What makes a Successful DJ

The world has gone crazy! I know it has because I see it whenever I look at the rectangular object in the corner (not that I own one).

That little box of illusions is tempting you with fame and fortune, all the while trying to sell you an image of someone you don’t even know you want to be.

Society has made us believe that those who appear on that screen are the only successful ones.  We are shown the red carpet, the shiny lights, the money, the fame, the girls (and guys) and it’s all presented as something you must have!

Whilst I’m not gonna shake a stick at a million dollars, or even $100,000, hell, even $100 would be nice; I do want to add some perspective to all of this and more so in regards to the perceived success of a DJ.

What is a DJ to You?

It seems to me that as the world of DJ’s has exploded, the focus has shifted from DJ’s being:

• people that make parties happen by playing their own musical tastes to their friends.

to

• people driven by money, fame and success, fuelled by corporate sponsors trying to make a buck.

Society now seems to ‘idolize’ DJ’s to the point of celebrity. The reason for this, is not because DJ’s are famous, but because the media has noticed a way to cash in on them. As Las Vegas was becoming stale, unable to attract visitors, corporate interests and marketers realised they could attract people to Vegas using big name DJ’s and an EDM culture.

As soon as big corporations start to interfere with something, turning the end goal into profit, then the true soul and essence is taken away from it. Just look at the strategically placed cans or bottles of ‘whatever’ during certain industry interviews.

Now, I don’t want to slam the idea of celebrity, or fame, because lets’ face it, being able to pursue a career in music is something we all want to attract into our lives. What I do want to consider, however, is the path we take to get there.

Aligning with your Values

One key element in success, is to align with your own values. By being someone that you are not, you will attract the wrong type of people, or situations, into your life. You will then be forced to continue being someone you are not and your personal trajectory will be skewed with your life ending up more challenging than it should be.

Being true to your own values can be a challenge when subjected to peer pressures of those around you, including the mass corporate powered media.

True strength can be seen in those who stand up for what they believe in without putting others down. Walking this line is extremely difficult, as it means being strong enough to have your own values, yet gentle enough to not offend anyone with them.

Value of Success

Success is subjective and we all have very different ideas of what success is. Success is not necessarily denoted by the amount of money you earn, it may not be down to the number of people you DJ for, and it definitely is not down to the number of friends you have on facebook. Success is often self defined and the goal posts are constantly changing.

Once you achieve one success, you reset another goal in order to aim for more success. It’s a never ending process. Your own definition of success might be learning how to mix two records together. Achieving this goal is being successful. There is no need to judge your own success based on your perceived success of others. Never compare yourself to “superstar DJ’s” or worship false idols that have been placed there by corporate interests.

Measure your own successes against Yesterday’s You!

If you are better today, than you were yesterday, then you are successful.

Move towards your fears, embrace that which scares you, stay true to yourself and embody your own true values. This will cause you to fulfil all your desires, and make sure you have fun along the way.

You are successful, you are achieving your goals and with the right intentions; you will grow into the person you are destined to be.

Enjoy your journey as a successful DJ.