Spotlight on the Ukraine Skratch Scene
Wed, 11/26/2014 - 11:10am
Qbert had come back from his recent trip overseas and asked me to set up an account for the winner of the Ukraine Scratch Championship Online, which he had been a judge for.
"They are the best in the Ukraine!" he told me. I was curious about the skratch scene over there, so Qbert put me in touch with the organizer of the competition, DJ Andrew. He got back to me right away, and hopefully we will be hearing more skratching coming from Ukraine in the future.
What can you tell us about the skratch scene in Ukraine?
Despite the fact that the scratch scene in Ukraine dates back to 2002, it is still underdeveloped and certainly can be considered as underground. But I noticed that after various significant events, such as the DMC & Red Bull Thre3style, that some quite experienced DJs have begun to pay attention to scratching.
Who are some Ukrainian skratch pioneers?
When Ukrainian people first got interested in scratching, DJ Valik already was at a very good level and was definitively head and shoulders above. So it’s no wonder that he was the first Ukrainian who took part in the DMC.
Interview with DJ Chile
Thu, 10/23/2014 - 11:09am
Not only is DJ Chile an incredibly talented turntablist, as his YouTube videos and a 2011 WTK World Freestyle title testify, he is also quite the philosopher when it comes to skratching. In this interview we learn about his process of first learning to skratch, how playing drums have inspired him, his debilitating tendonitis and the frustration of not being able to cut for two years, and much more. This is essential reading for anyone serious about skratching.
What is it about skratching that first made you want to do it?
DJ Chile: I guess what drew me to it initially was the sound; it seemed so different to what I’d heard before and it would sometimes give me the shivers, like when you hear music you really like. I also used to be heavily into Drum and Bass in my mid-teens, so I would listen to people like DJ Hype, Scratch Perverts, the Mixologists, and DJ Craze scratching in their mixes, and it would amaze me.
Profiles In Online Learning: Classical Scholarship Winners
Tue, 09/23/2014 - 3:02pm
After the first ever ArtistWorks Classical Scholarship competition, we wanted to get in touch with the winners to find out more about their background playing music and also their experience with our online learning platform. We have already heard from our flute student, Arnold from Texas, and so we now are proud to present an interview with the remaining three winners: Taylor (clarinet), Ryan (trumpet), and Paul (violin).
How long have you been playing?
Taylor: I have been playing clarinet since the 5th grade and am now a senior in college, so this is my 12th year of playing!
Ryan: I have been playing trumpet for about eleven years now. I began in the 7th grade after being placed in brass class because percussion, which I signed up for was full. I am pretty happy with the way things have turned out.
Paul: I've been playing violin since I was six. My mother started giving me and my four siblings piano lessons when we turned four or five, but one day she saw an ad in the paper for a Suzuki program and asked me if I would like to take violin lessons. I'm glad that I said yes!
RockyGrass 2014
Thu, 08/28/2014 - 1:16pm
This year marked the first RockyGrass Bluegrass Festival since the massive flood that devastated the surrounding areas of Lyons, CO last year including the Planet Bluegrass Ranch where the annual event takes place. After an incredible restoration effort led by the Planet Bluegrass staff, the show went on as scheduled without missing a beat. We had the honor of being one of this year's sponsors and had a great time as we always do there, thanks to all who came out to see us at our booth!
This year marked the first RockyGrass Bluegrass Festival since the massive flood that devastated the surrounding areas of Lyons, CO last year including the Planet Bluegrass Ranch where the annual event takes place. After an incredible restoration effort led by the Planet Bluegrass staff, the show went on as scheduled without missing a beat. We had the honor of being one of this year's sponsors and had a great time as we always do there, thanks to all who came out to see us at our booth!
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