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I don't care what anyone says, mobile DJ'ing is MUCH harder than any Club/Bar DJ'ing!

Home :: General Discussion :: I don't care what anyone says, mobile DJ'ing is MUCH harder than any Club/Bar DJ'ing!Reply

I don't care what anyone says, mobile DJ'ing is MUCH harder than any Club/Bar DJ'ing! Posted on: 02.07.2012 by Darlene Strohbeck Mobile DJ's unite! After DJ'ing in an after hours house club for my first 7 years, and doing the mobile DJ'ing for another 7 years now, I can honestly and unequivocally say that mobile DJ'ing is harder than anything in the club/bar scene. Back in the club scene, it was like shooting fish in a barrel. It was a house club, and I was a house DJ. If that wasn't easy enough, people were there for one reason, to party. Some did drugs, some drank, some did both...But pretty much everyone was completely destroyed. In terms of the music, nobody really seemed to care whether it was popular, underground, old, new etc. as long as it had a 4/4 time signature. People only went to hear some variation of house music, and as long as you played it, you were good. To me, this aspect made track selection almost a no-brainer. It's not like anyone would go to a house club and complain that there was too much house. Now for mobile DJ'ing...You have to bring your own system which is already a pain in the ass. Sometimes you end up at a venue that's 100 years old (like an old mill) where there's no elevator, multiple levels, stairs, etc. Then you get into a room where it's the most ridiculous layout you've ever seen, and you have to figure out where the speakers go, tape down the cables, etc...So you've already sweat your ass off and burned away 90 minutes and you haven't even started playing yet. Once you start playing, you get all kinds of requests. Everyone believes they have the best taste in music, and in order to properly showcase any skills you have to find a way to put it all together and make it sound good. Sometimes you get someone who wants to hear quick mixes and cuts from song to song, meanwhile other people will complain that they want to hear the whole thing. I could write a whole book on ridiculous things people have said. On a whole, people bark at you all evening , "turn it down, turn it up, I hate this song, blah blah blah" and you have to do what you can to appease them or risk being called a crappy DJ'ing and not getting any referrals....Everyone has their own opinion, and they're all different, and in my honest opinion, they all stink. Then you get to pack it all up and drive home...
Lashay Walchak 05.07.2012	Originally Posted by loverocket He just played here in Miami. I didn't go because I can't figure out what he plays? He goes form techy noise to crap (Duck Sauce). I like 20% of the stuff I hear. That ain't going to sell me a ticket. He won DMC at the age of fifteen, definitely from the Hip-Hop culture. His Dirty South Dance albums are the shit. The Duck Sauce venture is authentic, just shows his appreciation of all genres of mus. He's also produced some Hip-Hop stuff. He toured with Kanye for awhile and had a chance to hear music from all over the world in the pinnacle of party spots so I believe his sound has evolved to be able to return anywhere he wants and be able to kill it.
Jerica Salava 06.07.2012	Originally Posted by DJ Abide A-Trak (not new school, but arguably the best DJ in the world)) ) He just played here in Miami. I didn't go because I can't figure out what he plays? He goes form techy noise to crap (Duck Sauce). I like 20% of the stuff I hear. That ain't going to sell me a ticket.
Darren Teboe 05.07.2012	Originally Posted by tokenasianguy Just curious, do you know the names of any of those lighting pieces? I'd love to look into it further. I'm not 100% on them. The guy has a warehouse full of lighting and sound. Basically, any decent par tri led's will give the effect of the blue uplighting. The star type effect was probably coming from some moving heads. I believe he uses martin mac 250's. As for people not wanting to spend money, I feel you. That's what you get though when there is people flood the market with cheap production. prepare for a bit of a rant here... Lots of people end up buying cheap gear , cheesy lighting (NOT like you see above), and don't have the interaction and event organization skills of a good good production team. Then they offer people their services for half of what the proper guys do. The market is flooded with these types. Then the production is not up to par, gear fails, or they just aren't prepared, and that results in a bad rep for all the guys trying to do this. Then there's also the fact that the market is flooded with hacks, so that is what people get used to. I can guarantee the guys you see doing it for $350 are using bottom end gear which when used in mobile applications, has a tendency to fail. You get what you pay for. Bottom line is the pro's use higher end stuff. While it can fail, it's a lot less likely to from the rigors of road gigs like cheaper gear with cheaper components. Also, most brides aren't going to know the difference between someone bringing a lighting rig with cheesy revos, jellyfish, and derbys versus proper uplighting and a few moving heads and monogram projection. The only way that gets across is by showing videos proving how much better and more elegant one is over the other.
