Everyone wants to be a DJ

Message

Kaastel · #1 Post by **Kaastel** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 2:26 pm

Does anyone else find, in their swing scenes, the phenomenon that I think of in a Los Angeles context (hey, I grew up there): Everyone in LA wants to act, and everyone who acts wants to direct. I think "Everyone wants to dance swing, and everyone who dances wants to DJ." At least, that seems to be true in my scene in Athens, GA. Makes it hard to break into DJing because everyone wants to do it! Do some scene see DJing as a burden or responsibility or a right you earn after being a great dancer or a duty or...? How do you share the DJing responsibilities or take an apprentice if you have an up-and-comer who's keen to do some spinning?

Platypus · #2 Post by **Platypus** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 8:59 pm

I am trying to keep the regularly scheduled DJs to 8 in the booth that I coordinate, so everyone can DJ at least once a month. Luckily, I haven't had more than 8 people who wanted regular slots. I also have a list of guest DJs and substitute DJs, who are available to fill in any open slots (eg we have a fifth Sunday of the month or someone calls in sick). This set-up might change if we get more interest, but for now, it seems to be working.

How do they get to spin?
First, someone requests, or is invited, to be a guest DJ. I recommend that they be an experienced dancer, know a little something about swing music for dancers, and own more than 3 CDs (this last one has knocked out quite a few potentials so far). They have to schedule a meeting with the DJ coordinator (me) for training, including a review of the club policies and procedures for the DJ booth. For an experienced DJ, the meeting may only last 5 minutes. For a newbie, it can last an hour. They have to agree to be shadowed by an experienced DJ. For an experienced DJ, I would only be in the booth long enough to ensure they were comfortable with the equipment, but for a newbie, I might be sitting next to them for the entire three shifts and am looking for them to be able to incorporate suggestions and be able to play for our dancers' tasts, not just for themselves.

I talk to our club board and get feedback before I invite geusts to become regularly scheduled DJs.

It is first-come first served when I set up the DJ schedule. If DJs don't call to give me their availability, they might not get scheduled that month. I figure that initiative and professional behavior are important aspects of being a good DJ. I don't want to work with someone who continually forgets that they have scheduled sets or who can't control their temper.

Also, it is good to have a DJ coordinator who isn't afraid to talk to people and work stuff out. I have become such the go-to person that I even got approached by a local dancer when there was a sound issue at the Austin Lindy Exchange to pass on his request about having the sound tweaked!

Hope that helps.

I have a rough draft of our DJ guidelines (which is in the process of being approved by our board), if you are interested in taking a look.

The Peanut Vendor · #3 Post by **The Peanut Vendor** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 1:12 am

Tell 'em that they can DJ all they want in Edmonton, Canada... we're a little short on dj's

erinregina · #4 Post by **erinregina** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 6:48 pm

*bump*

Everybody and their granny wants to be a DJ in my scene. Literally, we went from about maybe 5 "regular" (and I use the term loosely) DJs about a year and a half ago to at least a dozen or more now.

And to be completely honest, I can't stand some of the new DJ's tastes in music. But more than that, I'm frustrated at the seeming attitude that just anybody with a laptop and a few dozen songs can be a DJ. There's no real "vetting" process here. Basically if you want to DJ you just tell the person in charge of schedule and they'll set you up with a spot depending on availability. I'm getting a bit frustrated, particularly because I'm trying to develop *myself* as a DJ and it's hard to get play-time with all these other people taking up scheduling slots!

Anyone else have this problem? Just want to vent? Ideas on how to cope?

I am actually scheming up a new night so I can DJ on a more regular basis.

trev · #5 Post by **trev** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:34 pm

We have around 8 regular DJs in our scene, and it's not very often that others will show an interest in joining the DJ pool. I'm thinking perhaps it's because us regular DJs geek out about music so much (and take it reasonably seriously) that it may be intimidating for others to start DJing. Perhaps they feel their collection isn't big enough, or they don't know enough about what's involved. We do have a 'vetting' process similar to what Platypus described, so I guess that is another barrier, but I'd like to think we are fairly welcome to newbie DJs.

Or, maybe the DJing is good enough already that they are completely satisfied by just dancing!

Haydn · #6 Post by **Haydn** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:03 pm

Where ever I have danced, there seem to be too many DJs rather than too few. Despite the fact that people often get paid little or nothing.

I think the capitalist free market works quite well in this area. Just like live bands, DJs that provide a service that people like best will, over time, be the most successful.

erinregina wrote:I am actually scheming up a new night so I can DJ on a more regular basis.

Why not give it a try?

