DJ is The job of a DJ. Features of the profession. The best DJs in the world

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

"The highest musicality in the realm of thought," said Bohr Niels Henrik David. Everyone knows that not a single university produces DJs, because they are not made, but born. DJing is a lifestyle. He is a "taster" and a pioneer of a new sound, and the atmosphere of the event or even the morning mood of the drivers depends only on him, because often a DJ is able to smooth out the tension caused by traffic jams.

Historical aspect

Such an interesting profession was born already in 1906. How did it happen? For the Christmas holidays, Reginald A Fessenden did not broadcast standard coded signals (as was usually the case), but real music and speech, which caused absolute delight to the audience. Thus, the famous American commentator W alter Winchell was the first to introduce the term "disc jockey" to society, which was directly related toto radio host Martin Block, the first DJ to become a star. Later, in society, the concept of DJ began to be used to refer to the presented term. In addition, this phrase is the original root of the term "DJing", which explains the activities of the DJ. Thus, sounds and music became the main aspect of this profession. The DJ mixes different compositions into a pleasant and high-quality complex using special equipment. For a successful career in the musical field, of course, you need creative inclinations, good taste and serious preparation in the relevant direction.

The front side of the profession

As it turned out, the work of a DJ is to track, collect and connect (mix) musical compositions and their individual parts. These operations must be carried out so that in the process of a dance party or going on the radio, he can choose the most suitable from a variety of audio recordings and provide them for public listening, because the specific situation and the specifics of the event can be fully determined and made brighter precisely by well-chosen music. DJing is not an easy job, as it seems at first glance to some people. But society is only familiar with the front side of the coin. A huge part of his activity takes place "behind the scenes" of entertainment programs and outside the scenes of atmospheric dance halls. The best DJs in the world practice identifying and listening to an incredible number of media, getting to know a wide variety of tunes and,respectively, their performers, familiarization with endless public polls, the results of charts and other musical information and, of course, scrupulous work with all kinds of materials used on a further creative path.

Technical aspect of the profession

Work as a DJ, as noted earlier, involves the direct mixing of various musical fragments. Here, the master is required to have absolute knowledge of technology, possession of the appropriate techniques and skills to work on professional equipment (mixing console, sampler, turn-table, and so on). Naturally, with the advent of CD players, the activities of DJs have been greatly facilitated and significantly expanded in terms of possibilities (quick change in the speed of recordings and the formation of even the most unusual musical effects). Despite such a significant revolution, professional DJs still believe that no discoveries and miracles of scientific progress are able to become a suitable alternative to the familiar and tried and tested vinyl records. They tend to believe that even the most virtuoso technique will not help if the music is boring or of poor quality. It is important to note that the best DJs in the world have learned not only to mix compositions, but also to speak correctly, which is the most important aspect of this area, because it is very important to “overshadow” the pause between musical creations with high quality and successfully.

DJ as a pioneer of new sound

An important aspect of the DJ profession isthe ability of the master to stir up public interest, which never allows you to stand in one place, remaining a hostage to a standard and such a boring melody, song or one rhythm. So, the masters of this field can rightfully be called a musical preacher, because over the long period of existence of the professional category (more than fifty years), it was the DJ who processed the first rhythm and blues, and then rock and roll. In addition, the creations presented were aired despite strong opposition from conservatives. An interesting fact is that it was the radio DJ who brought out the styles that are very famous today, including disco, techno, house or hip-hop. So, in modern times, DJ skills determine the direction of popular clubs and radio stations. In addition, the names of well-known figures in this category (for example, Groove) are on a par with the names of our pop stars.

DJ is the modern master of dance

It's important to note that a DJ's activities are no longer limited to minor clubs. Thus, the sites of large-scale concert halls and even the widest stadiums are being actively developed. In addition, the most famous artists today often order remixes of their songs from professionals. No one will argue with the fact that today it is impossible to imagine any youth event, festival or competition without a DJ, because the master of music can not only control the public mood, but also make speeches sincerely.

DJ is not easyprofession, but a way of life. As a rule, it is related to young people, because often, due to a non-standard work schedule, there is practically no time left for sleep. You need to play at night, when the clubs where the disco takes place are open and crowded. A DJ is a person, of course, “burning” with his work, because if his soul didn’t lie so evenly to music, he would hardly work to the detriment of his daily routine.

DJ personality

Of course, in addition to professional skills and knowledge, the main among which are knowledge of musical styles and specialized equipment, the ability to mix tracks, experience in cutting music, high-quality equipment settings, entertainment events, availability of musical data and creative imagination, a radio DJ must have a number of personal qualities that will help maximize the productivity of his activities and, of course, the general mood. It would be appropriate to include here competent and pleasant speech, good diction, developed taste preferences in relation to aesthetics, the ability to speak beautifully, as well as to formulate one’s thoughts very clearly, a good sense of humor, taste in music, energy, sociability and, of course, consistency. All these qualities will help the DJ to reach his full potential and really charge the audience with positive energy.

Employment issue

Modern public is very diverse, and a DJ is a person who needs to clearly capture its mood and create an atmosphereholiday. Of course, a specialist in this field should be well versed in music, know what is popular at the moment and what was the most common, for example, in the 90s. It is important to note that in large cities the number of DJs is increasing every year. And this is not surprising, because young people find this work quite interesting and very profitable. Moreover, a good specialist in this field, who is able not only to perform professional operations with high quality, but also to enjoy it, will undoubtedly be in demand. Popular DJs have very good earnings. They are invited to various events and paid for every hour of work. In addition, in restaurants and other public institutions there is a separate rate for workers in the profession in question. A nightclub resident receives a smaller amount per hour of his activity than an invited guest. However, this job is based on fixed conditions and a fixed salary.

Universities don't train DJs

It is important to note that the DJ profession is not taught in universities and colleges. Therefore, to get acquainted with this area of knowledge, it is necessary to study independently or through specialized courses. It was noted above that for activities in a nightclub, skills in working with a variety of media (both standard and innovative) are required. In addition, absolute knowledge of the computer in terms of mixing music is important. The DJ must have his own equipment,especially when it comes to serving thematic events of a private nature (weddings, anniversaries, graduations, special parties, corporate parties, and so on). A music specialist also needs to periodically select a personal library. These should be not only tracks that match the taste of the DJ himself, but also those that are fully capable of satisfying a wide audience. Professionals note that the most important thing for a professional is a good ear for music and a sense of rhythm. But these qualities can be developed independently!

Specific profession

Like any occupation, the music industry has its pros and cons. So, in the process of working as a DJ, the main advantages are the possibility of starting a career at almost any age (which is why 16-year-old DJs today are far from uncommon), the exclusion of “old” DJs in this area (for some, the hobby becomes uninteresting, while others turn his whole life), an interesting life, because a DJ can constantly travel, make new acquaintances, fans, and most importantly, fruitfully do his job. The profession also has a number of disadvantages, among which the following are quite significant: work at night (but for some this is a plus), unhe althy atmosphere in clubs (loud music, a lot of smoke, not always friendly visitors, severe fatigue at the end of the shift and so on), as well as the need to have your own equipment, and after all, decent equipment costs decent money. But also in the lastpoint has a latent plus: after all, equipment can be rented out!