Lashay Walchak 05.07.2012	Originally Posted by loverocket Let me know when he learns how to pump a dancefloor. There are different demographics of people at bars, clubs, weddings, and all of the different types of venue's a DJ is hired to play at. I'm from the Hip-Hop side of the camp where it still did definitely start with dancing, but as it's evolved it's not always all about dancing in the sense that you're putting it (pump a dancefloor). Some people prefer environments where they can just kind of hang about and sip their beverage maybe nodding their head or tapping their foot, still totally enjoying the vibe. I start some evenings with a very mature dinner crowd that's finishing up a nice meal and would probably like to stick around for a few drinks. So far I've been great at retaining that business instead of opening my sets with music that is appropriate. I'm really don't know GLK anymore than the few things that were posted here, but I'd say based on looking at his audience (which was decent sized) they knew exactly what to expect. I believe the dancing DJ s#! is really f+*^ing gay. I also know that there are parties where "pumping the dance floor" is not wanted/requested. Anywhere outside a club that's known for "House" or "Techno" you'd better be prepared to adapt real quick or you're going to be in for a rude awakening and seldom call backs. I'm doing quite well and trying my hardest to stand my ground to stay away from current Top 40. I've haven't played Levels or Skrillex not once at my recently acquired residency, even if it has been requested. I landed the job because the owner of the place was in a martini bar attached to a country club that I was gigging at covering for a friend and he'd requested some "Boogie Nights" type of sounds. Just so happened I had "Living Thing" - ELO on my personal "heavy rotation" playlist so I kicked it off. He tipped me $20, gave me his number, and that was that. I view a majority of DJ's these days as not true fans of music period. They have a very limited catalog and perspective on all of the music that exists. To prepare to be a mobile DJ you need to have a good grasp on so many different genres of music. A lot of the new school producers/artists that I'm enjoying (Girl Talk, Pretty Lights, Gramatik, A-Trak (not new school, but arguably the best DJ in the world)) are incorporating sounds from the last 50-60 years into their sets/productions. Funk, Jazz, 80's pop, Disco, Reggae, ALL KINDS OF MUSIC! One of my favorite parts of this job is pulling out a track that everyone over the age of 25 should know, but hasn't heard in 5-20 years. You can see the few people that really dig it and almost read their lips when they say "Wow, I haven't heard this in forever". These are the people that will do you the favor of saying something to management or the bartender in regards to your "performance". What I do is hardly a performance, it's just my job. To play good music. Take your patrons on a ride through history! There's always time at the end of the evening to pull out what you like and test the waters a bit
Darren Teboe 05.07.2012	Originally Posted by Conall It's not a competition for which is the most difficult, do what you want. Nope, it's not. It's a community for people to voice their differing opinions, debate, agree, and maybe open their minds to other points of view, so if you aren't interested in hearing the opinions, or the discussions bother/bore/annoy you, you be better served to ignore the thread as a whole. That usually works for me.
Johnetta Olewine 05.07.2012	Originally Posted by rotebass It was funnier when you used to word "bell end". everything sounds funnier when "bell end" is used. Its like everything tasting better when it involves bacon. As for the GLK. Can't DJ? Seems fairly well versed here. Can't produce either it seems. How bout those dubstep bpms bra?
