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So Ya' Wanna Be A DJ?: TOP 3 Must Haves For Any Successful DJ
So Ya' Wanna Be A DJ?: TOP 3 Must Haves For Any Successful DJ
DJ’ing is a fun and exciting _ _______ that can turn into a rewarding and lucrative _________
with the right tools, knowledge, and most importantly, dedication. Anyone can be a DJ; not
everyone has the heart and passion to make it a career. Whatever path you choose, this guide
is a good reference for a successful journey. __________, Discipline and ___________ are key.
TOP 3 Musthaves for any successful DJ:
I. You must love ______ / have a passion for _______. A DJ spends the majority of their
time “Seeking out music”, also referred to as “digging”. Sources of new music originated
with records (“vinyl”, “wax”); however, DJs now discover music through digital sources,
such as CDs and MP3s (which can be found online). DJs also discover music by talking
to other DJs and fans of music, and by watching video on and reading about the overall
history of music and specific genres. Many DJs also produce and remix music they want
to “make new” with their signature sound. The songs you play are an expression of
yourself – you are the storyteller and tell stories to get people to m
ove , f eel and e xpress .
Be excited about music you _____________ and _________!
a. Follow your taste. Develop your style. Keep up with __________________.
b. Soundcloud.com , __________________, Y outube.com and I Tunes are great sites to
discover new music and artists.
c. Wikipedia.com is a great site to read about the history of music and genres.
II. Must love __________. W hether DJing is a hobby or a professional (meaning, you get
paid to play for people), you must have the kind of attitude that makes y ou easy to work
with and allows you to work with all types of personalities. ________ is key! When you
love people, it’s easier to read them and their energy – which leads to awesome DJ sets!
III. Must be _____________/______________. M ost DJs find themselves in front of a
different audience at a different venue regularly, so you must:
a. Be openminded open and willing to share your Art and Self with your audience
and clients. You never know who is hearing you for the first time! Look around –
Look up! They are there to hear you, not see your head buried in your equipment.
b. Be open to adapting to the environment:
i. _______________ – Learn about, and if you can, play on all types of setups.
ii. The Unexpected – Anything can happen. Stay calm and be ready!
iii. Market/Industry – Sure you can love what you love to play, just keep your
ears open to trends in the industry, so you can be wellrounded as a DJ.
DJ Equipment List: I n addition to some of the items found on the front of this handout, you’ll
want to make sure you have the following at your gigs:
~ ___________________. ~ All cables/cords for equipment. ~ If you are a Laptop DJ, bring
~ Good Energy. ~ If you are a Laptop DJ, make sure extra CDs of music and a
~ An attitude of FUN. you have your computer charger! memory stick of MP3s.
~ An attitude of Gratitude. ~ Your cellphone charger. ~ If you are a Vinyl DJ, bring
~ Yourself / Your _______. ~ Headphone jack adaptors and any your needles for the turntables –
~ Your Inner Artist . other audio adaptors you may need. extra if you have ‘em!