Bromley High School welcomes music industry heavyweight, DJ, author, presenter and producer Darren Joseph (DJ Target) for an unforgettable Minerva Lecture. 

Darren Joseph was the latest speaker in our Minerva Lecture Series on Tuesday, and took the pupils on a journey through his incredible career, tracing his love for music all the way back to when he was a three year old playing with his grandparents’ vinyl records. Fast forward to today, and he has played on some of the world’s biggest stages, from the sun soaked decks of Ibiza to the luxury venues of Dubai.

As a lifelong Arsenal fan, Darren shared one of his absolute personal highlights: DJing at the official Arsenal party, where he got to meet Gunners stars Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice.

Throughout his star studded career, Darren has worked alongside and met industry giants like Craig David, Mabel, Jorja Smith and Chip, but despite the glitz and glamour, he kept it incredibly real with the pupils emphasising that success doesn’t happen overnight.

Beyond the hit tracks and global gigs, Darren spoke candidly about the realities of the music business. He shared invaluable lessons on:

  • Recovering from setbacks: How to handle the inevitable “nos” in a competitive industry.
  • Building resilience: Turning rejection into fuel to keep moving forward.
  • Chasing your passions: He passionately encouraged the girls to fiercely pursue what they love and to never, ever give up.

Darren’s career is a masterclass in multi-media success. He spoke about the pride of writing his first book, Grime Kids, and the incredible experience of seeing it adapted into a five part BBC drama series. He also discussed launching his own production company and co-hosting The Rap Game UK alongside Krept & Konan, helping to discover the next generation of rap talent.

The session was interactive and Darren played some tracks, gave the girls a live mixing tutorial, and then handed over the controls. A few brave pupils stepped up to the decks to try their hand at mixing, proving we might have some future DJs right here in our midst!

Thank you Darren, for bringing such incredible energy, wisdom and inspiration to our Minerva community.