Job Description; Final
Anastazja
Sep. 3, 2024
Job Description
My job is the biggest blessing I have ever received; working as a DJ and pursuing my passion in music. Outside of being a student I work as a DJ, formerly known as Disc Jockey. My responsibility is to curate good vibes in any kind of environment; I know I have succeeded when I can see people dancing and singing freely, nodding their heads to the beat of a new song.
As a DJ, my job is not just about playing everyone's favorite music, but understanding and exploring music at its core, as well as managing technical and financial responsibilities. The best part about my job is that the day to day looks completely different and every gig, or booking, brings a different adventure. I also get to explore endless albums and sites for music, opening my ears to a world of different tastes.
Overall, my job consists of two major responsibilities;
The fun stuff;
Selecting Music
Live Performance
The not so fun stuff;
Emails
Contractual Agreements
The fun stuff;
As a DJ, I spend my time looking for new music, exploring programs such as Spotify, YouTube, Bandcamp, and music that my own community makes. For me personally, the most satisfying element of the work is being able to find unique songs that I would not normally find on the average music platform. It is like finding hidden gems just made for me! I also get to explore culture and history through music as I pass through different genres, artists, and eras of music.
Once it is time to perform the playlist I put together, I study the crowd in whatever space I am working in and adapt to people’s likes and dislikes. I can see if people are enjoying the music based on their physical and emotional reactions. I have found performance to be an important element of my job, dancing and being high energy always encourages a crowd to get moving and enjoy themselves more.
The not so fun stuff;
With any job there are some technical requirements that need to be met before the creativity can begin. As demand for my work grows, I am responsible for responding to emails, reading and writing contracts, negotiating deals, and handling bookings for myself and other artists. In other words; contracts and agreements between myself and another business are important to making sure everything else runs smoothly.
You might be wondering why a contract is so important when it is just music, right? Contracts are important to ensure an artist gets paid on time, and every detail down to travel and music style is clear in order to ensure everyone is on the same page. The music industry is a scary business to be a part of; there is lots of exploitation and bad deals made in order for someone to make profit. In order to prevent these situations, it is important to have agreements and stay organized in order to protect the artists.
A typical email conversation will include the following topics making sure the following topics are agreed upon between the person booking and the artist;
In an email you’ll find…
-Rate and time frame: How much does it cost per hour?
-Music Style: What does the audience want to hear?
-Equipment and Hospitality: What equipment needs to be provided, and what does the artist request in terms of food and drink, and a place to get ready.
-Travel and Lodging: How will the artist get there and where will they stay for the night?
A Different Day, A Different Song
As a creative freelancer, everyday brings a new adventure working with new music, new venues, and new communities of people. As you may already know, a freelancer is someone who works by project, rather than working with the same coworkers at one singular business. That means with every booking I confirm, I often work with a completely different team of people and play music for a new crowd. Since my job also has no routine or limitations I also have the opportunity to move my creativity to any place in the world, DJing at different venues across the world.
Grammarly Score:
Passive Sentences: 0
Flesch Reading Ease: 60
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 8th Grade
I loved the way you formatted this blog, particularly the part about the fun stuff and the not so fun stuff. When I think of DJs, I mainly think about the fun stuff - dancing, music, and having a good time. I never really wondered what DJs have to do in order before their sets. It was really interesting to dive into your world as a DJ and learn about the intricacies of the job. I also liked how you noted what the emails would look like too.
ReplyDeleteHi Anastazja,
ReplyDeleteThis is so cool! I love how you split your duties into two categories: fun and not fun stuff. What would you say your music style is? What genre do you usually play in your set? I like how you like to find unique, hidden gems. Where would you usually find these?
Anastazja! I love the way you introduced the different segments of your blog post. The titles were funny to me and kept my attention throughout your story. Dj-ing always seemed so cool to me so your perspective is fascinating!
ReplyDeleteThis job sounds amazing! I feel like it's truly rewarding to watching people enjoy themselves and have a great time right in front of you. It’s a clear sign that you’re doing well in creating a lively and welcoming atmosphere. What are the most common genres you play, and how often do you schedule your gigs?
ReplyDeleteHi Anastazja, this seems like an awesome job & it looks like you really enjoy it. I love the subtle humor and the way you split it up into "the fun stuff" and the "not so fun stuff." So cool how you get to DJ across venues around the world.
ReplyDelete