‘On The One’ DJ center holds training sessions at Destiny USA
Courtesy of Jasmine Coan
As a college student, Jasmine Coan would try and anticipate the DJ’s next song or think about what she would want to play while out at clubs.
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Destiny USA attracts visitors looking for many things – new clothes, a place to go out for dinner and somewhere to catch a new movie. Now, people are visiting the mall to learn the art of disc jockeying with the help of Jasmine Coan, who goes by the artist name DJ Bella J.
Coan, who is the official DJ of the Syracuse University women’s basketball team, founded a DJ center called On The One in Destiny USA in June after the pandemic temporarily halted DJ gigs at clubs and private events. Influenced by a relative who is into disc jockeying and her childhood spent listening to disc jockeys like DJ Jazzy Jeff and DJ Spinderella, the Brooklyn native dove into the DJing industry about 10 years ago. The opening of Coan’s DJ-training business offers the Syracuse DJ community a public outlet to practice their passion and network.
“We don’t really have a spot. That’s why it’s so important for me to open On The One in Syracuse because it’s dedicated to the DJ,” Coan said. “It’s owned by a DJ; it’s run by a DJ. And any DJ — they can walk in there for resources (and to) share music, practice skills (and) get advice.”
Despite starting her professional DJ career in her early 30s, Coan got her introduction to the trade at about 8 years old in Coney Island. Her godbrother brought his turntables to family parties, where he mixed the music everyone danced to, she said.
At the time, Coan wasn’t allowed to touch the turntables, but watching his hand movements control the records and the music coming out of the speakers captivated her.
“I absolutely was intrigued by what he was doing and how he was playing music,” Coan said.
Coan didn’t follow in her father’s, siblings’ and cousins’ footsteps as singers, she said. Instead, as soon as she was old enough to go to nightclubs with her friends, Coan once again found herself gravitating toward the DJ booth.
I wanted to see their hands and what they were doing. I would always anticipate a song in my mind that will be coming next.Jasmine Coan, founder of On The One DJ center
Coan moved to the Syracuse area to attend Le Moyne College to study accounting. She and her friends frequented the local clubs — especially her favorite one, Traffik, which is now called Studio 54.
“When I went to a club, I would be right near the DJ booth,” she said. “I wanted to see their hands and what they were doing. I would always anticipate a song in my mind that will be coming next.”
But, when the DJs didn’t play the song she anticipated would come next, it got her thinking about what she would play and what she could bring to the industry as a female DJ. On The One’s founder told LocalSYR.com that while growing up, she didn’t see many DJs who she could relate to. After college, Coan went the corporate route first and started a career in the customer service industry.
At age 28 and with two children, Coan wanted a career shift, so she enrolled at Scratch DJ Academy in New York City to study on the weekends. With her daughters at her sister’s house, Coan drove to the city to attend Jam Master Jay’s disc jockey school, where she met other aspiring DJs from across the country.
“I had to travel over 300 miles there and back, just to go to a place to learn,” Coan said.
While studying at the academy in 2012, Coan learned many of the basic scratch skills needed to be a DJ and to improve her sound, but what she really gained from attending the school was exploring the business possibilities, including opening her own DJ company, during classes, she said.
It’s amazing to see DJs excited about (On The One) because that’s who I’m doing it for.Jasmine Coan, founder of On The One DJ center
For the next decade — while working club and private gigs in Syracuse — Coan knew she wanted to create a space for the Syracuse DJ community to connect and excel. And especially to provide a place for young girls to have an opportunity to learn how to disc jockey.
“I want to offer those workshops to tell (young girls) about the possible career path or the career that they can have doing what I did, based on what I did,” Coan said.
When the outlets for DJs to perform live temporarily ceased to exist during the pandemic, Coan saw an opportunity to start her own DJ-training business, she said. On June 29, Coan opened On The One — a reference to starting the next song of a mix on the first beat — and started hosting training sessions for students of all ages at her Destiny mall space.
One of Coan’s mentees is 18-year-old Dale McMillian Jr., who started disc jockeying about six months ago. For the last two months, McMillian, who goes by the artist name DaleThaRockstar, visits On The One to test new mixes alongside Coan, pick up tips from her and utilize Coan’s central space at Destiny USA.
“It feels like home,” McMillian said.
The impact On The One is making is just the beginning of what she hopes to accomplish for the DJ community in the central New York region, Coan said. On Sunday, she co-hosted the first DJ festival at The Great New York State Fair with 14 DJs from around the state, including DaleThaRockstar. Coan hopes to host larger events in the future that unite local and international DJs together.
In the meantime, she’s proud to provide a platform for New York state DJs.
“Right now, I’m getting different DJs coming in from different parts of the state,” Coan said. “It’s amazing to see DJs excited about it because that’s who I’m doing it for.”
Published on August 29, 2021 at 11:09 pm
Contact Louis: [email protected] | @JBL__98
