What do Swing DJs do in the day/to earn a living?

[Haydn]

Hello all,

I'm based in London and am about to start DJ'ing a little here. Initially for a few private events which feature Swing music. Needless to say, I won't get paid for these. But I am thinking of changing my day job to something closer to what I enjoy - music and dancing.

I wondered, therefore -

1. Do you Swing DJs earn a living from DJing?

2. If not, what do you do in the day, do you enjoy it, and is it related to music and DJing?

[kitkat]

1 - No.
2 - I'm a classics major / French minor about to finish college. I'm looking at interpretation for the next year, but eventually I want to do something with more job security.

[Platypus]

1 - no.

2 - Medical Social Work, specializing in HIV. My job is both exhausting and exhilarating. Music and dance help me reconnect with joy on a regular basis, making a good balance to the intensity of my days.

[mousethief]

1. HAHAHAHAHA
2. I am professional salesperson, just down the ladder from elected officials, lawyers and African dictators on the "Most Despised List."

Kalman

[ScottieK]

1. This question made laugh out loud...good thing I'm at home right now

2. I work for a Police Department doing LiveScan Digital Finger Printing. Oh and I'm a student.

[GemZombie]

1. No
2. I'm a software Engineer for Sonic Solutions. It's not really related, but I do enjoy it very much.

[Nate Dogg]

1. No
2. I work with Databases

[Yakov]

1. Yes.*
2. I am a music major, about to graduate

-yakov
*No.

[djstarr]

1. No (although I make enough to offset my CD purchases a bit).

2. Software Engineer for PACCAR (we make those big large semi trucks on the road - Peterbilt and Kenworth).

I love my job since I have a lot of time at work to catalogue my CDs while I do documentation etc.; my job right now consists mostly of organization and bureacracy, although I used to be a developer.

[Yakov]

that in itself is impressive... i've been spending more on CDs than ever since i started DJing... even if i were making decent bucks they wouldn't come close to my recent expenditures...

[LazyP]

1. No
2. Post graduate student in theoretical chemistry (will get my PhD in three years)

[Haydn]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the replies - I am stunned to get so many so quickly

So, out of the 9 people who have replied -

3 are students
2 work in software
1 database
1 medical
1 sales
1 police

Only one is involved with music in the day (as a music student)

No-one makes a living from it. So everyone does it for love rather than money. I know a lot of people are in music for the enjoyment. On the other hand, there are people who make a living or in some cases a lot of money. Teachers, performers, promoters, DJs. Obviously a lot of these are in music which has a wider appeal than swing jazz.

Does anyone expect to make a living from DJing in the future. Or something else music-related like teaching/promoting/writing/producing/working for sound equipment or music software companies? I ask because I want to do something like this myself.

[Toon Town Dave]

To answer the original questions:

1) Yes*
2) I.T.
* Offer applicable only in 3rd world countries.

I certainly don't do it to get rich, my time is worth way more at my day job than even the best DJ is worth. I approach things primarily from a dance perspective with a swing dancer audience. A specialty audience is not going to be a big money maker, particularly swing dancers (ballroom dancers have a little more money but have IMO less appreciation for good DJing). The big money is in pandering to the mouth breathing masses which I'm not interested in.

There can be a modest living in being a mobile DJ (weddings, parties, etc). Here it's usually the DJ companies that make the money while the actual DJs working for them make something like $100/night. That usually requires a lot of evening/weekend work. Better than McDonalds but it means working during what would be recreational time for most people. I think some of the better club (not swing) DJs can make a decent living but only the best DJs for the busiest clubs.

[Mr Awesomer]

So, out of the 9 people who have replied -

3 are students
2 work in software
1 database
1 medical
1 sales
1 police

Actually, it would be more accurate to say:

4 work in IT
3 are students
1 in medical
1 in sales

[caab]

1. No

2. I work mailroom and reception at a law firm full time, host a couple of nights a week at a restaurant and teach swing dancing two nights a week. Still looking for a career...