Lately, I have been writing a lot. Mainly emails to my friends who are extremely far away from me, travelling the world doing more interesting stuff. And whatever else. #SuperJeally
Anyway, I love writing and this blogging business is all chips and gravy. But, I do have another passion. Something I would do for free, if it wasn’t such a hassle. And that, my friends, is DJing.
So, since I have so much experience doing weddings, bars, clubs, private parties, whatever else, I have A LOT of great stories. Unfortunately, I have a lot of crappy ones too. And although the lessons learned are just as important with each success and failure, the failures are more interesting.
In dedication to my birthday month and the amazing Quarter Century of life I am celebrating, I am volunterring June to discuss the wonderful world of Disc Jockey (i.e. all the insane crap I have seen, dealt with, or sadly had to partake in).
Okay, so in this first one I am gonna explain the basics and what people often get wrong.
1. It’s not what you think. Most people think the music business is a great way to make money, meet interesting people, and have a lot of fun. First and ironically so, the money can be crappy or late, if at all present. Second, 99.9% of people tend to be annoying, in a drunken manner. Third, it is more work than fun. To summarize, the general public OFTEN ignores #DJDownfalls such as the set up and travel arrangements, alcohol restrictions, early attendance, late departures, and the inevitable “working with people you don’t like.”
2. You get to be creative. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. You have to play what people like. And if you turn on the radio, you will hear some unfortunate crap. Ironically, DJs tend to be music lovers who appreciate awesome guitar rips, melodic bridges, soulful harmonies, witty lyrics, comedic observations, powerful delivery, and classic masterpieces. And most nights, we end up playing 2 Chains… ALL NIGHT! The difference: In your car or at your home, you can turn it off.
3. It is so easy. I hate it when people say DJing is easy. Don’t let that DJ Hero video game trick you into thinking you have some aptitude for mixing music. And on top of that, I get folks who think they know what people like. And when I ask for their basis of reasoning, I get a response along the lines of All my friends like what I play! Well, that’s nice… But honestly, if you aren’t making $500 from cohesively streaming your iTunes list, how important is their opinion?
4. The Music Industry is tough. This is not for the light-hearted. You will get booed. You will get fired. You will get strange looks. And not because you aren’t doing a good job, but you have to play to your employer AND your audience. At times, these two groups will contradict. When you decide that your money comes second to getting people to like you, you’ve failed. Simple rule, make the women happy, the bartenders happy, and the person paying you happy. Everyone else is just extra.
DJing is tough because you are SO restricted on what you can play. If you are like me, you are more correct than wrong. #GotThatGenius Again, it’s not about who’s right or wrong. Entertainment is one of the most irrelevant factors. It’s about crowd control (i.e. what a Kindergar teacher does). Having the ability to manipulate large masses of people is a rare skill and even more difficult to master in an alcohol-prevalent environment. You want to be a DJ? Ha! As said in Taken, #GoodLuck
