Magna Cum Loud
The art of DJing has come a long way. How far? A new school is drawing students from Wall Street and beyond.
FORTUNE
Monday, October 14, 2002
By Daniel Roth

Singer Angie Stone has a nice hit in "Wish I Didn't Miss You." The song is danceable, features appropriately vacuous lyrics, and has an infectious groove. But, for Eric Schimmel, "Wish" has a major flaw: Its tempo doesn't match King of House's "Billie Jean Club Remix."
It's a DJ's worst nightmare. And Schimmel, 31, is determined to be a DJ. By day, Schimmel's a vice president in emerging markets for Credit Lyonnais, but at night he's been spinning at a restaurant in Manhattan. Now's he's preparing for the big leagues: a chance to DJ at a club in Ibiza, Spain. He knows these two records played back to back will be a hit with the dancers, but he has to get it right. So on a humid Friday night in August, Schimmel--suit jacket off and tie loosened--stands behind two turntables with his tutor, a 34-year-old giant by the name of DJ Kwest.
As Stone's song plays, Schimmel puts one finger in the air, flicking it up at each of the snares and down at the bass drum. Finding the beat, he reaches for the mixing board that rests between the spinning records and slowly inches over a lever that should seamlessly stitch the songs. The result is a mess of drums and ...