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Age question

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This topic contains 11 replies, has 10 voices, and was last updated by  Chuck Van Eekelen 2 years, 6 months ago.

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)
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  • July 6, 2017 at 10:51 am #2584001

    Marvin The Martian
    Participant

    Hello,

    I’ve had a conversation with a friend of mine about things that you enjoying to do in your life. One of my answers was DJing and my friend asked me: “Aren’t you too old for this?” Most DJs that I know started to DJ when they was a teenagers. I started to play salsa for the crowd when I was 30, I was playing it 3,5 years, now I want to try myself to play for the crowd in bars and lounges, but now I’m 34….

    How do you think – age matters for DJ or not?

    July 7, 2017 at 8:35 am #2584581

    Terry_42
    Keymaster

    I am 43… I get gigs. OK I have DJed for 25+ years now.
    However I have a pal that started when he was 47 (he is now 53) and he gets gigs. So if you love what you do: WHY THE HELL NOT!

    July 7, 2017 at 3:32 pm #2585131

    Lorie Johnson
    Participant

    I don’t think age matters one bit- if you love music. That’s really the key- loving music and wanting to share it with others. I’ve been collecting and curating music all my life. My dad taught me how to make mixtapes on our Sony reel-to-reel decks when I was a kid, and I went from those, to cassettes, to CDs to purely digital playlists. Now I’m taking courses here to refine my mixing skills and make better mixtapes. I just completed my first original song. And since I have all this music, I’m learning how to DJ with it- I’m taking the masterclass.

    I was talking about this to a friend of mine, and she offered me a gig. So, there you go.

    I’m 56. And most of my favorite DJs are within a decade of my age: Paul Oakenfold, John Digweed (I saw one of his earliest sets at a rave at Bury St. Edmunds), Pete Tong… And Giorgio Moroder is at it- and he’s 76.

    We aten’t dead. 🙂

    July 8, 2017 at 8:37 pm #2585621

    DJ Madie
    Participant

    I am close to 46 and well age does only matter to people who don’t know me, my style or my dj work.

    July 9, 2017 at 7:19 pm #2585691

    Stazbumpa
    Participant

    I’ll just add to what has already been said, if you’re good at what you do then age is no barrier.
    In fact, in my experience, being older actually means some bar and club owners will take you more seriously.

    July 9, 2017 at 9:49 pm #2585721

    Dj JazzyPete
    Participant

    Age does not matter .. im 57 and enjoying Djing more than ever . always discovering new music , getting gigs . Also have the advantage of having knollwage of lots of music from different eras . coming from Djing with recoords for 30 years its been great learning a new craft on Digital controllers ..

    • This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by  Dj JazzyPete.
    July 10, 2017 at 1:00 pm #2586011

    DJ Wee Man
    Participant

    Age certainly does not matter. Admittedly you haven’t been in the game for a long time, but I’d say most of the top DJs in the game currently are certainly over 30 so you have nothing to worry about. The main thing is you enjoying what you do 🙂

    July 11, 2017 at 7:59 pm #2587371

    Wendell Hancock
    Participant

    I view djing as an art; true artists pursue their art as long as humanly possible. At sixty-nine with a severe muscle disease that has resulted in use of a powered wheelchair full time, I have two 7 hour residencies a two different sport bars. Three years ago, I passed out while djing because of imbalance in sugar level. Some suggested that it was time for me to give up djing. My reply: “Only when you pry the controller from my cold dead hands!”

    An observation: A dj’s role is that of linking the artistic talent of a musician to the artistic soul that exist within each member of a particular audience. Whether the venue is a super club in London or senior citizen home in Iowa, the dj art form is reading that particular audience, then selecting the music that provides the most enjoyable experience. Of course, playing the music in creative way enhances the process.

    Thanks for allowing me share.
    Wendell Hancock

    July 11, 2017 at 9:31 pm #2587441

    Chuck Van Eekelen
    Moderator

    Let’s see … 54 now and just celebrated 40 years on the decks in June.

    So, never mind age. Do what you like. Worst case you have a nice hobby, better case you will find those in your own age bracket that will ask you to play at their birthday parties and anniversaries, best case, you will be asked to play for total strangers and actually get paid for it.

    July 22, 2017 at 7:47 pm #2593501

    Alex Moschopoulos
    Participant

    I don’t wanna grow up…I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us kid…

    July 25, 2017 at 11:12 am #2594441

    Marvin The Martian
    Participant

    I understand that it is never too late to start mixing and beat-matching. The question is more about networking, rather than about technical side of DJing.

    July 25, 2017 at 9:10 pm #2594881

    Chuck Van Eekelen
    Moderator

    I guess it will depend on what kind of DJ-ing you want to do. If you fancy yourself a resident at a happening place for the 21-25 yr old, it might not be beneficial to be 45+ and just starting.

    If you think you can produce tracks and people like those tracks, you’ll make your way somehow.

    When being a mobile DJ is your goal and you want to do corporate gigs, weddings, anniversaries and birthdays, then having a mature image and a few gray hairs might work in your favor.

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