To DJs..

[Ted]

How did you start doing what you do and why, has anything changed? Also if you could change something what will it be.

I guess since I'm asking the question I'll go first.
Back in the 80's my friend Juniors brother was a DJ and even though I enjoyed when he played I wasn't really into the DJ thing Until I went to a club call the underground.

There for the first time I seen this DJ mix two freestyle tracks live like I have never heard before and then I seen the crowds reaction. I was completely blown away. From that point on I decided that what I wanted to do is be a DJ. After a few months of busting may ass working and saving I got some cheep tables an amp and my friends brother donated an old Mixer and pa style speakers.

Me and Junior lived and breathed Mixing from that point on.. We (Junior and I) wanted to get good enough that when people heard we were spinning they automatically new it was going be hot. Unfortunately I was forced to sell my equipment and records due financial issues with the family so that ended that.

What has changed?

I no longer have the desire to be the best or even really good I just wanna have fun with it. That's why during my show everything is done on the fly and if I wreck I laugh it off and if it's good I still laugh cause it was just plain luck..lol It's now just a hobby at best for me. I actually don't touch my equipment except for when I'm doing the show or to ripp the vinyl..so at best I practice 4 hours a month, when in the past I did it 4 HOURS A DAY..LOL

What would I change:
If I had the chance I would have never sold my equipment and found a way to continue DJing.


Next.

 

[NatillaLiz]

I'm no DJ, but i'm a Jack of all trades....

I had a bad habit of dating DJs (Still do! LOL) and I love music...So I tapped into almost everything possible....

Since I used to work at my family's restaurant, they always had DJs on the weekends...so I breathed, slept, and dedicated a lot of 4 years of my life to that place..
i was in the booth all the damn time...i suggested to learn! LOL go figure!
It was just CD mixers anyway, no turntables or nothing fancy...

Well, one night, about 2½ hours before the night was done, the DJ got sick...(too much to drink I guess! LOL) and well, my brother-in-law at the time was stumped and didn't know what to do!

SOOO......I knew what the crowd was into...He had about 4 cases of CDs with him....about 250 cds each...andddddd of course I had my case in the car!...I already had a playlist building in mind....So I told him to get the hell out of my way before the track ended, and he looked at me like WTF are you doing?!!
Grabbed the head phones, Grabbed the Mic, tried to pump the crowd....and cross-faded into the next track he had in cue....from there I just kept going! LOL

Let just say....I kept the dance floor going till the end of the night
everybody was happy...DJ crawled out from the corner looking more green than the green giant! LOL

I wish I would have at least practiced...I would have loved to learn how to DJ...but I don't have the slightest Idea as to where or how to start, let alone any skills or funds for equipment....so...it's in the backburner for now..

I did get into radio for like 3 months.....
I learned that too.....crash course as well! LOL
Learned how to write scripts for commericals, how to do drops and what not....even was a radio personality....(all in spanish by the way! LOL) but like all AM stations out here in this god forsaken state! It was dropped and well, they decided to put football games instead.....

Thanks for the forum!! this is going to be interesting!! LOL

 

[angelthedeejay]

I used to hang out with a really close friend of mine named Mario. He was the dj in the crew and I used to go with him to a lot of his events, but it really didn't interest me at the time. It wasn't until I went to Studio 54, where I saw Little Louie Vega perform. I was impressed by the way he controlled the crowd. They way that guy mixed was insane and so I started to dj.

After a few years, my skills got really good. I finally got the butterflies out of my stomach and so I started doing weddings and such. The problem was that people saw this young guy and they started ripping me off. Not paying me, canceling events, so I was losing money instead of making. I got frustrated and sold all of my equipment including all of my vinyl.

About 12 years ago I started attending more and more weddings of friends that were getting married. I noticed that a lot of these so called dj's were really screwing things up for these newlyweds, not having their first dance song, screwing up their names and I even went to a wedding reception where the mc gave the brides mother the grooms mothers name and vice-versa.

Then we got down to the mixing, oh my god was it horrible.

At that point I decided that I would start doing this again professionally. It's been about 10 years now that I have my own dj company and its doing very well.

