DIGITAL MUSIC
FutureDJs: How to DJ is a guide to DJing and electronic music by Austen Smart, Scott Smart, and Tom
Dent. Put simply, FutureDJs are remixing music education to make the art form more accessible to
young people. For more information, visit www.futuredjs.org.
Performing Live as a DJ
Part 1: The Live Mix
From FutureDJs: How to DJ
Imagine a DJ as a conductor, performing pieces
with the power to interpret and manipulate
the music as they like. They must be respectful
of the music they have chosen. They listen
to minute details and sculpt and perfect the
sound as it happens. They change pitch, tempo,
timbre; they create their own dynamics.
While a conductor faces the orchestra, a DJ
faces their audience. The audience does not sit
still; they show you physically and vocally how
much they like your performance – your composition.
The feedback is constant and obvious:
if they like it, they cheer, applaud, and dance; if
they don’t like it, they might leave.
This presents every DJ with a question: do
you play what the audience wants, or what you
want? How important is it that your audience
likes what you are doing? What if the majority
don’t like it, but a small minority do? Do you
change for everyone else or stick to your guns?
Wherever you fall on this scale and however
you have constructed your mix, every FutureDJ
must be prepared to change, adapt, and improvise.
Preparation
When performing live, there is no substitute for
preparation. It’s a lot more than just practice.
Music Management – Your music management
must be up to scratch. You need the
ability to access a single track in your collection
within seconds. Keep tracks in a system
that works for you and fill in your metadata.
Cue Points – Check the start of each track. You
can slip up if they are inaccurate.
Quantity – Prepare more music than you think
you need. Much more. Twice as much would
be safe.
Hot Cues – Place these in consistent positions.
Make sure you know what they mean.
Constructing a Mix – You know what
you are going to do; you have a plan.
Equipment – Have a backup USB stick, and a
backup, backup USB stick.
Expectations – Learn about the expectations
of your audience, your venue, the DJs either side
of you, and yourself.
“I think one of the greatest things about DJing
is the way you get to share your favourite music
with an audience and see the reaction they give
to you and each other. Stylistically, the wonderful
thing about sharing this music is that there is
only one of you! So you are totally free to express
yourself however you feel; after all, no one can
be a better you than … you!’
-Spencer Parker
Things That Could Affect Your Mix
However much you prepare, there are countless
things that could affect your plans. A live mix
is a performance that can never be replicated,
even with the same tracks, at the same place,
at the same time the next day.
Audience
Regardless of where you fall on the "what I want
vs. what the audience wants" scale, is why you are
there. Remember to look up and see how your
music is affecting them. What you do with that
information is up to you.
Set-up
Never assume anything about the equipment
you are going to be using. Be part of the set-up
process if you can, or at least check out what you
are playing on before you play. If it’s not what
you expect, remember that the fundamental
functions of every piece of DJ equipment are
the same. Keep it simple and improvise.
Venue
The location of your gig, the stage you are on,
and the room you are in may affect the sound,
energy, and vibe that is expected of you. Be
prepared to improvise.
Technical Hiccups
There are many things out of your control, including
equipment malfunctions. The more
practice you do, the better prepared you are
should anything go wrong.
Mistakes
The music never stops for you; it never slows
down to give you more time to think and plan
your next move. If you make a mistake, pick yourself
up, move on with your set, and improvise.
Scenarios
Consider what you would do if:
• The display on your equipment is broken
and you have to beat-match every track
by ear.
• Your music files corrupt, and you can’t perform
the mix you have prepared.
• There’s a change of plan and you are asked
to play grime rather than house.
• Someone makes a request for a particular
song.
• The DJ before you has played half of your
selected tracks.
• You miss the play button and your mix-in
opportunity is lost.
• The headphone cue isn’t working.
• Nobody likes the tracks you are playing.
• You get distracted and have 20 seconds
until a track ends.
• There’s nobody around and you have to set
up the equipment yourself.
In part two next issue, we’ll look at a live routine,
and how a routine differs from a mix.
This column is an excerpt
from the book FutureDJs:
How to DJ, published by
Faber Music. Get it now at
www.musicbooksplus.com.
CANADIAN MUSICIAN 31