northwest echo story project

Fun After-School Telecommunications (F.A.S.T.)

Music is the Motivation

“Beautiful Liar” by Beyoncé and Shakira and “Coffee Shop” by Yung Joc are just a few of the songs playing as F.A.S.T. (Fun After-School Telecommunications) students learn how to mix songs together. Wearing head phones and standing in front of a CD mixer and microphone, each student mixes a CD they will play for the class at the end of the day. They are learning the necessary skills of a mobile disc jockey.

“Most of our students just do this as a hobby, but we teach them skills they can use in any profession,” said F.A.S.T. Project Director Shaquonia Hildreth. These skills include learning how to market and conduct themselves professionally.

F.A.S.T. also teaches them how to perform and entertain. “DJs are the master of ceremonies at events,” said Joey Yap, a mobile DJ with 24 years of experience and a F.A.S.T. instructor. Professionally, Yap’s name is DJ Sketz. The students have to learn how to use different equipment, handle hecklers and make announcements using a microphone or a recorder.

Posters decorate the classroom walls with information about the disc jockey profession. There are two stations where students can play their music, and they rotate between the two. Small class sizes allow for individualized instruction.

Clarence Carr, a former F.A.S.T. student, was so motivated by his experience that he began his own business as a mobile disc jockey. At 16, he has deejayed at more than 50 events including school dances, private parties, and community events. “My favorite event was the John Muir Class of 1976 reunion. It was a different environment for me, and the alumni gave me a lot of encouragement,” Carr said. His favorite music to play is hip hop because he thinks it is rebellious.

Carr’s professional name is DJ Stoic. He chose this name because his mother told him he was stoic. DJ Stoic charges $50 an hour for his services. However, the more experience DJs have, the more money they can charge. Some charge up to $1000 per hour. Prior to beginning his business, Carr practiced his skills every day after school for one year. Carr said he will continue being a DJ and hopes his business will expand.

In the meantime, Carr enjoys giving back to the F.A.S.T. program by serving as an instructor assistant. He shows students how to change the pitch of a song and set the tempo. “Music is my motivation and I like teaching people,” he said. “This is a great hobby, and I want the kids to know that they can find success.”

F.A.S.T.’s mission is to “promote academic, social, and life achievement through project- based learning activities centered on the creative and entrepreneurial aspects of today’s disc jockey.” Students also learn music history. Some of the genres that are studied include hip hop and jazz. In addition to being exposed to different types of music, students can bring music by their favorite artists to play and mix.

The program is designed to provide the teens with a unique way to further their career development. “I want them to get a feel for what it is like to be a DJ,” Yap said. “But to be a skilled DJ, it takes years of experience and practice.”

The students practice their skills at various community events. The summer session students deejay at the Teen Enrichment Summer Camp held at Robinson Park. Like DJ Stoic, the teens give themselves DJ names. For example, Taylor Long, an eighth grader at Washington Middle School, calls himself DJ Butter Fingers.

F.A.S.T. was founded by Hildreth in 2004. The idea came when she had to write a sample grant for a human services class she was taking at the University of Phoenix. Her husband, Bryan Hildreth, is a professional club and mobile DJ, and she thought an introductory disc jockey class would be a unique opportunity for teens. Hildreth’s professor encouraged her to pursue her idea, and her husband was delighted to serve as an instructor.

At the end of the class, students play the CDs they have mixed and entertain one another. They snap their fingers to the beat and provide words of encouragement to their fellow disc jockeys. The class erupts with applause as each student gives their best performance.