Are these 3 things holding you back from learning how to DJ?

I recently read an article in Psychology Today called “8 Mistakes That Hold You Back From The Life You Want.”Even though it was written in a broad, generic sense to apply to any reader, it really struck me how most of the items were incredibly relevant to those learning how to DJ. I’d like to share a few of these obstacles from the article and the lessons I took away because I think it could provide that extra little push of inspiration some of the new DJs out there are looking for.

Thinking you need to be “ready” or perfect or the best

This is so pervasive in the DJ world. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve talked to who don’t take those first steps to becoming a real professional DJ because they’re worried that they’re not good enough. The DJ world is full of countless people who just play in their basements and bedrooms but don’t reach out for gigs, or who won’t even perform for other people, because they’re worried that they’re not ready.

They compare themselves to their DJ idols and criticize themselves for coming up short. News flash: of course you come up short! These people have dedicated years to their craft. But guess what? They started off on the ground floor, just like you. They had to work hard and sacrifice and claw their way towards the top. There’s no shame in not being as good as you want, because everyone has to start at the bottom. The only shame is not starting today and giving yourself the opportunity to improve. And that’s the best part: by starting today, you WILL improve!

Worrying about money

This one is huge. How many times have you heard someone say “I love DJing but I’ve got bills to pay!” Or how many of us have parents who say “You should go to law school and get a good job!” Money is quite possibly the biggest barrier that prevents us from doing the things we’re truly passionate about.

Ten years from now, a lot of your friends are going to have good jobs, nice homes, and happy families…and feel totally unfulfilled. Just last night I was speaking to a friend with a good corporate job who wishes that he would have become a carpenter because he loves working with his hands. He realizes now that while everyone used to tell him that he would make more money by getting a suit-and-tie job, today he would gladly trade in the higher paycheck to be able to do what he truly loves.

So for all of you aspiring DJs out there, take my advice: allow yourself to do the work that you truly love.

Thinking you’ll have to do it all yourself

Many beginning DJs look at the path towards success and get intimated. It looks like such a long and difficult journey. Plus, since DJing hasn’t been around for very long, at least not as long as other instruments like the guitar or piano, we still have the voices of the original pioneers who invented the art. We hear stories about how difficult the early days were when these guys were creating a brand new art form, and it wasn’t that long ago.

The fact of the matter is it’s never been easier to learn how to DJ. Whereas our DJ heroes had to teach themselves and stumble blindly in the dark, today we have some amazing tools at our disposal that can help speed up the learning curve. Check out DJcoursesonline.com. It’s an online DJ school where you can get world class instruction over the internet. It’s education, inspiration, guidance, and accountability all wrapped into one. For anyone who is nervous about starting the DJ journey alone, this is the easiest way to plug into a team that wants to help you succeed.

These were just three things that jumped out at me from the article, but the other five are great too, and I think they might offer some great advice for all of the aspiring DJs out there. In any case, I hope I’ve been able to share some inspiration with you, and I hope this article has encouraged you to do at least one thing today to bring you closer to fulfilling your DJ dreams.

The smart man’s way to learn how to DJ

There are two ways to do anything in life: the hard way and the smart way – including learning how to DJ

The hard way involves using brute force. It requires struggle, sacrifice, toil, and bull-headedness. Often times you’re going against the flow, or battling uphill; everything is inherently set against you. Success is not impossible. In fact if you achieve success it’ll feel incredibly satisfying because you earned it.

But there’s a much easier way to accomplish things in life called working smart. Working smart means leveraging relationships to achieve bigger things than you normally could by yourself. It means learning how to go with the flow, but gently directing it at the right times to accomplish your aims. It means replacing brute force with cleverness and strategy, applying just the right pressure at the right spots to achieve the greatest possible results. It means doing your homework so that you can make the best possible decisions.

In the world of DJing these two paths are present, just like any other area of life.

If you want to learn how to DJ you can do it the hard way. You can get on Craigslist, buy some turntables, and start messing around. If you stick with it you’ll slowly start to learn a few things. Once you’ve oriented yourself you’ll be able to browse through YouTube and pick up a few tips and tricks to slowly start building your skillset. If you’re observant you can study your favorite DJs and try to emulate their style and learn by example.

There’s nothing wrong with this approach; this is the same thing music icons like Eric Clapton did when they were young kids digging through their parents record collection (minus YouTube of course). Just make sure you understand it won’t be easy. At many steps along the way you’ll get frustrated, bored, confused, and disheartened. Your dedication will be tested and you’ll have to struggle to push through the roadblocks. If you succeed though you’ll have the pride of having poured out your blood, sweat, and tears.

