A little while ago, a
friend put up a post about promoting & dj'ing being 2 different things - partly to express his frustration with the state of today's
hospitality/entertainment industry, partly because it's true...
Interesting topic too - so here's my 5 cents worth :P lol...
A word of advice to aspiring dj's out there don't expect anything from anyone, don't expect to become an overnight sensation & make millions, put in the hard yards & promote your work & don't worry so much about the gigs, the gigs will come naturally, at the end it's all about the art, don't live that way - up until 2 years ago I continuously used to count all the negative aspects within to a certain extent & the more I used to think that way the more depressed I was...
The main reasons why this issue has become apparent in our times are:
1) Lack of professionalism in this industry - from both ends, whether it be venues & promoters on 1 hand or so-called djs on the other hand - in general people always want to make money without spending money - don't fight it just strive to perfect your craft... Not everyone is bad but believe me there's no need to burn any bridges..!
2a) Everyone is not a dj but everyone want's to be a dj - usually for all the wrong reasons..! A dj used to be someone who was in love or even obsessed with music & a nerd at some extent not a "superstar" like some think, there are very few of them around & even fewer last for long if they let fame & fortune get to them... Don't like using myself as an example but dj'ing was my hobby for almost 13 years - then with the help & support of close friends & family, I took a pay-cut for a few months, left my job and just focused on music - unfortunately to this day 2 years later I still haven't put in 100% of effort into the art so I can excel even further but I'm getting there slowly...
2b) No disrespect or offense to anyone here but to my knowledge, at least 90% of djs in Melbourne & probably in the world, as such, are part-timers - the competition is fierce but more-so imagine how frustrating it is at times for people who actually make a living out of this & their jobs are continuously on the line... In reality - to be fair - no one should be putting the term dj next to their name first unless they do what they do full-time..! Once again I hate using myself as an example but for almost 13 years I used to be a student, customer service assistant, radio host, event operations manager, store manager or whatever else & known for dj'ing every so often on weekends, as a hobbyist... That being said, there's nothing wrong about being an aspiring dj or producer & currently only dj'ing on weekends but at the same time there's also no need to worry about the bigger picture & all the ups & downs that come with it until you're in the game for real..!
3) Jealousy, ego & lack of respect - not just for senior members of the industry who have achieved things over the years but for our peers in general who are good at what they do regardless of whether we like their musical style of choice, gigs, etc... Always give credit where credit's due & eventually you will receive the same in return...
4) Some times you need to adapt - don't listen to what others have to say just because you're not classified as "cool" or even if they call you a sell-out, there's no such thing..! Be open-minded, bent the rules within yourself to become adaptable even to mainstream, which unfortunately plays a big role on what gains attention from the public these days & once you have a following you can become "selective"...
5) One thing to remember though, always state things as they are - check this article I posted earlier in the year... For example if you're playing a hip-hop gig/party but you prefer people to know that you're a house dj don't be scared to state that you also play hip-hop - versatility is a big plus, better to be known for more & be good at more than none... Armand Van Helden & Steve Angello are classic examples of this... And by the way don't worry about being on the roster of so-call "classy" or "high-end" events if you have to deal with the promoter/dj bullsh!t - start or go for something a little more left-field & leave your mark or even throw your own parties...
Best wishes to you all, keep your heads up high peeps, work hard & you'll eventually get where you want in life - peace & music-beats - 1 luv d(-_-)b
A word of advice to aspiring dj's out there don't expect anything from anyone, don't expect to become an overnight sensation & make millions, put in the hard yards & promote your work & don't worry so much about the gigs, the gigs will come naturally, at the end it's all about the art, don't live that way - up until 2 years ago I continuously used to count all the negative aspects within to a certain extent & the more I used to think that way the more depressed I was...
The main reasons why this issue has become apparent in our times are:
1) Lack of professionalism in this industry - from both ends, whether it be venues & promoters on 1 hand or so-called djs on the other hand - in general people always want to make money without spending money - don't fight it just strive to perfect your craft... Not everyone is bad but believe me there's no need to burn any bridges..!
2a) Everyone is not a dj but everyone want's to be a dj - usually for all the wrong reasons..! A dj used to be someone who was in love or even obsessed with music & a nerd at some extent not a "superstar" like some think, there are very few of them around & even fewer last for long if they let fame & fortune get to them... Don't like using myself as an example but dj'ing was my hobby for almost 13 years - then with the help & support of close friends & family, I took a pay-cut for a few months, left my job and just focused on music - unfortunately to this day 2 years later I still haven't put in 100% of effort into the art so I can excel even further but I'm getting there slowly...
2b) No disrespect or offense to anyone here but to my knowledge, at least 90% of djs in Melbourne & probably in the world, as such, are part-timers - the competition is fierce but more-so imagine how frustrating it is at times for people who actually make a living out of this & their jobs are continuously on the line... In reality - to be fair - no one should be putting the term dj next to their name first unless they do what they do full-time..! Once again I hate using myself as an example but for almost 13 years I used to be a student, customer service assistant, radio host, event operations manager, store manager or whatever else & known for dj'ing every so often on weekends, as a hobbyist... That being said, there's nothing wrong about being an aspiring dj or producer & currently only dj'ing on weekends but at the same time there's also no need to worry about the bigger picture & all the ups & downs that come with it until you're in the game for real..!
3) Jealousy, ego & lack of respect - not just for senior members of the industry who have achieved things over the years but for our peers in general who are good at what they do regardless of whether we like their musical style of choice, gigs, etc... Always give credit where credit's due & eventually you will receive the same in return...
4) Some times you need to adapt - don't listen to what others have to say just because you're not classified as "cool" or even if they call you a sell-out, there's no such thing..! Be open-minded, bent the rules within yourself to become adaptable even to mainstream, which unfortunately plays a big role on what gains attention from the public these days & once you have a following you can become "selective"...
5) One thing to remember though, always state things as they are - check this article I posted earlier in the year... For example if you're playing a hip-hop gig/party but you prefer people to know that you're a house dj don't be scared to state that you also play hip-hop - versatility is a big plus, better to be known for more & be good at more than none... Armand Van Helden & Steve Angello are classic examples of this... And by the way don't worry about being on the roster of so-call "classy" or "high-end" events if you have to deal with the promoter/dj bullsh!t - start or go for something a little more left-field & leave your mark or even throw your own parties...
Best wishes to you all, keep your heads up high peeps, work hard & you'll eventually get where you want in life - peace & music-beats - 1 luv d(-_-)b
No comments:
Post a Comment