Darlene Strohbeck 04.07.2012	Originally Posted by sobi Yes, it is a mobile setup. Every one of those lights ends up tacking on another $50 bucks or so, that just the uplighting your seeing is worth roughly an extra $700 tacked on to the job. Want a monogramed gobo? another few hundred. Lots of money to be made just upselling lighting. Those are my rough estimations though, and that of course changes depending on your geography, demand, and type of clients you have. The above picture is from my buddies company, Correlation Productions. Probably one of the best in that field that I know of, and he can easily hang with the best club DJ's too. Just curious, do you know the names of any of those lighting pieces? I'd love to look into it further. With me it's hard to get people to open their wallets. I don't know if it's just the local economical climate, or if there's something in my salesmanship. I've done a pretty good job of selling people on my services, but most of the people I meet don't want to pay close to or more than $1000 for just the DJ and sound system alone so getting them to spend more or additional on lighting is even harder...Especially since there's guys on craigslist that are willing to offer the full package for $350 (true story) including lights, mics etc. and brides only seem to be interested in the bottom line price around here. If you have any advice to get people to pay more i'd love to hear it.
Lela Umanskaya 04.07.2012	Originally Posted by oliosky probably best you stick to discussions about correct bpms mate It was funnier when you used to word "bell end".
Johnetta Olewine 04.07.2012	Originally Posted by loverocket This is a perfect example of performance with no substance. Play that video without the video and just crank up the audio. It's a horrible set. He doesn't know how to DJ. He's just playing random tracks without any sense of cohesion. But hey, that fine. The crowd likes it. That is what the scene is evolved into. Watch the DJ. > probably best you stick to discussions about correct bpms mate
Jerica Salava 04.07.2012	Originally Posted by oliosky Seems like a very limited view of things. Dance is considered art. Which by a similar logic, is just essentially moving your body about to music (or not). I don't believe its that far fetched to consider mixing records together a type of art as well. Watching Theo Parrish dj I'd be hard pressed to not call his performances art, or on a more extreme tip I would call the chaos that is a Gaslamp Killer show art as well. The theatre and expression of DJing definitely has artistic qualities. This is a perfect example of performance with no substance. Play that video without the video and just crank up the audio. It's a horrible set. He doesn't know how to DJ. He's just playing random tracks without any sense of cohesion. But hey, that fine. The crowd likes it. That is what the scene is evolved into. Watch the DJ. >
Darren Teboe 04.07.2012	Originally Posted by tokenasianguy That's pretty impressive. But that's not a mobile setup is it? I guess there's no reason it can't be, but it looks like a lot of work, which I guess justifies the fee. Yes, it is a mobile setup. Every one of those lights ends up tacking on another $50 bucks or so, that just the uplighting your seeing is worth roughly an extra $700 tacked on to the job. Want a monogramed gobo? another few hundred. Lots of money to be made just upselling lighting. Those are my rough estimations though, and that of course changes depending on your geography, demand, and type of clients you have. The above picture is from my buddies company, Correlation Productions. Probably one of the best in that field that I know of, and he can easily hang with the best club DJ's too.
Darlene Strohbeck 04.07.2012	Originally Posted by oliosky Seems like a very limited view of things. I can fully admit that I've had that problem all my life...Reducing things and not focusing on "essence" but instead having the dominant logical side of my brain looking at things pragmatically.
