New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Not everyone can become a DJ artist. Disc jockey artists need to have the skill to tune their audience to their music and liven up the dancing floor, and that's no easy feat to achieve. If your goal is to become a world-renowned DJ artist, then you've definitely been watching your favorite DJs while fantasizing about standing in their place. It may seem like a distant dream, but it's nowhere near impossible. Take it from the experts, they have these precious tips to share with you.
Do the Hard Work
You've heard it, time and time again. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. Even if you have a natural-born talent for mixing sounds and coming up with great material, you need to keep beating at your craft. Every successful DJ artist has started from scratch, but they've spent years sharpening their ears, practicing, and experimenting with their mixes until they've found their style. The same goes for you; you need to do some hard work first. Remember that, before anything else, you're a music fan. Go clubbing, experience the magic of different DJs, and explore the vast universe of music tastes before you settle on a specific style. During this journey, keep adding to your music collection and expanding your inventory.
Get Out There
At some point, you'll need to get out of your circle of family and friends. Going out into the world can be both thrilling and nerve-wracking, but it's a step you need to take to kickstart your career. Unfortunately, landing a gig can be so much easier said than done, but it won't hurt to try anyway. In case you fail at the few gigs you apply for, then consider taking a longer yet surer road toward kickstarting your career. You can hold an event while choosing a DJ you look up to and study them up close. You can even offer your help in setting up space and organizing the day. If you're lucky enough, you can work as their assistance during your event. Alternatively, you can start applying to event organizers that can connect you to gigs, bands, and other events.
Don't Rely on Winging It
Once you start landing gigs, you should never rely on winging it. Even the most experienced DJs have a few playlists planned out in advance to help them through their session. You may think that a real DJ needs to come up with the mix on the spot, but that's the furthest from the truth. You'll certainly need some level of spontaneity, no doubt about that, but that doesn't mean you can get around doing the hard work in advance. The best DJs spend hours perfecting their sets and practicing for the stage and, if they need to do that, then you surely need to as well.
Study Your Audience
On the other hand, keep in mind that, at the end of the day, you're playing for the audience. This means that you should be prepared to act on the spot or change your plans to accommodate their tastes and your time slot. Many DJs feel like they need to take the dance floor by storm, going for the blowup as soon as they start. That works if you're the main DJ at an event, but not very much so if you're the opening DJ. Meanwhile, studying your audience means you should be aware of the room you're performing regarding its size, the vibe of the evening, and the number of attendees. Once you take all of these factors into account, you should be able to be more relative to them, which is what being a DJ is all about.
Get Over Your Nerves
If any DJ tells you that they don't experience stage fright, then they're not being completely honest with you. Everyone gets stage fright, and fresh starters do even more so. There's nothing wrong with that; it's a natural reaction thanks to the adrenaline rush you're experiencing. However, there's no reason to let this adrenaline rush handicap you from delivering your best performance ever. You can be scared, you just need to find a way to hide it under a professional facade. You can make mistakes, you just need to prevent them from being noticeable to the audience.
Generally speaking, anyone can become a DJ, but not everyone can become successful at this art. It takes years of effort exerted and skills sharpened until you get the hang of the job. Once you get out there, you'll realize that it's one exhilarating experience that you can't get enough of, and that will be enough to motivate you into becoming the best DJ artist you can become.
