DJ Tasks

This is a post that I originally posted on my other weblog, but I'm reposting it here because I think I'll just include the DJ-related posts here from now on. 

It's just a brief overview of some of the things a DJ has to be good at. In future 
posts, I'll go into each one in depth, and make some connections with planning and communications.

1. Engaging with an audience. The most important point, at the top of the list. A comedian makes people laugh, a DJ makes people dance (or try to dance, from what I've seen!) by 
engaging them. It  sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many DJs think that they're main task is to indulge themselves, or to "teach" the crowd something. It's selfish, but also says something about how difficult it can be to strike a balance between entertaining and educating.

2. Synthesis
Narrowing down hundreds, or thousands, of music selections requires a DJ to constantly exercise skills of filtering and synthesis. Organizing different music music around a theme or general sound is done by making the connections between the music in your head, and then going out and presenting them in an interesting way. What’s left out is as important as what goes in to the mix, and it’s all done by artfully synthesizing the material.

3. Telling a Story
Every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. Ups and downs, peaks and valleys move the story along, as do the whole range of human emotions. A good DJ does the same thing, using music to tell a certain kind of story. A bad DJ usually gets it wrong by going all over the place, lacking continuity.

4. Know That a DJ is Just Part of The Story
DJ’s play the records that get people dancing, but that’s really only part of the story. The crowd in a club is influenced by the whole experience: the lights, the sound system itself, the other people, the door staff, the bartenders, the washrooms (especially the washrooms, sometimes!), the price to get in and so on. The best clubs, with the best DJs, have always appreciated this and payed the most attention to all the details. One of the most legendary DJs of all time, Larry Levan, was known to leave the booth at the Paradise Garage in New York to adjust the lights and mirror ball. Great example of a DJ that understands that it is all about the complete experience.

5. Improvisation
DJ’ing would be a lot easier if it could be practiced in advance. Part of the job, and another thing that separates the men/ladies from the boys/girls is the ability to change course, adjust pace/vibe according to the circumstances. It’s all about improvising, to what is going on at the time.

6. Reading a Crowd
One of my favourite things about DJ’ing is that it forces you to constantly "read" the crowd. (Come to think of it, it’s odd to talk about "the crowd" as if it’s a singular mass.But that’s kind of what it feels like: you and "the crowd").Sensing what the crowd is expecting, where they want to be taken next is a big challenge. And since this decision has to be made every five minutes or so, it’s just about impossible to be perfect at it ;)

7. Business vs. Art
Ahhh, it would be great if music, dancing, parties and entertainment were all about fun and creativity. Sorry, this is the real world. Clubs are run for profit, usually by greedy owners that could really care less about a DJ’s delusions of creative grandeur. Appreciating, and learning to adapt to the constant tension between money and art is not easy, and can require a tough skin. The best case scenario: being good enough at what you do that the line in the sand separating the two begins to blur.

8. Theory vs. Practice
Talk is cheap. DJ’s quickly find out that the moment of truth is when you’re actually in front of a crowd, where all theory can fly out the window. That’s when everything becomes much more clear. To make a more immediate point about this, even the music sounds different in a club atmosphere. Less theory, more action! (DJs don’t call it theory, of course, they just BS like everyone else)

9. Observing vs. Participating
Another "fine line" here. Playing music for a crowd becomes a lot more fun and interesting (to me, anyway) when you’re having a great time yourself. Maybe you can’t leave the booth, but getting into the spirit of things is important; and it’s amazing to be both observing, participating and directing the action at the same time. Come to think of it, there aren’t a lot of other professions like this, really.

10. Knowing Your Crowd
Before playing records in a club, and eventually travelling to other countries to do this, my brother and friends spent a lot of time at clubs, as devoted fans passionate about music. We know the crowd, because we were (and still are) part of the crowd. This is so important to everything else, it can’t be overemphasized. Don’t forget: you can’t fake the funk!

2. Synthesis
Narrowing down hundreds, or thousands, of music selections requires a DJ to constantly exercise skills of filtering and synthesis. Organizing different music music around a theme or general sound is done by making the connections between the music in your head, and then going out and presenting them in an interesting way. What’s left out is as important as what goes in to the mix, and it’s all done by artfully synthesizing the material.

3. Telling a Story
Every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. Ups and downs, peaks and valleys move the story along, as do the whole range of human emotions. A good DJ does the same thing, using music to tell a certain kind of story. A bad DJ usually gets it wrong by going all over the place, lacking continuity.

4. Know That a DJ is Just Part of The Story
DJ’s play the records that get people dancing, but that’s really only part of the story. The crowd in a club is influenced by the whole experience: the lights, the sound system itself, the other people, the door staff, the bartenders, the washrooms (especially the washrooms, sometimes!), the price to get in and so on. The best clubs, with the best DJs, have always appreciated this and payed the most attention to all the details. One of the most legendary DJs of all time, Larry Levan, was known to leave the booth at the Paradise Garage in New York to adjust the lights and mirror ball. Great example of a DJ that understands that it is all about the complete experience.

5. Improvisation
DJ’ing would be a lot easier if it could be practiced in advance. Part of the job, and another thing that separates the men/ladies from the boys/girls is the ability to change course, adjust pace/vibe according to the circumstances. It’s all about improvising, to what is going on at the time.

6. Reading a Crowd
One of my favourite things about DJ’ing is that it forces you to constantly "read" the crowd. (Come to think of it, it’s odd to talk about "the crowd" as if it’s a singular mass.But that’s kind of what it feels like: you and "the crowd").Sensing what the crowd is expecting, where they want to be taken next is a big challenge. And since this decision has to be made every five minutes or so, it’s just about impossible to be perfect at it ;)

7. Business vs. Art
Ahhh, it would be great if music, dancing, parties and entertainment were all about fun and creativity. Sorry, this is the real world. Clubs are run for profit, usually by greedy owners that could really care less about a DJ’s delusions of creative grandeur. Appreciating, and learning to adapt to the constant tension between money and art is not easy, and can require a tough skin. The best case scenario: being good enough at what you do that the line in the sand separating the two begins to blur.

8. Theory vs. Practice
Talk is cheap. DJ’s quickly find out that the moment of truth is when you’re actually in front of a crowd, where all theory can fly out the window. That’s when everything becomes much more clear. To make a more immediate point about this, even the music sounds different in a club atmosphere. Less theory, more action! (DJs don’t call it theory, of course, they just BS like everyone else)

9. Observing vs. Participating
Another "fine line" here. Playing music for a crowd becomes a lot more fun and interesting (to me, anyway) when you’re having a great time yourself. Maybe you can’t leave the booth, but getting into the spirit of things is important; and it’s amazing to be both observing, participating and directing the action at the same time. Come to think of it, there aren’t a lot of other professions like this, really.

10. Knowing Your Crowd
Before playing records in a club, and eventually travelling to other countries to do this, my brother and friends spent a lot of time at clubs, as devoted fans passionate about music. We know the crowd, because we were (and still are) part of the crowd. This is so important to everything else, it can’t be overemphasized. Don’t forget: you can’t fake the funk!