SwingDJs

In my trying to understand the very basis elements of what makes a good DJ, I’m trying to understand what are the reasons for someone wanting to DJ, or why do I DJ?

There are many, many reasons for someone to want to DJ. Here are some of the ones I’ve seen, the good and the bad.

A - Wanting to share the passion and wide knowledge you have for the music.
B - Love the challenge of working a room of dancers and getting them excited.
C - Believe you can do a better job than other DJ’s in your scene.
D – Prefer to spin music for dancers over dancing yourself.
E - See DJing as a means of becoming popular in your scene.
F – To show people what kind of music they should dance to
G - I way of making some money on the side.
(added 2/6/05)
H - There was/is a requirement for DJed events in my scene, and I put my hand up

I hear many people saying to be that they would love to DJ. I start to think, what is a healthy reason for someone to start DJing?
When I think back to when I stated DJ it was because of point “A” and “C”. To me now I DJ as per point “A” and “B”.

Why do you DJ? Has it changed? What are some of your good and bad reasons to DJ?

Brian

Dogma, ego and the free water.

Kalman

There is only one reason I DJ:

Lack of live bands at all events.

Back in the 30's and 40's there was no stinking DJs. Only live music all the time.

So given the choice, I would not DJ and only listen to live music.

Serg

Still not safe at work:

GuruReuben wrote:Question: Why are all the DJs male?
Answer: http://www.collegehumor.com/?image_id=57113

Serg wrote:Back in the 30's and 40's there was no stinking DJs. Only live music all the time.

Yeah... in the movies.

Fact of the matter is there was NOT live music all the time and there were "DJs" though not exactly as we think of them today.

Live music all the time... HAHA... you're funny.

I do it for the chicks.

GuruReuben wrote:

Serg wrote:Back in the 30's and 40's there was no stinking DJs. Only live music all the time.

Yeah... in the movies.

Fact of the matter is there was NOT live music all the time and there were "DJs" though not exactly as we think of them today.

Live music all the time... HAHA... you're funny.

Well if you lived in the boondocks then you would have to dance to boombox music or radio. However, at the big cities you could dance to live music all the time. Just ask the oldtimers about their ballroom/dance hall experiences. Heck, ask the old LA dancers if they danced to DJ music at the ballrooms overthere back in the day. Dammit, I asked a old dancer about the dance scene here in Miami. There was live music to dance to all the time. And that was Miami during the war! Now think about NY and Chicago with a zillion ballrooms.

Serg

Serg wrote:Well if you lived in the boondocks then you would have to dance to boombox music or radio. However, at the big cities you could dance to live music all the time. Just ask the oldtimers about their ballroom/dance hall experiences. Heck, ask the old LA dancers if they danced to DJ music at the ballrooms overthere back in the day. Dammit, I asked a old dancer about the dance scene here in Miami. There was live music to dance to all the time. And that was Miami during the war! Now think about NY and Chicago with a zillion ballrooms.

You make it sound as if it was common for people to be out dancing to live bands every night of the week. Maybe every weekend, but not every night of the week. Cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles would be the obvious exceptions. I'm sure more people danced at local "canteens" to records then in the grand ballrooms of the time that featured the live acts.

Oh, and the term "boombox" originated in the late 70's.

I must be lucky, as I have access to many live gigs in Melbourne. So lack of live gigs is not a reason why I DJ, but that's just me.
It's also worth knowing that there was a lot of "home" dancing back in the original era via Radio DJing - "The Make Believe Ballroom Show" was just one of them. Teenagers back then didn’t have money to go out every night so the Radio Dance shows were a big part of dance culture.

Brian

A and B mostly for me, although I don't know if I'm qualified enough to claim A Another reason to DJ is if no-one else will/can do it. Mike T. and I started spinning in Rochester for dancers about the same time I think. We just wanted something more dynamic and varied than a mixed CD. Does that sound right Mike?

A little of G too I guess - enough to support a music buying habit, anyway.

I keep spinning the music on the radio until they throw me off.

Swifty wrote:Still not safe at work:

GuruReuben wrote:Question: Why are all the DJs male?
Answer: http://www.collegehumor.com/?image_id=57113

That's how I was conned into DJing.

LIES ALL LIES!

Kalman

mousethief wrote:LIES ALL LIES!

Speak for yourself!

Well, you wouldn't get in the booth...

Kalman

I love the power of being scorned by many, worshipped by more, and completely ignored and taken for granted by most.

I also enjoy spreading the gospel and inspiring others to play great music, although that motive has diminished a bit now that I own a television.