Dub Academy, Austin

Dub Academy is just like any other school: a teacher delivers a lesson at the front of the room while students sit at their desks. Granted, each desk has a double set of turntables, and the classroom walls are splattered in vibrant graffiti. But the focus here is still education—all of the pupils are learning how to put on a memorable DJ performance.

The academy staff offers DJ lessons for complete beginners as well as advanced classes for those interested in honing their craft. Specialized Turntablism classes even cover the intricacies of the turntable, from scratching and juggling records to putting bandaids on the records you've scratched too often. Aspiring DJs choose between TRAKTOR and Serato Scratch Live software to best customize their playlists.

The academy also hosts classes on music production and management. Production sessions give the student the option to learn how to build tracks from scratch using either Ableton Live Software or Maschine by Native Instruments.