I hope that other dj's understand the work and responsibility that goes into becoming a "Dj".

If I could turn back time, I would have stayed doing my thing and I would have NEVER EVER sold my vinyl, I kick myself in the ass every time I think about it.

Peace

The Big Dog - Dj Angel

 

[DJFREDDY]

How did you start doing what you do and why, has anything changed? Also if you could change something what will it be.

I started out back in the early eighties collecting records. My father always had music blasting around the house and all my friends were into break dancing at that time. I decided to buy some records for a party we were having. The dj did not show up and all my friends bought records to my house and I took out my fathers player and began to play the records. Ever since that time I enjoyed the feeling it gave me being in charge of making people dance to my music. I began investing in some professional equipment after buying some cheap equipment which I will never recommend anyone to ever do. Once you buy equipment save up to buy brand names, if you don't have enough money wait until you do. You buy cheap and you buy twice. Save up your money and buy the best equipment you can.

I presently own a mobile DJ company at this time which helps pay the buys and I still enjoy what I do. I have a day job that I also like but nothing compares to the feeling of going to a Wedding and hearing the Ohh factor on the dance floor from the awesome song you mixed in!

If I were to change something right now it would be the lighting I bought long ago. NO SPIN AND PUKES, I would of bought Moving Heads like the one Angelthedeejay has! LOL.......

 

[DJWil]

Here goes my story. It's long, but interesting. One day I'll write a book.

I use to hang with a lot of friends that were older than me. I had this friend that was older, and was a DJ. He had a complete set. Techniques 1200, big speakers & all. He would do parties & have parties at his house just for fun. I use to help him carry the equipment & set up. I was a gopher (go for this, go for that, get me this) LOL. I was 12 or 13. After that, I started collecting vinyl along with my younger friends. I would do mixes with one turntable & a cassette recorder. We once DJed a party by putting 2 stereos (with one turntable each) side by side (no mixer). Just fade music in/out. We had fun.

At the age of 14, I was shot in the head by my best friend back then. It was accidental. My teenage life of parting & DJing was put on hold for a while. I was in a coma for a month, then on a wheelchair. When I started walking again, my parents bought me 2 turntables, a mixer & mic. My grandfather (who is a carpenter) built me the awesomest turntable coffin, cabinet & speaker boxes. He covered them with swade material he got from his job. I started hanging with a lot of other DJ buddies I met in the industry. My vinyl collection grew into the thousands. I would buy at least 10-20 records a week at Carjul Records, here in Miami. I would take buddies with me to help set up at the parties. From then on, my equipment went through several improvements. It always improved for the better.

I've never sold my vinyl, and will NEVER do that. That is my personal treasure.

I really wouldn't change any of my past because it all paved the way to meeting my wife & my 2 daughters being born.

Any slight modification of my past would have resulted in me not meeting my wife. Although, she believes we would have met somewhere any way. (Yeah right, I was a wild young buck before I got shot)

I did a lot of maturing during the tough days of going intensive rehabilitation.

I worked my way up in my University radio station from being a DJ on the station to being station manager, then program director. Also DJed for a while in a pirate radio station.

I've done several clubs in the past & also a crruise ship (some funny stories about that. I'll share some time).

These are just a few of the things I've done in my life for the love of music & being a DJ.

 

[Krystal]

God Bless you Wil! Thank you for sharing your amazing story!

 

[DJWil]

Anytime Krystal. I'll give you a book of my bio , when ever I write it. Don't know how old I will be when it happens.

 

[Krystal]

YAY!!!!!!!!! Let's hope I'll still be able to see the words on the page! LMAOOOOOOO

 

[DJWil]

Being a DJ has been a great thing in my life. I can't count the number of great people I've met in person & online because of being a DJ. I've met all of you here at FFM (a great fun bunch!), the guys @ prodjforums.com (awesome bunch of fellas over there!) (All DJs).

