If you have reached a point in your DJ career where you constantly moan about soundcloud in the belief that your 9 euros a month entitles you to be exempt from any international copyright laws, that vinyl is the only true form of DJing (yet overlook the majority of 20yr + ex vinyl DJs use Traktor and controllers these days), moan about not being booked because you don’t have 10 000 FB likes, worry yourself about celeb DJs in it for the fame or how Beatport is the worst platform available to buy music (yet you have a BP profile and buy all your music from there) then you really need to evaluate your life and career.
DJing is not about any of these, they are secondary or even irrelevant to what it is all about. DJing is about the connection YOU have with the music and expressing it to your crowd and followers. It is about stepping off the decks and having a drink with the fans that come to see you, not dismissing them in an ego filled brain freeze. It is about creating moments that can be forever life lasting, it is about pushing your knowledge and skill set to always explore, innovate and stand out.
Shake off the negative. Remove yourself online as someone who belittles other DJs, someone who derides the efforts of others.It is not a race to the top, if you are in it for that, then you are clearly not in it for the music, but only yourself. If you truly want to succeed in the music industry, support, nurture, network, compliment, be involved, be positive, overcome, adapt and improvise with what you have.
The industry will always be tough, nobody ever said it was easy, but it is a lot easier with a positive and constructive outlook, than one who constantly trolls the scene with a negative attitude. By all means express and opinion, but let it be one of insight and constructive.
We are all in this together, no matter what music you enjoy, what scene you follow, what club you go to, wether you tap your feet at the bar or throw your hands in the air front stage. To make a long and lasting contribution to the industry and to be professional, is to first start with yourself, rather then blaming the wider industry for a perceived injustice.
Find solace in your music and the rest will follow.
Words by Damion Peel of Decoded Magazine
Recent Comments