What is the point of buying DJ Equipment, choosing a DJ Name, Making Business Cards, doing all that Self-Promotion, just to be an anonymous drone pressing play on songs you THINK “the people want to hear”? Because unless you are playing “Requests Only”, you’re GUESSING what they WANT to hear.
The reality is, HOW you play the music is a representation of WHO YOU ARE as a DJ.
I don’t care if the people don’t know me as they walk thru the door. My mission is to make them never forget who I am on their way out! In a positive way. I don’t care if it’s a damn Baby Shower or a High End Club. That’s why I Practice, Research, Practice, Record, Observe, and Practice in between gigs, and PREPARE by gathering as much information as possible about every gig.
Funny thing is, among the top complaints of The People when it comes to DJs are:
Playing music that doesn’t fit the event theme,
too repetitive tracks,
sudden genre shifts
Poor mixing
failing to create a lively atmosphere
inability to manage transitions smoothly
Most of the time this comes from DJs who have poor preparation for the gig/event they’re scheduled for, mediocre DJ skills not honed BEFORE they ventured into the PROFESSIONAL arena, and relying TOO MUCH on “Read the crowd and play what they want to hear” which is the most overused and ambiguous phrase ever, and used by DJs who never mastered DJ’ing before applying it. Any adjustments you make should not be so drastic as to make you appear as you didn’t know what you were doing in the first place.
To ASPIRING DJs: RESPECT The Craft, and The People will respect you. And don’t be desperate. Put yourself in environments that are conducive to your growth and development.