But then there’s the smart way to learn how to DJ. Why stumble blindly in the dark and learn everything from scratch? Why reinvent the wheel? If there was a place where people who have walked down the exact same path could share their knowledge and experiences, wouldn’t you tap into that? Learning from their mistakes would be like greasing the rails; everything would go so much smoother for you. Not to say that it would be a cakewalk, but you’d make things so much easier on yourself.

That’s exactly what DJcoursesonline.com is here to do. It’s an online DJ school that puts a wealth of DJ knowledge right at your fingertips. There’s never been a smarter way to learn how to become a DJ.

One essential mindset change you need to make to become a DJ…

I have a lot of different interests that I’m really passionate about, and I love sharing those things by teaching other people. Over the last several years I’ve started a business consulting company, I ran a firearms instruction business, I had a resume writing service, I worked as a French tutor, and a bunch of other random endeavors too.

Through all of these different pursuits there is one big lesson that I’ve learned in each and every one: you don’t have to be the best, you just have to be better than the clients you serve.

So for example, I’m not the best French speaker in the world. I speak close to fluently, but native speakers will realize pretty fast I’m not French. With that being said, I was the best French speaker at my university and I knew I had valuable knowledge to pass on to other people, so I felt confident working as a French tutor.

The same was true for teaching firearms. I compete in shooting sports and while I’m far from the best shooter, my business was tailored towards women who wanted to learn how to shoot but were intimidated by the firearms world. For this specific group of people, I had a ton of valuable knowledge to teach and they cared less about me being the best in the world, and more about the fact that I made the information comfortable and accessible for them.

I’m sure by now you’re wondering why I’m sharing all of these personal stories. The point is tons of DJs today look at people like Deadmau5, Tiesto, or Justice and say “well I can’t work as a DJ because I’m not as good as those guys.” It’s so sad when I hear people say these things and give up before really even making an effort.

The fact of the matter is that you’re not competing against Tiesto or Deadmau5. On any given weekend, people are going to go out to dance and have a good time and somebody has to entertain them. No one is going say “That DJ was good but he’s no Tiesto. I think I’ll stay home until Tiesto comes to town.” Once again, you don’t have to be the best DJ in the world, you just have to be the best DJ in the room, or the best DJ who applies for the gig.

Now that’s not meant to be a cop-out. Obviously, you always strive to provide the highest value possible and you must constantly be honing your craft, but the point is you don’t have to be the best right out of the gate. Everyone starts at the bottom and works their way up.

The great news is today there are some amazing ways that you can speed up your progress and learn how to DJ incredibly fast. Check out our online DJ school at DJcoursesonline.com. It’s a website that offers extremely affordable lessons from expert DJs that you can follow along with right in your own home. They’ll show you everything from the right gear to buy, essential tips and techniques, to the newest trends and tricks, all to save you time and money on your journey to becoming an amazing DJ.

The point is, don’t worry about what anyone else is doing. Focus on building your own skills. Work hard to become the favorite DJ at a local venue, then work towards becoming the most highly demanded DJ in your area. Then you can worry about being as good as Justice.

Did you hate studying? You won’t have that same problem in DJ school!

You might not be aware of it, but there is a revolution happening today in the American education system. You see, there is a huge problem in the way we approach education in our country. Most people divide their lives into two sections: learning and working. For the first 20 years or so of our lives we dedicate ourselves to learning things, then once we graduate from high school or college we close the school chapter of our lives and then look for a job. This now begins the work segment of our lives and we no longer think about education.

There are two huge problems with this approach to education. First of all, and most obviously, we’re never done learning. Secondly, it completely detaches people from the information that they’re learning. When people accept that their education is in the hands of their local school district or their university, they surrender ownership over what they’re learning. They accept that someone else decides what is important to study without ever really engaging on a personal level and saying “I would be fascinated to explore XYZ subject.”

The implications of these two problems are pretty horrifying when you think about it; there are a ton of people in this country who look at education as one short chapter in their lives and they don’t even play much of a personal role in the process. (Please tell me if you think I’m wrong…I hope I am!)

The great news is this is changing right in front of our eyes. The internet is literally putting all of mankind’s knowledge right at the tip of your fingers. For people who are passionate and curious, you can literally study anything that captures your imagination.

