A DJ’S GUIDE TO SURVIVING LIFE! need to adjust to the new normality. Which means a lot of down time, when I say a lot, I mean ‘crazy alotness’ (it’s a great made up phrase that serves its purpose in the context of this article, I hope Ed leaves it in!). This gave me lots of thinking time. How can I put my knowledge, skills and passion to work?
I’M MISSING THE GIGS! Nothing will replace live gigs, let’s get that clear. You cannot replicate that buzz. But instead of wallowing in the disappointment of not being able to do what we love, it’s far better to use this time wisely to prepare for when we can get back out there and perform.
Why not look at different setup configurations for your light show and photograph the different options so that you can see them side by side and have a reference to help you decide what to take out for each gig. If the photographs are taken well, you can even include them as part of your advertising material to show future clients. Assuming you are digital in your approach to music, why not use this opportunity to have a thorough sort through your collection?
Go through every crate and folder, play the tracks, remind yourself of what hidden gems are lurking in there! Perhaps you might be inspired to add sub-crates so that everything is categorised in more detail. Also this will allow you to get rid of duplicates, free up valuable room on your hard drive, and possibly replace any poor copies of tracks. You could also add new cue points to your tracks to speed up your performance, either as a mixing DJ or as a host.
It may seem mundane, but it’s a worthwhile exercise and at least you’ll still be working with the thing you love, music. HELP! I NEED INCOME!! So, what can a DJ (AKA Mr Button Pusher) do to elevate him or herself in these times?
What makes us different from the man or woman in the street? What are our strengths? The cold hard truth is that some of us may need to diversify, take on a day job to make ends meet. “But I’ve not had a real job in 20 years,” I hear many of you cry! “That will look rubbish on a CV!” Well, let’s reset to a positive mindset on this one. If you need to take on a day job to make ends meet, sell yourself.
That statement should instead be: “I have successfully run my own business for 20 years.” Same fact, far more positive angle. This then gives you a whole range of useful experience and abilities to offer: • Finance management • Ability to use own initiative (AKA think on your feet) • Strong customer-facing skills • Experience of conflict resolution • Strong communication skills (what we do best!) That’s just five points taken from the top of my head.
I’m sure I could think of many more if I put my mind to it, and I’m sure you could too! KEEPING MY SANITY - VIRTUAL INSANITY More than ever now, we will appreciate just how lucky we are to be living in such a connected world. Personally, I have delved back into my radio past and offered live broadcast services from my home studio to stations that are impacted by the pandemic where presenters have been forced to isolate. I can appreciate that not everyone has the ability to drop onto a radio show as an outlet for your musical passion, I feel very lucky to be able to do this.
So, how else do we keep our sanity? Many years ago, around the time that GPO Telecommunications became British Telecom, there was a campaign with Busby the bird, ‘It’s good to talk’ and ‘Make someone happy with a phone call’ . Common theme? COMMUNICATION (stop singing the Spandau Ballet song old DJs!).
If there’s one thing that DJs are good at, it’s talking! By all means talk to family, talk to friends, but it’s so important to also communicate with EACH OTHER, DJ TO DJ. Nobody knows a DJ like a DJ. You can share ideas of how to cope in these troubled times, how to pass time, how to make ends meet and, of course, plan world domination when we get back to any semblance of normality!
Go to Facebook pages like the one operated by the NADJ and join the conversation. Pooled knowledge is essential, and knowledge is power! On a professional front, why not take time to send a couple of mix ideas to us here at Mastermix? It doesn’t matter if you can’t produce the mix yourself, we can do that for you.
Simply think of tracks that you play. You know the ones, where as you play them you think, “You know what? This would make a really good mix!” Then go to the Mastermix website and follow the ‘DJ’s Set’ link from the top menu bar. Fill in your details, fill in the 5 or 6 tracks that you think will work well as a mix, and we might just produce it.
Just by doing that, you get a free copy of the Issue (we all love free stuff, right?), and your name on the liner notes – AKA bragging rights! You also never know how things might develop. After all, it’s how my own Mastermix story started a couple of years ago. Now is also a great opportunity to take a look at your social media and make any tweaks or adjustments needed to present a professional image.
Whichever platforms you’re present on, make sure that you’re covering all the basics. Is your suffix the same on each platform? All of mine are. My Facebook page is (hint: click ‘like’ on that one!), and I have the same @DJJulesLittle suffix on both Instagram and Twitter.
Next step, is the content relevant? Are you aiming it at the right target audience? Are you sharing the right kind of photos, using the correct hashtags etc. If you need any extra help, please look at the rather excellent article regarding Instagram from Greg Cartwright in issue 100 of this magazine, really helpful. [Also check out Greg’s article on ‘Digital Housekeeping’ in this edition starting on page 54 – Ed.] In short (not Eddie), there are brighter days ahead.
As much as air pollution is resetting due to the lockdowns in more populous areas of the globe, we can reset our focus for when the brighter days come again. And, as sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, they will come. Here’s to brighter days, stronger, together! LOCKDOWN - A DJ’S GUIDE TO SURVIVING LIFE!40
