Brolic Army DJ School by DJ Rob Swift

  Fifty years ago, Disco King Mario, Pete DJ Jones, Grandmaster Flowers, Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Jazzy Jay, Grand Mixer D.ST and a handful of other DJs birthed and helped cultivate a DJ movement powerful enough to become the nucleus of a culture called HIP-HOP. When you chew on that for a second or two, nothing could be more tragic than to stop and consider the economic inequality which exists within the billion dollar industry that DJing has become. DJing, I’m referencing “quick mixing,” “needle dropping,” “scratching,” “beat juggling,” etc., are techniques that were stumbled upon and created out of struggle. That is to say, a certain set of socio-political conditions in 1970s New York City provoked what us DJs do and our fans see, on social media day in and day out in 2023. Today, according to an analysis by ZipRecruiter, a person who manages or books DJs can make an annual salary upwards of $70,000 minimum. When you compare that to the $48,000 average annual salary of the D...

  Although your audience isn’t inside the DJ booth with you selecting the music you play and the order in which you play it, they’re still a part of your set. So the deeper the synchronization between you and them, the better the experience of DJing. Here are my five tips for commanding the attention of your audience as a DJ. 1. QUESTION TACTIC The first words you speak into the microphone set the tone for the exchange of energy between you and the people in front of you. Asking a question is a great way to warm up any crowd but asking THE RIGHT question is an art so depending on the situation and the environment, ask something everyone is collectively passionate about. 2. ACTIVE VS PASSIVE VOICE As a listener, I know I’m more inclined to focus my attention on a speaker who sounds excited to talk. So be active as a speaker, you want the intonation in your speech to project power. If you’re passive or soft spoken, it will hamper your ability to get and keep people’s attention. 3. BE...

  COURSE DESCRIPTION After learning the 10 root moves of Beat Juggling, this course addresses how to combine the 10 Root Movements. Our goal is to help you reach the next level of Beat Juggling, find your unique style, come up with new patterns and create more interesting routines and DJ sets. LEARNING OUTCOMES 4 lectures and 4 hours of content! Information packed practical training learning how to become creative with beat juggling techniques. Best suitable for advanced level users and who are looking to become more expressive and creative in their beat juggling. Have a question? send us an email to and one of our team members, or Rob Swift himself will help you out!

  Welcome to the Brolic Army DJ School by Rob Swift. A DJ platform where expert instructors and informative lesson plans provide a customizable path of learning for beginner, intermediate and advanced DJs! “ The Brolic Army DJ School helps students cultivate the skills it takes to forge their own unique trail to success.” “Learning to mix, scratch and beat juggle takes a combination of effective teaching and hard work. There is no shortcut to becoming a well-rounded DJ, but having the techniques and styles of practice broken down for you sets you on your journey to long-term success. This is why I created the Brolic Army DJ School . Whether you have no experience DJing and are excited to learn, or if you’re struggling to improve your current DJ game, my courses will take you on an exploration of all I’ve learned throughout the past 30 plus years of creating, mastering, performing and teaching the art of DJing. “ Brolic Army DJ School Courses : All courses are included in each membe...

  If you think mixing is “THE” optimal way to navigate through your music while you’re DJing for people, you’re thinking about this wrong. Transitions can be just as effective as mixing by relying on simple drops on the “one”, drum roll throw-ins and rhythmic scratches that help connect musical sections together like the chorus from song A to the introduction of song B. DROPPING ON THE ONE This is the most basic way to introduce a song to your audience during a set. Avoid using this rudimentary style of swapping as a crutch though. Otherwise, it will make the way you switch between tracks sound redundant, fast! DRUM ROLL THROW-INS If you don’t possess a sound sense of rhythm or timing, this can be difficult. That said, DJing revolves around music theory. Much in the same way playing the drum or guitar does. Any DJ that doesn’t have a grasp of Music Theory is essentially DJing all of their sets at a disadvantage! RHYTHMIC SCRATCHING Next to timing, what matters most as you progress ...