I met DJ Freddy also because of me being a DJ 12 years ago (not so great though) :rotf::rotf::rotf:

Freddy was the DJ at my wedding. He & I were DJs at some banquet halls owned by the same family. I actually got hired as a DJ there, when my wife and I went to reserve the banquet hall 1 year before the wedding. I told the owner what I did & gave him a business card. He called me to play that weekend. So I was already one of the DJs there when I got married.

 

[TearEmUp]

Man, Ted, i don't know if I'm up for all this typing but, here goes.

I used to work lighting and sound for bands, hard rock bands in case anyone was curious. On my nights off I would go hang in a local hotel's bar. It was clean and different than the rock bars I usually worked at. I noticed the DJ was from my home town, so I would just shoot the shit with him. His name was Charles "Hotmix" Nelson. He was one of the original Super Mix 6 on WGCI. He worked with Steve Silk, Mickey Oliver, Jack Master Farley. Huge names in Chicago mixing in the middle 80s.

Like I said I would hang out near Charles, and he would ask me to watch the booth while he ran to the bathroom, or to get a drink. Eventually I noticed he worked more nights a week than I did, and had most of the same equipment.

Never one to shy away from something I eventually started doing less sound work, and did more DJ work with Charles. One night at breakfast Charles looked me straight in the eye and said "Terry, you need to get out from under my shadow. Go become your own DJ, learn what style fits you best. But your too good to be carrying someone else' records."

The next week I conned my way into a job DJing for a bar that had just recently bought a couple of these new "CD players" and 500 CDs. I was always telling the owner to bring in some turntables and let me show what I can do with those. I was working three different bars at this time. Two had CD players, and one had turntables. Of course the one was also closer to Chicago.

I eventually took a job even closer to the city. Always spending most of my pay on vinyl. I moved even closer to downtown. I was working a club on the southside of Chicago three nights a week, a second club another night, and a third club one night also. My name and face was becoming pretty well known.

The three night a week gig was cool. It was the only place with a 5:30 liquor license on the southside. Most places would close at 3 and the entire staff would come to my place. Talk about a gift from the DJ Gods. All these other DJs would come and hang out in my booth. I had no problem letting someone else spin for a while, especially if I was the one getting paid. Talk about being taken to school!

These cats were awesome on the wheels of steel. Jimmy Drosos, Jumpin Jammin Juan (another WGCI mixer) Mickey "Mixin" Oliver, Jam Master Jay Connely (yet another WGCI alum) showed me how to mix. Brian "Hitmix" Middleton would come into my place on a Friday night, and I would hear my set, song for song, on B96 the next night. Brian even threw in the triples I would do. I used to call him during his on air shift and give him grief for it. We both got a laugh out of it. I even had one of my mixes played on B96. I can't say who the DJ was, I promised him, he forgot to do his mix and called me needing one. So I put one together for him. He promised me he would get me a slot on B96. Well, that was a hard lesson, he lied. Big shock, right?

On Sundays I had a job at a radio station in Coal City IL WDND on 105.5FM. I was a producer for a political talk show. Talk Of The Towns was hosted by Rick Roselin, the mayor of Coal City. He would bring in a huge cooler full of beer. So for a ten year period in my life I was drunk everyday of the week, and never bought myself a drink. I sucked up as much radio information as I could. I eventually got to fill in on-air for a couple of DJs. Another guy named Mick Oliver, (not Mickey Mixin, same name different skill set) would let me hop on and do stuff for him, Great guy Mick.

During this time in my DJ life I worked at Mother's (you saw the place in the movie "About Last night"). I worked at FX, its on north Rush street. Anyone who partied in Chicago during the 80s knows about Rush street. I met most of the 85 Bears team. They were always drinkin' on Rush. I worked Blondies, Schoooners, Alex Palmers, soo many clubs, so little space to type.

Then I met my now ex wife. When your working as a successful, hip, cool club DJ in a major market place never get married! Especially to a coke fiend....I've never used drugs. Don't get me wrong, whatever someone wants to do is up to them. I was just too damned busy to run to the back room and stick a rolled up dollar in my nose. My then girlfriend on the other hand, she was taking more than enough for two. Anyway after I got married I stopped DJing in the clubs. Lets face it my two best benefits were free beer, and hot women. Or, was it free women and hot beer? But I digress. Once I could not partake of the benefits I stopped. My marriage was a turbulent one to be polite. We had to sell my LPs to make rent one month. She never stopped using drugs.....