Johnetta Olewine 04.07.2012	Originally Posted by tokenasianguy I couldn't agree more. I've also realized that it's possible that people experience a totally different degree of difficulty from instrument to instrument, including turntables. I know a guy that is a semi-professional drummer, but he tried DJ'ing for years and all I heard was one long trainwreck. I've also DJ'd at a friend's place, where he uses CDJ's, and I haven't used CDJ's in years, and haven't even beat-matched since I started using Traktor years ago, but I basically schooled him with his own tracks that I've never heard. Perhaps I don't give myself the credit I deserve, because I believe DJ'ing and track selection come easy for me, because at the same time, I don't believe I could play the drums to save my life. I'm not stroking my own ego, but I've received praise on my track selection and programming, even if it's just an iPod playlist put on shuffle. I've often considered the fact that I have a "gift" in being able to recognize an awesome track more consistently than some people. But it still seems to me, that anyone with a vision can program tracks, and who among us doesn't have a vision? I can definitely understand that no matter how simple I believe it is, some people might not even possess the ability to just mix two tracks together or program a good set. I know when I started to DJ, I had no help whatsoever and it took me months before I could even mix two tracks seamlessly. But is that not an art in itself? I was believeing after my last post that "art" is something that was created by you as your own artistic interpretation, and I guess mixing two songs together fits that description. But on a whole I still find "DJ'ing" or "mixing two tracks" fairly ambiguous as far as "art" is concerned. I guess whether or not "mixing" and "track selection" are considered an art, will always be open to interpretation because it's not quantifiable by any definitive terms. But I guess that's no different from trying to define the legitimacy of any "art". Seems like a very limited view of things. Dance is considered art. Which by a similar logic, is just essentially moving your body about to music (or not). I don't believe its that far fetched to consider mixing records together a type of art as well. Watching Theo Parrish dj I'd be hard pressed to not call his performances art, or on a more extreme tip I would call the chaos that is a Gaslamp Killer show art as well. The theatre and expression of DJing definitely has artistic qualities.
Darlene Strohbeck 04.07.2012	Originally Posted by sobi starting with what you see below, and then add on... That's pretty impressive. But that's not a mobile setup is it? I guess there's no reason it can't be, but it looks like a lot of work, which I guess justifies the fee.
Cristian Carmona 05.07.2012	i do private gigs every now and then, 2 1200s & Rane 57, 2x 15 active behringers & 1 or 2 lights. 2 trips from my car with no dolly or cart. Club djs have it hard too, but its like comparing a Drag Racer & a Indy Car racer, they basically do the same thing but both after very different at the same time. Or heres a better one its like comparing a Army solider to a Marine, they both are in the military but....nevermind, dont want to start the PC vs Mac was of the military.
Lashay Walchak 05.07.2012	Originally Posted by loverocket He just played here in Miami. I didn't go because I can't figure out what he plays? He goes form techy noise to crap (Duck Sauce). I like 20% of the stuff I hear. That ain't going to sell me a ticket. He won DMC at the age of fifteen, definitely from the Hip-Hop culture. His Dirty South Dance albums are the shit. The Duck Sauce venture is authentic, just shows his appreciation of all genres of mus. He's also produced some Hip-Hop stuff. He toured with Kanye for awhile and had a chance to hear music from all over the world in the pinnacle of party spots so I believe his sound has evolved to be able to return anywhere he wants and be able to kill it.
Rena Estabrook 05.07.2012	In the world of DJing, I am most impressed by quality Mobile DJs. It's pretty much like setting up a small concert and having the means to do it. Then dealing with the client and guests during the gig must be unpredictable.
Jerica Salava 06.07.2012	Originally Posted by DJ Abide A-Trak (not new school, but arguably the best DJ in the world)) ) He just played here in Miami. I didn't go because I can't figure out what he plays? He goes form techy noise to crap (Duck Sauce). I like 20% of the stuff I hear. That ain't going to sell me a ticket.
Darren Teboe 05.07.2012	Originally Posted by tokenasianguy Just curious, do you know the names of any of those lighting pieces? I'd love to look into it further. I'm not 100% on them. The guy has a warehouse full of lighting and sound. Basically, any decent par tri led's will give the effect of the blue uplighting. The star type effect was probably coming from some moving heads. I believe he uses martin mac 250's. As for people not wanting to spend money, I feel you. That's what you get though when there is people flood the market with cheap production. prepare for a bit of a rant here... Lots of people end up buying cheap gear , cheesy lighting (NOT like you see above), and don't have the interaction and event organization skills of a good good production team. Then they offer people their services for half of what the proper guys do. The market is flooded with these types. Then the production is not up to par, gear fails, or they just aren't prepared, and that results in a bad rep for all the guys trying to do this. Then there's also the fact that the market is flooded with hacks, so that is what people get used to. I can guarantee the guys you see doing it for $350 are using bottom end gear which when used in mobile applications, has a tendency to fail. You get what you pay for. Bottom line is the pro's use higher end stuff. While it can fail, it's a lot less likely to from the rigors of road gigs like cheaper gear with cheaper components. Also, most brides aren't going to know the difference between someone bringing a lighting rig with cheesy revos, jellyfish, and derbys versus proper uplighting and a few moving heads and monogram projection. The only way that gets across is by showing videos proving how much better and more elegant one is over the other.
