Selling my soul to the devil

inmazevo · Post by **inmazevo** » Tue May 13, 2008 8:30 pm

My wife and I used to do professional photography.
When in "artist" mode, we liked mixed media, and funky shots, and funky development techniques. Fine.
When in work mode, we did architectural photography. Boring, but still takes skill, and they'll pay you very well for it.
When in out-of-work mode, we even did weddings. Geez... I HATE everything about wedding photography, but they'll pay you for it. Met a lot of wedding DJs this way... talk about a depressing gig much of the time... it's a wedding, and people usually want some horid music for that, and lots of it.

Separate your art from your job, and if you can, learn to mix the two.

And remember that a job description doesn't always match the job. You might start out doing hip hop, and throwing in some of your own "style" or preference, and slowly moving the clients in that direction.

I'd say do it if you want to actually succeed. Selling out is a perspective that many people (and most of the working ones) just call reality. Nothing wrong with being idealistic, but you might be broke doing that, and have a very short career.

- zevo

three · Post by **three** » Tue May 13, 2008 8:45 pm

I'm going to chime in with a vote for: any time you spend with music is time well spent. Also, you get to know the right people, start to meet the people in the club scene etc. Definitely worth doing, even if it's not your favorite music.

noisetonepause · Post by **noisetonepause** » Tue May 13, 2008 8:59 pm

inmazevo wrote:wedding DJ

@OP - See? It could be /much/ worse...

Silverfish · Post by **Silverfish** » Tue May 13, 2008 9:16 pm

I have a wedding gig June 21st.

Thank you all very much for your input. I lurk around these boards an awful lot, and every single time I have ever needed advice, info, or anything, someone on the Ableton Live forum has what I need.

I'll submit a demo, see what they say, and hope they like what they hear!

Thanks again!

oblique strategies · Post by **oblique strategies** » Tue May 13, 2008 10:30 pm

When you dance with the Devil the devil doesn’t change, the Devil changes you…

djadonis206 · Post by **djadonis206** » Tue May 13, 2008 10:55 pm

its ok, but you really should embrace the idea of what you're about to do. Someone who's not into what they're doing isn't very exciting to watch.

but if you think you can have fun and really be excited about spinning something you don't normally spin go for it

personally I can't do it - I'll just pick up the record and leave

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Tue May 13, 2008 11:00 pm

djadonis206 wrote:its ok, but you really should embrace the idea of what you're about to do. Someone who's not into what they're doing isn't very exciting to watch.

but if you think you can have fun and really be excited about spinning something you don't normally spin go for it

personally I can't do it - I'll just pick up the record and leave

yeah, but you have a day job. if you want to DJ as your main income, seems to me you DJ for the money, not for your own taste. that's why they call some activities work and some are called play. work pays, generally speaking, play does not.

if I get a job making shoes and they ask me to make boots I should quit?

djadonis206 · Post by **djadonis206** » Tue May 13, 2008 11:10 pm

Tone Deft wrote: yeah, but you have a day job. if you want to DJ as your main income, seems to me you DJ for the money, not for your own taste. that's why they call some activities work and some are called play. work pays, generally speaking, play does not.

if I get a job making shoes and they ask me to make boots I should quit?

it's nice, djing complements my day jobs income, so it's all good, yes. I have that choice whether to play or not to play

but I'm curious, how many people on this board actually dj full time and make a decent living (besides the obvious Richie Hawtin, Deadmau, and that one French guy)

...and, as a FYI, not everyone can just go from techno to hip hop and do it well...it's a totally different frame of mind and technique

LwsLddr · Post by **LwsLddr** » Tue May 13, 2008 11:12 pm

I say doit! build your dj chops and get paid!

3dot... · Post by **3dot...** » Tue May 13, 2008 11:15 pm

I THOUGHT THIS WAS SERIOUS !

3dot... · Post by **3dot...** » Tue May 13, 2008 11:18 pm

3dot... wrote:I THOUGHT THIS WAS SERIOUS !

The DEVIL lives much lower than "I'd rather play this or that,,,"

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Tue May 13, 2008 11:19 pm

I hated the thought of traditional private/corporate DJ/VJing (still do!), so decided to do it my own way. Now it's technical, challenging, fun, people have a great time, and it's very lucrative.

Sometimes, especially as a professional, you gotta think outside the box, take chances, see the big picture, and not be so far up your own ass that you can't see or appreciate the perspective or opinions of others.

starving student · Post by **starving student** » Wed May 14, 2008 1:21 am

if you know the difference between hiphop, rap, and r&b then do it.
if you don't then don't do it.

Silverfish · Post by **Silverfish** » Wed May 14, 2008 1:24 am

Silverfish · Post by **Silverfish** » Wed May 14, 2008 1:26 am

@ starving student: I'm pretty sure there are like three people in Iowa that know the difference. It's kind of like when I try to explain the type of music I produce: to everybody around here, it's techno (even when it clearly isn't).