For anyone with teenagers who don’t like to go camping and sulk simply at the idea of pitching a tent, Camp Spin Off is the type of campsite that could have them changing their minds and queuing up to become happy campers.
It’s the brainchild of DJ TinaT recently voted by the public and her fans in the Spin Awards as ‘Best Female DJ’ for the third consecutive time. The camp, taking place this year in California between 29 July to 2 August, is a place for teenagers to go to learn the art of music and spinning, socialise with peers, play sports and take part in all kinds of outdoor activities. It’s definitely camping with a very cool glamping twist and is part of Tina’s plan to make a difference by mentoring young people in the art of music. It’s so important to her she has made the event open to anyone from any country, with a sponsorship program available for kids from the USA.
We found out why the Las Vegas DJ TinaT, who is more accustomed to DJ’ing at Red Bull and Johnnie Walker parties, is getting involved in cool camping and has been instrumental in setting up this summer camp where aspiring young DJ’s can learn about a possible future career while they sit around the camp fire.
This is a whole new level of cool camping so teenagers listen up… this is one campsite you may actually want to visit!
Tina, tell us why you started Camp Spin Off and where it all began.
I went to summer camps growing up and had really meaningful experiences that stayed with me my entire life. I wanted to find a way to combine my passion for DJing with traditional summer camp. I was talking with a friend about DJ conventions and retreats and then the idea started to take shape in my head. I immediately started looking for locations and putting the plan together.
Do the teenagers really learn to DJ while they’re camping or is it just a bit of a party?
It’s a combination of both. We wake up at 8am, eat breakfast and then they go straight into a rotation of DJ classes. We break for lunch and then more classes until the afternoon. When classes end, we have group activities, pool parties and guest DJ’s who visit camp to talk.
Each cabin makes their own party at night, but I make sure lights go out and everyone gets a reasonable amount of sleep so we can be up bright and early! Throughout the camp they discover secrets and techniques for beat mixing and remixing, the music business, marketing and digital DJ’ing.
What else do they get to do while they’re there?
There are zip lines, climbing walls, basketball, volleyball and a skate park. There isn’t enough time in the week to do everything at camp. The practice rooms are open and a lot of kids want to take advantage of that more than anything.
What do you think about Simon Cowell’s comment when he said “DJ’s are the new rock stars”?
This is so true. You have groups like Swedish House Mafia selling out Madison Square Garden in New York! There are so many DJ music festivals around the world that are bringing out the masses and Simon Cowell was right on point with that quote.
Tell us about the scholarship programme available to get a place at this unique campsite.
We work with various community organizations and provide scholarships to attend Camp Spin Off. Many of our sponsors also do contests where kids can enter to win or apply for a scholarship. Last year Steve Aoki chose one lucky camper to attend on a scholarship from Dimmak Records.
Are places at your summer camp available to teens in the UK and the rest of the world?
Yes, of course. Last year we had a camper from Barcelona and this year one coming from Denmark. Anyone can register online and pay to attend camp, but scholarships are only available to U.S. citizens right now.
How involved do you get in the ‘camping’ side of things?
We do camp fires at night and make smores. We also stay in cabins and get the full camping experience. There are bugs, frogs, spiders, animals and all that fun camping stuff! I love camping in tents personally. You can breathe the fresh air, feel the morning sun and feel like you’re part of nature.
A big shout out to DJ TinaT who took the time to talk to us here at Inspired Camping. If you want to know more about Camp Spin Off or apply for a place, you can visit their site for more details and to register.
Picture Credits: DJ TinaT and Camp Spin Off
