In a classroom on the third floor of the MIT Media Lab, it’s quiet; the disc jockey is setting up. At the end of a conference table ringed with chairs, there are two turntables on either side of a mixer and a worn crossfader. A MacBook sits to the right of the setup.

Today’s class — CMS.303/803/21M.365 (DJ History, Technique, and Technology) — takes students to the 1970s, which means disco, funk, rhythm and blues, and the breaks that form the foundation of early hip-hop are in the mix. Instructor Philip Tan ’01, SM ’03 starts with a needle drop. Class is about to begin.

Tan is a research scientist with the MIT Game Lab — part of the Institute’s Comparative Media Studies/Writing (CMS/W) program. An accomplished DJ and founder of a DJ crew at MIT, he’s been teaching students classic turntable and mixing techniques since 1998. Tan is also an accomplished game designer whose specialties include digital, live-action, and tabletop games, in both production and management. But today’s focus is on two turntables, a mixer, and music.

“DJ’ing is about using the platter as a music instrument,” Tan says as students begin filing into the classroom, “and creating a program for audiences to enjoy.”

Originally from Singapore, Tan arrived in the United States — first as a high school student in 1993, and later as an MIT student in 1997 — to study the humanities. He brought his passion for DJ culture with him.

“A high school friend in Singapore introduced DJ’ing to me in 1993,” he recalls. “We DJ’d a couple of school dances together and entered the same DJ competitions. Before that, though, I made mix tapes, pausing the cassette recorder while cuing up the next song on cassette, compact disc, or vinyl.”

Later, Tan wondered if his passion could translate into a viable course, exploring the idea over several years. “I wanted to find and connect with other folks on campus who might also be interested in DJ’ing,” he says. During MIT’s Independent Activities Period (IAP) in 2019, he led a four-week “Discotheque” lecture series at the Lewis Music Library, talking about vinyl records, DJ mixers, speakers, and digital audio. He also ran meetups for campus DJs in the MIT Music Production Collaborative.

“We couldn’t really do meetups and in-person performances during the pandemic, but I had the opportunity to offer a spring Experiential Learning Opportunity for MIT undergraduates, focused on DJ’ing over livestreams,” he says. The CMS/W program eventually let Tan expand the IAP course to a full-semester, full-credit course in spring 2023.

Showing students the basics

In the class, students learn the foundational practices necessary for live DJ mixing. They also explore a chosen contemporary or historical dance scene from around the world. The course investigates the evolution of DJ’ing and the technology used to make it possible. Students are asked to write and present their findings to the class based on historical research and interviews; create a mix tape showcasing their research into a historical development in dance music, mixing technique, or DJ technology; and end the semester with a live DJ event for the MIT community. Access to the popular course is granted via lottery.

“From circuits to signal processing, we have been able to see real-life uses of our course subjects in a fun and exciting way,” says Madeline Leano, a second-year student majoring in computer science and engineering and minoring in mathematics. “I’ve also always had a great love for music, and this class has already broadened my music taste as well as widened my appreciation for how music is produced.”

Leano lauded the class’s connections with her work in engineering and computer science. “[Tan] would always emphasize how all the parts of the mixing board work technically, which would come down to different electrical engineering and physics topics,” she notes. “It was super fun to see the overlap of our technical coursework with this class.”

During today’s class, Tan walks students through the evolution of the DJ’s tools, explaining the shifts in DJ’ing as it occurred alongside technological advances by companies producing the equipment. Tan delves into differences in hardware for disco and hip-hop DJs, how certain equipment like the Bozak CMA-10-2DL mixer lacked a crossfader, for example, while the UREI 1620 music mixer was all knobs. Needs changed as the culture changed, Tan explains, and so did the DJ’s tools.

He’s also immersing the class in music and cultural history, discussing the foundations of disco and hip-hop in the early 1970s and the former’s reign throughout the decade while the latter grew alongside it. Club culture for members of the LGBTQ+ community, safe spaces for marginalized groups to dance and express themselves, and previously unheard stories from these folks are carefully excavated and examined at length.

“Studying meter, reviewing music history, and learning new skills”

Toward the end of the class, each student takes their place behind the turntables. They’re searching by feel for the ease with which Tan switches back and forth between two tracks, trying to get the right blend of beats so they don’t lose the crowd. You can see their confidence growing in real time as he patiently walks them through the process: find the groove, move between them, blend the beat. They come to understand that it’s harder than it might appear.

“I’m not looking for students to become expert scratchers,” Tan says. “We’re studying meter, reviewing music history, and learning new skills.”

“Philip is one of the coolest teachers I have had here at MIT!” Leano exclaims. “You can just tell from the way he holds himself in class how both knowledgeable and passionate he is about DJ history and technology.”

Watching Tan demonstrate techniques to students, it’s easy to appreciate the skill and dexterity necessary to both DJ well and to show others how it’s done. He’s steeped in the craft of DJ’ing, as comfortable with two turntables and a mixer as he is with a digital setup favored by DJs from other genres, like electronic dance music. Students, including Leano, note his skill, ability, and commitment.

“Any question that any classmate may have is always answered in such depth he seems like a walking dictionary,” she says. “Not to mention, he makes the class so interactive with us coming to the front and using the board, making sure everyone gets what is happening.”