MasterClass, the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world’s best across a wide range of subjects, announced that Questlove will teach a class on music curation and DJing. The Grammy Award–winning musician will explore the vast connectivity of music, sharing his encyclopedic musical knowledge to teach members how to increase their music vocabulary and connect songs to entertain, inspire and enlighten. Questlove’s class is now available exclusively on MasterClass, where subscribers get unlimited access to all 100+ instructors with an annual membership.
For members looking to expand their music knowledge and deepen their love and appreciation for music, Questlove will give an inside look into his creative process for curating music and DJing. Using a versatile playlist composed of classic hip-hop, neo-soul, jazz and R&B, Questlove will break down the musical attributes, psychology and emotional impact of each song to teach members how to use those elements to create their own musical journey.
Through a series of engaging demonstrations, Questlove will also share the basics of DJing – from how to deconstruct music for organization, combination and performance to scratching and segues for music sets. He will also break down his equipment list and show members how to choose and use the right equipment to create a great DJ set. For members who want to level up, he will cover live loop creation, phasing, beat juggling and more. Questlove will also share insights and life lessons from his career as the drummer for the Roots, musical director of The Tonight Show, bestselling author, DJ and more.
Drummer, DJ, producer, culinary entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author and member of the Roots, Questlove is the unmistakable heartbeat of Philadelphia’s most influential hip-hop group. He is the musical director for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where his beloved Roots crew serves as house band. Beyond that, this four-time Grammy Award–winning musician’s indisputable reputation has landed him musical directing positions with everyone from D’Angelo to Eminem to Jay-Z. Questlove has also released four books, including the New York Times bestseller Mo’ Meta Blues; Soul Train: The Music, Dance and Style of a Generation; somethingtofoodabout; and, most recently, Mixtape Potluck.
He also made his directorial debut with the acclaimed feature documentary Summer of Soul, which explores the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. The film debuted on the opening night of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival in January. Questlove also recently announced he will direct a new documentary about the career and legacy of Sly Stone.