GCSE’s coming up? You can now DJ for your music exam! FutureDJs and the London College of Music Examiners teamed up to create a formal syllabus, exam, and course so students can learn how to properly DJ.
There are three exam levels: debut, breakthrough, and artist. Moreover, FutureDJs tutors will deliver these exams which start this month.
Each school that partners with FutureDJs will receive a pair of Pioneer CDJs. Students will learn with industry-standard technology, but FutureDJs founder, Austen Smart, confirms that this course was “deliberately written so it could be applied to turntables or any kind of controller.”
Why Add DJing into the Mix?
Music offerings for the GCSE previously consisted of classic and jazz instruments. In 2019, OCR (the exam board that sets GCSE standards) added MCs and rappers into their A-level qualifications. Adding DJing as an option this year seemed to be the logical next step that also opens even more doors.
Sandra Allan of the exam board AQA emphasizes that the aim of this program is to “[allow] more accessibility and diversity, giving students opportunity they may not have considered before now.”
The art of DJing is not just a staple of electronic music, it’s also prevalent in many other musical genres including hip-hop and grime. The inclusion of this course is a necessary effort to highlight different types of cultures, music, and genres.
This course is also a great opportunity to expose students to something that could end up being a career, hobby, or lifelong passion. DJ Sherelle, who is currently a resident on BBC Radio 1, is a proponent of this new course. Sherelle notes,
“Someone like myself would have probably found my passion a lot earlier if I was able to mix all my favourite tracks back in school.”
You can learn more about FutureDJs here. You can also learn more about the GSCE program here.