When people start the journey to learn how to become a DJ, they often ask the question “what is the first thing I need to do? Buy turntables? Buy certain software? Begin building a record collection?”
The first lesson I would share is actually way more basic than that. For some people this might go without saying, but I think it’s a simple yet important point that the rest of your musical career will build upon. And that is the question “what is music?”
Don’t laugh. Don’t skip ahead. Really think about it.
How often do you hear people rag on certain styles- whether it be metal, reggae, electronic, punk, or anything else- by saying it’s not “real” music. “It takes no skill! Anyone can play that kind of music!” people will say.
Let me use a different example to illustrate the point. I’ve always been an avid reader, and when I was in middle school I loved Dean Koontz books. If you’re not familiar, Dean Koontz is like Goosebumps for adults; they’re suspense books, he’s always got a new one out, and they’re sold at grocery stores.
I remember once when I was a freshman in high school my English teacher asked me what I liked to read and I told her Dean Koontz. She rolled her eyes and said “Ohhh, you like to read pulp literature.”
I remember being kind of offended. First of all, I thought I should get at least a little credit for reading at all, but most importantly who was she to judge what is or is not good literature? Books are above all a form of entertainment, and just because a novel isn’t 200 years old and is sold in the same isle as the greeting cards and party supplies has no bearing on it’s ability to entertain. As long as it captivates you and keeps you turning pages, that’s a good book.
Anyways, that’s the way we need to approach music as well. Sure some music, just like literature or paintings or any other kind of art, can be beautiful because it makes you think about things or challenges you in some way. But more often than not it’s simply good because it’s entertaining, because it puts a smile on your face and makes you move your feet.
So who cares if a certain song or style doesn’t have complicated scales. Who cares if it’s not super technical or if the musician studied at a prestigious school. If it sounds good, it’s good music. It’s “real” music. And by using that criteria, it’s irrefutable that EDM is good music. There’s not many genres that can come close to EDM’s ability to get people out of their seats and moving, and that’s why I love it.
That’s also why learning how to DJ is so much fun. To be able to enjoy creating music for the pure pleasure of making something that sounds great, not to impress anyone or flaunt anything, but simply for the love of music, is a beautiful thing.
If you’d like to see what that feels like and you think learning how to DJ might be for you, the absolute best way to start is our online DJ school. Learning directly from experts from the comfort of your own home will speed along your process, saving you time and money.