Wu-Tang's DJ Symphony brings DJing workshop to Seoul

• Published date: 10 March 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

Symphony Taylor, aka DJ Symphony, is an icon in the hip-hop world. The radio star-turned-live DJ has worked with everyone from KRS-One and Pete Rock to Busta Rhymes and Nas. He is best known, however, as the touring DJ for Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon and GZA. On March 18, DJ Symphony will return to Seoul to teach his acclaimed DJing workshop at Itaewon's Lit Lounge and spin at an exclusive after-party. First, he talks to us about life on the road, his favorite collaboration and why it's important to nurture future hip-hop stars.

For many, the dream of being a DJ and playing bangers to an excited crowd can be appealing. But learning the basics of the craft can be a tricky first hurdle. This is where New Jersey-born DJ and instructor Symphony steps in. Between his California-based DJ academy and his online training courses, DJ Symphony has developed a reputation for teaching wannabe spinners.

"It's gonna be a whole lot of fun," explains Symphony in an interview with The Korea Times. "We'll be learning a lot of technical skills that you won't be able to learn elsewhere because they're from a curriculum that I wrote. There'll also be some light industry stuff where I give people advice on how to get better bookings and to make sure they get paid properly. I want to teach DJs how to get what they're worth."

A successful DJ in his own right, Symphony has always considered it important to pay his success forward, nurturing the next generation of talent. "I grew up poor, and I was lucky to get so many opportunities to advance my career," he explains. "I worked hard for what I got, but I also got lucky to sometimes be in the right place at the right time. When you come from where I've come from, you have to take opportunities when they come your way! Because of where I come from, I've always said that whenever I can help someone get to that next level, I will. That's part of what teaching is about, as well as working with new rappers."

This mentality led to the creation of his first DJ academy in Fairfield, California, in 2013. "The school came about because I'd been DJing a lot of parties and doing a lot of events," he said. "I realized that, in my early career, I was ignorant to the fact that there's so much more to learn besides 'turntable 1, turntable 2' and 'fader left, fader right.' So in 2013, I decided to write a curriculum that would teach someone how to become a DJ from scratch and get the necessary skills to make it in the industry ? how to be a proper DJ."

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