JWN FoundationSOURCE: The Jamaica Gleaner
The J. Wray & Nephew (JWN) Foundation hosted the second staging of its Disc Jockey Summer Camp at the company’s head office on Dominica Drive.
Facilitated by DJ Denvo of Open Format Academy and FAME FM, the one-week summer camp was focused on the fundamentals of disc jockeying and music production. The camp, which began in 2019, saw students, 13 to 17 years old, being introduced to different aspects of deejaying and music production such as mixing, scratching, remixing techniques, audio editing, creating radio advertisements, beat making, and content creation.
“The DJ Summer Camp provides a unique and transformative experience for kids along Spanish Town Road and its environs. Cultural expression and social inclusion are two of the founding pillars of the foundation and we believe that this innovative programme offers a healthy platform for self-expression and fosters personal growth,” said JWN Foundation CEO Tanikie McClarthy Allen.
The JWN Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering youth in underserved communities. It hosted the camp as part of a series of summer programmes being supported across different communities. Designed with the belief that music has the power to inspire, uplift, and unite, the JWN Foundation’s DJ Summer Camp offered a comprehensive curriculum and taps into Jamaican culture. DJ Denvo, a product of the volatile inner-city community of Olympic Gardens in Kingston, saw music as the vehicle that would change his circumstances and better his life. This made him a relatable mentor for these young students, providing valuable insight into the world of deejaying and life skills.
“I am thrilled to once again partner with the JWN Foundation to host this DJ Summer Camp as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to empowering youth through cultural expression. As a by-product of an inner-city community, I used music and, by extension, deejaying to change my life and my circumstances,” said DJ Denvo. He continued, “By providing access to these skills, we are fostering creativity, building self-confidence, and inspiring a passion for music among the next generation of artistes and performers,” he ended.
In addition to technical training, the camp also focused on fostering important life skills such as teamwork, communication, and self-discipline. Through interactive workshops and collaborative activities, participants developed a strong sense of camaraderie while learning the value of collaboration, all while engaging in a fun and dynamic learning environment.
The DJ Summer Camp’s penultimate activity was an event where campers had the opportunity to showcase their new-found skills and talents to a panel of judges from JWN. This celebratory showcase highlighted the participants’ musical achievements and personal growth during the camp. The camp culminated by offering the students a vision of what is possible with a tour of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group’s studios on Lyndhurst Road, with stops at Radio Jamaica (RJR 94 FM) – Jamaica’s oldest radio station; FAME 95 FM and Hitz 92 FM. There, they were introduced to the world of radio deejaying as well as some of the notable disc jocks on the air waves.
After getting a peak into careers available, the students continued with a visit to a studio facility in Seaview Gardens built for the community by the Anthony Hylton, member of parliament for St Andrew Western. The tour facilitated some of the children recording originals creations as well as learning how a production studio works.