“Highest musicality in thought,” said Bohr Nils Henrik David. Everyone knows that not a single university graduates from DJs, because they are not born, they are born. DJ is a lifestyle. He is a “taster” and the discoverer of a new sound, and only the atmosphere of the event or even the morning mood of the drivers depends on him, because often a DJ is able to smooth out the stress, argued by traffic jams on the roads.
Historical aspect
Such an interesting profession was born in 1906. How did this happen? For Christmas, Reginald A Fessenden did not broadcast standard encoded signals (as was usually the case), but real music and speech, which caused an absolute delight of the audience. So, the famous American commentator Walter Winchell (Walter Winchell) was the first to introduce the term “disc jockey” to the public, which was directly related to the leading radio Martin Block, the first DJ, who later became a star. Later in society, the concept of DJ began to be used to denote the term presented. In addition, this phrase is the original root of the term “DJing”, which explains the activities of the DJ. Thus, the main aspect of this profession was sounds and music. The DJ mixes different compositions into a pleasant and high-quality complex through special equipment. For a successful career in the musical field, of course, creative inclinations, the presence of good taste and serious preparation of the corresponding direction are necessary.
The front side of the profession
As it turned out, the work of a DJ is to track, collect and mix (mix) musical compositions and their individual parts. These operations must be performed so that in the process of a dance party or going on the air, he can choose from a variety of audio recordings the most suitable and provide them for public listening, because the specific atmosphere and specifics of the event can be fully determined and brightened by correctly selected music. DJ is not an easy job, as it seems at first glance to some people. But society is only familiar with the ceremonial side of the coin. A huge part of his activity takes place “behind the scenes” of entertainment programs and outside the scenes of atmospheric dance halls. The best DJs in the world practice identifying and listening to an incredible number of media, getting to know a wide variety of tunes and, accordingly, their performers, familiarizing themselves with endless public polls, charts and other musical information and, of course, meticulous work with all kinds of materials used on further creative way.
The technical aspect of the profession
Work as a DJ , as noted earlier, involves the direct mixing of various musical fragments. Here, the master is already required to have an absolute knowledge of the technique, mastery of the appropriate techniques and skills for working on professional equipment (a mixing console, sampler, turn-table, and so on). Naturally, with the advent of CD players, the activity of DJs was significantly facilitated and significantly expanded in terms of capabilities (quick change in recording speed and the formation of even the most unusual musical effects). Despite such a significant revolution, professional DJs still believe that no discoveries and miracles of scientific progress are able to become a suitable alternative to the familiar and tried vinyl records. They are inclined to believe that even the most masterly technique will not help if the music is boring or poorly selected. It is important to note that the best DJs in the world have learned not only to mix compositions, but also to speak correctly, which is the most important aspect of this area, because it is very important to qualitatively and successfully “eclipse” the pause between musical creations.
DJ as the discoverer of a new sound
An important aspect of the DJ profession is the ability of the master to stir up public interest, which never allows you to stand still, remaining a hostage to a standard and so boring melody, song or rhythm. So, the masters of this field can rightly be called a musical preacher, because over a huge period of time the existence of a professional category (more than fifty years), it was the DJ who processed the first rhythm and blues, and then rock and roll. In addition, the creations presented were aired even despite strong opposition from conservatives. An interesting fact is that it was the radio DJ who brought out very well-known styles today, including disco, techno, house or hip-hop. So, in modern times, DJ mastery determines the direction of popular clubs and radio stations. In addition, the names of famous figures in this category (for example, Groove) are on a par with the names of pop stars of our pop.
DJ is a modern master of dance!
It is important to note that the activities of DJ have long been not limited to the boundaries of minor clubs. So, the sites of large-scale concert halls and even the widest stadiums are being actively mastered. In addition, the most famous performers today often order remixes of their songs to professionals. No one can argue with the fact that today without a DJ it is impossible to imagine any youth event, festival or competition, because the master of music can not only own the public mood, but also make speeches mentally.
DJ is not just a profession, but a way of life. As a rule, it is related to youth, because often because of the non-standard work schedule, there is practically no time to sleep. You need to play at night, when clubs are open and crowded, where a disco takes place . A DJ is a man, of course, “burning” with his own business, because if his soul hadn’t been so even with music, he would hardly have worked at the expense of his daily routine.
Personal qualities of a DJ
Of course, in addition to professional skills and knowledge, the main ones being knowledge of musical styles and specialized equipment, the ability to mix tracks, experience in music cutting, quality tuning of equipment, conducting entertainment events, the availability of musical data and creative imagination, a radio DJ should have a number of personal qualities, which will help maximize the productivity of his activities and, of course, the general mood. It would be advisable to include competent and pleasant speech, good staging of diction, developed taste preferences regarding aesthetics, the ability to speak beautifully, and also to articulate your thoughts very clearly, a good sense of humor, a taste in terms of music, energy, sociability and, of course, endurance. All these qualities will help the DJ to reach their full potential and truly charge the audience with positive energy.
Employment issue
The modern audience is particularly diverse, and a DJ is a person who needs to clearly grasp her mood and create a festive atmosphere. Of course, a specialist in this field should be well versed in music, know what is popular at the moment, and what was most common, for example, in the 90s. It is important to note that in large cities the number of DJs is increasing every year. And this is not surprising, because young people find this work quite interesting and very profitable. Moreover, a good specialist d in this field, capable of not only performing high-quality professional operations, but also getting pleasure from it, will undoubtedly be in demand. Popular DJs have very good earnings. They are invited to various events and paid every hour of work. In addition, in restaurants and other public institutions for employees of the profession in question there is a separate rate. A resident of a nightclub receives a smaller amount per hour of his activity than an invited guest. However, this work is based on constant conditions and a fixed salary.
DJs not released at universities
It is important to note that DJ professions are not taught in universities and colleges. Therefore, to become familiar with this field of knowledge, it is necessary to undergo training independently or through specialized courses. It was noted above that for activities in a nightclub, skills to work with a variety of media (both standard and innovative) are required. In addition, absolute knowledge of the computer in terms of mixing music is important. A DJ must have his own equipment, especially when it comes to servicing thematic events of a private nature (weddings, anniversaries, graduations, specific parties, corporate parties and so on). A music specialist also needs to periodically select a personal library. It should be not only tracks that match the taste of the DJ himself, but also those that are fully capable of satisfying a wide audience. Professionals note that the most important thing for a professional is a good ear for music and a sense of rhythm. But these qualities can be developed independently!
Profession specifics
Like any kind of activity, the musical sphere has its pros and cons. So, in the process of working as a DJ, the main advantages are the possibility of starting a career at almost any age (that’s why 16-year-old DJs are far from rare), the exclusion of “old” DJs in this area (for some, a hobby becomes uninteresting, while others turn it’s a matter of all life), an interesting life, because a DJ can constantly travel, make new friends, admirers, and most importantly - fruitfully engage in his own business. The profession has a number of minuses, among which the following are quite significant: work at night (but for some it is a plus), unhealthy atmosphere in clubs (loud music, a lot of smoke, not always friendly visitors, very tired at the end of the shift and so on), as well as the need to have your own equipment, but decent equipment costs decent money. But in the last paragraph there is a latent plus: you can lease equipment!