DJs helping each other out seems to be a rarity nowadays, with our reader’s story today pretty typical. Why do you think it is that DJs often don’t want to work together for everyone’s benefit?
Reader Riot13 over on the Digital DJ Tips Forum writes: “In the area I live, DJs are not willing to be mentors.
“Maybe this is because the business is so cut-throat in my area (many DJs and few centralised clubs), but even at events I have DJed, I have not been able to connect with other DJs; they are all more concerned with outdoing each other. This is not something that I am used to, as in my former city of residence all my friends were DJs as well.
“I have attempted to contact mobile companies and DJs alike. I have used Craig’s List to search for mentors and even attempted to contact the DJs for hire regarding mentoring. However, after looking over the past year, I have not been able to find a DJ willing to mentor me or even meet up to mix together. I don’t have any friends in my current area that are in the EDM scene, so I can’t even mix with them and bounce ideas around.
“I know that having a mentor really helps your all-round growth as a DJ, and I am hoping you can provide some guidance on how to go about looking for a local mentor I can spin with. I’m not a rookie any more and really feel that I could benefit with some veteran experience.”
Digital DJ Tips says:
I sympathise. I was lucky when I was making the move from DJing as a hobby to doing it full time to meet a DJ who ended up mentoring me.
I was lucky when I was making the move from DJing as a hobby to doing it full time to meet a DJ who ended up mentoring me.
In my case it was not so much in the art of music selection and programming (I’ve always been very particular that that is something personal to you as a DJ), but in promoting, marketing, getting yourself out there, getting people through the door, building a fan base, offering something different – and dealing with the industry you’re working in.
The way it happened for me was that I played a guest spot or two at my mentor’s club night in my hometown of Manchester, England, and our relationship grew from there. It was invaluable help and saved me lots more time in trial and error that I’d undoubtedly have had to go through otherwise. (So thanks, Dave Haslam!)
But it’s only one example, and I’m sure there are lots of readers who have successfully found DJ mentors, so I’m going to throw this one open.
So over to you – have you found a good DJ mentor? Have you mentored DJs? How should our reader progress from here?
Now go to:
Over To You: Should I Take My DJ Mentor’s Gigs?
10 Straight-Talking Tips For Promoting Your Own DJ Event
Your Questions: Can DJing Ever Be A Reliable Career?
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Tags: finding a dj mentor
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I will say this… My best friend, best man at my wedding, didnt even help me learn. He is an established dj here in las vegas and I went out several years ago and got a couple 1200’s, he gave me a crate of his older breakbeat records, and I learned myself.
And in the formative process, I see it as an advantage. It enables you to create (well, it forces you to create) your own style, unencumbered by anyones direction. Once on the path though, I think it invaluable to collaborate with other dj’s, something I have had a very hard time putting together as well. I invite them to my studio to play and they are, umm, they dont know how to take it, like its a trick or something. I freely will show anyone what I do and give anyone my lists (and I cull through about ten gigs a week, so I spend a lot of time digging for the gems) I am in this for the love, nothing else. So if there is anyone that wants some help… Im no genius but I may be able to…
[ link ]In this modern age of webernets and socials, you’re never far away from likeminded people. Hit the various DJ forums and you’ll have more support and chat than you can handle. Sites like this one and DJtechtools should offer you pretty much anything you need.
[ link ]Exactly what I thought! Forums are a great way to interact with other aspiring DJs and Im sure it’ll work out for everyone involved.
[ link ]I have many friends who are DJ’s and we have all helped each other out, I would go as far to say it is the environment with which you find yourself rather than anything else, some environments breed asshats whilst others do not. Where I live there are a number of DJ’s, my closest friends are DJ’s and the town where we live is not all that big 130,000 people in fact, yet we do not tread on each others toes and we cover for each other when needed.
[ link ]I’ve recently started practicing to DJ myself as well, and how I try to learn or acquire tips is go through various videos on Youtube to find what works and what doesn’t. But you’re right…it can be hard to find DJ’s who’re ready to mentor you. Although I may be an amateur for now, my passion for DJ’ing is everlasting! If you ever require help or like to share tips and all, then dont hesitate to contact me! Its all about staying in touch with others and putting aside a little time for others so that you and the others around you benefit from it in this regard.
[ link ]Hi everyone,
this is not an answer, this is a question similar to the one above.
