Calling all music aficionados and aspiring turntablist basement dwellers. Beat Drop (1120 17 Ave S.W.) a music production and DJ school in Calgary, teaches more than just how to navigate the music industry. They have established themselves as a community hub, welcoming like-minded artists and lovers of music to gather and nurture our pulsing entrepreneurial YYC spirit. And they’ll give you a degree for it.
The only Ableton Certified Training Centre in Western Canada, Beat Drop’s instructors are all professional musicians and DJs, sealing this dynamic school’s reputation of excellence. Mitch Lee, Beat Drop’s founder and owner, is no exception – a producer and composer, he knows first hand how to navigate the gap between creating music and developing a revenue stream out of your work. Students get a practical approach to music composition and how to DJ through computers, but are also taught the fundamentals of pursuing a musical career.
The hand-selected roster of instructors contribute daily in a very unique, one-on-one classroom setting. Class sizes vary from six students to fifteen; and the key word here is focus – the instructors keep the learning space intimate so every student gets the attention they need. The school doubles as community space, hosting workshops and free monthly events led by hip-hop producers and beat makers in the city. Past panels include ‘Women in Music’ highlighting the work of female DJs and music producers in Calgary and collaborative events with CJSW.
Upcoming courses include the Summer Producer Certificate, which includes four of their most popular courses. Offered from June to July and available to beginners, you will “learn to produce, create, design, arrange and mix” in the intensive summer program. Beat Drop also offers a radical Summer DJ/Producer Camp for kids aged 10 to 17 with a focus on production, how to DJ and how to build synths – dramatically upping their teenage street cred.
A final perk: the studio features artwork by local visual artist The Kid Belo, David Brunning, in case you needed additional reasons to hip-hop your way into Beat Drop.
Stay up-to-date on courses, events at Beat Drop News by following them online below:
Facebook: facebook.com/b3atdr0p
Twitter: @beatdr0p
Instagram: @beatdr0p