More importantly, our economy is going through monumental changes. It’s no longer a surefire bet to go to college, get a degree, land a secure job with a big company, and live out the American dream.

Young people are starting to learn that instead of following these socially accepted patterns, we have to start forging our own paths instead. We have to invest in ourselves and create our own track to success, and part of that is becoming lifelong learners. We must now be people who pick a craft and spend our lives practicing and honing our skills, not just the four years it took to get a degree.

For some people this might be an intimidating prospect, but for people out there with imagination, a spirit of independence and strong drive, and a sense of adventure, it’s fantastic news.

An awesome example of new possibilities springing up is DJcoursesonline.com. Ten years ago you would have never thought about going to school to learn how to become a DJ, but now in this new information age you can do just that. DJcoursesonline.com lets you learn from experts right from your computer, giving you the tools to create your own path to success and happiness in life. So invest in yourself, study something you’re passionate about, and blaze your own trail to becoming a DJ today.

If you want to learn how to become a DJ, this post can save you hundreds of dollars

I have a friend who started listening to electronic music because of Deadmau5 and Skrillex (don’t we all) but doesn’t know anything about DJing or how to become a DJ. Together we watched a YouTube video demoing the Ableton Push. It’s a cool video showing how modern producers create and perform music, and for people who aren’t familiar with this world it’s pretty awesome to see a grid of random lights and buttons turn into entrancing sounds right before your eyes.

That’s exactly the effect it had on my buddy. With every new progression in the song his mouth hung a little further open, and by the end he was staring wide-eyed at the screen. “That. Was. Amazing!” he exclaimed. “I want one!”

Now I’m obviously happy to see someone become interested in the DJ world and performing electronic music, but at the same time I’m a little nervous about my friend’s enthusiasm. You see, without guidance and direction I’m worried that my friend is on a dangerous path.

It’s true that the Ableton Push is a great device, but it’s six hundred bucks. For someone just starting out, that’s six hundred dollars worth of power and performance that they don’t know what to do with.

It’s kind of like when you watch a snowboarding video and see a guy on a top-of-the-line Burton board do a graceful backflip off of a thirty foot jump. People see that and think “Wow, if my snowboarding heroes ride Burtons, I better get one too.” But obviously owning the same gear won’t yield the same results without the years of practice and dedication to go along with it.

The same is true for the Ableton Push; without the knowledge to use it, it’ll quickly turn into an expensive paperweight.

A far better approach is to buy something simple, cheap, or even used so that you can build your skills while making sure that this is something that you truly have the passion and desire to pursue. As you get better, you’ll understand exactly what your needs and preferences are so that you can buy more expensive equipment that fits your tastes, and you’ll be able to get the most out of it.

Another way to make sure you don’t waste money on gear that you’re not ready for is by learning from people who have gone through the same learning process. Guys who have been there and done it can tell you what essential equipment you should invest your money in. “Skip this device, skimp on this controller, splurge on this software.” They can help you avoid the pitfalls of enticing gear that you simply don’t need while knowing when to spend money on things that you can grow into.

One great resource that does just that is our DJ training videos at DJcoursesonline.com. It’s an online DJ school that will teach you everything you need to know about how to DJ. It’s very affordable, but if it helps you avoid buying just one piece of equipment that you wouldn’t have needed, it’ll more than pay for itself.

Forget law school. DJ school can help you make a living by doing something you love

Wondering how DJ school can transform your life? Here’s a story that I’m sure many of you can relate to:

I graduated from college with a degree in International Relations. In Spokane, Washington. At the height of the economic crisis. So there I am with an IR degree in a city with no international business in an economy where no one was hiring.

So, of course I did the logical thing and went to grad school. I figured I’d wait out the recession and graduate into a better economy with an MBA and therefore greater earning power.

It wasn’t until after I earned this second degree that I stumbled across this fantastic article by Seth Godin. To summarize, he pretty much says that rather than going into more debt to get a degree you don’t really want in hopes of simply making more money, why not invest in yourself by learning skills that you’re truly passionate about? He gives a list of things you could accomplish in a year in lieu of law school, and I challenge anyone to look at that list and not daydream about how awesome their life would be if they could say they’d crossed similar things off of their own bucket list.

The underlying philosophy is really inspiring. I think we all have a hypothetical “best self,” meaning if we were to live to our fullest potential, and we could make all of our wildest aspirations come to life, what would that person look like? The idea that we might have the power to do exactly that, and that we don’t need a university to give us permission to do so, is very empowering.

