are working and creating in the world was super cool and rewarding.
If I would list anything that Scratch could improve, I would just want more classes added to the schedule. For example, Master DJ classes for graduates of the DJ school and Master production classes for the graduates of the Music Production School. I would sign up and pay for these classes. We can never stop learning. Besides that, I enjoy the alumni events and would like to see more.
Anyways, I love Scratch LA. It is like my second home in LA and I plan to stay involved and continue to visit. Work hard and you will be rewarded.

As a recent graduate of the DJ certification program, I can truly say that Scratch exceeded my expectations. I initially started with one class but after seeing how much I learned over the course of 6 weeks I decided to enroll in the complete DJ certification program because I knew that by the time I finished, I would learn way more than if I continued teaching myself how to DJ.
Not only are the instructors the kindest people you’ll ever meet, their willingness to help goes beyond the classroom. You get one-​on-​one instruction and also after hours can go in to practice sessions to work on what you’ve learned.
One of the best things about the school is the sense of community and camaraderie you get. The instructors really care about you and your development. I highly recommend anyone with an interest in djing or music production to check Scratch out.

My sister bought me a groupon for a 1 hour session and a vinyl spin art; it ended up being about 45 min and no spin art. Other than that, the instructor was friendly and the place was fun.

What a cool place. Anyone interested in learning some basic DJ skills (and more than basic, too) should scratch their way up the academy. Though the surrounding area may seem a little, uh, industrial, don’t be scared. Street parking is plentiful, and soon you’ll be onto working your BPMs.
Went for a birthday party, and it was a fun intro for a group willing to just go for it. All ages can do this (well, you should probably be at least 12, I suppose). The crew guiding you through indeed breaks it down so that you can get the hang of it pretty quickly. If you’re at all musical or have rhythm, so much the better — but it’s not a requirement.
Really inventive venue to go with a group, or to just go get yourself some street cred. You will definitely get your smile on, regardless.

Cool spot to take some DJ lessons. My sister and her fiancé both took classes here. I got to visit here when I came for her final exam. The vibe is laid back and fun and everyone (staff and students) are really friendly. They have tons of equipment and the space is huge. I had a fun afternoon here.

This place is as good as it gets. The term DJ school may sound odd to many but this is much more then that. It is a family of DJs, who are connected and support one another to get better. Whether you want to focus on mobile DJing, battle DJing tour DJing or even club DJing maybe everything scratch has the people for it. Highly recommended to check this place out!

Scratch Academy throws the illest parties. You’ll feel like you’re in «Step Up 2: Take It To The Streets» in the best way possible. Dopest DJ’s spinning the dopest music ALL night.

This place is awesome! I learned so much in just 6 wks! And I’m so motivated to continue with their certification program! Ver5e and Mr Choc made class so much fun, their T. A’s Mr. Mo, VFresh and Ramseys helped us throughout to build our skills and feel confident. During graduation, seeing the classes ahead of us, showed me that Scratch DJ Academy is the best place to learn!

Like all the other reviews state, this is truly a unique place. My wife and I became DJ’s from this place. We graduated the Boot Camp class back in the summer of 2008. DJ Matter was our instructor and he was very impressive with his knowledge, passion, teaching style and insight. We are looking forward to going back to learn some more advanced skills in the future. Rehab is cool place just to hang out and chill, talk music and network with those in the industry. Shouts out to HAPPA for taking us out to lunch on the last day and inviting along hip hop legend he Arabian Prince to join us!

