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  • in reply to: Preparing for a DJ interview #42762
    DJpeachfuzz
    Participant

    I def hope that sharing my experience will help others, I have already learned a lot from the experiences of people on this forum =]

    During the interview I raised the point that I will be heading back to school in the fall, full time (my last year of grad school!) Thankfully he understood that. I can work as much as i can, and most events are on weekends which i’m willing to sacrifice to pursue something i love

    in reply to: Preparing for a DJ interview #42482
    DJpeachfuzz
    Participant

    Thank you for the support everyone. To answer your question Dnbrn, it was not the type of interview I was expecting. Before I met with him, he emailed me some application forms to fill out. They were basic application forms which mainly asked for my personal information and did not ask many specific dj related questions. I filled them out and emailed them back. Once he reviewed them, we set up a time for an interview. I prepared for the interview by just reassuring myself that my heart was in this and that no matter what happened, the result would be good for me. I put my resume, my Dj resume, my business card, and a CD mix in a yellow folder and headed out the door. I dressed in khaki and a polo (it was F’n hawt outside)

    I arrived at the interview which was is at his home/office. We introduced each other and from then on it was was a friendly/relaxed and slightly informal meeting. He began telling my about his company. I went into it thinking it would be mainly a bar/club kinda thing, but he actually had a legitimate reputable business that serviced private events throughout the area. He described what the employee roles were at events and we reviewed the employee manual of what the job entailed. We briefly discussed what experience I had (house parties and backyard gigs) and what equipment I am proficient in (Traktor kontrol, traktor pro 2). Other than that i wasn’t asked many questions related to my skill set. There was an hourly pay rate for employees and i was told that you receive good tips at major private events.

    I was told that I was favorable over other applicants who were in high school or college. I’m 24 and in grad school, but he felt I would be more reliable than younger applicants. (I see where hes coming from since being the DJ at someones wedding is no joke, if you flake out the company is gonna look real bad) If you do happen to be high school or college aged, I think the trick is to present yourself in a manner which shows that you will take the job seriously.

    The rest of the interview we reviewed how the gig works.I would receive some training and then act as a helper at gigs. Once they see I can handle myself i would emcee or dj events or both. I would go pick up equipment from him before events and transport it and set it up myself. He showed me to his garage where I saw all the equipment. It was seriously gear and a lot of it. I could tell this was a organized operation they are running. We just talked and joked around for a while, it seemed like a fun and enjoyable job. He told me the job was mine if i wanted it. So I took the papers home to review and called him the next day to accept!

    Overall I was surprised how lax the meeting was. I went into it very professional and attentive, however as time went by I felt that i could loosen up and be myself. I’m not sure if this was typical for many dj interviews but this is the experience i had!

    in reply to: Preparing for a DJ interview #42435
    DJpeachfuzz
    Participant

    Hey Guys…So I got the job!!! The position was for a part time help with an entertainment company here in NJ. My role will be to help out and DJ and or Emcee at private events such as weddings, sweet 16’s, other private events and bars. This works perfectly as i’m still in grad school and need work/plus a way to dive into the industry.I’m so very excited =]

    in reply to: Preparing for a DJ interview #42315
    DJpeachfuzz
    Participant

    Thank you Terry, I will try and look the DJ part while dressing appropriately for an interview. All good advice. I think i will be about to keep cool there. Either ill sip a little something before, or after to celebrate this milestone no mater what the outcome =] Ill just try and roll with the punches. The interview is at 10am tomorrow. Ill report back with the outcome!

    in reply to: Preparing for a DJ interview #42297
    DJpeachfuzz
    Participant

    Thank you for the response Rizki! I have done regular job interviews but nothing related to DJing. This is great advice. I will bring my business cards and a recent mix on CD. I don’t have a DJ resume but ill be sure to bring my laptop in case he wants to hear me play.I have some prices in my head but i guess i will see what hes offering when i get there.

    I’ll go into it trying to be myself and act normal =]

    in reply to: Reaching out to nightclubs #40373
    DJpeachfuzz
    Participant

    All good advice. On the subject of mainstream music, I have only recently understood why so many DJ’s play it…because the majority of people like it! I used to frequent this club on Thursday nights but i got really turned off because the DJ there played basically the same mainstream material each week. Even though I hated his formula, I understand it now that its all related to business.

    in reply to: Reaching out to nightclubs #40352
    DJpeachfuzz
    Participant

    Thank you for the response D-jam. I read through the articles and they have given me useful perspective =]

    in reply to: Do Ask Your Friends For Payment? #39199
    DJpeachfuzz
    Participant

    A have a friend who let me play his house parties when I first started mixing. I did those for free, but I recently had a dilemma where I was considering charging him for an upcoming party. Morally, I realized that I couldn’t ask that of him since he allowed me to get the experience and gather a small fan-base with the parties he has thrown. Outside of this case I will be charging other friends who ask me to play, discounted maybe, but you are working and friends should respect that

    in reply to: Hilarious Avicii Article #38698
    DJpeachfuzz
    Participant

    Wait…is this real? Or is it an April fools joke?

    in reply to: deep house has lost economic value #38526
    DJpeachfuzz
    Participant

    This is the unfortunate problem of dealing with the public who doesn’t “get it”.

    -Well said D-Jam, me and some friends use that term all the time.

    My 2 cents is regarding the patience levels of the majority of people today and the energy in the music they want to hear. Most are accustomed to instant gratification when it comes to music, as per the repetitive pop on the radio. This is reinforced by a lot of DJ’s playing the same formula. Be the change you want, if you have the power to do so. I for one don’t look forward to going out sometimes because every bar is turning into the “wanna-be” club, with every DJ spinning big electro house. (For god sake it’s a sports bar). okay, done venting.

    Anyway, If you value a genre then promote it. Don’t assume everyone knows what “Deep House” is.

    in reply to: Trying to start playing gigs- advice needed #38499
    DJpeachfuzz
    Participant

    I agree with others that house parties are the way to go. They allow you to encounter a lot of things that make you wiser as a DJ in a low stress environment. So far all I have done are house parties, but they have provided me with a lot of knowledge such as crowd reading and party dynamics. Whichever you choose to do I wish you good luck!

    in reply to: Honest feedback from the Community #38475
    DJpeachfuzz
    Participant

    Thank you Tommy, very much appreciated!

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)