Culture & Craft of DJing

This course will cover the cultural history of the DJ in hip-hop, dancehall, and house music. We will explore the biographies of influential DJs, and how they moved popular culture. The course will also offer an introduction into the technical aspects of DJing, including cueing, blending, scratching and transitions. A good DJ interacts with and adapts to the crowd. We will explore the psychology of the dance floor, including crowd dynamics, energy management, and performance strategies. We end this course by organizing a party as a DJ event.



DJ Serena Kim was one of the first female club DJs in New York City in the 1990s. She has rocked the dance floor at legendary dance clubs and held a two-night residency at Veruka, where she DJed for the Yankee’s 1999 World Series celebration party. She has DJ’ed alongside Mark Ronson, Q-Tip, and Kool Herc. In addition, DJ Serena Kim served as features editor for Vibe magazine and has been a prolific music journalist with publication credits in nearly every hip-hop magazine, as well as the LA Times, the Washington Post, and many others./