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Click on the profiles below to learn more about our Teaching Artists or to book a workshop!
PlayPlay
Jess Dilday, otherwise known as "PlayPlay," is an NYC-based DJ, music producer & educator. They have been DJ’ing for over a decade, starting off on turntables with vinyl, and since learning to perform on everything from CDJs to controllers to the Ableton Push. Stylistically, Jess combines their penchant for percussion and bass with nostalgic hip-hop and classic house samples in their music. They have DJ'ed in venues in San Francisco, Miami, South America and Europe. Their production work as PlayPlay has been released by labels such as Knightwerk Record and have also released guest mixes. Their original music has been featured on NTS Radio, BBC Radio 1, and more. Jess having taught at the University of North Carolina Department of Music as a DJ professor and also as a guest lecturer at other universities. Jess loves to share their skills with as many people as they can, and has a particular investment in mentoring women, gender non-conforming artists, and others not traditionally represented in the DJ/beatmaking industry.
DJ RAY BLK
DJ RAY BLK (Rayvaughn) is a DJ, Producer, and Educator hailing from Queens. He is the creator of American Producer's League (a popular NYC producer competition) and also has a music business channel where he provides advice to up-and-coming artists.
El Blanco Niño
El Blanco Nino aka Christian Vargas is a music producer from The Bronx, New York. What started as a hobby of sending tracks back and forth online has grown into a catalog of online music releases from chopped and screwed edits, future bass releases, club music releases with a wide range of underground artists, and diving into the genre of footwork. Always switching sounds you can see his musical evolution on his latest mix for Like That Records and catch his monthly residency mixes for Half Moon Radio.
theoretic
theoretic is a Brooklyn-based producer/DJ, keyboardist and educator. Her passion for social justice and liberation is rooted in her belief that music is the most powerful healing force that connects all beings. theoretic has been known to blend soulful disco, funk, r&b, and house with electronic-based grooves. She is also currently studying to become a mixing engineer, and has been featured on the Women of the World (WOW) Vol. 2 mixtape.
SammyAyOnTheBeat
Born in 1987, Samuel Lee a.k.a. “SammAyOnTheBeat” was raised in Bronx, NY where Sunday's in the church became an early building block to his musical development. During junior high, he was introduced to FL Studio causing him to develop a deep interest in music production. Samuel attended and graduated from the Institute of Audio Research and furthered his education by being involved in internships with Smash Studios and Daddy’s House Recording Studio. In 2009, he focused on becoming a teaching artist for Thurgood Marshall Academy in Harlem, NY causing him to develop a new passion for teaching and eventually led Samuel to join Building Beats. Moving forward in his career, he has earned placements with MTV 2 "Off The Bat", "Girl Code" & "Guy Code" and is currently a member of production company ARESVP, curators of events, concerts, and artist development.
Robzilla212
Robzilla is from Honolulu, Hawaii and was raised under the palm tree emoji. Yep, it's true. He grew up on reggae, punk and hip-hop. He's released an EP of dancehall reggae tunes on the Brooklyn label Dutty Artz. He's had his songs played on the radio in New York, Jamaica and London. He produces dancehall using Ableton Live and the Push controller. He's DJed gigs across New York and the US over the last 20 years.
OBaH
OBaH turned a family legacy into a profession, becoming a rising industry music producer and highly sought after NYC DJ. OBaH stands for Oldskool Beats and Harmonies for a very good reason: he’s the son of veteran NYC DJ/Musician/Professor and activist, Baba Chico. With his father’s epic library of music, OBaH quickly made his mark on the NYC club scene, becoming the resident DJ at several nightclubs in his native Brooklyn. OBaH has spun in well over 75 venues in NYC, across the U.S. and abroad. His talents have also been commissioned by brands, with cultural institutions as well as with live performances by hip hop legends, international bands and acclaimed DJ’s. While OBaH continues to spin on a weekly basis in NYC, he is also fast at work producing remixes as well as original compositions for television and film and has made his theatrical off-Broadway debut, as associate music director, starring and performing as a DJ in “A Sucker Emcee.” OBaH spent 8 years teaching aspiring DJ’s the craft as a senior staff instructor at Dubspo and takes his “formative education” with him wherever he goes.