The great thing about this do-it-yourself approach to learning skills and building qualifications is that it’s never been easier to get good at the things you’re truly passionate about. Today you can go to TeamTreehouse.comand get a better coding and web design education for less money than you could at a four year college. You can sign up at Mixergy.com and learn real world business skills from today’s best entrepreneurs for a fraction of the cost of going to business school. And you can go to Udemy.com or Khan Academy and learn just about any subject you want from the comfort of your own home.

And now for the first time, if you want to learn how to become a DJ, there’s DJcoursesonline.com.

It used to be that people would watch their favorite DJs on stage entertaining and mesmerizing their audiences, and they’d say “Wow, I want to learn how to do that.” They’d rush out and buy some equipment, play around with it for a while, but just as quickly they’d get frustrated or lose interest and then move onto the next thing. This is how it goes with all musical instruments; just think about how many of your friends have a dusty guitar sitting in the corner.

With DJcoursesonline.com though, you can learn from expert DJs from day one, not to mention in the comfort of your own home, and at extremely affordable prices. So, if like me and like countless other young people across the country, you’re trying to figure out what to do with your future, why not invest in yourself and make your wildest aspirations come to life? If you dream of bringing crowds to their feet as a DJ, don’t settle and get a degree you don’t need, set yourself up for success, get expert training online, and make your dreams come true!

This one thing is absolutely essential to learn how to become a DJ…

There are so many different aspects of learning to become a DJ that you need to master: skills, style, equipment, performance, personality.

There’s one more thing that belongs on this list that I rarely hear people talk about, and that is mentorship.

I’m not really sure why I don’t hear more people talk about it because for other instruments it’s an absolute necessity.

Take the guitar for example. Ask any famous guitarist how they learned to play and nearly every one will rattle off the names of their teachers over the years. While all of us know friends who teach themselves how to play guitar in their living room, it’s actually very rare that guitarists get to the highest levels of the music industry without having a teacher somewhere along the way.

Unfortunately, this is an approach to learning DJing that many people completely miss out on. Most aspiring DJs go to shows and watch their favorite artists or see awesome performances on YouTube and are inspired to stumble their way through the world of DJing too. That’s great, I love seeing people’s passion as they learn the ropes on their own.

It’s frustrating though because I know that if these people would take the time to seek out DJs that could take them under their wing, a lot of these folks could accelerate their progress by an enormous margin.

Some of you might be reading this and thinking “That sounds great. I’d love to find a DJ mentor, but there’s not a big DJ scene in my town.” Or for others maybe you’re not sure how to go about connecting with these people.

The good news is that today it’s easier than ever.

Take forums for example. Two great forums are DJTechTools.com and DJforums.com. These are places where you can meet like minded people, ask questions, and learn from DJs who might be a few more steps down the road than you are. It’s a great way to share knowledge, make friends, and even get inspiration. Tapping into a network of people who are seeking to accomplish the same things you are is incredibly empowering.

And of course, there’s our online school for learning how to DJ – another great resource to tap into knowledge, but more concise and powerful than forums. Once you sign up you’ll have access to tons of classes on just about every subject that a DJ would need to know. If you think that mentorship could help you take your DJ game to the next level but aren’t sure how to find it, DJcoursesonline.com could be just the answer you’re looking for.

7 steps you can take right now to learn how to DJ

My girlfriend recently forwarded me an article about the seven steps to mastering any new skill. For the past several months I’ve been talking about learning Spanish so I think this was her way of giving me a kick in the butt.

As I was reading the article my mind started drifting off of Spanish and onto DJing, and I realized how many of these things applied to learning how to DJ. Here are some of the ideas that I had:

1. Embrace the fear

I guess learning any new skill, or starting out as an absolute beginner in any new pursuit, has a certain level of fear involved. Other than that though I wouldn’t call DJing a particularly scary thing to learn how to do. Sure, performing can be downright terrifying for some people, but that usually comes much later in a DJ’s career. Starting out though, I will say that learning how to DJ can be incredibly intimidating. There is so much to learn- skills, equipment, software, techniques, style, song selection, music mechanics, etc.- it’s hard to even know where to begin. Approach it like an adventure though; see the excitement in embarking on a new path.

2. Be patient

Realize that you’re not going to be the next Daft Punk overnight. Instead of putting huge expectations on yourself, tell yourself that you’re in it for the long haul. Give yourself a long timeline to learn and improve.