GemZombie · #7 Post by **GemZombie** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:30 pm

erinregina wrote:*bump*

Everybody and their granny wants to be a DJ in my scene. Literally, we went from about maybe 5 "regular" (and I use the term loosely) DJs about a year and a half ago to at least a dozen or more now.

And to be completely honest, I can't stand some of the new DJ's tastes in music. But more than that, I'm frustrated at the seeming attitude that just anybody with a laptop and a few dozen songs can be a DJ. There's no real "vetting" process here. Basically if you want to DJ you just tell the person in charge of schedule and they'll set you up with a spot depending on availability. I'm getting a bit frustrated, particularly because I'm trying to develop *myself* as a DJ and it's hard to get play-time with all these other people taking up scheduling slots!

Anyone else have this problem? Just want to vent? Ideas on how to cope?

I am actually scheming up a new night so I can DJ on a more regular basis.

No worries Gina, You have priority in my schedule

It's true, in this scene everyone wants to be a DJ... I'm frustrated too. I have pressure on one side to let these people have a chance, but my instinct says no. (Personally Gina, I would like to see the DJ list trimmed down to at most 6 of the local DJs. I like some of the folks' DJ styles here, and others I'm not so keen on... we can discuss that offline sometime

)

zzzzoom · #8 Post by **zzzzoom** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:47 am

Whoever is in charge of the schedule needs to be more discerning. If someone is new, give them a half hour at the beginning of the night and then let someone who is more experienced, with better music play.

We used to have a weekly event here that has since passed away and we used to encourage all comers (it was kind of like a swing co-op). One night, one of the newbie djs played 'Sounds of the Rain Forest'. That's when he was cut from the schedule.

Lawrence · #9 Post by **Lawrence** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 9:47 am

Actually, very few dancers want to DJ; in a scene of only 300-500 dancers, a dozen DJs woul be a rather small proportion, even though it might create a logjam in scheduling.

Everyone started somewhere. If you don't like their music, do what I do and just don't go dancing; there are other thing to do in the meantime.

erinregina · #10 Post by **erinregina** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 12:51 pm

Well, this is more like a dozen DJ's for a weekly night that gets between 40-60 dancers.

So that's [pulls out calculator] 20% of dancers wanting to DJ. To be generous.

GemZombie · #11 Post by **GemZombie** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:07 pm

zzzzoom wrote:Whoever is in charge of the schedule needs to be more discerning. If someone is new, give them a half hour at the beginning of the night and then let someone who is more experienced, with better music play.

We used to have a weekly event here that has since passed away and we used to encourage all comers (it was kind of like a swing co-op). One night, one of the newbie djs played 'Sounds of the Rain Forest'. That's when he was cut from the schedule.

I am the scheduler here now, and I like your idea. I will make that the policy. New DJ's need to be there at the beginning of the night. That way they don't break up the evening with a potential stinker of a set.

Thanks

texas-eddie · #12 Post by **texas-eddie** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:30 pm

Carla does something similar here, she'll tryout a new DJ during extra hours dancing (usually about an extra 30-45 minutes after the actual end of the dance) and see if you've got the chops. If not, she won't get back to you. Seems to work, we have one DJ doing the whole night, but it does seem like we have a shortage of DJs at Swing Central (at least good ones, send some our way!).

lipi · #13 Post by **lipi** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:50 pm

texas-eddie wrote:Carla does something similar here, she'll tryout a new DJ during extra hours dancing (usually about an extra 30-45 minutes after the actual end of the dance) and see if you've got the chops. If not, she won't get back to you. Seems to work, we have one DJ doing the whole night, but it does seem like we have a shortage of DJs at Swing Central (at least good ones, send some our way!).

really? since when? (on both counts.)

not being facetious, either. genuinely curious.

Bob the Builder · #14 Post by **Bob the Builder** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 10:52 pm

One benefit I see in dancers wanting to be Swing DJ's is it gets them interested in form in the music. Considering most Lindy hoppers wouldn't know how Fletcher Henderson is if you asked them, having them showing an interest in the music has to be an up side on some form. Now you just have to encourage them to get the music legally.

Brian

tornredcarpet · #15 Post by **tornredcarpet** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 3:44 am

Bob the Builder wrote:One benefit I see in dancers wanting to be Swing DJ's is it gets them interested in form in the music. Considering most Lindy hoppers wouldn't know how Fletcher Henderson is if you asked them, having them showing an interest in the music has to be an up side on some form. Now you just have to encourage them to get the music legally.

Brian

I think you'd have to encourage them to research that form of music in the first place.
Hell, my scene discourages DJs from playing swing music lol.