DJ I
I can remember the first time I dj’d a party. I was 13, and it was in Little Havana at a house party. I’d promised the birthday girl I would bring my record collection so we could get people dancing.
After realizing that playing the same record over and over on her parents stereo (the kind that had a record player on top of a reciever, wood grain, may of even had a 8-track deck on it too.) and the long silence between switching records was killing it. Compared to today where everyone and their mother are dj’s there wasn’t anywhere to call and rent dj equipment, and I didnt have any friends that owned gear. I had to think fast.
One of the neighbors had a similiar stereo. So we set them up, side by side and while I was playing one record, I would cue the next on the other record player. No mixer, no effects, just raw. The first mix I ever attempted live was Egyptian Lover and Alnayfisshh. My crossfader was essentially the two volume controllers. Very caveman, but it worked. That was 1983.
I just realized that was 25 years ago.
There would be a few hundred parties after that. The reel to reel my dad brought home one day that let me hear my own voice and taught me how to edit (before digital editing existed) and was the decision that changed my entire direction, to study Radio & Television in college.
There are a million DJ’s in this country. Lot’s of stories like mine. Some for the passion of music, others for the love of entertaining. I always tell my clients, “If you’re looking for a Dj who gets on the mic and wears the floral patterned cumberbun and bow-tie, i’m not your man.
I do this because there’s are not many ways that exist where one person can with the flick of a switch, the turn of a knob, and through his/her own choices make a room full of people move, sweat, scream, sing, jump, shake, spin, and remember to themselves why music is so important.
This is why I am a DJ-
MUSIC FOR THE MASSES-MUSIC FOR THEM ASSES!!