Lashay Walchak 05.07.2012	Originally Posted by loverocket Let me know when he learns how to pump a dancefloor. There are different demographics of people at bars, clubs, weddings, and all of the different types of venue's a DJ is hired to play at. I'm from the Hip-Hop side of the camp where it still did definitely start with dancing, but as it's evolved it's not always all about dancing in the sense that you're putting it (pump a dancefloor). Some people prefer environments where they can just kind of hang about and sip their beverage maybe nodding their head or tapping their foot, still totally enjoying the vibe. I start some evenings with a very mature dinner crowd that's finishing up a nice meal and would probably like to stick around for a few drinks. So far I've been great at retaining that business instead of opening my sets with music that is appropriate. I'm really don't know GLK anymore than the few things that were posted here, but I'd say based on looking at his audience (which was decent sized) they knew exactly what to expect. I believe the dancing DJ s#! is really f+*^ing gay. I also know that there are parties where "pumping the dance floor" is not wanted/requested. Anywhere outside a club that's known for "House" or "Techno" you'd better be prepared to adapt real quick or you're going to be in for a rude awakening and seldom call backs. I'm doing quite well and trying my hardest to stand my ground to stay away from current Top 40. I've haven't played Levels or Skrillex not once at my recently acquired residency, even if it has been requested. I landed the job because the owner of the place was in a martini bar attached to a country club that I was gigging at covering for a friend and he'd requested some "Boogie Nights" type of sounds. Just so happened I had "Living Thing" - ELO on my personal "heavy rotation" playlist so I kicked it off. He tipped me $20, gave me his number, and that was that. I view a majority of DJ's these days as not true fans of music period. They have a very limited catalog and perspective on all of the music that exists. To prepare to be a mobile DJ you need to have a good grasp on so many different genres of music. A lot of the new school producers/artists that I'm enjoying (Girl Talk, Pretty Lights, Gramatik, A-Trak (not new school, but arguably the best DJ in the world)) are incorporating sounds from the last 50-60 years into their sets/productions. Funk, Jazz, 80's pop, Disco, Reggae, ALL KINDS OF MUSIC! One of my favorite parts of this job is pulling out a track that everyone over the age of 25 should know, but hasn't heard in 5-20 years. You can see the few people that really dig it and almost read their lips when they say "Wow, I haven't heard this in forever". These are the people that will do you the favor of saying something to management or the bartender in regards to your "performance". What I do is hardly a performance, it's just my job. To play good music. Take your patrons on a ride through history! There's always time at the end of the evening to pull out what you like and test the waters a bit
Darren Teboe 05.07.2012	Originally Posted by Conall It's not a competition for which is the most difficult, do what you want. Nope, it's not. It's a community for people to voice their differing opinions, debate, agree, and maybe open their minds to other points of view, so if you aren't interested in hearing the opinions, or the discussions bother/bore/annoy you, you be better served to ignore the thread as a whole. That usually works for me.
Jerica Salava 05.07.2012	Seriously though. I will back down from criticizing so much on here. I love music, just like everyone on here. I thought I could voice my opinion, but it seems some people take it too personally. Gaslamp is talented. He's just not for me. Forgive me if I ruffled some feathers.
Inez Marcinik 05.07.2012	It's not a competition for which is the most difficult, do what you want.
Jerica Salava 05.07.2012	Great stuff there boss. A real DMC champ and a grammy award for those amazing lo-fi vocals. Can't wait to show all my friends. Let me know when he learns how to pump a dancefloor. iMaschine is still showing 80 BPM on my dubstep track.
