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Am I too old to DJ

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  • March 25, 2017 at 12:40 pm #2543581
    Mark McKergow
    Participant

    Certainly not too old! I am 57… Whatever your success level, it’s always good to keep learning new things that you really enjoy. I am looking to produce/remix as well as DJ.

    March 25, 2017 at 2:48 pm #2543601
    Chuck Van Eekelen
    Moderator

    Hi David, never too old to start indeed!

    Thanks for the introduction and welcome to the forums. Enjoy your journey and your time here!

    March 26, 2017 at 12:37 am #2543641
    Karlton Bethea
    Participant

    I’m 56 now and going strong! The only limitations to what you can do is the expectation that you place upon yourself. I have no dreams of being the next Carl Cox (although it might be nice for a year or two…LOL), but I do realize that with hard work and dedication to my passion I can be successful and fulfilled with my new vocation. Success is what you make it, happiness is what truly counts…and right now, I’m kinda happy! And regarding being a superstar someone once said “Shoot for the moon, and if you miss you’ll land amongst the stars”! Go for yours…’cause I’m going for mine!

    Karlton Bethea
    aka “Antique”

    “IF Music Be The Food Of Love…Play On”
    -Billy Shakespeare

    March 26, 2017 at 3:00 am #2543651
    Joe Brunner
    Participant

    I want to echo the above.
    It takes getting to a certain age to learn to
    be kind to oneself, to drop self-judgement and censorship
    and allow oneself to be “happy”.
    I am coming up fifty, and count myself a beginner,
    and feel grateful to this dj learning place,
    existentially and virtually (this site)
    as a place of tenderness, compassion, patience, devotion, patience, courage,
    where one can allow oneself to be happy.
    It has taken me years of maturing to be in this place.
    How can this ever be an
    age specific thing?
    If it were a wild lurching towards “rock and roll” egoism and excess,
    or a menopausal reprisal of youth “thing”….
    I might judge myself as “being too old” after 40.
    What keeps me going is not the euphoric peak in a set –
    although that is great –
    but the fulfilled silence long after the gig,
    when you know you have been of service to music, to love,
    to the world in a most mysterious and undefinable way.

    March 27, 2017 at 12:05 am #2543741
    Dj vitico BL
    Participant

    I have seen ads for dj gigs that said no one over 25 no one with more than two years experience and no one with a masters degree … what that really means is no one smart enough to ask for payment and not get cheated , if anything you are too old to be a sucker not too old to be a dj you can definitely start being a dj at 30 or more and expect to make it a paid hobby or even paid profession

    March 27, 2017 at 4:15 pm #2543841
    Toby Joll
    Participant

    Never too old! I’m 48 3/4! I started in earnest around three years ago to DJ, always loved music and that’s the key! Am now playing a gig about once every couple of months with a younger mentor in London. Last gig on Saturday was in a private members club and we sold out! Never too old! Just master your skills and learn how to network if you really want to play out. Put mixes on Soundcloud/mixcloud etc. too and regularly update so people can get a feel for your skills and music set. My biggest piece of advice is to be clear with yourself what you want to achieve and then have a clear plan (broken into steps) that you will follow to get there.

    March 27, 2017 at 7:21 pm #2543931
    Kevin Harman
    Participant

    Hi David, Your post struck a chord with me because I have asked myself that question many times over the past years (and still do from time to time). I got back into DJing about 6 years ago after being away from the scene since my university days, and now at 52 I am one of the resident DJs at a great bar in our city! I play 2-3 nights a month which is perfect for me since I have a day job. Of course I’ll never be a headliner at major festivals, but I get to enjoy doing what I love.

    The only way that I would say age becomes a factor is this: you have to be connected to the scene that you plan on playing to. You have to know your crowd and what they like. To me, I’m aware that I am not part of the university student scene any more and am not aware of what is trending in those types of clubs. So I don’t look for gigs there.

    But ultimately, your age has nothing to do with this. Just keep developing your skills, know your music and crowd, and confidently be yourself. Best of luck brother!

    March 28, 2017 at 7:32 am #2544001
    David Flood
    Participant

    Thank you for all the responses and kind words of encouragement. It certainly makes me feel better to hear these stories and has definitely increased my motivation to continue the path I’ve started down now. I’m looking forward to developing this hobby and learning more from this supportive community.

    April 9, 2017 at 4:01 pm #2547491
    Mo Tohfa
    Participant

    Hi everyone

    This is a great question, as I have often asked myself the same thing.
    Can I even dare?
    I am 35, I got a very serious job that has nothing to do with djing. But I have come to the consensus that I will give it ago as I have nothbig to lose. I love music in it’s all forms, I am currently trying to get an online presence with my dj mixes and production. I think the key thing is also to get involved in your local scene.

    April 9, 2017 at 6:56 pm #2547521
    Chuck Van Eekelen
    Moderator

    Whether as a full-time job, a part-time job or just as a “paid” hobby, there aren’t many that can top DJ-ing 😀

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