Today we are celebrating School of Scratch Student Robert Smith aka DJ Solifidy from the USA, who has recently completed the 100 Days of Scratching challenge! ??❤️
Here is Robert’s 100th day post:
Huge congrats Robert!
I asked Robert some questions to help those of you who are considering doing the 100 Days of Scratching Project.
Interview
Welcome Robert! Can you give us some background on your interest in music, DJing and scratching?
My interest in music began in Junior high school, I was in all of the bands, symphonic, jazz, and marching bands, playing all things percussion related. I had always wanted to learn the art of scratching but I really didn’t have the time or money early in my life because I joined the Marine Corps right after high school. After 12 years of that I kicked around for a few years then joined the Army for another 8 years.
What made you decide to undertake the 100 day challenge?
Since I am brand new to scratching, I wanted to completely immerse myself in the practical application of it and I figured the 100 day challenge would keep me focused and on track.
What was your approach?
At first my approach was to methodically work my way through the beginner section of the course. I would watch the video tutorials, and try to keep up on the QnA portions.
What is your recording and posting workflow like?
How I do it normally is I watch the tutorials on the technique I will be working on, then then practice it for about 10 or 20 minutes, then record and post the results, whether it was good or not.
What are your top tools / apps / software / equipment to capture and edit?
I really don’t have that much in the way of equipment to capture and edit, I was just using my phone until recently, then I got a Go Pro Hero 8 for my birthday. Editing is a complete mystery to me that im still struggling with.
What did you learn?
Being that this is all completely new to me, I learned a lot. Scratches that looked impossible to me when I started became easier for me to do. I also learned to stop trying to make everything flawless, its all a work in progress and even with some mistakes you can still sound pretty good
What were some of the highlights of the 100 day project for you?
I would say the biggest highlight for me is the confidence I have gained in my scratching, I know I have a long way to go but I now have a solid foundation on which to build.
What helped you on your way?
The main things that helped me were the School of Scratch crew’s encouragement and advice, our community is awesome and very supportive. The second thing that helped me was knowing that I had to practice and post everyday, it helped keep me on track.
What didn’t work?
The Q and A sessions didn’t work for me because I couldn’t keep up with them and get discouraged, im trying to get better at it though.
What was the most challenging part and how did you deal with that?
For me the most challenging part was trying to not compare my progress to the other awesome members of our crew, I would see the quality of their videos and see them working on all these complex combos and techniques, and I would feel almost embarrassed about how simplistic my videos are. I still struggle with it from time to time.
What are your top tips for anyone who wants to undertake this challenge?
- Definitely take your time and just do you, its not a competition or a race, everyone learns at different speeds.
- There will be days that you just don’t want to get on the turntables, and that’s ok, it shouldn’t feel like a task or a chore to you, its supposed to be fun so have fun!
If you were to do this challenge again, what, if anything would you do differently?
The second time around on 100 Day Challenge, I am going to try to push myself to learn the more complex combos and techniques I was talking about earlier.
You are a School of Scratch student. What has your school and learning experience been like?
The school has been outstanding, the community is supportive, and they are always quick to answer any questions you may have, plus Emma has a way of explaining styles and techniques that makes learning easier.
How do you approach ongoing learning and staying fresh?
Since I am just starting out and my skill base is somewhat limited, I tend to fall back to what I am most comfortable with, that is why I will be pushing to learn more techniques and combos so I can put out stuff that doesn’t sound the same all the time. Learning is continuous.
Do you have any wisdom on learning that you can share with our students?
I have said this before and I’m trying to apply it: “There is no learning in your comfort zone and there is no comfort in your learning zone.”
What is next for you?
I have already started my next 100 day challenge, no rest for the wicked.
Where can we find you online?
That’s a wrap!
Thanks Robert! Thank you for sharing your experience and process with us. Keep on stepping outside of your comfort zone and learning!
Thank you for being part of our Supa Scratch Crew. Looking forward to seeing your continued progress through out the next 100 days on Instagram and inside our School.
About 100 Days of Scratching
100 Days of Scratching is a project I started and completed (see here) and have been encouraging my students to do the same – as a way to get in the habit of daily practice, documenting progress and connecting with others.
Robert joins fellow School of Scratch Students aka the Supa Scratch Crew: Jenny Pocket, Eric Spindler, Roli Rho, Andrei, Jaden, Molino, Jamie, Jerry, Alina, Toby, Jay Rakim, Vanessa, Julian, Crystal, Smallimus, Allexia, Thomas, Ashley, Adam, Erick, Magnus, Roly G and Denise who have all completed the 100 Days of Scratching project. What an amazing crew of creators!
Wanna take part in the 100 Days of Scratching Project?
You can take part in the 100 Days of Scratching project and join our group of supportive DJs here:
Join the 100 Days of Scratching Challenge
If you are curious about learning with School of Scratch you can check it out here and sign up below to get 2 free lessons to get you started.
Happy Scratching! 😀
– Emma Short-E