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.