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Jul 07, 2014

The (Electronic) Music Man

Bethesda teen disc jockey Alex Young is hitting all the right notes

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<p>Suzanne Young wanted her teenage son, Alex, to get a job. Becoming a disc jockey seemed to make the most sense, given Alex's love of music, so Suzanne convinced him to enroll in classes during the summer of 2011 at the private music school Bach to Rock in Bethesda.</p>
<p>Two years later, Alex, now 17, no longer needs those lessons. Instead, he's making a name for himself as an up-and-coming DJ in the world of electronic music, a growing genre popular among youths that involves the creation of songs by editing sounds on a computer. Alex has performed – playing tracks he's created or remixed – at shows in Las Vegas and around Washington, D.C., released a music video, and produced an album that was expected to come out in May. He plans to tour Europe this summer. Vibe magazine's website named Alex among the "Top 25 Dance Music DJs Under Age 25" in 2013, noting that "from heavy trap to light-hearted chillout tunes, Young's range is remarkable, and will assuredly grow more complex with age."</p>
<p>Alex, who lives in Bethesda, has garnered roughly 39,000 followers on SoundCloud, a social media site where artists can broadcast new music to fans. He doesn't charge for most of his songs. His most popular tune – a remix of the pop hit "Sweater Weather" by The Neighbourhood – has received more than 750,000 play son his Facebook page. And that doesn't include versions copied on YouTube or reposted to various music blogs.</p>
<p>It's a stunning rise for a teen who was sitting in classes at Walter Johnson High School two years ago and just beginning to explore the world of electronic music.</p>
<p>After finishing the summer classes at Bach to Rock, Alex says he spent much of his time learning the culture surrounding electronic music by searching for the latest songs and trends online. Eventually he created his own songs and sent them to small, obscure bloggers to try to gain attention. "From there it started building," he says…</p>
<p>Read the full article in <a href=Bethesda Magazine.