Now this is how you keep the kids engaged!
A new DJ academy is offering free classes for children in Washington D.C.’s Ward 8, WUSA 9 reports.
Roberto “DJ Quicksilva” Silva is one of the most popular disc jockeys in the country. He’s been named East Coast DJ of the Year and Global Spin Awards National Club DJ of the Year. He’s also been nominated as one of the Top 10 DJs in the country and voted as most popular DJ in all of D.C. Not only is he the maestro at many of the city’s hottest events, he’s also no stranger to giving back, regularly participating in community events across D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
Silva partnered with William “DJ B-Eazy” Epps to create the Quick & Eazy DJ Academy some time ago, launching first in Silva’s hometown of Baltimore. Now, Silva has partnered with Project Create in Southeast, D.C. to bring the Academy to the nation’s capital.
“If you can count to eight, you can become a DJ…I teach the fundamentals of actual counting bars, as in beats per minute,” explained Silva.
What a treat to sit with @DJQUICKSILVA of @quickandeazydjs . On Thursday morning, we’ll share the story of how their DJ School is opening in SE, DC and the impact DJing has had on his life. Only on @getupdc on @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/E8rRPqnmFo
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The duo has already seen extreme success in Charm City, graduating more than 170 students to date. The classes are open to all ages, the youngest graduate being 12 and the oldest being 68. Attendees will take intro courses to learn the art of deejaying while also getting lessons on marketing and promotions. To give back to the community that embraced him, Silva is offering the five-week classes completely free to children and teens in D.C. ‘s Ward 8, an underserved neighborhood in the city.
“All you have to have is an open mind and show up. Once you show up, we provide everything, everything that we teach you [is] hands-on,” Silva said.
The renowned DJ hopes that the courses offer vital skills to youth who may need it the most, reflecting on his own struggles growing up in East Baltimore and crediting music as an outlet that gave him a better life.
“The same feeling I’ve been creating for decades, I want a young student from Southeast D.C. to know, ‘You know what? I don’t want to do that, I’m gonna change that.’ I want to save a life; because somebody was gonna do something bad but because of my music, I play, they might not do it today. The goal when you graduate from Quick & Eazy DJs is to first know that you have a passion and you have a skill set that can change your life,” he said.
Quick & Eazy DJ Academy is currently accepting applications. To learn more and sign up, click here.
Photo Courtesy of WUSA 9