| When a mixed gathering of all age groups needs | | | | jockey is on the right track and it makes less jovial |
| music to dance, an instant personality is needed to | | | | banter necessary. Therefore the deejay gets better |
| break the ice. These include corporate parties, school | | | | at sizing up an audience as he gets more |
| dances, bar mitzvahs, and weddings so all types of | | | | experienced, just as do musicians, comedians, and |
| people have to be encouraged to mingle. This is one | | | | other performers. A wedding DJ in Toronto Ontario |
| of the roles of the deejay. | | | | once said that he didn't like the novelty songs and |
| There are considerable differences between the | | | | oldies he was forced to play at receptions to please |
| nightclub DJ who plays dance music and scratches on | | | | the more senior members of the audience who |
| the discs, the radio DJ who announces over a set | | | | would only complain at loud pop-dance or disco music. |
| playlist, and the mobile wedding DJ who plays all | | | | Music stores sometimes offer payment programs for |
| genres for all ages. Radio deejays are trained in | | | | disc jockey sound equipment or will lease the system |
| college and need a degree to apply to a station, | | | | to the deejay, so it is fairly easy to get into the |
| where they will work their way up the ladder from | | | | business. Scratching discs as you spin is the technique |
| low-paying small town positions in a pre-planned | | | | of the nightclub disc jockey so the wedding DJ won't |
| career. Big market stations have only so many | | | | have to learn how to coordinate a rhythmic show to |
| openings so only the cream of the crop will hit the | | | | a live audience. It takes good control of the digital |
| big time. | | | | equipment, scratching along, adjusting controls for |
| With the advent of portable digital sound equipment, | | | | lights and fog, and rapping to the people on the |
| the capability to be a mini-broadcasting company | | | | dance floor and those that are being coaxed out of |
| meant that everyday people could entertain and | | | | their chairs. |
| speak over the music as one song segues into the | | | | Once you have transportation and resign yourself to |
| next. A knowledgeable music fan with a good | | | | working weekends, then there's no barrier to putting |
| speaking voice and some people skills could put on a | | | | up your website and hanging out the shingle in local |
| show that would get people dancing in a nightclub | | | | advertisements to line up some bookings to get that |
| with a nicely-mixed portfolio of songs. In a short | | | | extra income going, and maybe have a good time |
| time, the DJ could be good enough to earn money | | | | while earning money, even if the music genres aren't |
| with his music collection and some good sound gear. | | | | your favorite. The attention alone is enough for |
| Knowledge of music is essential, but knowing what | | | | some people - and a chance to be where the action |
| an audience will enjoy is a matter of trial and error. | | | | is. |
| When more people get up and dance, then the disc | | | | |