So ya wanna be a DJ huh?

Section 3 – Music Selection

Hiphop? Trance? House? Industrial Techno? The list goes on and on. Although we started as an all EDM group (Electronic Dance Music), we get alot of requests for hiphop at our events and we have transitioned over slowly to all hiphop on main stage. There is no denying it that hiphop is a worldwide phenomenon. So in order to better our shows and cater to our crowd, we have implemented hiphop as the main act. Our DJ roots are deep in electronic music, but our music roots are hiphop infused. We grew up on it, we lived and breathed it. We just don’t play as often. Our hiphop DJs love it though. They enjoy it and love what they do.

So what should you play? My advice is to spin what you like and enjoy it. My only other advice, should you choose to hear it or not, would be to be more dimensional. Play a variety of styles. Learn to play hiphop and house. You don’t have to sell out and play top 40 stuff. You should just practice to be ready for any occasion. I always ask myself, if play this particular song, can I sleep at night? Just because you want to play a certain style, and the club doesn’t like it, mean you have to play the club’s choice. Stand your ground and move on to a different venue if you have to. I’ve done it many times. And I have never regretted it once. I’ve tuned down many residencies at high profile clubs in Minneapolis because I know my style of music wouldn’t flow with that crowd. Yes I do lose out on a lot of potential to make some money and free drinks, but at night when its all said and done, I sleep like a baby.

In time, your taste in music might evolve into something else. Or it might now because you love that style of music so much. I started out as a heavy 143 bpm (Beats Per Minute) trance loving DJ. From there on my tastes and selection has shifted to a more relaxed 135 bpm funky break beats, and now I’m grooving to a more steady perky 132 bpm house flavored tracks. At this rate, in 2 years I will be listening to 90 bpm jazz-infused hiphop or something like that. You never know what you like until you open your mind up and give it a chance.

Section 4 – Motivation

My favorite discussion. Ask yourself why you want to DJ. Is it for attention? Is it to get girls/guys? Is it because you like the control of the crowd? And would you still be doing this after 10 years if you knew nothing would come out of it? Would you be doing this if there was only 5 people at the bar? I ran across many DJs in my travels and have heard a wide spectrum of answers. And honestly, some do it for attention or to get girls. But hey, if it works for you then go for it. Who am I to judge. I was a digital download thief myself and I am no angel.

My thoughts to all this is, if your doing it out of passion and love, whether you succeed as a DJ or not, you will always enjoy doing it. You will be that one DJ that is rocking a crowd of 1,000 one night and the next night you will be the same DJ rocking a bar with 3 guys sipping on coronas and bobbing their heads. To you it doesn’t matter as long as someone out there is willing to listen to your music. If your that person, then kudos to you, I wish you the best. If your the DJ that is doing it for attention and girls/guys, then I also do wish you luck, and hope you see that in time, when there is no one around you, and all the groupies are gone, you can pop in a CD and enjoy it for the music.

I’ve had many requests in my days to teach or guide new upcoming DJs and I love to doing it. I like knowing that the art of DJing isn’t dead but evolving into something else. I hope some of you readers who have been asking yourself the same questions, find some answers in my article. I wish it was more thorough but Im just barely scratching the surface of the DJ world. If you have any specific questions, shoot them my way or post below. I’d love to answer them.

- John

Useful Links

Official Pioneer DJ Site – http://www.pioneerdj.com/
Denon DJ Site – http://www.denondj.com/
Traktor DJ Software – http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/dj/traktor-pro/
Beat Port – http://www.beatport.com/
Track It Down – http://www.trackitdown.net/
Franchise Record Pool – http://www.franchiserecordpool.com/
Late Night Record Pool – http://www.latenightrecordpool.com/