3. Take baby steps

This relates a lot to patience. Set small and realistic goals for yourself. Tell yourself by the end of the month I want to be comfortable with this new software. Or I want to be able to recreate this one song by my favorite artist. Or even smaller than that: I just want to be able to reproduce a certain sound I like from a popular song. By setting and reaching small and attainable goals, learning how to DJ will be incredibly fun and you’ll keep building momentum.

4. Persist

I love reading biographies of successful people and the one characteristic that I see in every single one is persistence. Stubborn, bull-headed, never-say-die, unwavering, resilient persistence. That’s the number one most important thing to finding success in life. And that’s what you need to become a DJ as well. Every day spend at least ten minutes learning something new or practicing. For example, try familiarizing yourself with a new effect, or master the ins and outs of a new software plugin. As long as you’re moving forward you’ll get to where you’re going.

5. Practice self-awareness

It might not be obvious right away but this is actually one of the most important things for DJs. You’re going to be constantly barraged with information like who is that hot artist right now, what are the popular trends, what is the must-have gear, who is doing what, etc. Don’t pay attention to any of that. Simply stay true to yourself as an artist and focus on honing your craft.

6. Don’t take things too seriously

When you throw yourself fully into any endeavor, it’s easy to lose yourself in it and let it consume your world. Don’t lose the forest for the trees though: electronic music is all about having a good time, and at the end of the day we have the pleasure of creating music that makes people feel good. Never forget that.

7. Believe in yourself

You’ve got music inside of you, all you have to do is learn how to let it out. That’s all creating music is, and you have to believe that you’ll master your ability to unleash it onto the world. After all, if you don’t who will?

I hope these seven things have given you the inspiration to begin your DJ journey today. If you’re ready to get started but aren’t entirely sure where to begin, check out our online DJ school dedicated to helping you become a master DJ. Good luck!

The biggest misconception behind learning how to DJ, and how to overcome it

I want to share what I think is probably the biggest misconception in the DJ world and learning how to DJ. But first, let me tell you an anecdote (and tell me you haven’t been in the exact same situation before…).

Over the weekend I went out with some friends to a popular spot that’s kind of a mix between a lounge, sports bar, and club. It’s usually a pretty relaxed place to play darts and throw back some beers, but being a Saturday night, this time they had turned a big section of the bar into a lively dance floor and everyone was dressed up in their best club attire.

That’s not the atmosphere my friends were looking for so they weren’t really into it. One of my friends motioned to the DJ booth and yelled over the noise “Look at this guy. He acts like he’s some hardcore musician but all he’s doing is playing iTunes! I could do that!”

I gestured to him to follow me and I led him around behind the back of the booth, so we could look over the DJ’s shoulder. Of course my friend quickly realized that instead of seeing iTunes, he saw a million different tools that the DJ was using to seamlessly blend songs together, match beats, and add in effects. Rather than simply hitting play, the DJ was actually creating something all his own. Sure, maybe he wasn’t creating brand new songs from scratch, but that’s not the point; he was creating a mood, an atmosphere, an energy.

And that is the biggest misconception in the DJ world. People who don’t understand what DJing is all about think that it’s not a real creative art and that all DJs do is hit play. They don’t truly understand what DJs are there to create.

There are two reasons why I share this anecdote.

First of all, for all beginning DJs out there who aspire to entertain crowds, you have to realize that this is a serious art form like any other. You have to practice your craft, hone your skills, and treat it very seriously. Ask yourself, would you be willing to put in the time to get good at the guitar or the piano? If the answer is no, maybe DJing isn’t for you. It’s not something that you can get good at overnight, and you have to have the passion and the discipline to put in the hours.

Secondly, for the people who are reading who have already started their DJ journey, you have to realize that you’re an ambassador for our art form. You need to recognize that many people out there don’t fully understand and appreciate what it is we do. So on behalf of DJs everywhere I beg you: be so damn good at what you do that people’s jaws drop and they say “Wow, that guy is NOT just playing iTunes! I know the songs he’s playing but that is definitely not how it sounds when I hear it on Pandora!” Every time you go perform, try to show people what real DJing is all about.

The best way to do this is by simply studying, practicing, and improving all the time. And if you’re looking for expert instruction from professional DJs right on your laptop, then you’ve come to the right place. Enroll in our online DJ school and get started today – it’s not the only way to get better, but it’s definitely a great way to speed up your learning curve and tap into a tremendous wealth of knowledge.