Intro to DJing with AlphaTheta x FEMME HOUSE

Build the skills and confidence to make your first mix and understand club-standard DJ workflow.

IMPORTANT COURSE DATES

Course materials open August 31 and remain available on demand. Four live Zoom sessions will take place on the dates below, and each recording will be added to the course materials after the session.

AUGUST 31 | 12PM PT / 3PM ET | ALL COURSE MATERIALS OPEN

SEPTEMBER 11 | 1PM - 2:30PM PT / 4PM - 5:30PM ET | WEEK 1 LIVE SESSION

SEPTEMBER 18 | 1PM - 2:30PM PT / 4PM - 5:30PM ET | WEEK 2 LIVE SESSION

SEPTEMBER 25 | 1PM - 2:30PM PT / 4PM - 5:30PM ET | WEEK 3 LIVE SESSION

OCTOBER 2 | 1PM - 2:30PM PT / 4PM - 5:30PM ET | WEEK 4 LIVE SESSION

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR

GERA AKATE

Gera Akate, born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico (1990), is a DJ, music producer, educator, and promoter with sixteen years of experience in the electronic music industry. Her passion for music began in childhood, exploring instruments such as the saxophone, violin, and percussion (including bass drum and snare, among others). She later joined the Bayamón Military Academy band, where she developed discipline, technique, and a deep connection with music.

From an early age, Gera cultivated a habit of collecting and exploring music from multiple genres and cultures—an influence that would later become essential to her sound as both DJ and producer.

At 19, she took her first steps as a DJ, quickly standing out for her energy on stage, technical precision, and ability to connect with audiences. By 23, she began producing music, shaping a unique sound that blends house, techno, minimal, and experimental elements.

Throughout her career, Gera has taken her music to various stages across the world, performing in Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Mexico, as well as at iconic international venues such as Space Miami and Output New York. She has also performed at major festivals like EDC Puerto Rico, sharing the stage with global artists including Fisher, John Summit, and Nastia.

In the recording realm, Gera has released productions on renowned labels such as Life and Death, Little Helpers, and her own imprint Akochema Records—a platform that also serves as a creative space for developing emerging artists.

Her vision goes beyond the DJ booth. Gera is the founder of Akochema and DJ Academy Puerto Rico, projects dedicated to nurturing the local music scene through education, mentorship, and community-building. Through these spaces, she has helped shape new generations of DJs and producers, making a significant impact on Puerto Rico’s cultural ecosystem.

In recent years, Gera has also collaborated with the film industry, notably with the Lusca Film Festival, merging electronic music with visual and narrative elements, expanding her artistic influence into new interdisciplinary horizons.

Thanks to her versatility, dedication, and continuous innovation, Gera Akate has positioned herself as one of Puerto Rico’s most influential DJs and producers, and a true ambassador of Puerto Rican electronic music on the international stage.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Intro to DJing with AlphaTheta and FEMME HOUSE is a four-session online course for aspiring DJs ready to build practical skills and confidence behind the decks. Led by DJ, producer, and educator Gera Akate, the course covers music preparation in rekordbox, song structure, phrasing, beatmatching, cue points, transitions, effects, and energy control.

The course is built around the Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX4, with foundational lessons that students using the AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX2 can also follow. Students will also learn how controller-based skills translate to club-standard workflow across AlphaTheta and Pioneer DJ systems.

Each 90-minute session will be taught live and recorded, giving enrolled students the flexibility to participate in real time or revisit the material at their own pace. By the end of the course, students will have the foundation to prepare music, build clean transitions, manage the energy of a set, and perform a short structured DJ mix.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

WEEK 1 – Foundations + First Mix
DJ identity and role of the selector
Audio formats (MP3, WAV, AIFF, FLAC)
Introduction to rekordbox and track preparation
DDJ-FLX4 overview and workflow
Song structure (intro, build, drop, outro)
4/4 timing, BPM, phrasing (16 bars)
Mixing fundamentals (match BPM, set cue, phrase launch, EQ transition, clean exit)
WEEK 2 – rekordbox + Beatmatching
Library organization and preparation as a DJ
Beatgrid fundamentals
USB workflow
Hot cues and memory cues
Manual BPM control
Jog wheel micro-adjustments
Headphone cue workflow
Real-time beat alignment
Practicing clean transitions without effects
WEEK 3 – Effects + Club Workflow
Understanding effects in DJ transitions
Where and when to incorporate effects in electronic music
Using filter, echo, and reverb to support transitions
Creating different transition combinations using FX
Reinforcing phrasing accuracy when applying effects
Transitioning from the Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX4 to club-standard workflow across AlphaTheta and Pioneer DJ systems
rekordbox export workflow for playing on CDJs
WEEK 4 – Performance + Energy Control
Filter transitions
Basic echo out
Energy building techniques
Transitioning between genres
Reading and managing crowd energy
Short structured mini-set demonstration
Q&A and students sharing their mixes with a special guest appearance by LP Giobbi

RECOMMENDED HARDWARE AND REQUIRED SOFTWARE

Recommended controller: Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX4
Alternative controller for foundational lessons: AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX2
Software: rekordbox. The free version is sufficient for this course. Compare plans here. Review the End User License Agreement and system requirements here.
Please note that while having one of the above listed controllers is highly recommended, it is not required to take this course.

A NOTE ABOUT OUR PRICING

FEMME HOUSE offers this course through a pay-what-you-can pricing model. Each pricing tier provides access to the same course materials, live sessions, and recordings. Participants who are able to contribute at a higher tier help support broader access to FEMME HOUSE programming.

All courses are free for creators of color. Use code FREE4BIPOC at checkout.

CHOOSE A PRICING OPTION

$40