Best Place to Play DJ
Scratch DJ Academy
Every Miami club kid has had the fantasy of spinning records with one hand in the air while a sea of bodies sways to the beats. You know the one — the dream where everything is in slow motion and your favorite celebs just can't get enough of your set. Well, at the Scratch DJ Academy in the Design District, any music junkie can train with professional DJs to whip that fantasy into reality. Envisioned by the late Jam-Master Jay of Run-D.M.C., the DJ-school concept began in New York City in 2002, and Scratch brought its turntables to Miami three years later, moving into the Design District in November 2009. All of the instructors are pro DJs with lesson plans for six-week semesters, giving the classes a legitimate college feel. The methods have been honed to cram what used to be years of training into a single course. It seems to be working. The school has produced some of Miami's slickest DJs and even has a deal with nightclub Love Hate to help get gigs for Scratch's up-and-comers. Wednesday nights at the South Beach lounge are dedicated to the musical styling of the most impressive students. And every DJ at Scratch says all you need to start spinning is a love for music — and maybe some type of rhythm and the $300 to cover a semester.