David Franks is our latest Student Spotlight, one of over 50,000 Digital DJ Tips students from 172 countries that have taken a DJ or production course with us. David’s story proves that age is just a number when it comes to learning new skills.
David Franks isn’t your typical Digital DJ Tips student. At 72, he’s living proof that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself – or in his case, rediscover a skill from decades past.
His DJ journey began in 1978 at the height of disco, when he was handed two Technics 1200 turntables and a mixer for a two-year lounge residency in Raleigh, North Carolina. “Without any prior knowledge,” David recalls, he simply started playing.
But DJing was just one chapter in a lifelong music career. David had been performing since he was 14 – starting with garage bands, moving to trumpet in high school, then switching to keyboards at 16. By 25, he was already an experienced musician when that DJ opportunity came along.
After his disco days, David joined The Band Of Oz, a full-time travelling band, where he spent the next 28 years on the road. It wasn’t until retirement approached that he began looking back to DJing as a way forward.
From travelling musician to weekend DJ
“I knew I would probably work during the week at something and then have the weekends to DJ for extra income,” David explains. That “something” turned out to be buying and selling scrap gold and silver, which is his full-time business today.
His return to DJing didn’t start with Digital DJ Tips. “I originally took another course that ended up being mostly for house or trance music,” he says. Then, about 8 or 9 years ago, an ad for Digital DJ Tips appeared. “I’ve been with you guys ever since.”
Read this next: Returning To DJing After A Break
David’s biggest concern when starting? “How will I know what to play next?” David admits. “I think this could also be viewed as ‘fear of the unknown’. Of course, once I began a few of the classes at DDJT, this question was asked and answered in many ways, and the fear of what to play went away.”
When the crowd won’t dance
Today, David averages around one gig a month – mostly weddings, plus corporate parties, class reunions, and his first church social coming up. “That’s not a lot, but I actually love having my weekends free since for 28 years I was always gone at weekends.”
One memorable gig taught him an important lesson about success. At a country club event for golfers after their tournament, David faced a banquet room filled with well-dressed couples who simply wouldn’t respond to the music.
“I played every style of music to get these people dancing, but they just wouldn’t,” he remembers. When he slowed it down to ‘Purple Rain’ and started waving his phone flashlight overhead, the bartenders and waitresses joined in. But the crowd? They just kept talking.
After four hours, a waitress came up to him and said, “I really liked your mixes.” That made the night. “For me, my night was a success. I never felt bad about the crowd reaction because I gave them my best.”
It’s a perspective that comes from decades of performing experience – knowing that you can only control your own performance, not the audience’s response.
Technical skills at 72
David’s technical abilities have improved dramatically over the past two years. “I used to at least once a night hit the play button of the deck that was playing, causing it to stop dead,” he admits. His solution? Count “2 3 4” out loud and hit play again, bringing the music back in time.
“But I haven’t made that mistake in about a year, so I’m getting better.”
The course that transformed his mobile DJ work? “Mixing for Mobile and Wedding DJs. It is packed with so much great info and inspiration that works not only for weddings but any private gig or club date.”
He’s actually purchased all the Digital DJ Tips courses. “The first course I purchased from DDJT was Mixing Mastery, and I’ll admit in the beginning this went over my head a bit. But now when I go back and watch it, I totally get it.”
Finally…
Looking back on his journey, David has clear advice for anyone starting out:
“Don’t try to figure it all out by yourself. Everything I know about DJing is from a course, and the best courses around are from Digital DJ Tips.”
His other tips? Stay current with technology (“Never say ‘This is good enough'”), buy quality products even if they cost more, and remember that “age is just a number.”
“Look, it’s not rocket science, but even rocket science begins with model rockets,” David says. “People are surprised at what I do at 72.”
From disco turntables in 1978 to modern DJ controllers in 2025, David Franks has come full circle. And he’s proof that whether you’re starting fresh or starting again, it’s never too late to learn.
Ready to rediscover DJing?
David credits Mixing for Mobile and Wedding DJs with giving him the vital skills and inspiration to play any gig, but we also have a wide selection of DJ and production courses to choose from.
Want everything David learned and more? Access All Areas gives you unlimited access to every Digital DJ Tips course, including Mixing for Mobile and Wedding DJs and all future releases.
Phil Morse
