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The Scratch Sessions With DJ Bizzon Adam Murphy, Milwaukee
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Tyrone Miller, aka DJ Bizzon, is a legend- ary figure in the Milwaukee music scene. Whether co-hosting a hip-hop radio show on 91.7 WMSE, opening for a national act at the Summerfest Amphitheater, or creating a nationally recognized podcast “Backspin: A Search for Milwaukee’s First Hip-Hop Song” his willingness to freely share his skills and knowledge with his community is unmatched. Milwaukee Band Director, Adam Murphy of Reagan IB High School, shares the following interview with DJ Bizzon about his in- novative approach to music education.
AM: Why did you start the Scratch Sessions?
TM: I started the Scratch Sessions sim- ply because I love to teach DJing. I saw there was/is a lack of opportunities for that specifically, and music program- ming in general, so I made it happen. I also think it’s important that my teach- ing came with personal mentorship, paid opportunities to showcase what they learn and most importantly free food. I didn’t want any barriers to access for the program and that’s why when I started the Scratch Sessions, they were 100% funded by me. I didn’t want this to be dependent on money or outside funding in any way.
AM: What are your students most interested in learning?
TM: They mostly want to throw their own parties. So they want to learn the raw skills a DJ needs to know like un- derstanding the gear, scratching, blend- ing music, and how to run your own business. Sometimes DJing and music production get tied together as one, so I have a lot of youth who want to make beats and make their own music too. So I’ve added music production classes as well.
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AM: What do you think is the most important lesson that you hope stu- dents will learn from you?
TM: I want them to know that it’s ok to start with a blank slate when it comes to DJing and build that into their own career. Then they can take that same self-determination and apply that to any area of their life, without any excuses. They’ll also know they have a support system around them so in case they are in need, outside of DJing, they have a community of mentors and peers to rely on.
AM: What barriers are removed or services provided when students join Scratch Sessions?
TM: Access of entry to DJing. DJing is really expensive from the DJ gear itself, purchasing music, having a quality lap- top and buying speakers, mics, lights, etc. I bring multiple DJ set-ups so every student gets hands on experience with DJ equipment they wouldn’t get any- where else. And once they get to a high enough skill level, they can borrow the equipment for their own events.
AM: Where do you host these meet- ings? What is attendance like? Is it consistent? Diverse?
TM: I hold them at various youth orga- nizations, community centers, schools and nonprofits around Milwaukee. At- tendance depends on the neighborhood and word-of-mouth. My sessions in the Riverwest neighborhood of Milwaukee at the Jazz Gallery Center had between 20-25 youth coming each session, which was the highest. It was the most diverse and always consistent. That also was the session that I personally ran by myself. When it’s been held at a non profit or a
school, surprisingly attendance was less. I think that’s because youth felt they were supposed to go, instead of them just coming on their own.
AM: What are the outcomes of your program?
TM: I look at outcomes based on how big of a community I have built around the youth and who’s actually DJing on the regular after the sessions are over. Most of my students are DJing multiple times a month and a few have become full-time DJs after they graduated high school. They all support each other by DJing together very often and going to each other’s gigs when they can.
AM: What is the best advice you can give a music teacher who wants to start a similar DJ program?
TM: The best advice is to make sure it’s based on what the students want. Ask them what they want out of the program, use the music THEY listen to, incorporate the program throughout as many school events as possible so they can showcase their skills regularly, support them with gigs outside of the school, find paid opportunities for them and work with other schools and orgs to build the community around them so they are supported as much as possible.
Adam Murphy teaches Band and IB Music at Reagan IB High School in Milwaukee. Email:
murphya@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
Tyronne “DJ Bizzon” Miller teaches DJ’ing in Milwaukee and is the author of the Hal Leonard DJ Method Email:
djbizzon@gmail.com
April 2021
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