I have finished high school a couple of months ago and I am moving to the capital of Croatia for my college education. Since there are a lot of clubs, I was thinking of going to a couple of my favorite clubs, somehow bond with the resident DJ, get into his booth just to see him mix and handle situations, asking for advices etc and things should build up from there.
What do you think of my method and what would you like to add/suggest or do differently?
Cheers, Filip
[ link ]I’ve been fortunate enough to have many friends who are DJs. And I’ve learned tons from them. However many don’t live so close by so it makes it a bit difficult to get together and mix it up. Earlier this year I put out a posting online on a classified site and a local meet up group to find local DJs who want to jam. I found someone just down the street from me and we jam at least once a month. We exchange techniques and mix styles of music I wouldn’t have thought on my own.
[ link ]I too was in a similar situation when i first started mixing, No-one where I lived was into the same music as myself, I knew no other dj’s into dance music, even though I’d previously done some djing with cds on the metal scene where i lived, so for me it was a personal learning experience without any real guidance.. I did however go clubbing every weekend, and continually hung around the dj booth to see exactly what was going on out of fascination, even before I considered getting decks and trying it myself with vinyl… eventually I was invited into the booth to see up close, even got to play with the lighting board and strobe a little … Its a bit of a leap to take that first step and buy your own gear, as there’s no guarantees you’ll ever be great at anything, and now, with everyone thinking they know what dj’s are and what they do (incorrectly for the most part, thanks to muppets like deadwrong and diplo shooting their mouths off on subjects they aren’t highly qualified in) its even more difficult due to competition… but my best and most simple advice is… keep hanging around the dj booths… dont get drunk and annoying, just show an interest… find a dj who is still coming up through the ranks, but has a defined style that makes them stand out in your opinion, and ask if they have mix cd’s or downloads available…. analyse it, make one of a similar format and give it them…… this will probably engage far better than just asking for someone to give up their “secrets”… I personally wasn’t a big alcohol fan when clubbing, and lived nowhere remotely near the club I loved so I drove all the time….. my first Gig at the club I loved probably came from giving one of the dj’s a lift home and playing my own mix in the car…. I didn’t do it as a marketing ploy, I just hated having to drive 30 miles to lie in a dark room on my own at my parents house, so I did whatever to kill some time… You also tend to get invited to a few after parties once you get to know the scene too, especially if you can save the cost of taxi fare for a few people.. so maybe thats the key… dont get hammered, but treat each night out as a research expedition to find more people of a similar mindset to yourself…. but Just remember, the DJ’s you see will have had to work hard to get that gig, just because you show up doing something similar, don’t expect them to just roll over and give up their slot…. build your own scene a little… Keep a small crate of vinyl, cd wallet/usb stick/ hard drive with tunes and some soft drinks on your car, and explore the nightlife within your area of practical driving distance… You’ll be suprised how many chances you get to play to a few appreciative people
failing that, there are quite a lot of online tutorials, forums and how to? resources that can help you get past stumbling blocks as they come along, unlike 15 years ago… and a world full of clubbers and dj’s all connected to the internet at different timezones, so someone will be doing the same as you at the same time
[ link ]Instead of having a mentor, I started working for a promotion company in my area (NightCulture). After working with them for a year, I’ve learned a lot about promotion and how to target the right people. I’ve had many opportunities open up for me since starting with them. Soon I’ll be playing at a fairly new club as well interviewing Max Graham.
[ link ]Thanks for your story, and well done!
[ link ]I’m lucky enough to have a good friend in my high school band who is also a beginner DJ/ EDM producer, and we often compare tracks and give each other constructive criticism. For those of you who don’t have such luck, you can always search on the forums and youtube, soundcloud, etc. for people who are more than willing to offer their opinions (make sure to ask for feedback). It’s also worth mentioning that on reddit/r/edmproduction, a “buddy system” is being considered, wherein a moderator will pair up two artists with similar styles to help each other out. Perhaps there is also the potential to start a buddy system for DJs.