Johnetta Olewine 05.07.2012	Originally Posted by rotebass It was funnier when you used to word "bell end". everything sounds funnier when "bell end" is used. Its like everything tasting better when it involves bacon. As for the GLK. Can't DJ? Seems fairly well versed here. Can't produce either it seems. How bout those dubstep bpms bra?
Darlene Strohbeck 04.07.2012	Originally Posted by sobi Yes, it is a mobile setup. Every one of those lights ends up tacking on another $50 bucks or so, that just the uplighting your seeing is worth roughly an extra $700 tacked on to the job. Want a monogramed gobo? another few hundred. Lots of money to be made just upselling lighting. Those are my rough estimations though, and that of course changes depending on your geography, demand, and type of clients you have. The above picture is from my buddies company, Correlation Productions. Probably one of the best in that field that I know of, and he can easily hang with the best club DJ's too. Just curious, do you know the names of any of those lighting pieces? I'd love to look into it further. With me it's hard to get people to open their wallets. I don't know if it's just the local economical climate, or if there's something in my salesmanship. I've done a pretty good job of selling people on my services, but most of the people I meet don't want to pay close to or more than $1000 for just the DJ and sound system alone so getting them to spend more or additional on lighting is even harder...Especially since there's guys on craigslist that are willing to offer the full package for $350 (true story) including lights, mics etc. and brides only seem to be interested in the bottom line price around here. If you have any advice to get people to pay more i'd love to hear it.
Lela Umanskaya 04.07.2012	Originally Posted by oliosky probably best you stick to discussions about correct bpms mate It was funnier when you used to word "bell end".
Johnetta Olewine 04.07.2012	Originally Posted by loverocket This is a perfect example of performance with no substance. Play that video without the video and just crank up the audio. It's a horrible set. He doesn't know how to DJ. He's just playing random tracks without any sense of cohesion. But hey, that fine. The crowd likes it. That is what the scene is evolved into. Watch the DJ. > probably best you stick to discussions about correct bpms mate
Marguerite Truka 04.07.2012	I'm sorry for my following comments I have done mobile djing and didnt find it too bad at all! Its all about talking to people people have a general perception of music they are going to hear at a wedding so pretty much stick to that 99 times out of 100 your ok. Its mostly about people skills Im not the greatest mc but I get by. There are some mobile dj's out there with great mc skills and that really is a skill I like a fair bit of dance music however I find 99 out of 100 dance djs sets boring as sin with no real skill. Hip Hop all the way with other bits and pieces mixed in including dance. Seen some good dubstep routeens with some turntablism mixed in You are not a DJ unless you can mix different genres together and make them work. Anybody with a week of tuition can mix 2 records of the same genre together. I believe commercial club djs have the hardest music selection as if you take your eye off the latest music for a week and dont have that latest song u are mince meat.
Jerica Salava 04.07.2012	Originally Posted by oliosky Seems like a very limited view of things. Dance is considered art. Which by a similar logic, is just essentially moving your body about to music (or not). I don't believe its that far fetched to consider mixing records together a type of art as well. Watching Theo Parrish dj I'd be hard pressed to not call his performances art, or on a more extreme tip I would call the chaos that is a Gaslamp Killer show art as well. The theatre and expression of DJing definitely has artistic qualities. This is a perfect example of performance with no substance. Play that video without the video and just crank up the audio. It's a horrible set. He doesn't know how to DJ. He's just playing random tracks without any sense of cohesion. But hey, that fine. The crowd likes it. That is what the scene is evolved into. Watch the DJ. >
Darren Teboe 04.07.2012	Originally Posted by tokenasianguy That's pretty impressive. But that's not a mobile setup is it? I guess there's no reason it can't be, but it looks like a lot of work, which I guess justifies the fee. Yes, it is a mobile setup. Every one of those lights ends up tacking on another $50 bucks or so, that just the uplighting your seeing is worth roughly an extra $700 tacked on to the job. Want a monogramed gobo? another few hundred. Lots of money to be made just upselling lighting. Those are my rough estimations though, and that of course changes depending on your geography, demand, and type of clients you have. The above picture is from my buddies company, Correlation Productions. Probably one of the best in that field that I know of, and he can easily hang with the best club DJ's too.
