2. Soon after radio was invented and became the primary
source of entertainment in millions of homes, the
disc jockeys at local radio stations became
household names in their respective communities.
Many of the DJs exercised a great deal of
influence over consumers' musical preferences and
could make an obscure recording a regional and
eventually a national hit. Popular DJs, such as
Alan Freed, Wolfman Jack and Dick Clark influenced
generations of listeners and could help musical
acts become superstars seemingly overnight. DJs
eventually became hits in popular nightclubs and
now are promoted as heavily as popular musical
acts when they appear at many trendy clubs.
3. ❖ Vinyl Still Has Its Place
DJs once only played vinyl records, usually singles
and eventually albums on FM stations. But modern
DJs now rely on digitized music that can be
replayed precisely from one point to another.
Audio courses have helped many DJs to learn how to
use portable equipment similar to what can be
found in many professional recording studios. But
vinyl records continue to have a prominent place
for DJs, particularly those involved in hip hop,
to produce their own unique interpretations of
modern hits as well as classics from other eras.
4. ❖ The Right Gear Makes A Big Difference
While there is no official DJ school one can
attend, there are many courses that focus on
recording and editing music and video that can
help people master the skills necessary to be a
successful modern DJ. A good audio school can
help an aspiring DJ to learn the tools of the
trade and eventually master them while
developing his or her own unique way of
presenting music and mixing new renditions that
can remake former hits into new ones on the club
circuit.
5. ❖ Types of Gear Modern DJs Employ:
• High-quality headphones to help eliminate
background noise
• Music mixer to produce and replay reworked songs
and music
• Turntables for spinning records to accompany mixed
music
• Amplifier to drive room-filling sound
• High-quality speakers and cables to accurately
reproduce sound
6. ❖ Digital Audio Equipment is the Norm
Taking audio courses helps aspiring DJs master
modern audio tools to take existing music and
remix it with the newest types of digital
recording and editing audio gear. If there were an
official DJ school, its textbooks would teach DJs
how to use digital equipment, such as sound mixers
and computer programs, to produce new music from
existing artists. It also would teach how to set
up equipment for live events and fill large rooms
with high-quality sound reproduction.
7. ❖ DJs as Music Artists
The modern DJ is as much of an artist as any musical
act and can help musicians from years ago find a
new audience. Acts like James Brown and
Parliament-Funkadelic are among the most sampled
of any and have found new generations of listeners
thanks to the sampling of many DJs. But knowing
how to recreate new music by remixing the works of
others into entirely new sounds and songs is an
art in itself.
