Winter is in full swing, but in sunny Southern California things are already warming up. In this edition, we have a community call to action as well as some highlights from our after-school program and fundraising.
Upcoming Events
Monday, March 3
DMI is putting together a promo video to show the world what our weekly FREE DJ Lessons are all about. Creative Director Miko Aguilar will be dropping by class to film and collect video testimonials from students. This is your chance to share how learning the art of DJing has made a positive impact on your life. Please join us in-person on Monday, 7-9pm at The Pizza Press in Downtown Santa Ana.
Monday, March 17
Alex Biston, meteorologist from CBS/KCAL News will be featuring DMI for their Let’s Go Places segment on TV! Our segment will be aired several times in April on channels 2 and 9 here in the LA/OC/IE areas. Please join us in-person to show how lively our weekly classes can get. Normal time and location, Monday 7-9pm at The Pizza Press in Downtown Santa Ana.
Saturday, March 22
Our Ayamterrain family has been invited to host a progressive stage at Ascend: Ostara – A Transcendent Experience in Downtown Long Beach. Featuring DMI community DJs GMAN, BChang, Omrán, Lectric Riddem, Backwards K, and ArtCast, as well as Holliday on the main stage. Here’s your chance to experience Burning Man vibes and values locally in the city. Snag your ticket here. Discounted presale pricing is still in effect so grab yours before they go up!
After-School DJ Program
DMI offers its DJ fundamentals curriculum to after-school programs, spreading the love and knowledge of dance music locally in the Orange County area since 2018. The California Arts Council has sponsored this program in 2023 & 2024, enhancing the creative minds of 6th-12th graders from Godinez Fundamental High School and Gordon H. Beatty Middle School.
The program starts by teaching students to DJ using vinyl records and turntables. Lesson plans cover the equipment, cuing, dropping on phrase, nudging, mixing, and beatmatching. After learning those core skills, students are introduced to digital DJing where they learn to program mixes and prepare for their end of course recital. Beatty Middle School enthusiastically renewed the contract to teach a new wave of students in Spring 2025! Below are a few videos of recitals, classes, and student interviews.
Event Recap – Mobile DJing Discussion Panel
In case you missed it in-person, the recording from the Mobile DJing Panel discussion that we hosted last April has been posted on YouTube! Our guest speakers are veterans in the Mobile DJ arena, offering valuable insights into what it takes to become a hot commodity.
Fundraising
Santa Ana Investing in the Artist Grant
For the past three years, Santa Ana and The Pizza Press have been the hosts for our weekly FREE DJ Lessons. This year, the Santa Ana Arts & Culture Office opened a grant to support artists who serve the local Santa Ana community. DMI is a proud recipient of that grant and now the city sponsors our weekly classes.
Grant funds allow us to provide our instructors with a modest stipend, Pizza Press catered snacks for students during class (which supports a local Santa Ana business), and creation of the promotional video previously mentioned. We can’t thank the City of Santa Ana enough for their support of grassroots arts organizations. We aim to honor their generosity by providing a welcoming, inclusive space, in the pursuit of an art form that brings communities together.
Donors
A big thank you to the City of Santa Ana, Francisco, Dean, Wendell, and Michelle for their generous donations and unwavering support for DMI!
Annie’s Select
As some of you know, I’m a huge trance head and there’s nothing more euphoric than a great vocal track that helps me get through a long day. I listened to this track on repeat during my painful one-hour commute!
Adios!
As always, make sure you’re a member of our Facebook group to get more frequent updates on events and discussions.
♫ Annie, Dance Music Initiative volunteer and music aficionado.
Dance Music Initiative 