Darlene Strohbeck 04.07.2012	Originally Posted by oliosky Seems like a very limited view of things. I can fully admit that I've had that problem all my life...Reducing things and not focusing on "essence" but instead having the dominant logical side of my brain looking at things pragmatically.
Johnetta Olewine 04.07.2012	Originally Posted by tokenasianguy I couldn't agree more. I've also realized that it's possible that people experience a totally different degree of difficulty from instrument to instrument, including turntables. I know a guy that is a semi-professional drummer, but he tried DJ'ing for years and all I heard was one long trainwreck. I've also DJ'd at a friend's place, where he uses CDJ's, and I haven't used CDJ's in years, and haven't even beat-matched since I started using Traktor years ago, but I basically schooled him with his own tracks that I've never heard. Perhaps I don't give myself the credit I deserve, because I believe DJ'ing and track selection come easy for me, because at the same time, I don't believe I could play the drums to save my life. I'm not stroking my own ego, but I've received praise on my track selection and programming, even if it's just an iPod playlist put on shuffle. I've often considered the fact that I have a "gift" in being able to recognize an awesome track more consistently than some people. But it still seems to me, that anyone with a vision can program tracks, and who among us doesn't have a vision? I can definitely understand that no matter how simple I believe it is, some people might not even possess the ability to just mix two tracks together or program a good set. I know when I started to DJ, I had no help whatsoever and it took me months before I could even mix two tracks seamlessly. But is that not an art in itself? I was believeing after my last post that "art" is something that was created by you as your own artistic interpretation, and I guess mixing two songs together fits that description. But on a whole I still find "DJ'ing" or "mixing two tracks" fairly ambiguous as far as "art" is concerned. I guess whether or not "mixing" and "track selection" are considered an art, will always be open to interpretation because it's not quantifiable by any definitive terms. But I guess that's no different from trying to define the legitimacy of any "art". Seems like a very limited view of things. Dance is considered art. Which by a similar logic, is just essentially moving your body about to music (or not). I don't believe its that far fetched to consider mixing records together a type of art as well. Watching Theo Parrish dj I'd be hard pressed to not call his performances art, or on a more extreme tip I would call the chaos that is a Gaslamp Killer show art as well. The theatre and expression of DJing definitely has artistic qualities.
Darlene Strohbeck 04.07.2012	Originally Posted by sobi starting with what you see below, and then add on... That's pretty impressive. But that's not a mobile setup is it? I guess there's no reason it can't be, but it looks like a lot of work, which I guess justifies the fee.
Darlene Strohbeck 04.07.2012	Originally Posted by squidot i believe there are various levels of skill and artistry in everything that can be created. i see it similar to cooking. i can go home and cook a bunch of stuff by following a recipe and would never consider it art, however there are creative chefs that are pushing the boundaries making edible art that is amazing on many levels and i believe djing is the same. i also wouldn't call myself an artist as a dj because i believe it sounds a bit pretentious, but i still believe that it is an art form which can vary between basic and very creative. the one point i really disagree with you on is the hierarchy of skill you say a turntablist has. i believe that more credit should be given to good turntablists and i believe that it is just as hard as learning to play an instrument well. in fact i would go as far as saying it's more difficult than learning how to play the bass. I couldn't agree more. I've also realized that it's possible that people experience a totally different degree of difficulty from instrument to instrument, including turntables. I know a guy that is a semi-professional drummer, but he tried DJ'ing for years and all I heard was one long trainwreck. I've also DJ'd at a friend's place, where he uses CDJ's, and I haven't used CDJ's in years, and haven't even beat-matched since I started using Traktor years ago, but I basically schooled him with his own tracks that I've never heard. Perhaps I don't give myself the credit I deserve, because I believe DJ'ing and track selection come easy for me, because at the same time, I don't believe I could play the drums to save my life. I'm not stroking my own ego, but I've received praise on my track selection and programming, even if it's just an iPod playlist put on shuffle. I've often considered the fact that I have a "gift" in being able to recognize an awesome track more consistently than some people. But it still seems to me, that anyone with a vision can program tracks, and who among us doesn't have a vision? I can definitely understand that no matter how simple I believe it is, some people might not even possess the ability to just mix two tracks together or program a good set. I know when I started to DJ, I had no help whatsoever and it took me months before I could even mix two tracks seamlessly. as far as sasha's involver album i believe you should reconsider it not qualifying as art because he remixed every single track on that album. just sayin'. i don't believe many, if any people on this community have done a set comprised of entirely their own remixes. But is that not an art in itself? I was believeing after my last post that "art" is something that was created by you as your own artistic interpretation, and I guess mixing two songs together fits that description. But on a whole I still find "DJ'ing" or "mixing two tracks" fairly ambiguous as far as "art" is concerned. I guess whether or not "mixing" and "track selection" are considered an art, will always be open to interpretation because it's not quantifiable by any definitive terms. But I guess that's no different from trying to define the legitimacy of any "art".