There’s many ways to learn how to DJ: by dating one, knowing one as a friend, watching ‘em, YouTube, books, CDs, etc.
If you want to cut through the b.s., and get solid, experienced, practical how-​to instruction, come to the Scratch DJ Academy, founded by Jam Master Jay. If you’re commitment-​phobic, try their free intro, hear about DJ roots, and meet the teachers.
I jumped into it feet first by taking the 101 class, with no serious aspirations. My instructor, DJ Ver5e
, is himself a graduate of Scratch, having completed every one of the required classes, and he was equal parts empathic to our frustrations, and firmly guiding us through DJ music history, basic scratching, exercises, and music theory. He was backed up by Mr. Choc
– veteran DJ, and member of the World Famous Beat Junkies. We had awesome TA’s, DJ Stonekold, and the French DJ Swift
(as I was one of two women in a class of 25, it was a little intimidating at first, but all the instructors were incredibly helpful and down-​to-​earth, NICE guys!). Those who teach at Scratch are working, professional DJs.
Here I am at my 101 DJ Graduation:
– scratched in front of a full crowd. OMG!!!
101 was such a well-​structured, well-​paced class, that I couldn’t help but sign up immediately for 202. That, and the fact that I left class every time with a humongous, goofy grin on my face and a tremendous feeling of pure child-​like happiness. You forget about any troubles in your life, and tell stress to go for a hike. Music… it really does lift the spirit.
The 202 class puts the 101 teachings into practice. Taught by DJ Robshot, here, the rubber meets the road, as you work on mixing, and by the end of the semester, wind up with a 6-​song playlist. Whether on vinyl or digital (Traktor or Serrato), you mix for your class, and let me tell you, as terrifying as that sounds, it was one of the exhilarating experiences of my life. You don’t easily forget that high, and probably will want to practice more to capture it again… and again.
I also took the Digital Workshop 101, to figure out which program was better suited for me. People choose Serrato (in the US) because they see other DJs using it… but this workshop puts Serrato and Traktor up to the test, and compares them side-​by-​side. It gives clear, non-​biased information on the programs’ specs, and in the end, you decide which one best suits your needs. I found this workshop incredibly helpful and highly recommend it – you might be surprised by the findings.
Parking: street parking. Not a great area, as it’s right near the 405 freeway on-​ramp, but just remember that loading zones are OK to park in, after 6pm. ;)

If you want to learn what it really means and takes to be a good DJ… THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU! I researched dj classes online and
was the first thing to come up. You can find all the information there as far as price wise and a good explanation of how long each course is and the cost of the courses, and also they have private courses available. But what you wont find is how amazing this place is, filled with many students who all share the passion for music and the wanting to learn to DJ this place is very much a community of its own. Great instructors, students and an overall great feeling that this place is THE PLACE TO LEARN. They have many setups for you to practice during certain hours and have great learning structure by teaching you the basics all the way up to the advanced courses which if you take them 101 to the 505 will take you about a Year to complete. I am a graduate from their and never would have imagined that this school would change my life and changed my view of what it really does take to DJ a party, club or anywhere music is wanted and needed. Act quickly though as classes do fill up fast and i recommend the group courses because you get to really bond with your peers and watch eachother grow throughout the process.

Got a one hour private lesson as a birthday gift but thought to myself daaaaaamn it’s all the way by Sepulvada & Pico??? And I’m coming from South OC! But I’m glad I got off my old ass & went down there. I’ve had several CDJ’s & mixers but I really wanted to get the feel of «real» vinyl or at least some Serrato. To my liking, they had the real deal setup with real vinyl, Stanton Mixers & Numark tables.
The instructor was really, really cool & although I’m 41 & grew up in the whole early hip hop scene it was actually nice to know that HE (being a good 15 years younger than me) knew his history. I’m SOOOOOO glad I wasn’t being instructed by some year 2000 hip hop baby who knew nothing but Lil Wayne & thought people like Gucci Mane were gods.
Anyway, we got right to it, no filler after the short history lesson. It was pretty basic «question & answer» style scratching with the instructor showing a scratch & then I had to copy it. Even though I knew most of the scratches I still had a blast & got an understanding about «dropping the beat on 1», 16 bars & stuff that really dove into what some BOURGEOIS traditional musicians would call «real music».
Simply put if they had a OC chapter or mixing lab I’d definitely go to it!

I started taking classes about a year ago and havent looked back since. I opted for the group lessons but private lessons are available. They also offer open practice sessions during the day and all equipment is provided whether you are a current student or not. They started me out on vinyl to learn the fundamentals. After I felt comfortable enough, I chose to move onto a digital format.
The community they’ve created here is very welcoming. The instructors, TA’s AND students are all genuinely interested in helping me reach my goals which keeps me coming back. I love this place!