[ link ]In my experience, I’ve seen the same thing and I feel that it’s because they’re after that quick buck and any ‘exposure’ of their knowledge of things thins out the herd, per se, and gives them less of a chance to be ‘full’ in the bookings. Which has shown to me they’re not making much off this business, at least not enough to support them for both business and personal spending, and constantly have to pull in a profit. Furthermore, I had to be like them, build up my client base until I got a steady revenue stream of my own customers. Having talked to other business owners and not even necessarily DJ business owners, we all agree that once were at a comfortable profit level or in the DJ sense, booking capacity, that we’re not under that ‘threatened’ stance anymore and are more willing to help and nuture other interested people getting into the business. Heck, we even agreed one of the signs of being successful is when you can turn down business, or in our case, DJ gigs. And that’s where you end up being more generous (sometimes) because you’re passing on the work to other DJs and in turn (hopefully) you’re handing off business to trustworthy people that if you have time and interest yourself, you’re mentoring them to have the level of standards that you have. My advice is to find someone who not only has the DJing skills you’re looking to be taught, but also has the proper work ethic and ethos you would want if you had to mentor another DJ. Those people would probably be the ones who would be most willing to take you under the wing.
[ link ]Great article. I’ve never had a mentor, and it seems like mentorship would be a great idea to keep the craft moving forward!!
[ link ]It’s tough to find a mentor in this town as well.
I have networked out with the local DJs that play something remotely close to what I enjoy listening to.
I be sure to give them fist bumps at gigs and feedback on their mixes on Soundcloud, and they are always appreciative.
However, nobody is willing to accept offers of payment for mentoring.
While they are all free to tell me how they got started, what gear they use, and even what tracks I liked that they spun, none will offer advice.
Nobody truly plays the type of dance music that I like on a regular basis around here. Which might be a good thing once I figure out how to get out there and promote myself.
However, it would be nice if somebody could be found to offer a tip here and there on a few things I still struggle with.
Forums are great, but having a live person for face time just has a greater effect.
[ link ]HI all!
Thank you so much for your feedback and advice. I can always count on this site to provide me with great insight! = )
The main reason that I am looking for a mentor is that I pretty much hit that point in my DJ life where I am comfortable mixing, I have a solid foundation, done a few small gigs (e.g. house parties), and now I am looking to grow outside of that…I want to begin learning things that will set me apart as a DJ, things that will really make my sound stand out. And to be honest, I am also just looking for someone else who has the same passion and love about the music. Someone who can just vibe out and get down on some great tracks with me.
UPDATE: I was at the Identity festive (here in Phoenix, AZ) three weeks ago and my only buddy who is into the dance music scene, here in Phoenix with me (doesn’t DJ though) introduced me to a friend of his that had just moved out here from Detroit, where he is from. Turns out that not only is this guy a DJ, a fantastic DJ, but he also has years of promoting experience, and experience opening new DJ nights in bars/clubs. We have been working insanely hard since the festival and have actually since added a third DJ to our group. We all have similar tastes/sound (I’m an electro/dirty house guy, he is funky/dirty house guy, and our newest member is a break DJ) and have been pushing hard to promote a night at one of our local venues. It also just turned out that he and I complement each musically very well, so we have been practicing quite a bit of tagging the decks together. I have learned so much in the last three weeks, so it’s been GREAT!
I will keep you all posted on getting our first night promoted and how it went. Again, thanks for all the support!
[ link ]If some “MENTOR” is willing to help and mentor me here in Miami area it would be really appreciated!!! Heh
[ link ]I’m in Orange County, CA area. I recently started learning about DJ-ing. My interest is in House music. I’ve been watching Youtube and reading articles about how to DJ and have grasped the idea. I’ve also been making mix cd on Ableton Live (although not that proficient), and copying that onto a deck I have. I feel that it’s easier for me to put songs together on Ableton and then playing it on the decks. I’ve been working on beat matching but to be honest, have been using the sync button as well. I’ve heard that some of the big name talents are going with sync button as you can do a tighter mix and don’t have to worry about music sounding out of beat when it comes down to it.
I’ve got the basics down and from what I’ve learned, it seems that to be in a whole different level you have to either know how to remix, do mash ups or produce your own music like Avicii and Calvin Harris. I know I have to get to that point sometime but I would like to learn more about DJ now so that I am comfortable with the music. I’ve been coming home from work and working on DJ stuff like 5-6 hours a day. I’ve never had something where I enjoyed it this much where I’m working on it hours day after day. I simply love it.
I have a hard time trying to find a mentor. I messaged this guy my cousin knows on Facebook one time saying I would love to learn from him so I can be like him and tour, but he flat out ignored me. Screw him, but I understand from his position.
If anyone can give me some advice on how I can improve my skills and to get better, please let me know. If anyone is in Orange County area and are into House, let me know and maybe we can start a DJ group down here.
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