Nowadays, who doesn't want to be a DJ. It's synonymous to being a rock star. You want to live the glamorous lifestyle, right? Be the envy of all your friends; stroll into a nightclub - bypassing the bouncers, get complimentary drinks from your favourite bartender (who gives you a soothing wink, as she hands you your drink, and tells you, "It's on the house"). Control the crowd into a frenzy using your perfectly selected beats and rhythm tracks. At the end of the night, get handed a fat load of cash for it.
Is it really that simple? Unfortunately, I'm about to bust your bubble, and tell you that pipe dream is harder to come by than you think. So then, how does one become a DJ? Before we answer that, we should really look at, what IS a DJ?
Short of looking up the definition of what a DJ is on Wikipedia, a DJ (Disc Jockey), simply put, is a person who plays other people's music. Whether you're a radio DJ, a nightclub DJ or a wedding DJ. All you're basically doing is playing other people's music, to a mass of people.
So now you're probably thinking, "Well anyone can do that!". Yes. That is so true. Anyone CAN do that. Especially in this day and age of easily accessible, digitally distributed music formats, almost ANYONE and EVERYONE can be a DJ. If you have, as I imagine most people do nowadays, gigabytes (or even terabytes) of music downloaded from iTunes, or by other means, then you can be a DJ. You might even have been dubbed a DJ once, at a get-together, or family gathering, where you pulled out your iPod or laptop, and was designated to set the mood of the evening with your choice of music.
We're not here to talk about THAT type of DJ. You want to take it to the next level. You want to be a bonafide superstar. Hopefully, this article can give you some insight on how to be a DJ.
With anything you do in life, in order to be great at what you do, you will need the following.
- A love, passion or appreciation for it. "It" being music. Music is the medium, and you're working with it like a chef does with ingredients. Like a job, or perhaps the major you're studying for in school. If you don't love the subject or the work you do, then what's the point?
- Secondly, the right tools. If you want to do the job right, you must have the right tools of the trade. Future Shop's Club Beats is the PERFECT place to start to get your gear in check!
- Last but not least, learn, practice and experience. They go hand in hand. You can only become good at what you do, when you practice, study and through repetition will one become gifted in that craft.
In this first part of 3 blog article series, I will talk briefly about the first point, the music aspect.
If you're reading this blog and am interested in becoming a DJ, strictly for fun, as an occasional hobbyist, or you're dead set to make this life long career, the core essential is the same. Without music, there would be no need for DJs. The DJ is a messenger. We stand between the music artist and the consumer (the club patron, or the person listening to your mixed CD in their car or on their MP3 player). What YOU do with that music is what makes you stand out as a DJ.
You don't necessarily need to have a humongous music library. Whether you have thousands of MP3s, spanning 10 to 20 different musical genres, or if you just love one type of music and only have a few songs in your collection, getting started and learning how to DJ is the same either way.
My advice to anyone who wants to get into the art of DJing is this : Know your music. I'm not talking about just knowing who the artist is or what the song title is, or what albums they have under their discography. I'm referring to the history of it. Know anything and everything about it. Know where it came from, and learn what it's future is.
I mentioned above that a DJ should love, be passionate about or have an appreciation for it. This is paramount. If you don't appreciate and love the music you play, then you won't be able to play it and mix it well. You'll be just a jukebox. Cold, and heartless. Without the passion behind it, the mixes you create won't have any soul, and your listeners can tell.
The music factor may possibly be the simplest out of the 3, and at the same time, the most difficult to master. For some, it may takes years and sometimes decades to fully have an appreciation for the music that they play. For others, they grow and mature as time passes, and fall in and out of love of a certain type of music. As you grow, the music and your love of music grows with you.
So what's next! Now that you've got all your music in check, and you're totally enthralled in it. You know it inside and out. We'll talk about the right gear you'll need to put all that musical knowledge to good use.
Part 2 of this series will talk about the DJ equipment. What the industry standard currently is, and what would be a budget-friendly alternative if money is tight. What type of equipment is right for you. What are the essentials and what can be considered as an afterthought.
Look out for the next article in this 3 part series of "So You Want To Be A DJ?"
