Unfortunately, I didn't have the kind of weekend I would have hoped for music-wise. After my performance last Saturday, I thought that I had gotten the basics down and could move forward from there. Didn't quite work out that way -- I went from a night where I was "on" and everything felt right to a couple of nights where I was very inconsistent. I think a big chunk of it came down with being too concerned with some of the more technical aspects and not having a clearer picture of where I wanted to go musically. A big part of that is because its a different club with a different crowd than what I've been used to. So, most of my experience of how a set should flow can basically go out the window.
Of course, when your evening isn't going quite as well as you'd have hoped, everyone and their mother has suggestions on what you should play... including the guy who gives you your paycheck. Now, I think a DJ has to walk a line between playing to the crowd and paying what he/she needs to play. Personally, I'd like to be able to play a request or two, and at the same time, I'm not a jukebox. At the other end of the spectrum, I don't want to play songs just because they're popular. This past weekend I felt like I was trying to please people because I didn't have a clear idea of what else I was trying to do. That spells big problems.
This brings me back to a basic question - why am I doing this? If I'm just up there to play what everybody wants to hear, then is it really worth the effort? At the end of the day, I know there has to be a way to be true to myself and convey that in a way that people can understand and enjoy. I guess I'm still searching for that.
Of course, when your evening isn't going quite as well as you'd have hoped, everyone and their mother has suggestions on what you should play... including the guy who gives you your paycheck. Now, I think a DJ has to walk a line between playing to the crowd and paying what he/she needs to play. Personally, I'd like to be able to play a request or two, and at the same time, I'm not a jukebox. At the other end of the spectrum, I don't want to play songs just because they're popular. This past weekend I felt like I was trying to please people because I didn't have a clear idea of what else I was trying to do. That spells big problems.
This brings me back to a basic question - why am I doing this? If I'm just up there to play what everybody wants to hear, then is it really worth the effort? At the end of the day, I know there has to be a way to be true to myself and convey that in a way that people can understand and enjoy. I guess I'm still searching for that.
posted by Marc at
3:19 PM -
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