I've been a DJ for 20 years, or near enough that it doesn't matter. Over half my life, anyway. I started when I was barely old enough to drive as a mobile guy with gigs at a local youth nightclub, then struggled, scrimped and saved to buy my first pair of turntables (and they weren't even Technics). Over the years I've spent untold thousands on music and even more on equipment, but when I started I was spending every free dime I had buying vinyl singles from one of the first online stores (since no one in my town carried vinyl). I still have a directly-descended copy of the very first song I downloaded off the ovo.fyi/1337x ovo.fyi/kissasian ovo.fyi/mangastream internet (daft punk - da funk), and got my first club residency (which I subsequently bombed) at 19. New Years Eve 2000 still ranks as the very best show I've ever been a part of. People thought the world was going to end and they partied like it.

I bought the first generation of CDJ1000's with a loan my mom had to co-sign on. I had a mixshow on a national digital cable station, I've opened for international acts, played live to air on a 100,000 W radio station from the biggest bar in the city; the same bar where I dropped 'The Way You Make Me Feel' at midnight on Saturday the week Michael Jackson died and I have never felt the rush of the crowd like that one moment. I did over 100 mobile gigs in a single year. I've drank my wages and even played for free, and DJ money put me through college with no loans and bought my wife's engagement ring. The gig I did the week after my first daughter was born was one of the most relaxed, smoothest gigs I've ever played.

 

Last edited: Dec 11, 2018

cool.. now that you found dj'ing inside out maybe start producing tracks?

 

Consider teaching! You might be surprised at how many DJ skills you can bring over to teaching. There are always beginner DJs who will pay to train and learn from a pro. Start your own DJ training courses.. there's lots to teach, from understanding audiences, to the equipment needed, the music, and how to mix and the many different jobs and roles a DJ can do.

 

im not seeing any reason to stop. if it is paying the bills and you still love it then why would you stop? there is always room for improvement, so just keep working on your skills and keep moving forward. set yourself a goal to work towards to keep things interesting. see if you can get to a position where we all know who you are ;)

 

Mozel tov!

 

Yeah if you have an ear for a good tune then the transition into production may take lots of hard work but eventually it will pay off and the reward of making something you are happy with may inspire you to push the djing further. I mean with ableton you could make any hybrid of djing or production you can imagine......

 

Dude... I'm dijing now for more than 28 years and have no intention to stop. I've played with some of the greatest names of the Techno scene, and rather than stop, I start to teach young people with the potential to be a great DJ.
Naturally, in the last 10 years, I leave the vinyl behind ( I just have a 3 turntable setup at home) and embraced the CDJ to continue to improve my own performance.
So, just keep doing it if you still love dijing

 

Thanks

 

Last edited: Dec 20, 2019