MONTREAL - Get your vinyl records out and your turntable warmed up – you’re going back to school.

With big reputable annual techno events like this past weekend’s Bal en Blanc bringing tourism dollars to Montreal and fuelling the city’s profitable after hours scene, it was clear for Peet Bernard, better known as DJ Peet AnimA, that the next step was to tap into people wanting to become professional DJs. A look at the city’s only operational DJ school.

“It took me a year to create from scratch the curriculum and the methodology book to teach how to DJ … It wasn’t easy. It isn’t like showing a friend how to play the guitar. There’s no methodology book on how to DJ at the music store,” says Bernard, the founder, director and main teacher of DJ School Montreal that’s been in operation since last September.

Learning how to become a professional DJ is like learning the art of graffiti or parkour – there’s no set instruction manual. Your best bet is to look at how-to clips on YouTube and, if you’re lucky, shadow the performances of a known DJ personality – that usually means lugging their heavy crates of vinyl records, doubling as the coat check person and distributing promotional flyers in the hopes of one day having a shot at the turntables.

With his DJ school, Bernard intends to change old school ways. He’s also intent on legitimizing the DJ profession.

“I have all different kinds of students. I have a student that’s a lawyer. I have another one in his forties. I also have a 15 year old student that gets dropped off by his mom … I’m still looking out for my first retired baby boomer looking to DJ,” says Bernard about his students.

The school’s curriculum offers three levels of training that are designed to certify the students with a professional DJ degree, ready to scratch, mix and dub on any sound system a DJ may encounter in the city’s clubs – whether the system is digital, a CD mixer or plays old school vinyl.

“I signed up at the DJ school because I was always interested in how a mixer works and how producing music works. I really like electronic music,” says 41 year old DJ student Gino Del Fabbro, owner of a cleaning company.

Adorned with Tibetan flags and large Cuban bongo drums, accessible only from his roommate’s tiny animation studio, Bernard’s small studio basement in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve doubles as the DJ school’s classroom. The atmosphere is relaxed, easygoing and completely informal – just like Bernard.

Bernard began his musical career playing guitar in punk bands. He didn’t have an interest for what he calls “club techno music” until he was introduced to electronic music by a friend 10 years ago. Bernard experimented with different beats and electronic styles at small parties and adopted the DJ name Peet AnimA. Eventually, Bernard became a regular fixture of the Montreal and Central American techno DJ scene. He’s performed in big name clubs — like the Jaguar Temple Club on San Pedro Island.

During a trip to Vancouver in 2009, Bernard was inspired by the local DJ school and adapted the concept to Montreal. To date, Bernard has taught 30 students at his school.

“The courses are half theory and half practical, that’s one of the advantages of the DJ courses Peet offers compared to other private teachers,” says 28 year old DJ student Virginie Constant, an orthopedic therapist.

At the moment, the school is considered private. Bernard hopes that his school will eventually be recognized by the Ministère de l’Éducation. In other to do so, his school needs to produce more curriculum hours.

In the next five years, Bernard predicts that his school will have a larger classroom, the necessary funds to hire full time teachers and the means to produce an end of year showcase so his students can get contracts with record labels or booked by techno event organizers.

With Montreal’s growing nightlife business, Bernard’s venture is in step with career choices young Montrealers want to fulfill. Last month, DJ School Montreal was invited, along with other nightlife career exhibits, to attend the student Salon Emploi at the Complexe Desjardins.

The Trebas Institute in Montreal receives lots of questions regarding their now interrupted DJ arts program but those students get redirected to other technical sound programs at the institute that try to meet their needs.

“We’ve never got the sufficient amount of applications to get the DJ arts program started ... It’s a very specific clientele,” says Martin Morissette, director of the Trebas Institute in Montreal. The institute would need at least 12 full time students to operate the DJ arts program.

Once you’ve been schooled in the art of beats per minute and you can differentiate your house music from your trance, just how do you make a living being a DJ?

“You can either make the first steps and talk to club organizers to get gigs or you can hire someone to represent and manage you … Either way, most DJs, even the most popular ones, have regular day jobs to make ends meet. You have to be passionate about electronic music to do this,” says Bernard.

DJ School Montreal is located at 2412 la Fontaine St. Visit www.djschoolmontreal.ca or call 514-952-5990 for more information.
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Originally posted by Mrs Haus Also I noticed you work for the Canadian Forces so depending on if your an Officer or an NCM (non-Commissioned Member) and your now in Kingston by the looks of it so your no longer on your basic training where you get paid peanuts. So like I said depending on if your an NCM or Officer and your rank, you probably make at least $50,000 a year but most likely more. And depending on if you live at CFB Kingston your cost of living is probably very low as well, but even if you weren't cost of living in Kingston isn't that bad. Its only $30 which is cheaper than most nights at Stereo. Most of us on here who post about Stereo have put out probably hundreds and hundreds of dollars clubbing there just this year alone, and have never really complained for the most part. I know I sure as hell have.