After the divorce I would work with my friend who DJs weddings. As anyone here who has ever DJ'd will tell you. Once it is in your blood you never loose that need to mix. I slowly built up my DJ gear again. Only this time with doing mobile work in mind. My time for club DJing was over, and my kids needed me at home. Eventually I started making the switch to computer DJing. I could carry more music, cater to my customers, and still mix whenever I felt like it in my garage. Best I could do with the circumstance.

I was using Numark's CUE software, which is actually VirtualDJ. VDJ has an online radio station. I mixed on there for over a year. I was one of the "Team". The Team are the people who manage VDJR. I mixed on VDJR for two weeks and was offered a residency. I did a Monday show called The 80s at 8:00. Guess what type of music I played? I also would fill in on Sundays for House Heaven. Sundays used to be the crown jewel at VDJR. It was an honor to be a regular guest. For reasons I will not get into I no longer mix there.

I was lucky enough to land on my feet here on FFM. I love it here!

As for what I would change....I was never very good at self promotion. I lack confidence, so I guess I would like to be better at promoting myself....


I hope that was not too long..Peace T

 

[MiamiDJ]

At a very young age ('83 or '84) my parents had a Halloween party and I remember thinking who is this guy that just brought two record players and set it up on our pinic table. I remember him scrambling and changing records quickly. I especially remember him using the spooky laugh at the end of MJ's Thriller many times to transition between records. It wasn't until a few years later when I learned exactly what this guy was doing! Attending my first teeny bopper party I became hooked after seeing a Tommy Boy TKA record being spun on a Tech 1200. From that point on all I wanted to do was mix records!

Like everyone else I started off with el cheapo equipment and worked my way up. The fun stopped when I graduated high school and became a broke college student. I got rid of all my vinyl and equipment. I got the urge to get back into DJ'ing back in '99 after messing around with computer based mixing software. I purchased some gear and started collecting vinyl again during this time. I eventually discovered Serato and was in heaven because I would no longer have to wear out my precious vinyl!


If I could change anything it would have been to continue to stay in touch with DJ'ing after I got rid of everything and went to college.

I no longer have the desire to be the best or even really good I just wanna have fun with it. That's why during my show everything is done on the fly and if I wreck I laugh it off and if it's good I still laugh cause it was just plain luck..lol It's now just a hobby at best for me. I actually don't touch my equipment except for when I'm doing the show or to ripp the vinyl..so at best I practice 4 hours a month, when in the past I did it 4 HOURS A DAY..LOL

I'm with you on this Ted. There just isn't enough free time to dedicated to DJ'ing. For it not for responsibilities I would be at it 4 hours a day too!

 

[DJ_COAST]

sorry, you know me, i can't make it short...lol...

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a Spanish neighborhood where "what we called then "club music" was the most popular. All my friends were about 5years older than me growing up, so I was the lucky "youngbuck who got to go to all the house parties in the neighborhood. Back then house parties were insane, over a hundred people crammed into a row home, all 3 floors jam packed, always with a live dj spinning freestlye and old school rap. This started for me around 90' and went on for about 9 years before I got into it. The first record I ever bought actually was a trance record, as in 99' trance was getting real popular, the track was "Someone" by Ascension, a super killer vocal trance track. Then a few weeks later, someone from the neighborhood (dj Herm) was selling his turntables and 14 crates of records. My best friend and I decided to go in half for everything and get into it. We only had enough for the 1200's and the coffin ($500 used) and one crate of records, for a $100. In that first crate was nothing but freestyle, mostly Micman and Metro tracks. I then went out and bought a Numark mixer with the built in sampler. We started out in the basement hooked up to stereo equip for a while just practicing. We were planning on buying the other 13 crates off of Herm, but his house wand up getting raided and he did some time, never got to get thme records, and man oh man was it an old school collection. Soon we went back down town to Armands Records and bought these huge double 15's with the horn (ETI Sound B52's) and a Peevey amp to power it, no words to describe how awesome these things rocked, we also bought lights and a Vestax EQ. Every weekend I went downtown and spent most of my paycheck on vinyl, buying nothing but freestyle in one shop and nothing but the newest house and trance in another shop. We were already doing house parties, and our name was getting around the neighborhood, little by little we were getting jobs here and there, then we got into a bar called Verillos cafe, we were there every Friday night specializing in freestyle and old school rap, (this was in 99'), so freestyle was kinda dormat for a while and we brought back the old shool and people loved it. Just from djing at the bar we landed pretty much every other gig we got, every one wanted us. I was selling mixtapes, and eventually got into club Deco, promoting and djing "Back in the day old school parties" as the theme, this was in 2002 and the money we were making was insane from that gig. We also used to rent out a hall at least once a month and do "Beef n beers" always with a cool theme, making a ton of money doing these parties as well. In between we did a bunch more bars, and 2 other clubs. We never got into weddings as that was a totally different game, our theme was old school and any new dance music and strictly vinyl.

