Over the spring and summer I had the opportunity to help develop a DJ camp with my friends who to say the least, are some of the East Bays finest DJ's. The camp "Scratch 510" was led by DJ's, DJ Lady Fingaz and Max Kane (who have deep roots in the East Bay music scene and have helped mold the sound of Oakland and San Francisco). The camp was a one week intensive focussed on turntablism, music production and the history of the DJ. Scratch 510 was held at Studio Grand which is dear to my heart and is my favorite nonprofit space for music showcases and art in Oakland.
Scratch 510 was developed through Chapter 510, here is some information about them via their website:
Chapter 510 was founded by a group of Oakland residents who, inspired by 826 Valencia, wanted to create Oakland's own literacy project focused on supporting teachers and developing creative and expository writing skills for students. We share a vision for Oakland as a place where our youth and their perspectives are visible and our teachers are honored and supported.
I want to give a big shout and thank you to Janet Heller (Chapter 510) for having me on the team, Max Gibson (Wine & Bowties) for getting me involved, Jamie Keller (Studio Grand) for sharing Studio Grand's space with us, and Marc Stretch (Foreign Legion) for his insightful input and help.
Click on the image below to check out a video of the camp which hosts music produced by the campers. If you're in the Oakland area and are looking to connect with the community Chapter 510 and Studio Grand are the places to be and if you're looking for some good shows to go to check out Max Kane every first friday at Lukas Tap Room (Oakland), DJ Lady Fingaz at Funlab (Sebastopol) 08/16 at 9pm, and Foreign Legion at the Elbo Room (San Francisco) 08/13 at 9pm.