"Don't die with your music in you..."
For some of us, that "music" is literally music. For others, it's writing or art. For others, its entrepreneurship or community service - setting a totally different form of 'soundtrack' to dance to.
Whether a rocker, raver, country boy, jazz afficianado, hip hop gangsta, teeny bopper - each of our lives is a symphony of experiences, lessons, battles, victories, and explorations. Each chapter in our story, a segment of the "music" that becomes of our lives.
Having been a professional DJ for over 12 years, I've gained some unique insights into the dance of life.
Reflecting upon the journey as a basement DJ, to DMC turntablism competitor, to club rocker, exclusive lounge maestro, music producer, and international DJ playing some of the finest beach clubs & luxury villas in Bali - I've gleaned a few insights of value for anyone hoping to become a pro DJ themselves. However, these "golden steps to success" are not limited to application in just DJing...
I'd originally started this writing focused on DJing - but the further I got, the more I realized the exact same principles at play are equally applicable they are to ANY field or venture one might commit themselves.
Herein, are five golden nuggets of wisdom from my journey as a DJ - AND on Steemit so far - exemplifying these steps in action, elaborating on each to simplify & clarify how they may benefit you - even if you have zero interest in DJing OR earning anything on Steemit.
Sound good?
Cool.
Here we go...
"Everyone and their dog is a DJ these days," my agent used to say over a decade ago...
People seem to think DJing is cool. (Well, it kinda is). And there's been no shortage of people jumping on the bandwagon.
It used to be rock bands that filled stadiums for concerts - now it's 20 year-olds playing pre-recorded sets from a USB stick. And in the wake of the trend, millions of young music-lovers worldwide have taken to the turntables with hopes of becoming an international music sensation.
But what does it actually take, to succeed as a professional DJ?
Actually, it's not all that different than what it takes to succeed on Steemit. Or in any other undertaking.
Sure, there are differences between DJing and writing, or other activities & ventures. Yet, there are certain fundamental principles & steps one must undoubtedly take to achieve mastery & success in any arena...
(note: as I've never sought to be a star, I haven't got alot of pro photos of myself over the years - but, all the photos included in this are sourced from various gigs I've done, whether from my Instagram account or elsewhere)
1. Master Your Skill Set
In all honesty, the technical skills required to DJ aren't all that complicated. (I've often said, "you could teach a monkey to beatmatch.")
Nonetheless, there are some basic skills required. This isn't a lesson in DJing itself, so if you want to learn to DJ, there's plenty of other websites, YouTube tutorials, and DJ schools that could help you get rolling with that.
Perhaps it was because I had a musical background that I took very quickly to working with turntables. (*Ah, the thought those classic Technics 1200s and the warmth of vinyl is so soothing to the soul... I'll never forget the first crackle hitting my eardrums as I dropped the needle on a vinyl in a record store - like a gateway to multi-dimensional world from which I could never return). Regardless of my natural rhythmic inclinations, there was still one thing that accelerated my success, for which there is no substitute:
Practice.
The basics of DJing are extremely simple. Yet, as with building any skill, repetition is essential to engrain the motions of a process into one's awareness until it becomes that "subconscious competence."
Regardless of what field a person chooses to undertake as a passion and/or career, mastery in anything requires the deep integration of basic skill sets.
Whether one of many arts, a science, computer programming, sports, business, or community service - there's no skipping ahead. Time must be put into cultivating core capabilities fundamental to performing the activity.
These are the baby steps. Whatever field you've committed to in your life, I'm sure you could relate to what those foundational skills are in that field. Or if you're aiming to take on a new hobby, figuring out what those most basic building blocks are upon which to grow your competence from is essential...
(underground after-hour styles @ Sunset Room in Victoria, BC, Canada)
On Steemit...
As DJs serve a crowd through music. On Steemit, you serve the crowd through writing.
While the basic technical skills to DJ are quite easy, there is alot more to developing solid writing skills - whether that writing is for a Steemit blog, copywriting, magazine article, or anything else.
As brilliant idea or insights a person might have, their inherent value is next to worthless unless they can be translated/communicated well.
If aiming to be a successful writer, there's no way around the necessity of learning & implementing grammatical basics, how to effectively structure sentences & paragraphs to make the experience of reading your content smooth, how to properly format your articles, etc.
The more proficient you become at these fundamental skills, the more effectively you'll be able to achieve a smooth flow in the delivery of your ideas, insights, and perspectives. The smoother that flow, the more clearly "your music" comes through and will move your readers.
2. Cultivate An Exquisite Taste (For Music)
With DJing, a person might actually even be able to half-ass their way through step one - if they excel on number two: the discernment to build a collection of exceptionally great music.
With probably billions of songs out there, there is alot of junk music. And, there are some real diamonds in the rough. Historically, the successful DJs have been the ones who've spent days, months, and years "diggin' in the crates" to find those rare gems, cultivating the finest of musical selections for listeners' pleasure.
While each person's musical tastes may vary slightly - or drastically - regardless of what genre they may prefer, there are common elements amonst the best composed, recorded, and produced songs in any style. A great DJs job is not merely to play background music, but to present a meticulously-crafted soundtrack of exceptional quality artwork that stands out for its rarity as living up the highest musical standards.