In 2003 I decided to join the CG. I was lucky enough to keep the turntables, and of course kept all my records, but with the CG I never got back into it until last summer of 08'...

the resurgence...My wife, and some friends and I went to a freestlye concert in Trenton, Mickey Garcia was spinning vinyl at the beginning of the show, then after seeing all the artists it brought back everything. The very next day I went out and bought a new mixer (Pioneerr 700), and new phones, and went on Ebay buying up more and more freestyle, its probably how I found this site, just from googling songs, I ran into all the freestyle sites. Since then i have been practicing and trying to get the touch back, but my one deck has a slight pitch drift and for months it drove me nuts as I thought I totally lost it. Then after talking to Tony Rocca who has become a very good friend of mine, and inspiration and motivation for me to get even better we did a test, something so easy i never knew, but the 3rd dot down should not move when at 0, but it drifts ever so slightly back and forth, it seems to have the most problems when I am mixing bewtween -1 and + 1, so its been tough mixing, plus I have no crowd to feed off of, and practicing in a garage by myself is alot different. When people come over to party, I feel like I am 10x's better, I feed off of their energy and I seem to never fuck up. But when trying to record, I can't get one right...

What I would change: What I wish more than anything is that I started out at a younger age as I was 21 when I started, I also wish i took advantage of the connections I had in the club world, there were so many oppurtunities I passed up, because djing was only a weekend job for me as my full time job was 60-70 hours a week. I even turned down a mixing gig on an internet radio station, I just didn't have the time with my job. For me there was no better job than djing, to have people dancing to my fingertips, and getting paid good money for it, plus the friends and connections I made, nothing better, nothing....best job in the world.

After this tour in Alaska I plan to get back into the scene on the East Coast. My theme will be old school, as it will always sell, and I will always be strictly vinyl...Strictly Vinyl productions will be my name...because of my career, it will never become full time, but if I can land one gig a month and sell mix cd's I will be happy.

What has changed: Digital seemed to be taking over for a while, I don't like it, I couldn't imagine djing with it, I am gonna stay stubburn and stick to my vinyl, there is something magical about vinyl, and it will always be around despite what anyone says. I understand this is a new generation, and for a mobile dj it is the answer. I also enjoy listening to the mixes the digital dj's put up here on the DL section, some of them are great and thats great for them, its just not for me. I love the fact that everyone switched to digital, it leaves more room for me as a turntable dj, a quote I heard in the movie about the singer Bobby Darin..."People hear what they see"...people love to see a dj in action on the tables, it sells.

 

[DJ_COAST]

I especially remember him using the spooky laugh at the end of MJ's Thriller many times to transition between records.

ha ha, I just bought that album just for the laugh, I just incorporated it into house mix in a track that is a remix from the Holloween movie theme...awesome sample...

 

[DJ_COAST]

I've never sold my vinyl, and will NEVER do that. That is my personal treasure .

Awesome story Wil...good for you bro...