Jam Master Jay would be proud of what Scratch Dj Academy has developed into, A place for the DJ to be himself and learn the craft the way it was meant to be learned. I came into Scratch LA with a couple a years of self taught experience under my belt and within a couple of months of signing up for classes I grew leaps and bounds as a DJ and accomplished more in the couple of months at Scratch than what I had done the previous years on my own. The staff and students there are some of the coolest people you will ever meet, the community here is awesome almost felt like I reached Dj Utopia! lol If you are serious about becoming a Dj this is the place to be, forget any other Dj schools, DVD tutorial or books (although those are good supplements) Scratch Dj Academy is where you should be at. Whether you have no clue about being a Dj or you have some experience like I did, you cant go wrong by becoming a part of this unique, one of a kind dj community that just seems to keep growing…

I LOVE this place! I bring my kids here (10 and 12 year olds) and they love it too. Everyone is so very friendly — the DJ teachers are really great at teaching — they don’t make you feel intimidated for not knowing anything. They’re so encouraging and there’s no «cooler than you» stuff. Just a really professional, welcoming vibe.
i love the two teachers we’ve worked with so far (Michael and Stone Cold) — both were so great. The music that everyone is working on is really diverse too! I heard someone playing Perez Prado today — crazy!
The spirit of Jam Master Jay and all his loving energy lives on!

Do you know what a «break» is? How about a «downbeat»? Interested in DJ-​ing and being the next big turn table artist? Then Scratch DJ Academy is for you. The current trend in music is the rise of self-​produced electronic beats and thus, DJ’s are gaining more recognition. LA is obviously a mecca for music and therefore music schools are available in large masses. Scratch Academy is legit, and was co-​created by the late great Jam Master Jay. Scratch is dedicated to not only teaching its students about this form of music art but also about helping the community by creating student-​friendly events which help build the arts and confidence.
I had the pleasure of sitting in briefly on a class and wow… in about 15 minutes, I already learned so much. The students were attentive and had the luxury of standing behind top-​of-​the line brand turntables to learn the art hands-​on. The instructor was absolutely amazing to listen to. Clear, articulate, passionate, and obviously knew what he was talking about. He talked about music theory and stressed the importance of actually knowing music to be recognized as a «real artist», talked about beats, notes, and demonstrated how not to just «make noise» but put «your hands on the 7-​oclock position and wait for the downbeat». He went around the room to make sure everyone learned the current exercise. I can’t encompass in a review how great he was. He was better than many college professors I had. This is the real thing. Scratch doesn’t’ t just try to fit some new fad and make money; it honestly cares about its students.
Not to mention, the actual venue is awesome. Looking like an underground graffiti garage or soundstage where that MTV show «Your Mama» could have been filmed; it instantly spawns the feelings of hip hop and beats (but this isn’t just about hip hop– some of the students were women, hipster boys with tattoos and piercings, and even Middle Eastern men). It’s very important to have a good vibe to learn in and Scratch does just that.
One negative though is that the street it’s located on in West LA is somewhat industrial and not «pretty» and there is no parking so you have to park at meters.
If you are interested in music production/​DJ-​ing and don’t necessarily think you have the money for equipment or that you can teach yourself. this is the route to go. I highly suggest it to anyone and everyone whom is truly dedicated to this art and career route.

I know a few people that work here and they are mos def keepin’ it REAL when it comes to DJ’ing.
I haven’t been to the actual academy but I saw them puttin on a demo for peeps at the Beat Swap Meet shindig down in Chinatown this past weekend. They were definitely on ONE that day and I think that if you want to learn the art of turntablism, this is the spot for you.
Go on, Get your Scratch on!

Probably the most amazing thing that has happened to me was finding Scratch DJ Academy. For many years, I’ve been wanting to become a DJ! After a few courses I have been able to realize a lifelong dream. If you want to learn how to DJ and learn it the right way, this place is the ONLY place to go.

This program is amazing. Ive been blessed with a chance to sit in with these guys, and even sessioned with their instructors and theyre pretty awesome.
Ive showed their classes a few of the advanced scratching techniques during the release of the Innofader there as well. Good stuff!!!
Peace to REHAB, Dynamix, Happa, and Denkym!!!