For some, a "good ear" comes naturally. For others, it comes with time. For either or, such an "ear" is further developed over years & years of listening to thousands upon thousands of songs - which over the course of such prolonged exposure to a diversity of sounds, one develops a familiarization with the various musical elements, song structures, engineering qualities, and overall vibrational impact different music has on its listeners.
Just as an eating experience will drastically different between a cheap junk food McDonald's hamburger and a finely-prepared meal from a 3-star Michelin chef at a top-class restaurant, so such a spectrum of quality disctinctions exist with musical productions. And while a menu from the world-class chef may contain items that not everyone has a taste for, the quality stands on its own - leagues above cheap, sloppily-prepared fast food, regardless whether the restaurant patrons favor the dishes or not.
The highest level of technical expertise in DJing cannot compensate for a poor taste in music. An impeccible taste to present exceptionally-amazing songs can diminish the need for technical skill. Because to the end-listener, it's the music that matters.
I've heard stories from more than one DJ who started being requested for gigs before they had ever even "DJed" - just having thrown on their iTunes playlist at a party and impressed a club owner/promoter with their fine taste. And while there is more required to build a successful DJ career than just a good taste in music, this step cannot be skipped. (Unless perhaps you're Paris Hilton or a hot chick with big tits.)
(I never was thrilled on being a wedding DJ, but the gig in Bali ended up having some perks - @ Villa Latitude)
While this fundamental principle / step to success could manifest itself in any number of ways, applied to different fields - I think the core matter at heart of this one comes down to professional quality standards.
This may more specifically apply to content curators - be it a DJ collecting music, a goods trader/wholesaler tuning into the market and scanning for the latest, fashionable trending items, or even a person on Steemit - curating, commenting on, and sharing great content on this platform. Though even if partaking in an activity where not selecting & organizing others' work - there may still be the commonality of the top-level professionals holding themselves accountable to presenting their product or service as one of the top in its class.
Whatever the playing field someone chooses to commit themselves to, the longer spent in the field, the great the ability developed to distinguish the finer subtleties of what separates the classes of quality - be it quality of product, service, performance, or perspective.
Some people may naturally have an innate capacity for determining where a work stands in relation to its rivals on a measure of professional standards - though only through immersion in a craft, study, or practice can one cultivate the foundational experience & base of knowledge to develop higher-level skills of specialization allowing them predictable consistency in choosing winners and/or performing as a winner.
So whatever arena you might choose to strive towards mastery in...
Immerse yourself. Get to know the game inside-out. Throw yourself in and become a student of value and quality as its exemplified in the game, and hold yourself to the standards of alignment with the top quality - whether that be a form of curation & presentation of others' work, or creating yours from scratch.
Develop a refined perceptability to select that which you deliberately put forward as a representation of your own style based on the highest professional standards you desire to be held accountable to.
Then share. And rock it.
3. Network & Build Relationships
The skills need to be on-point.
The music needs to be quality.
But at the end of the day, success is unlocked through relationships.
My "lucky break" into professional DJing had little to do with luck. Rather, it was a matter of having put together a list of all the DJs & promoters in Vancouver, going out to shows to meet them, and nurturing relationships.
What set me apart from the countless DJs who come to Bali hoping to get gigs and leave disappointed is that I began contacting music directors before I had even arrived, following up consistently, growing rapport and friendships with the people who could open doors.
Respect for others & service to others is essential in creating success in any field.
While Steemit may be a platform to publish writing, the real value is in the relationships cultivated in the community, as its fellow members who upvote & reward content.
And, the financial compensation is just the beginning.
The friendships that can be developed are entire form of wealth in their own. The greatest fulfillment to be had on social media is the social connection.
And, the collaborations that may come of cultivating relationships with others in the community may produce far greater wealth than creating or curating content EVER could.
No matter what one's area of expertise or passion, this blockchain-cyberspace is a playground of amazingly talented, knowledgeable
To Be Continued...
To keep this digestable, I've chosen to split it into two parts.
So if you've liked this first part, be on the lookout for part 2 coming soon. If you want to be notified, reply in the comments below and ask me to keep you updated, and I'll be sure to let you know when it drops.
And to hold you over in the meantime, I couldn't just write about DJing without sharing some fresh, hot beats to accompany... SO, here is one of my latest promo mixes for your listening pleasure:
Sunset Ascensions Vol.1 is a fine blend of beach dub, future R&B, reggae, deep soul, and some other crazy awesome stuff I don't even know how to categorize. Supa dope.
Stay tuned for Part 2.
Upcoming: the last two steps critical to achievieving success as a pro international DJ, Steemit rock star, or as a master in any other undertaking...
#success #dj #djlife #dj-life #dj-wisdom #howtobeaprodj #howtodj #how-to-dj #how-to-be-a-pro-dj #internationaldj #international-dj #balidj #bali-dj #dj-bali #dj-asia #asia-dj #dj-canada #canada-dj #djlessons #dj-lessons #steemit-dj #djing #roksivante #success-tips #mastery #dj-mastery #music #music-success #dj-success #motivation #personal-development #self-improvement #self-help #motivational