INTRODUCING VIRTUOSO: THE VIRTUAL STAGE FOR MUSIC EDUCATION
Learn how to DJ with some of the industry’s biggest names.
Virtuoso is an interactive online platform, on a mission to make music education accessible to all. They’re offering courses with renowned DJs, such as ‘How to Rebeef your Records’ with Eats Everything, currently available to access on-demand. Alongside these, they also host incredible free Q&A sessions, with artists that have included Tiffany Calver, Goldie, and Ghetts. It’s an amazing opportunity for young people to interact with established musicians, learn more about their art, and inspire the next generation of DJs.
Virtuoso was founded by brothers Austen and Scott Smart, both professional DJs and Producers. Previously, Austen and Scott helped write the curriculum for the DJ course that students can now take as part of their Music GCSE, with decks recognised as an instrument like any other.
Now, Virtuoso has introduced the world’s first DJ exams in partnership with University of West London, and is accredited by Ofqual. While traditional music exams may have felt alien or unengaging for a lot of students, the introduction of DJ courses brings in current music that is more relatable for young people, encouraging them to pursue music inside and outside of the classroom.
Image: Moonchild Sanelly
To round up Women’s History Month in March, Virtuoso ran free Q&A sessions with influential female artists, including Moonchild Sanelly and Yasmin Evans. I attended both of these events, and found that they were great opportunities to celebrate female talent and demonstrate that DJing is as much for women as it is for men.
Moonchild Sanelly is a South African musician and artist. She is known for her trademark electric blue hair, and is featured on the track ‘My Power’ for Beyoncé’s album ‘The Lion King: The Gift’. During the Q&A her energy was infectious, and her passion for music obvious - as she rightly put it, “there’s no expiry date for your dreams”. She credits Brenda Fassie, a “vocal girl in South Africa”, as one of her greatest inspirations, and prides herself on being the artist she needed as a child.
Image: Yasmin Evans
Like Moonchild, Yasmin Evans also has great advice for any aspiring musicians: be confident, and be personable. Yasmin is a DJ and presenter on BBC Radio 1Xtra, as well as a presenter on the CBBC show ‘Saturday Mash-Up!’. When I asked about advice for female musicians keen to get into the industry, she responded saying that it is the responsibility of those in charge to address the gender imbalance that exists. There are already plenty of amazingly talented female artists and DJs out there - they just need to be given space on the line-ups, which several festivals this year have failed to do.
Virtuoso’s next free Q&A session is on Wednesday 14th April, featuring the legendary Fatboy Slim. It is available to access on their website.
