It feels a bit weird reading about dance music and DJ subculture. After all, the point of the whole scene is to get away from stuff that sounds academic, right? The reason we DJ is to get away from school and hilariously theoretical articles like this. But every so often, you gotta admit it’s useful having a broad reminder of how the DJ and dance music culture all works. Here’s an overview of what defines an arts scene.
The music scene
A scene is defined by the music it listens to. Fashion, too. In a music scene, people feel free to express the side of them that they aren’t able to during the normal business of life obligations. A scene is an outlet, an escape. It’s where we choose to meet and represent ourselves as we want to, and not as we have to. Being part of a scene is an act of contribution. By choosing to dress a certain way, you’re not just flexing, you’re actually contributing something! By learning to DJ and showing your music taste to the others, you’re serving a community.
Action and reaction
Art is always a reaction to something. In the case of dance music, it’s a reaction to society’s demand for us to sit down and concentrate like factory workers. When dancing, the physically passive state is replaced by body movement, and the cognitive focus is replaced by the freedom to be fun and impulsive. Not everything about the party scene is healthy, but dancing is. It activates all sorts of chemicals that are good for you, which is why the link between dancing and health is being studied.
Earning through community
At some point, most non-professional hobby DJs pause to consider the possibility of making money by throwing parties. This is not as easy as some would make it sound. It’s not a direction for the faint of heart. Like most careers in the arts, it relies entirely on your participation in the scene. In order to get bookings, you need to be someone who gets on well with others and acts like a professional, not an out-of-control party hog or a hopeful newcomer.
That means doing the uphill work of learning to DJ. Seriously? Professional DJs practice. They practice their mixes at home. They take time out to experiment with different styles. By the time they start earning, they’ve paid their dues. You can shortcut that process by learning directly from the pros. Check out the full selection of DJ courses on offer today and take your passion for the scene to the next level.