Can I book if I've never DJed or produced music before?

Yes. Complete beginners are welcome. Tell us what you're interested in learning and we can start at the right point for you.

Where are the lessons held?

DJ lessons are taught in person at SKapade Studios in Dumbarton. Music production lessons can be taken at the studio or online.

Can I bring a track I'm already working on?

Yes. Production lessons can focus on a project you're already making. Bring the track, explain where you're stuck and use the session to work through it.

Do I need to know which lesson to book?

No. Send us an enquiry and tell us a little about your experience and what you want to learn. We can point you towards the most suitable option.

Do you teach music production online?

Yes. Music production tuition is available online as well as in person at the Dumbarton studio.

A DJ's hands working across the knobs and faders of a Pioneer controller under low club light.

SKAPADE STUDIOS · DUMBARTON, SCOTLAND

DJ and electronic music production lessons in Dumbarton

Learn from working DJs and producers in a dedicated studio. Start from scratch or work on the skills, mixes and tracks you already have.

DJ lessons are taught in person in Dumbarton. Music production tuition is available in the studio or online.

Enquire about lessons See the lessons

Established in 2015
Pioneer DJ School Partner
Hundreds of students taught
2× Community Impact Award winner

Close-up of a digital mixing console, faders and illuminated buttons in a darkened studio.

WHY SKAPADE

Learn from people who do this outside the classroom

SKapade started in Dumbarton in 2015 after Stephen Kirkwood began teaching music production locally. The studio grew into a base for DJ and production tuition, alongside education work with schools and youth programmes across Scotland.

That teaching sits alongside real electronic music experience. Stephen has released music on Anjunabeats, Spinnin' Records, Subculture, Respekt Recordings and Yoshitoshi, and played at SWG3, Trancefest, Eden Ibiza and Cream at Amnesia. Stephen and Steven have taught hundreds of DJ students and played together at the Hydro in Glasgow in 2019, in front of more than 10,000 people.

What do you want to learn?

You do not need to arrive with a course picked out. Tell us where you are now and what you want to get better at. We can shape the lesson around that.

Pioneer DJ decks and mixer lit in blue and red, jog wheels and cue buttons glowing.

DJ LESSONS · IN PERSON

Get comfortable behind the decks

Complete beginner? Start with the equipment, Rekordbox and the foundations of mixing.

Already DJing? Use the session to sharpen your technique, fix habits or work on the parts of a set that still feel awkward.

Lessons are hands-on and taught at SKapade Studios in Dumbarton.

Lessons can cover:

Rekordbox, music prep and equipment setup
Beatmatching, phrasing and transitions
EQ, gain, looping and FX
Track selection, set building and preparing to play out

Enquire about DJ lessons

A music production session on screen: channel faders, level meters and a compressor plug-in.

MUSIC PRODUCTION · IN PERSON OR ONLINE

Turn more ideas into finished tracks

Starting your first track and unsure where to begin? We can build the basics with you.

Already producing but stuck in loops or abandoning tracks halfway through? Bring the project into the lesson and work through the problem directly.

Sessions can focus on the music you're making now, so you spend less time jumping between tutorials and more time understanding what to do next.

Sessions can cover:

Arrangement, workflow and finishing tracks
Drums, bass, synthesis and sound design
Mixing, processing and preparing music for release
Track feedback, engineering help and problem solving

Enquire about production lessons

Not sure what to book?

Send us a short message about where you're at and what you want to learn. We'll point you towards the right type of session.

Ask us about lessons

Meet the people you'll learn from

Stephen Kirkwood

Founder / DJ & producer

Stephen founded SKapade Studios in 2015 after starting out teaching music production from his bedroom while building his own career as a DJ and producer. He had been DJing on the local scene since around 2010, and those early one-to-one sessions grew into the dedicated Dumbarton studio.

His music has been released on labels including Anjunabeats, Spinnin' Records, Subculture, Stress Records, Respekt Recordings and Yoshitoshi. His Anjunabeats catalogue began with “Gaslighter” on Anjunabeats Rising 3 and now includes “Fantazia”, “Rapture”, his remix of Genix's “There Is No Fall In Love”, “Take My Heart” with emse and his 2026 remix of Darren Tate & Susie Ledge's “In This Space”.

Stephen's productions have picked up support from DJs including Paul van Dyk, Oliver Heldens, Sander van Doorn and Markus Schulz. Behind the decks, he has played multiple editions of Luminosity Beach Festival, Creamfields, Trancefest, SWG3 and repeated SHINE Ibiza dates at Eden, including line-ups with Paul van Dyk and John '00' Fleming.

Steven Galloni (Big Gal)

DJ / producer & tutor

Steven has been part of SKapade since its early years, helping build the studio and going on to teach DJing, work with students and deliver music workshops. He has spent years teaching alongside Stephen while developing his own career as a DJ and producer.

As Big Gal, Steven produces across house, techno and progressive electronic music. His releases include the “Hailstones” EP with Jacque Saravanté, “Third Eye Open” on Grum's Deep State label and the 2025 “Universal Sunrise” EP. He has also worked with Stephen on the Oblique club night and record label, including DJ appearances at Club 69 in Glasgow.

In August 2026 he released “Mega Bertha” with Grum on Deep State. The track was featured by Above & Beyond on Group Therapy 689 the following day.

Marc Hall

DJ tutor

Marc has more than 15 years of experience behind the decks, with a technical understanding built across vinyl, CDJs, Traktor and different DJ setups. That experience makes him a strong fit for someone touching the decks for the first time as well as DJs who already mix and want to improve their technique.

Lessons with Marc can cover the fundamentals or get into the finer details of how a set comes together. Beatmatching, phrasing, transitions, looping, effects, track preparation and equipment setup can all be worked through at the student's level. His technical knowledge also means there is plenty of room to ask questions and understand why something works, so the skills carry across different equipment and setups.

A producer working at a studio desk with a synthesiser, laptop and monitor showing a busy arrangement.

FOR SCHOOLS & ORGANISATIONS

Bring DJing and music production into the room

SKapade has a long history of taking electronic music education beyond the studio.

Stephen Kirkwood and Steven Galloni have delivered music-related workshops to more than 30,000 schoolchildren across Scotland. SKapade also won the Working4Business Community Impact Award two years running.

Workshops can be arranged for schools, charities, youth organisations and community projects. Tell us who the session is for, what you have in mind and where you're based, and we'll discuss what could work.

Enquire about a workshop

A few things you might want to know

Tell us what you want to learn

You do not need to know the right course name or exactly what you need.

Tell us where you're at, what you'd like help with and whether you want to come to the studio or learn online. We'll point you in the right direction.