| Typically, if you’re a bedroom DJ, nothing really matters, although it’s more fun to play songs you like rather than music that systematically fits into the technical aspects of what you’re trying to do. If you’re a radio DJ, the music doesn’t really matter, because you won’t be choosing it, and you won’t have a clue how your audience responds to it anyway. If you’re a nightclub DJ, it absolutely matters, but only early in the night before people have had enough alcohol or drugs to forget the difference. And if you’re a mobile private party DJ, it depends on the crowd, and your answer will always be different. Some crowds would respond to you banging two sticks together on the microphone, and others wouldn’t dance if you held a large cannon to their butts with a shaky trigger finger.
For more than fifteen years of my life, I worked as a radio, club and mobile DJ. I went to bed at about 4 AM and slept until 10 AM most mornings (when not working a day job for insurance benefits). I lost touch with most of my high school friends because I was working while they were out partying.
There is one good point, now that I look back[el] I missed the entire Cosby show.
But I was having fun. I was earning money doing what I loved to do[em]writing and playing music. And I got to do many things most people would never dream of doing, including but not limited to acting as a pseudo-psychiatrist, relationship counselor, bouncer, director of marketing, bartender, maitre’d, camp counselor, concierge, deal broker, buyer, sales rep, sound and lighting engineer, national act producer, PC repair technician, video producer, gigolo, and other things I simply can’t remember at this point.
I was building a career that would ultimately include feature magazine articles, radio commercials all over the world, a stint with a local rock band, and ultimately the creation of this book. We all make sacrifices in life, and I’d do it all over again, the same exact way.
So now you’re thinking about becoming a DJ. Maybe you’re already a DJ looking to advance to the next level. Or maybe you’ve been DJing in your bedroom and decided it’s time to start making some money at this madness. The first question you must answer, as honestly as humanly possible, is which kind of DJ you truly want to be. The second question, that’s much more important if you’re interested in a career as a DJ, is which you’d be best at.
It’s pretty common to see a DJ on MTV, in TV commercials, or in music videos doing all kinds of crazy things with records in front of an audience of screaming fans. And virtually every private affair now has a DJ rather than a live band. DJs are everywhere today. I have to admit…it’s hard to believe that all these people get paid for talking, playing music and having fun! Now you can too. This book will help demystify the three different types of Disc Jockey jobs and help you fulfill your DJ dreams.
About the Author
Chuck Fresh has 20 years’ experience as a private party, nightclub and bar, and radio DJ and currently works as a nightclub consultant. Fresh has been featured in numerous DJ and nightclub magazines, including Nightclub and Bar Magazine, and he is the author of Make Some Noise, Wild Party Contests, and A DJ’s Guide to Latin Music. Fresh now resides in Melbourne, Florida, and is a nationally recognized voiceover talent. He also runs Bar Marketing, LLC and The DJ Resource, providing party games and promotional services to nightclubs, bars, and DJs all over the world. |
