GC Pro Helps Source Gear for Las Vegas Clark County Library District “Learn to DJ” Program

A view of three different DJ stations in use for the Las Vegas Clark County Library District’s “Learn to DJ” program, with gear sourced through GC Pro. Photo courtesy of Salvador Avila. © 2015.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, February 24, 2015 — The Las Vegas Clark County Library District’s “Learn to DJ” program (a part of their broader TechArt Studio initiative and part of the federally-funded STEM program scholarships) has been going strong since 2013. The program was recently brought to a higher level with gear upgrades sourced through Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users. GC Pro Account Manager John Stevens worked closely with Enterprise Branch Manager Salvador Avila, who runs the class, to assemble a full complement of all new DJ gear, lighting and headphones to serve this free, twice-weekly class, for students age 13-17.

This interactive, hands-on experience introduces and exposes young people to DJ skills, including scratching, mixing and lighting. After mastering the many functions of the controller and software, students are able to create their own mix, burn it to a disc and share it with family, friends and fellow DJs. More generally, the program helps kids develop skills in computer use, music composition, public speaking and event/equipment management. There is also a separate class for adults, meeting twice monthly. The classes are held at the Enterprise Library branch at 25 E. Shelbourne Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89123.

Avila runs the class, where he is known as “Coach.” He states, “Libraries all over the country are having a hard time attracting teens, and they are approaching the problem in unique ways. Here, in one of the entertainment capitals of the world, it made sense to start a DJ program for young people. We started with one controller, one set of speakers, a set of lights and a laptop, and our program members quickly outgrew this setup. I recommended to the Public Services Administration that makes library decisions that we convert one of the conference rooms into a full-time DJ studio with five stations, and they agreed to it! It was a risk, but it paid off.”

Avila and Stevens decided on an extensive equipment list, and the program ended up purchasing Numark NS72, Pioneer DDJ-SX and Numark NS6 controllers, with Pioneer DDJ-SX2 controllers soon to join the arsenal; Chauvet Obey™ 70 lighting controller; Alto and Mackie speakers; a selection of microphones and more.

Avila notes, “I have a curriculum in place, but it’s based on the students’ own comfort level, their own competency. If you’re new, first you have to learn how to do cues and loops, and master those two things. Once I feel that you have mastered those two functions, we move on to looping and scratching techniques. Once you’ve mastered that, we introduce effects. It’s a journey. I have kids that have been attending since day one. They can attend as long as they like.”

He adds, “I got involved with Guitar Center and GC Pro because I like loud music, and they have the professional-grade loudspeakers that I like. When I went there to build my own home DJ setup, John Stevens was so knowledgeable that I developed a relationship there. Once the program was getting off the ground, I went back to John and he walked me through the process of what would be the right equipment and accessories, for the age group that I was dealing with. That’s how I became a GC Pro customer, mainly because of the great Account Managers and the right advice.”

For more information, please visit www.gcpro.com.

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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Guitar Center Professional is the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users. Its clientele includes recording studios, audio engineers, producers, recording and touring musicians, live sound venues, post production facilities and more. Emphasizing extraordinary individualized service via local account managers, GC Pro offers expert consultation and a comprehensive selection of the world’s finest equipment for music and audio professionals. More information on GC Pro can be found by visiting www.gcpro.com.

GC Pro Works with Make-A-Wish®

Make-A-Wish® Southern Nevada program participant Diego, performing with his new DJ gear at a recent 5K event held by the organization. Photo courtesy of Make-A-Wish® Southern Nevada.

— GC Pro uses its incredible depth of inventory, its vast resources and the compassion of its employees to provide accessible products for children in the Make-A-Wish® program —

— Two young aspiring DJs now have professional-level rigs that they’re already putting to use at gigs, with all equipment, assembly and training
provided by GC Pro —
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, June 27, 2014 — Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users, has been regularly collaborating with Make-A-Wish® Southern Nevada, a chapter of the national organization that grants the wishes of children diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions in the United States and its territories, to provide access to musical instruments and professional audio equipment for children in the program. Most recently, the GC Pro office in Las Vegas worked with the southern Nevada chapter to make the dreams of two young DJs come true. In the cases of Kyle and Diego, two youngsters suffering from debilitating, life-threatening conditions, GC Pro fulfilled their wish list.

The new rigs for each DJ now include a Numark NS7II DJ Controller with case and stand, QSC K12 powered speakers and KW181 powered subwoofer, an Apple MacBook Pro laptop computer, Pioneer HDJ2000 professional headphones, Ableton Live 9 software, a Sennheiser E835 microphone and an Akai Professional EIE PRO 24-bit Audio/MIDI interface with USB hub. All of this equipment was provided fully assembled, configured and installed by Michael “Mickey” Lomboy, a member of the GC Pro Affiliates Program, with training also provided by GC Pro personnel – all part of how GC Pro supports Make-A-Wish’s acclaimed charity work.

“These kids are amazing,” says John Stevens, the Account Manager at GC Pro’s Las Vegas office who acted as the liaison for the project and for other similar collaborations since June of 2013. “They’re up against some serious illnesses — Kyle is permanently in a wheelchair and Diego has a serious neurological condition. But they are both really focused on becoming DJs. We wanted them to have the tools to achieve those dreams.” And that’s exactly what’s happened — both kids are already using the gear to play shows and concerts in front of substantial crowds.

Miriam Ceballos, Wish Granting Coordinator at Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada, had praise for GC Pro’s contributions to their cause. “We work with many vendors on these projects, and I can say that every time we’ve worked with GC Pro it’s been a pleasant and fulfilling experience, for us and for the kids,” she says. “DJ wishes have become very popular lately, and GC Pro knows exactly what the kids want and need, and it’s always right there when you need it. Sometimes the kids know what they want, and whatever it is, you know GC Pro has it in stock. And if the kids aren’t sure, GC Pro is there to help them figure out what works best for them.”

John Stevens notes that working at GC Pro is always fulfilling because, he says, “Every day you’re making someone’s dream come true, to be an artist, an engineer, a producer, a DJ. But with Make-A-Wish, it takes that feeling to a whole new level. When you see the kids smile and light up when they get that equipment, it pulls at your heartstrings. It’s the best feeling I’ve ever gotten here at GC Pro.”

For more information, please visit www.gcpro.com.

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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Founded in 2001, Guitar Center Professional is the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users. Its clientele includes recording studios, audio engineers, producers, recording and touring musicians, live sound venues, post production facilities and more. Emphasizing extraordinary individualized service via local account managers, GC Pro offers expert consultation and a comprehensive selection of the world’s finest equipment for music and audio professionals. More information on GC Pro can be found by visiting www.gcpro.com.