  Masterclasses at Brolic Army DJ School by Guest Teachers are here! This course is a hub for DJ tutorials by our guest teachers. From Battle routines, to scratch composition this course will offer you a cornucopia of perspectives to draw inspiration from. Hand-picked guest teachers representing the most creative and talented DJs around teach our Masterclasses. ‘Masterclasses’ at Brolic Army DJ School are an exciting added feature to help diversify your learning experience. We strive to give a holistic approach to DJing at Brolic Army DJ School and how better to do that than bringing the pioneers straight to you. From other members of the X-ecutioners to DJs who have worked with the likes of Public Enemy and other Hip Hop icons, these masterclasses lift the veil on the mystery of the DJ world. Masterclasses Course Breakdown: 001: Total Eclipse’s DMX Routine 002: Johnny Juice on How to Arrange your Scratches 003: John Swan’s “Hit Me Wit’ Da Horns” Scratch Routine 004: DJ 8-Ball teac...

Music, specifically DJing, has been a part of my life since I was born. Thanks to my father and older brother, my childhood was filled with sounds of all kinds of music, including Celia Cruz and James Brown. Throughout the course of time I went from being a listener to a doer. I followed in my dad and brother’s footsteps and became a DJ. But since establishing the BROLIC ARMY DJ community a decade ago, I turned my love for music and DJing into a more scholarly pursuit because once I started actively teaching DJ art, I knew it was important to disseminate DJing’s history and not just its techniques to my students. I prefaced this article with the above because I just want YOU to know that I KNOW what I’m talking about. With that said, during BLACK HISTORY MONTH I will pause to salute and reflect on the contributions the originators of DJing as we know it, made to the rich fabric that makes up our culture. What’s more, I’m going to do my best over the course of the next 4 weeks to honor ...

  What matters most to a DJ in training, their innate skill-set or the set-up they own? Some say it’s down to the DJ. Without the passion and vision of someone who knows their God given potential, there’s only so much a start of the art DVS system can do for you. Others bend towards the “quality of equipment” side of the debate. Granted, they’ll admit that a skilled DJ will give you a top notch performance on Turntables or Controllers. But these are the same people that will argue that a professional grade laptop can be the difference between falling behind the DJ scene or catching up to it. So which is it to be: the workman or his tools? My opinion is just that, an opinion. Roc Raida’s career trajectory serves as a much better barometer so we’ll go with that. Roc Raida made the decision to become a DJ during a point in his life where his mom couldn’t afford to buy him turntables. What’s more, Raida was 12 and too young to work. So, he couldn’t purchase them himself. If I may be di...

  DJing with others has so many benefits. Whether you’re in a crew of battle, resident or streaming DJs, the brotherhood that comes with getting creative with other like minded people can have lasting impacts on your life! DJing with others has so many benefits. Whether you’re in a crew of battle, resident or streaming DJs, the brotherhood that comes with getting creative with other like minded people can have lasting impacts on your life! Share & Build Together We live in a time in the DJ scene where DJs tend to feel isolated because the principal way we communicate amongst each other is through our smartphones. But when you’re physically surrounded by other DJs, practicing is more fun because you get to SHARE & BUILD TOGETHER. Inspiration to be creative is heightened when you get to develop your ideas with the help from your peers. Community Collaborations with DJs who are at a similar age and skill level, leads to the evolution of COMMUNITY. Becoming a part of any music ...

  One Step At A Time Creativity under the gun shoots down any chance of properly mastering the techniques we’re trying to teach you at Brolic Army DJ School . Pace yourself with our material. If you accelerate the process of learning how to scratch or beat juggle without thinking through every step, the overall quality of what you do with what you’ve learned can end up undermining your motive to learn in the first place. Don’t be in such a haste to go from A to Z that you miss out on interacting with the letters that exist in between. The social media trap will have you question whether you’re falling behind all of the other DJs who are posting their routines to Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok. But there’s no time table you must follow to get better. When you feel otherwise, that’s your mind fabricating a time table that is based on a matrix world. There’s a gazillion DJs on social media, everyone can’t improve in the same way or same order. What’s early? What’s l...