Chaz Van Queen
Chazmere, born Chaz Van Queen, is a Bronx-based artist, songwriter, producer, and teacher, depending on who you ask. With influences spanning from Pharrell to Death Grips, Chazmere has developed a loyal following uptown and across New York City. He has played venues such as Brooklyn Bowl, Webster Hall, and the Highline Ballroom, as well as performing at Sofar Sounds NYC. Chazmere has also played in Boston, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Paris, London, and Barcelona, working alongside the likes of Talib Kweli, Pro Era, Homeboy Sandman, and Das Racist.
G Silva
Gonzalo Silva is known around the world as 'DJ Reck'. A DJ, remixer and producer hailing from Union City, New Jersey, he is a part of the famed Jersey-based group Brick Bandits Crew. He is also a co-founder of the popular local parties #THREAD, TroPicante, and Moombahton Maxxin -the first official Moombahton party in NYC. Gonzalo draws inspiration from his Latin heritage and the many multi-cultured communities he's grown up around, providing a style some have described as 'Urban World Music'. His turntable and mixing skills have brought him success through mainstream outlets like MTV and Mad Decent along with popular blogs like Do Androids Dance and Generation Bass.
Pozibelle
Pozibelle is a Brooklyn based DJ/Producer who has been exploring sound waves since a young age, with a background as a contemporary dancer. Her love for music led her to DJ in the club and radio scene, which organically paved the way into production and live beat sets. Always blending the lines between the genres, expect her beat set to hop from house to jungle to hip hop seamlessly. Pozibelle is a regular artist with Creator's Suite & Gender Amplified, both advocating for women in music production. She has performed with notable beat crews such as Beat Haus, In Plain Sight, Pushing Buttons Collective and more.
Misha "Silky" Savage
Misha "Silky" Savage has been a staple of the cultural landscape of NYC since 2013. In pursuit of the sounds of his idols Nile Rodgers, Fela Kuti and Lee-Scratch Perry, he turned on a drum pad and switched over from Jazz guitar acolyte to Mothership-funk producer. He has gone on to lead Afro-Caribbean Dance orchestra The Saturators, as well as write and produce for Neo-Soul supergroup Herbivores. Since 2015, he has worked with many organizations; including Building Beats, Beat Global & St. Nicks Alliance; teaching music production, songwriting, and MCing. He prefers to produce using Native Instruments Maschine and Ableton Live.
Nina Pollock
Nina is a New York based composer, creative audio engineer, and podcast producer with 3 years of professional composing, recording, mixing, editing, and producing experience. She has composed for 5 shorts and one feature film and has also edited and produced a variety of weekly podcasts. Nina’s goal is to embrace every aspect of media and find the ways in which music and sound play a role within each of them!
P.U.D.G.E. started out DJing in the mid 90′s in his hometown of Jamaica, Queens where he studied local DJ legends and Jamaican Sound Systems, all the while honing his skills in the “blend-tape” era. After graduating SJU in NY & joining the VJC (Vinyl Junkie Clique), he relocated to Los Angeles in 04′ where he acted as tour DJ for L.A. Hip-Hop legends Fat Lip (Pharcyde) and Myka Nyne (Freestyle Fellowship)and hasperformed alongside famed LA Beatsmiths Flying Lotus, Computer Jay, Dibiase, and Ras G. He has also released various instrumental projects as part of the then burgeoning LA “Beat Scene.” He has performed in venues and clubs in LA as well as various UK/EU festivals and nightclubs. P.U.D.G.E was recently featured in the NYC Summerstage Series at Queensbridge park, & The Remy Martin After Dark Jazz Nights at NUBLU. Currently, P.U.D.G.E is a resident DJ and one of the founders of a monthly event called “RITUAL” in Brooklyn.