 

[DJ_COAST]

Man, Ted, i don't know if I'm up for all this typing but, here goes. I hope that was not too long..Peace T

Ted, i mean Terry...lol...your stories are never too long, always a good read...djc.

 

[DJWil]

Ted, i mean Terry...lol...your stories are never too long, always a good read...djc.

Always nice to know a DJ's life story.

 

[DJ_COAST]

Always nice to know a DJ's life story.

It is, I'm glad this thread has been active lately. Good stuff.

 

[breeZe]

-Met my BFF Alex in SPFLD, MA at age 12. (he got me into DJing)

-Got my technics and numark mixer from Delancy St (NYC) when I got my first job.

-Did many house parties (and some small clubs) from 90-94 (or so). When freestyle was still crack-a-lackin

-Hung out with DJ Alex at WTCC in SPFLD (he worked there as a DJ for some time and played my mixes, yes on cassette! You guys do remember tapes right?)

-Sold my technics in 94 because I started making babies. (I miss them.......the 1200's I mean)

-Bought a denon 2500f and pioneer DJM 600 a couple of years later

-Sold that because I made more babies

-Now building my system back up so I can make more mixes here to post up on FFM (and maybe a show in the future)

-I always loved mixing and LOVE Freestyle

-Thanks =)

 

[DJWil]

-Met my BFF Alex in SPFLD, MA at age 12. (he got me into DJing)

-Got my technics and numark mixer from Delancy St (NYC) when I got my first job.

-Did many house parties (and some small clubs) from 90-94 (or so). When freestyle was still crack-a-lackin

-Hung out with DJ Alex at WTCC in SPFLD (he worked there as a DJ for some time and played my mixes, yes on cassette! You guys do remember tapes right?)

-Sold my technics in 94 because I started making babies. (I miss them.......the 1200's I mean)

-Bought a denon 2500f and pioneer DJM 600 a couple of years later

-Sold that because I made more babies

-Now building my system back up so I can make more mixes here to post up on FFM (and maybe a show in the future)

-I always loved mixing and LOVE Freestyle

-Thanks =)

Are you going to sell your new system when you make more babies? Are you fixed now? :rotf::rotf::rotf:

 

[MixmasterTonyRocca]

Wow..all very good and interesting stories..

But I will add one thing to what has been said so far.

A true DJ is ALWAYS SACRIFICING something in their life to keep their craft sharp and fresh.

Sacrifice is part of the DJ culture, without it you cannot be a DJ in every sense of the word.

Sacrifice like traveling the 5 boroughs of NYC to get the latest vinyl release, humping 500 records to a club gig, telling your girl "Sorry babe..I do love you but I gotta mix"...things along that I am sure we all have done one time or another.

BUT, if I could change one thing for me personally is take what I know now and go back to 1980 and start from there. The 80's were to me the pinnacle of dance music in the world and in NYC clubs.

This morning I was talking with Tony, the "T" of the group TKA, and we were talking about the golden days of club music the scene and all the stuff that went with it...we liked it and missed it very much because it was just a different time in history, things were different and not like today. Today everything is so "prepackaged" and back then you still had to fly on the seat of your pants to makes things happen.

As one already said I will never unload my vinyl...well actually I did, a few months ago I unloaded right into a dumpster 15,000 pounds of vinyl...that is no joke I had the truck weighed..got rid of about 100,000 12" in that garbage run. That is ok I have about 600-700 thousand 12" in storage. I only use about 5000 in my current stash to pull from.

I love DJ'ing because I love music..and used to play real instruments..so to me turntables are instruments that I just have transitioned to. What is important that I have always said is to know your music otherwise you will never be great.

Do I think I am a great DJ..well I really do not think about it because I give my all in anything I do so for me I am just continuing my personal rule of being the best with whatever I do..I do set high standards for myself and am my #1 critic.

But if you cut to the point of what is cool about being a DJ..that if done properly you provide a moment in time, a snapshot in a person life where they can honestly forget about the daily toil of life and it's many problems and just get lost in the music.

Keep it up guys and stay the course..it is indeed worth the sacrifice and one that only a true DJ can understand.