  Why are DJ platforms using DJs to promote the idea that artificial intelligence can emulate what DJs like Grandmaster Flash, GrandWizzard Theodore and Grandmixer Daniel Stricker have taught us all how to do since the 1970s? Why are DJs willingly peddling an approach to DJing that takes away the human element of this art form? We live in an inverted DJ world that promotes using the sync button to mix, claims triggering pre-recorded scratches from a sound bank is “getting creative” and now wants us to rely on A.I. to drop 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” on beat instead of counting on our own God given senses. Respectfully, instead of explaining 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” needs to be launched on a 4 E AND UH (16th note drop), the DJ in this video erroneously describes the start of the song as a “drop on the one”. Hearing that left me questioning, how can I politely say the information being disseminated in this tutorial is awry without coming off like I’m gatekeeping? And please don’t mistake th...

  DJ Training Camp with DJ Rob Swift Training Camp hosted and curated by DJ Rob Swift is the place for practice sessions. When it comes to DJing, learning a new skill can be challenging. It’s that beginning stage of the learning process when you’re likely to struggle the most and make mistakes. As a result, you may doubt yourself and your abilities. The good news is there is a solution to closing the gap between you and your goals. It is practice! If you commit to practice and believe in the power of training, practice will reward you! DJ Training Camp Breakdown: Baby, Scribble and Tear Scratch Training Camp Forward Release, Stab and Drag Scratch Training Camp Reverse Drag, Transformer and Chirp Scratch Training Camp 9 Cornerstone scratches Training Camp Improving Fader Grip The Mixmaster Ice Scratch A Guide to Composing a Battle Routine Applying the Mixmaster Ice Scratch Articulating the Orbit Flare Scratch Articulating the Crab Scratch Articulating the Boomerang Scratch Combining...

  It is always cold somewhere, and if you’re being contracted to DJ wherever that somewhere is, “the show must go on”. If you’re a DJ who tours a lot (or soon hope to be), at some point you will DJ outside. When that time comes, chances are it will be when it is really cold. This presents a unique set of challenges to a DJ. Especially one who intends on incorporating techniques such as scratching under less than ideal temperatures. The best advice I can give a DJ that wants to integrate scratching (and other techniques that require precision hand movements) in their set but is forced to do so in single digit temperature like I did this weekend in Montana is: 1. Simplify Your Scratches It isn’t paramount to go nuts on the cut if you want to show your audienced how skilled you are at scratching. Less is more as they say and less is easier when you can’t feel your fingers. 2. Keep Hand Warmers You need to periodically make contact with a warm object. Hand Warmers like HOT HANDS are pe...

  As DJs we all have access to the same popular songs. So how can we avoid emulating each other and better manage the process of building creative sets that inspire our listeners. The best way to not fall into the imitation trap is to diversify your intake of music. The more blended your music knowledge is, the more varied your creative output can be. Combining many different styles of music rather than sittin’ in front of your laptop and curating your playlist so that it’s on par with what everyone else is playing is crucial to keeping your DJing style unique. “Do you have in your Brolic Army curriculum, tutorials on scratching out of songs?” Second, practice! Solely relying on tutorials that aim to show you how to scratch, beat juggle or accomplish a task as basic as scratching out of a song means the “creative choices” you’re making when you DJ aren’t really yours, or all that creative for that matter. By all means, seek DJ tips from as many DJ schools as you like, but there com...

  Although your audience isn’t inside the DJ booth with you selecting the music you play and the order in which you play it, they’re still a part of your set. So the deeper the synchronization between you and them, the better the experience of DJing. Here are my five tips for commanding the attention of your audience as a DJ. 1. QUESTION TACTIC The first words you speak into the microphone set the tone for the exchange of energy between you and the people in front of you. Asking a question is a great way to warm up any crowd but asking THE RIGHT question is an art so depending on the situation and the environment, ask something everyone is collectively passionate about. 2. ACTIVE VS PASSIVE VOICE As a listener, I know I’m more inclined to focus my attention on a speaker who sounds excited to talk. So be active as a speaker, you want the intonation in your speech to project power. If you’re passive or soft spoken, it will hamper your ability to get and keep people’s attention. 3. BE...