Steffany

After failed attempts to learn on my own, I signed up for Intersessions, a program that teaches girls and queer femmes how to DJ. I was super duper hype to go, even though the commute was close to two hours, including a 15-minute walk. I met up with my homegirl who landed a cool internship in Midtown and we went from there.

Although we arrived a little bit late, the vibe in the room was nothing short of uplifting. I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous, as I always am when thrusted into new social situations. Yet, there was no need to be anxious here. I was actually kinda feeling myself when an instructor came up to me and thought I was a professional DJ there to teach the girls. And when she found out I wasn’t, she quickly got me the program worksheets and chatted with me about music.

On the side of those sheets were messages of encouragement such as, “You are important. You are valued. You are special.” It set me at ease, being in a group full of people who want to see me win. They were sending the elevator down, so to speak, giving younger women our own shot at DJing and learning outside of the hostile spaces they learned in.

The most important takeaway was when our instructor ShyDaughter told us we should play whatever we want. We’re curators of music, which sounds so posh. I took that to heart though. I want to mix different sounds together. Most of them aren’t current, but I know what I like.

I’m gonna try to save up to buy some CDJs and a mixer, although those joints are expensive as hell!! I see them as a investment; I’ll throw parties in the community room of my apartment building, charge people $5 and play music that creates a vibe. Maybe get my auntie to cook some food or something. A li’l kickback and a way for young black artists in my town to mingle a bit.

After Intersessions, I ran home trying to mix songs in Virtual DJ. They definitely instilled a great sense of confidence in your girl ’cause I’m still trash. However, I have the foundation I needed! Just gotta save up my coin and think of some dope DJ names. ♦