Music making

Mixin' and Scratchin': Dub Academy keeps the art of DJing alive

Dub Academy
Barrington Miles, Founder of Dub Academy
Dub Academy
Dub Academy

It's hard to describe the energy you feel when you're dancing to music created by Barrington Miles, founder and owner of Dub Academy. His enthusiasm for producing music is contagious, even when he's not performing.

"Oh my gosh, when I DJ, I envision the dance floor as my blank canvas," Miles says. "The people on the dance floor are my colors. My tracks and turntables are my brush and strokes. I hope to paint a perfect masterpiece every time."

Like most DJs of his time, Miles learned how to mix music through trial and error. After all, tutorials on YouTube weren't around yet. With years of practice and discipline Miles managed to turn his love for DJing into a career. "Someone once told me to find my passion, figure out how to make money doing it, and you will never work a day in your life."

"When I DJ I am the Maestro, and for a moment I can use music to help folks forget their troubles and worries, fantasize and get lost."

Wanting to share his passion with others, Miles decided to open a DJ school in Austin. Some people thought he was crazy: "I was told not to do it and that it was a bad idea. But we are in the Live Music Capital of the World, and I believed that if I built it, they would come."

Miles rounded up a few friends (all experienced DJs) and opened up Dub Academy in April of 2010. As he predicted, people did show up and you'd be surprised to see who fills the seats at his studio on East 5th Street today. "Our students range from six to seventy-six years old. Some of our students are lawyers, doctors and professionals who have always wanted to learn to DJ or just to try something new."

That's exactly what led me to sign up. Learning how to DJ had been on my bucket list for years, so I too decided to give it a shot. As a former band nerd I actually believed going into my first lesson that I would be good at this. It turns out I do indeed have rhythm and can match a beat or two (although I'm sure some would disagree).

As a DJ 101 student you learn some basic DJ skills like "scratching" and "beat-matching" along with a little DJ culture and history. You get your own personal workstation that includes Technics 1210 turntables and Rane 56S mixers — apparently some of the best equipment in the business. You also get to come up with your own DJ name. I'm still trying to come up with mine. Any ideas?

Don't let the cool factor deceive you: DJing is harder than it looks. "Some may think because they have 1,000 songs in their iTunes library they are a DJ or because they can beat-match they are a DJ," Miles says. "The art will be lost if something isn't done to educate the public on what a real DJ is. There needs to be a place where up-and-coming DJs can learn the old philosophy and apply new technology."

Over the years Dub Academy has turned out some of the city's best DJ's. Chances are you've danced to the tunes of a Dub Academy DJ at a wedding, party or club. "About 50 percent of our students stop halfway. The students that want to make a living as a DJ or earn supplemental income continue with our 103 and 104 DJ classes," Miles said. "Once completed, we offer a job opportunity with our sister company Texas Professional Disc Jockey."

While a profession in DJing is likely not in my future, it's easy to get addicted to the power DJs have and understand why Dub Academy keeps attracting students year after year. "When I DJ I am the Maestro, and for a moment I can use music to help folks forget their troubles and worries, fantasize and get lost," Miles says. "To be the creator of the best medication ever is truly epic. Maybe that’s why people typically take lessons."

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To learn more about Dub Academy or to sign up for one of their upcoming classes click here.

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High Score

Austin named the nation's pickleball capital in industry report

Photo by Henry Selis Photo

Other Racquet Social Club is back after city woes.

It's no secret that Austinites love pickleball. A new study proves just how much by ranking Austin the No. 1 city for pickleball in the whole country. Dallas and Houston also made the top 10 at Nos. 3 and 8, respectively.

The report was published by TeachMe.To, an online marketplace for learning sports (and sometimes music) from private instructors. It used data from its own platform, USA Pickleball, Places2Play, local pickleball associations, and more. It also referred to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), which named pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America, with a growth rate of 223.5 percent over three years.

Similarly, TeachMe.To ranked Austin as the fastest-growing city for pickleball, and citing this as the main reason for the overall title of "the nation's pickleball capital."

It name-checked the Austin Metro Pickleball Association (AMPA) — with approximately 3,000-3,500 members — and the Austin Pickleball League (APL), estimating that overall, "15,000-20,000 people play pickleball at least occasionally in the greater Austin area." About half of those players — about 8,000-10,000 people — play at least twice a month.

The report did not include gender data on Austin, specifically, but it did note that not only are two-thirds of pickleball players female; women's involvement in the sport is also growing 50 percent faster than men's.

New courts everywhere
This probably isn't a surprise to people who have noticed the number of courts opened around Austin in recent years. By 2024, TeachMe.To's data shows 32 dedicated courts in Austin, and thanks to with a utility rate of 92 percent it doesn't look like that'll be slowing down.

In the summer of 2023, the online booking platform Swimply noticed how many pickleball courts there were in Austin compared to such great demand, and added courts to its service. In fall 2023 and summer 2024, at least two important developments expanded that availability: Other Racquet Social Club opened as a friendly, country club-like neighborhood option, and national chain The Picklr announced it's bringing five locations to Austin and Round Rock.

Perhaps because Austin is such a food-obsessed city, there seems to be some growing opportunity for food and beverage hospitality around pickleball, too. Other Racquet recently started hosting the Bill's Dips food truck, a spinoff of the popular downtown restaurant Bill's Oyster; and a pair of bars with pickleball courts, Drifters Social Coffee & Cocktails and The Pickle Pub, also opened in South Austin this year, with strong online ratings already.

The trend has even reached into real estate (see this cute house with its own pickleball court) and inspired athletes to introduce similar sports to the local market, as in the case of the padel club Paddle39. TeachMe.To's report also mentioned tech companies adding pickleball to their campuses.

Aside from growth, the study also considered lesson activity (including information about teacher availability and diversity of clinic offerings), infrastructure, community vitality, the tournament scene.

Austin had the highest concentration of all the cities of players under 40 (65 percent), as well as the highest share of national lesson bookings. At 16.90 percent, that means about one in six of the pickleball lessons contracted through this platform were in Austin. Lesson demand, the report says, is growing 125 percent year-over-year.

Elsewhere in Texas
Dallas was No. 3 thanks in part to its "central location" according to the report.

"The city's 45 dedicated courts and 85 [percent] public accessibility rate have fostered one of the most active competitive scenes in the country, with 8,500 registered league players," it says. "The combination of strong tournament presence, extensive infrastructure, and a 112% growth in lesson bookings solidifies Dallas as a powerhouse in the national pickleball landscape."

Houston made No. 8 with an emphasis on integrating pickleball with other sports.

"The city's 22 dedicated courts have seen a 92% increase in lesson bookings, driven by innovative programming that includes the nation's first corporate league system," it says. "Houston's success in integrating pickleball into existing sports infrastructure while maintaining 72% year-round utilization demonstrates a sustainable model for rapid growth."

Overall predictions
After laying out data about the top cities in pickleball, the report made some predictions. As the Austin newcomer mentioned above believes, the report also thinks padel is the next big thing. It also guesses more cities will act like Houston by focusing on hybrid facilities.

It also expects to see an expanded professional circuit and mainstream coverage, more technology used on the court, a rise in the prevalence of young players, and more opportunities in corporate wellness and real estate. "Dedicated pickleball facilities will become as common as swimming pools in luxury developments," it says. Texans will be the judge of that one.

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