Vinyl Disciples: A DJ Student Showcase

Here at the Beat Refinery, we take special pride in watching our students excel and improve as they move from one class to the next. It is no surprise to us that some of our previous and current students are now professional DJs booking exclusive gigs all over the DC metro area. Therefore, in order to highlight some of our more advanced DJ students and the projects they are working on, we created this page. Enjoy!

(Please Note: some of these songs contain EXPLICIT LYRICS.)

DJ Kittenhead

DJ Kittenhead is a Southern Belle hailing from South Carolina with a New York sensibility. She worked in the fashion industry in New York City, and later her interest and talents led her to Capitol Hill. Currently, she is pre-med and hopes of going off to medical school where she will one day be know as “Dr. DJ Kittenhead.” Kittenhead maybe new to the dj scene but she is well versed in music of all genres. She grew up with music and musical geniuses all around her.

Her parents love of music also helped to build in her a strong appreciation and love of all good music. Kittenhead’s favorite artist range from Duke Ellington to Benny Goodman, to Mahalia Jackson and the Mighty Clouds of Joy, to Ray Charles and Willie Nelson, to Eric B. & Rakim and Queen Latifah. Kittenhead’s jump into djing was as she says a natural progression. She played the saxophone, clarinet, and she continues to play the piano. Kittenhead saw her first pair of turntables and mixer when she was 6-years old and has always wanted to dj ever since. Djing for her is another way to express her creativity, her style, and to put people in a good place.

After doing a bit of research she found out about The Beat Refinery and began to learn the art of djing. Kittenhead credits her technical skills to her “dj mentors” DJ Trayze, DJ As-1, and DJ Stylus Chris. Although she has rocked a crowd at a wedding and a few parties, she says there is always room to learn more from the instructors at the Beat Refinery and plans to continue to perfect her djing skills and production skills.

Latest tracks by DJKittenhead

DJ Sheeno

Matt Statler, aka DJ Sheeno, originally from West Virginia, is an up-and-coming DJ living in the greater DC and Baltimore metroplex (Silver Spring, MD). Music has been a huge part of Matt’s life, as he has played saxophone with organized groups for 13 years and has been DJing for 10 years.

Matt started DJing in his dorm room at West Virginia University. Inspired by great tour DJs such as Mix Master Mike of the Beastie Boys, Matt assembled a basic DJ setup and taught himself the basics of DJing. His first gigs were house parties around Morgantown and he was quickly hired to DJ fraternity formals and high school dances as more people were exposed to his skills.

After moving to the DC area Matt joined local agencies to work both as a mobile and bar/club DJ, receiving training from some of the best DJs in the area. Matt has DJed over 100 mobile events in the last 3 years all over the area from Baltimore to Alexandria including school dances, homecomings, proms, weddings, corporate events, Mitzvahs, Potomac cruises, etc. Additionally, Matt has held DJ residencies in bars in Baltimore and Bethesda, MD, Arlington, VA and Washington DC. Matt has been the official DJ for Chase Kickball and United Social Sports, both headquartered in DC.

DJ Sheeno’s style can be characterized as high energy and he is well versed in the latest pop, house and electro music. He loves to play mashups and has recently been producing his own. To take the next step in his DJ career, he has been taking DJ classes at the Beat Refinery in Bethesda, MD, learning the latest software and techniques from DC’s best DJs. This latest training has culminated in the release of his first promo mix in August, 2011: “Summer Shakedown”. Look for more remixes and promo mixes to come.

Latest tracks by dj sheeno

DJ Ross

DJ Ross Anderson came to the Beat Refinery after many years in the DJ industry doing private parties and weddings. Looking to expand his skills and gain experience as a club DJ he found just what he was looking for. Since his time at Beat Refinery he’s begun playing in new venues, and recently secured a weekly gig.

Beats On Tap by DJ Ross Anderson