The DJ Myth

Why is it that some people assume becoming a DJ is as straightforward as confusing a glamour model? Something about the profession seems to give off the impression of a bunch of chancers who wanted the rock and roll lifestyle but couldn’t be bothered to learn an instrument. This is an attitude we come across a lot at BecomeADJ, with many people surprised at how much hard work, rehearsal time and access to top equipment is necessary in order to master the art form.

We’ve probably all had that friend who tells you that he or she is an aspiring DJ and will do the music for any parties you’re having; then they bring along a laptop to the event, open up their ITunes account and just start playing you some of their favourite tracks. If this was all there was to it, we’d all be millionaires by now! Unfortunately, being a truly talented and creative DJ requires a great deal more work, and more importantly, the actual opportunity to develop your skills in the first place. Sadly, this is something many potentially gifted hopefuls simply don’t have.

Part of the problem is having access to rehearsal space. It doesn’t matter how awesome, exciting or moving your music is, the neighbours will still be reporting you for noise pollution when you’re dropping some sick beats at 2am and little Tommy next door has school first thing in the morning. And even if you live next door to Erol Alkan, not everyone outside of the morbidly affluent has space for a studio full of state of the art DJ equipment. 

Then there’s the money issue. It’s not just Stradivarius violins, which cost an arm and a leg – and probably any other body parts you’re willing to part with. The sort of standard equipment kit you find in clubs costs over £5000, the sort of money you won’t be finding down the back of any sofas outside of Chelsea anytime soon.

Of course there are some alternatives; decent controllers and cheap decks are out there, and can be useful for preparing sets and seeing how tracks flow together in a mix. But what happens when you get your first set at a club, and suddenly you’re faced with the real deal? Not only can you not plug in your controller to play, but you’ve also not had the opportunity to train your technique and impress others with you mixing. You’re in serious danger of being the biggest embarrassment to the DJ profession since Tony Blackburn went on Celebrity Mastermind.

Uniquely, BecomeADJ has stepped up to the mark to try and rectify these problems. We have a great studio layout filled with the latest equipment, including a Pioneer CDJ 2000, a DJM 850, A Technics 1210 MK 5, Push and a Native Instruments Machine. This studio space can be hired out by anyone for anything from one hour to a whole day, during which time they can try out the kit, perfect their technique and record demo mixes. Discount rates are available for our own students, but we keep prices as low as we can and have flexible booking hours and easy payment option. Book here.

This is filling a much-needed gap in the DJ landscape, and will hopefully play a pivotal role in fostering a new generation of superbly talented artists who disprove the myth that becoming a DJ is as easy as 1,2,3.