Episode 55: Happiness and Fulfillment as a DJ (Part 1)

We’ve all known DJs who seem to have lost their passion or drive. This happens for any number of reasons; they get jaded because of the state of the “scene” (it’s different than when they got into it), they get bored with playing tunes, or they are unable to make any money. Many times, this leads to the DJ’s “retirement”. Episode 55 is all about maintaining happiness, so that we can lead fulfilling and successful DJ careers. The music itself is what keeps me excited about the whole concept of DJing. I love music, I love sharing music, and I love making a connection to to others using music as the medium. Ironically, this is often the reason a lot of DJs lose interest. The music changes, so the DJ throws his hands up. Personally, I don’t buy this excuse. In this day in age, if you can’t find music you like, you’re probably just being lazy. Stop caring about a song’s release date, style, genre, label… and find music that is good. You can do that now more than ever. It’s out there. If you can’t find music that you’re passionate about, you’re probably not going to find passion in sharing it with others. So, fix that first. Another tip for happiness as a DJ: play for you, too. Sure, DJing can anywhere on the performance/service spectrum. You can’t ignore your crowd if you want to be of any value. If you want to remain happy as a DJ, though, you’re probably going to want to play music that moves you. Finding middle ground between what you like and what works on the dance floor is largely a product of choosing the proper gigs in the first place, and playing the right tracks at the right time. If you have a good sense of flow and how a night should progress, you would be surprised how much of your stuff you can “get away with”. Sometimes, I find it to be a fun experiment. But, keep in mind… there’s a difference between sneaking in odd tracks in context, and forcing your “musically educated” tastes on an unreceptive crowd. The idea is to keep yourself interested, as well as your audience. Many times, it’s your excitement and enthusiasm that allows you to channel your musical passion into a set which will bleed out into the dance floor. This episode will be continued with part 2, in Episode 56. Special thanks to Mo Dingo for managing our Facebook live stream! Give it a listen, and let us know what you think!