SwingDJs

Some random thoughts today on breaking down the stages of an average DJ's growth from start to finish.

I think there may be 3 main stages of a DJs cycle:

Stage 1: Imitation. Playing songs and transitions you see other DJs using.

Stage 2: Uniqueness. This is where DJs are more likely to play bizarre stuff. They want to find those songs nobody else plays, but are still learning about what the crowd can handle.

Stage 3: Intuition. The DJ starts to be able to 'read' the crowd, knowing when to change moods, how many steps to change it in, and when they are 'off'. Their 'unique' songs are now being inserted at the right times, and a sense of actual style emerges.

Stage 4: Comfort. This stage doesn't get completely reached. You are always looking to improve your collection, finese your style, read new crowds better, improve transitions, or "pick a song, push play" even better. You do, however, learn to trust what you learned in the first three stages.


In many ways, it's a similar curve to dancing (or other skills).

...It's also similar in that every DJ who reaches Stage 2 actually thinks they are at Stage 4.


Any steps I'm not thinking of?

-FF

Stage 5: Retirement.

Much like retirement in the real world, you don't really completely stop "working." Instead you become extremely picky about what "work" you take on, and when you do "work" it's more focused on what you care about personally. You no longer care about what others think, don't worry about what they may say, nor care much about making sure as many people as possible are happy/on the dance floor. Instead you sit back sipping foo foo fruity beverages while playing music you truly enjoy.

Yes, retirement in quite nice.

funkyfreak wrote:Some random thoughts today on breaking down the stages of an average DJ's growth from start to finish.

I think there may be 3 main stages of a DJs cycle:

Stage 1: Imitation. Playing songs and transitions you see other DJs using.

Any steps I'm not thinking of?

-FF

Stage Zen: play songs and transitions that other DJs use but in the right places.

Stage: Loaded

Kalman

Stage: I'll play anything with a 4/4 rhythm and call it swing.

Stage: Julius

DJ three times and post incessantly about theory.

Kalman

Stage: screw the crowd

DJ plays whatever the hell he wants to hear and doesn't care if anyone is dancing or not.


Stage: stuck on sameness

DJ doesn't buy enough stuff or listen to enough stuff he owns and keeps playing the same songs over and over.


Stage: Big head

Becasue a few people constantly compliment me on my DJing I'm the god DJ even though most people don't like my DJing I just don't notice because of the few who do.

...and usually you find those mind-sets rolled up at the same time in one DJ

-FF

funkyfreak wrote:...and usually you find those mind-sets rolled up at the same time in one DJ

-FF

Yep, I was thinking of one person.

Roy wrote:Stage: screw the crowd

DJ plays whatever the hell he wants to hear and doesn't care if anyone is dancing or not.


Stage: stuck on sameness

DJ doesn't buy enough stuff or listen to enough stuff he owns and keeps playing the same songs over and over.


Stage: Big head

Becasue a few people constantly compliment me on my DJing I'm the god DJ even though most people don't like my DJing I just don't notice because of the few who do.

Some DJs forget that the attitude of dancers towards DJ is "what have you done for me lately." Dancers really don't care who much you pleased them a few years ago.

I can think of a DJ or two who were once great DJs, but for some reason they have lost sight of the attributes that made the great DJs to begin with.

I've seen a different version of Stage 1: Show up with a CD you've made of your own favourite tracks... press play... go dance.

trev wrote:I've seen a different version of Stage 1: Show up with a CD you've made of your own favourite tracks... press play... go dance.

I've seen that as a retirement stage. Someone who is the only person in a scene with the tunes, does not really want to DJ anymore, but there is no one else ready to take over.

"Imitation" (a.k.a. "inspiration" from others) happens throughout in some form or another, but for those who did not have anything to imitate to start....

Stage 1: Neo Swing

Stage 2: Pre-1945 Swing Discovery Stage, accompanied by snootiness because you have uniquely discovered what "real" Lindy Hop music is.

Stage 3: Maybe Oscar Peterson is not all that bad, either....

Stage 4: Oscar Peterson RULES!!! Chick Webb sucks!!!

Stage 5: Open it up even further, dabble in Westie, but revisit Chick Webb and realize he's not as bad as your attitude.

Stage 6: Retirement: I'd rather play bocce ball or watch television than debate music.

mousethief wrote:Stage: Julius

DJ three times and post incessantly about theory.

Kalman

you complete me.

Stage: Figuring out that something that sounds great with headphones in the darkness of your bedroom can sound like shit in a hall

(comes in between Lawrence's stages 2 and 3)