Another busy AF weekend in the books of absolutely curb stomping dance floors!!!! This past Saturday I had the pleasure of working with one of Columbus Ohio’s best Photographers and long time friend, we will call him Rob. I have known Rob for closing in on 20 years. We are both old war horses of the Columbus Event scene. Usually I would spend my time reminiscing on days of the past with an old friend, but Rob mad a comment to me that has stuck in my head so I felt this was as good as any topic for a blog.
As I was warming up the dance floor in the early stages of dancing, he leaned his camera over my set up, snapped a couple pics and said “Its amazing you’re still using the same set up you always have”…. Now, that may not seem that a big deal to most but in an age where the new “DJ’s” think the only way to improve is to get a better computer and a more expensive controller with more effects, I find tremendous pride knowing I can absolute destroy these fools using technology introduced in 1895!!!!!
Being a good Dj or a Turntablist as I call myself is very much being a good musician. Sure we don’t command a bow like a high level Violinist would, or have the mental dexterity of a concert Pianist but being a Dj certainly means playing your instrument and not letting the computer just do the work….
Now let me back track even further to a suuuuuuuuuper high end wedding I did, about a month ago. Im talking beautiful event. I was one of 3 musicians there…. Well I was the only musician of the 3 Dj’s there but I will get to that. I went on first as the hardest job is to get the Dance floor started. I was gonna open then close the last hour. Now after my first set I was getting ready to mix in one of Columbus top EDM DJs I guess. Guy wouldn’t shut up about all the after party’s and off book raves he does as if that gives him some sort of street cred. So I get my final song up to his “fist pump” tempo (which I love just don’t know how else to describe 128bpm) and get ready for this dude to mix in. I set up a loop… adjust the eq to muddle the sound and set my headphones on the mixer just to hear this dude drop in off time… then couldn’t get the mix…..
Long and short of it is without the computer matching the two songs………. the most basic of all DJ skills….. This dude just decided not to learn. Thats like a Dr. not knowing what a heartbeat is….. I mean come on!!!!! I won’t bore you with rest of details cause I already forgot what i was originally writing this blog about but after checking the title…. IF YOU ARE GONNA CALL YOURSELF A DJ YOU BETTER LEARN HOW TO ACTUALLY DJ!!!!!
Makes me proud knowing Im still THE DJ in Columbus using an instrument from the 1800’s people!!!!!!!!!!!!!