Lela Umanskaya 03.07.2012	Originally Posted by sobi starting with what you see below, and then add on... Classy I have a colleague who's entire business is based around design work like this. Around valentines day he uploaded a picture of a heart shaped box truss system, I certainly understand why these people make the money they do.
Darren Teboe 03.07.2012	Originally Posted by tokenasianguy Several thousand?!?! Teach me how... starting with what you see below, and then add on...
Cole Maroto 03.07.2012	Originally Posted by tokenasianguy So really, on a hierarchy of skill, a guy that has two ipods connected to a mixer and plays a live version of his mixtape is just below a DJ that actually mixes (but only mixes), and a turntablist is just above a guy who only mixes two tracks together. i believe there are various levels of skill and artistry in everything that can be created. i see it similar to cooking. i can go home and cook a bunch of stuff by following a recipe and would never consider it art, however there are creative chefs that are pushing the boundaries making edible art that is amazing on many levels and i believe djing is the same. i also wouldn't call myself an artist as a dj because i believe it sounds a bit pretentious, but i still believe that it is an art form which can vary between basic and very creative. the one point i really disagree with you on is the hierarchy of skill you say a turntablist has. i believe that more credit should be given to good turntablists and i believe that it is just as hard as learning to play an instrument well. in fact i would go as far as saying it's more difficult than learning how to play the bass. Originally Posted by tokenasianguy Don't get me wrong, I love the aforementioned DJ's, and Sasha's Involver album is one that resonated with me BIG TIME in really taking me on a journey from beginning to end...But I don't believe that it's anything extraordinary, and I don't believe it's what qualifies someone in being an "artist". We've all (most of us on this community ) done the same thing in creating our mix sets, so are we all artists? as far as sasha's involver album i believe you should reconsider it not qualifying as art because he remixed every single track on that album. just sayin'. i don't believe many, if any people on this community have done a set comprised of entirely their own remixes.
Darlene Strohbeck 03.07.2012	Originally Posted by sobi This comment screams of inexperience in dealing with brides. Not a bad thing, but just saying... Wedding DJ's have shifted responsibilities over to event coordinators too. Basically, a good wedding DJ now is in charge of "the entire evening s atmosphere". With lighting, MCing, and coordinating events throughout the evening, the wedding DJ's responsibilities have grown a lot over the years. There's a reason guys make several thousand a evening now doing wedding events now. Several thousand?!?! Teach me how... You're right though, I've had to give my recommendations to a bunch of people on how to put the evening together, or why they shouldn't depend on a venues PA system (because they're a constantly letdown unless they have a proper system with an in-house technician). It's the key difference between the client (someone who is only doing this one) and the vendor (someone who has done this dozens of times).
Darlene Strohbeck 03.07.2012	Originally Posted by loverocket that's what techno is all about. LOL. That and standing around, not dancing and complaining about everything that's wrong with a set...At least that's what it's like here.

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