“DJ” stands for “Disc Jockey,” a professional entertainer. A good DJ knows what music to play for a specific event, how to program good set lists (or “sets”), and knows how to transition smoothly from one song to another using techniques such as crossfading or beat mixing. Unfortunately, the industry is being saturated by wanna-be DJs trying to make a few bucks by playing iPods through computer speakers rather than investing in the proper training and equipment.
First steps to DJing
Educate yourself on the industry through reputable sources.
Develop a budget for equipment and songs and begin your purchases.
Get involved in training.
Search the web for set list and mix ideas for different events.
Launch your business and begin marketing through your friends and family.
Thoughts on being a DJ
The most important thing for a DJ is to keep learning. Staying current with songs, mixes, set lists and equipment is necessary to providing excellent entertainment. As a new DJ, don’t be afraid to “get your feet wet.” Making mistakes is an important part of the learning process! People achieve success by failing often and learning from their experiences. Successful DJs get out and practice in real situations, at real parties, and don’t give up when they make a mistake.
I began my journey over 10 years ago with a well-known DJ company in NJ as a wedding saxophone player. In my first year I made sure not to go too close to the DJ booth. It was slightly intimidating to see all those buttons, sliders, lights, and big cases of CDs.
However, my growing curiosity eventually led me closer to the DJ booth to get a better look at the equipment. I saw that he was running a Denon Dual deck CD player connected to a Denon controller. The Denon CD player was connected to a Mackie 4 channel mixer, which ran to a pair of Mackie Speakers.
At this point, I had no experience DJing at all but I could see that equipment functioned relatively simply. The DJ would take a CD, put it in the CD drawer, find a track, and push “play” on the controller. To adjust the volume or EQ, the DJ would use the mixer.
Well, long before I bought my equipment and started my own DJ company, the DJ asked me to help him out (the first of many times) because he needed to leave the booth for a few minutes. He set a song for me and asked me to push play. I was scared out of my mind just to push play. Unnecessary crazy thoughts ran through my mind like “what if the song doesn’t play?”, “what if the song skips?”, “What if the song is too soft, or too loud?”, “What if he loaded the wrong song?”, “What if I play the song too soon or too late?”, etc.
I was so worried about making a mistake. These feelings of fear are normal and are a part of the learning process. As you use and become more comfortable using your DJ equipment, you will find that your worries will begin to go away. Also keep in mind that making a mistake is ok! Mistakes are a part of the learning process. Keep learning, don’t be afraid to make a mistake, and when you have a chance to do something you might be afraid of, just do it.
What is a DJ?
“DJ” stands for “Disc Jockey,” a professional entertainer. A good DJ knows what music to play for a specific event, how to program good set lists (or “sets”), and knows how to transition smoothly from one song to another using techniques such as crossfading or beat mixing. Unfortunately, the industry is being saturated by wanna-be DJs trying to make a few bucks by playing iPods through computer speakers rather than investing in the proper training and equipment.
First steps to DJing
Thoughts on being a DJ
The most important thing for a DJ is to keep learning. Staying current with songs, mixes, set lists and equipment is necessary to providing excellent entertainment. As a new DJ, don’t be afraid to “get your feet wet.” Making mistakes is an important part of the learning process! People achieve success by failing often and learning from their experiences. Successful DJs get out and practice in real situations, at real parties, and don’t give up when they make a mistake.
I began my journey over 10 years ago with a well-known DJ company in NJ as a wedding saxophone player. In my first year I made sure not to go too close to the DJ booth. It was slightly intimidating to see all those buttons, sliders, lights, and big cases of CDs.
However, my growing curiosity eventually led me closer to the DJ booth to get a better look at the equipment. I saw that he was running a Denon Dual deck CD player connected to a Denon controller. The Denon CD player was connected to a Mackie 4 channel mixer, which ran to a pair of Mackie Speakers.
At this point, I had no experience DJing at all but I could see that equipment functioned relatively simply. The DJ would take a CD, put it in the CD drawer, find a track, and push “play” on the controller. To adjust the volume or EQ, the DJ would use the mixer.
Well, long before I bought my equipment and started my own DJ company, the DJ asked me to help him out (the first of many times) because he needed to leave the booth for a few minutes. He set a song for me and asked me to push play. I was scared out of my mind just to push play. Unnecessary crazy thoughts ran through my mind like “what if the song doesn’t play?”, “what if the song skips?”, “What if the song is too soft, or too loud?”, “What if he loaded the wrong song?”, “What if I play the song too soon or too late?”, etc.
I was so worried about making a mistake. These feelings of fear are normal and are a part of the learning process. As you use and become more comfortable using your DJ equipment, you will find that your worries will begin to go away. Also keep in mind that making a mistake is ok! Mistakes are a part of the learning process. Keep learning, don’t be afraid to make a mistake, and when you have a chance to do something you might be afraid of, just do it.