In Part I we discussed some Deejaying skills like
basic and advanced scratches as well as blendin’ skills. In Part II, we
have some great advice to assist in taking your skills from the club /
streets to the radio:
3. Create a buzz In
the beginning, perform as many functions as possible (with or without pay).
Exposure is the key. Try to get gigs where the crowds are larger, even
if the pay is lower. Sometimes it’s better to sacrifice a few dollars
for a better gig. I deejayed several parties starting out for little or no
money, but I was building up my client list and my brand. Create mix CDs
and flood your area with them by giving a bunch away free of charge. If
you can sell some, cool, but the main objective is to get your name out
there. Make sure you include all of your contact information including your phone
number and email address and let the masses know you’re available for
parties. Take advantage of the internet via various web sites that are conducive to music promotions and friend connections; send
email blasts regarding your upcoming functions, and mix-tapes.
After I created a buzz locally, I was invited to sit
in at the radio station’s music meetings to help them select music and give
my opinion. I would bring in the records that were hot on the streets
and let them know which songs people were feeling in the clubs and at
the parties. I was later offered a late night mix-show slot from
Midnight to 3 AM on Saturday nights. I did this for a few years until
the Friday night 6 PM- 10 PM slot opened up, then I was offered that
gig. It’s all about paying your dues and being prepared to take
advantage of the next opportunity.
4. Personality Honestly, I’m a good DJ, but there are a lot of DJs on the streets that
may be a lot better in the raw skills department. The key is to know
your strengths and natural abilities and take advantage of them. One of
my strengths is my ability to put together well-rounded sets
(programming / record selection, we’ll focus on this aspect in # 5) and
my good ear for predicting the hits. Another one of my strengths is my
ability to network and socialize with people (I’ve always been a
people person). Your personality is key because who wants to hire a
boring DJ that just plays music but lacks the ability to socially
connect with the people?
The DJ should create a level of excitement and
display confidence when they step in the building. There’s a particular
swagger and aura that the most sought after DJs carry. They should be
able to command the crowd with not only their music selection, but the
microphone as well. Also they should be able to listen to requests, especially from the
ladies. 95 percent of the time I was going to play everything that the fellas
requested anyway but sometimes the ladies would come to the booth and
request a song that I wasn’t necessarily going to play. The bottom line
is, DJs with a winning personality are more likely to get the better
gigs and a chance at a radio slot just off of popularity and
personality alone. That’s why radio hosts are called an on-air
PERSONALITIES.
5. Programming When
you’re playing at the party, you may not realize it, but you’re actually
programming like a music director when you put your sets together. Just
like a music director or program director, you are selecting songs for
the demographic or audience you’re playing for. You may not carry out
the same type of extensive research that a radio station does, but you
are programming because you have a good idea of what songs your
audience wants to hear. Playing in the club and on radio are two
different beasts, it’s totally different in the clubs because a lot of
your selections are determined by the vibe, mood and reactions from the
crowd. You can play anything you want, when you want, in the club. On
the radio there are parameters you have to follow and you have to
recognize that a majority of the people listening are not dancing,
they’re at home relaxing, at work, or driving.
When I was spinning on the radio I broke the music
down into five categories. First were the “hits.” These songs were
currently in high rotation on the station’s play list. Then we had the
“club hits.” These were songs hot on the streets and in the clubs. We had the
“news” records that the people were just getting familiar with or
hadn’t heard at all. We also had “oldies” or “re-currents”which are hits from
back in the day or songs that were previously “hits.” A good DJ can program a nice blend of all
of the above and create a good balance of what’s being played on the
streets, in the clubs as well as what’s hot on the radio station. For
instance, I would start my set with a “hit,” go to a “new,” put on a
“club hit,” followed by a “hit,”
then an “oldie or re-current,” to a
“personal favorite,” and then back to a “hit”. This winning formula created
a top-rated show. To hear some classic excepts from our radio show Live In The Den With Big Tigger, check out http://www.myspace.com/TheKofKO
This concludes Part II of the series, in Part III
we’ll discuss the Pros and Cons of MP3s and making the transition from
DJ to producer.
