- Sound Recording
- Publlcity/Promotion
- Club/Venue Staff
- Radio
- Musicians
- Retailing
- Graphic/Web Design
- Journallsm
- DJ's
- Photography
- Choose an instrument to play. While certain musicians can play many instruments, they likely started with only one. This helps you focus your practice time and guide your stylistic creativity.
- Learn about music theory. This includes the musical notation, chord structure, chord progressions and melodic conventions of your musical style. Jazz, classical and pop all have different theoretical traditions that take years of study to truly master.
- Seek out and practice with local musicians. You might form a chamber music group, a quartet or just a jam band, but sharing and sharpening your musical ideas with friends is priceless.
- Listen to recordings of artists you admire and emulate their style. Even artists as famous as Elton John and the Beatles fell in love with music and built their reputations by imitating their idols.
- Create a structured practice schedule. Carving out enough practice time each week is hard, especially if you're already busy with another job or your family, so manage it wisely.
- Consider taking private or group lessons with an expert musician in your area. Colleges, conservatories and public schools all have good resources for connecting you with a qualified instructor.
- Work your way up to playing concerts and gigs. If you're a jazz or rock musician, bars and clubs are a great place to gain stage experience and build a following.
- Composers
- Instrumentalists
- Vocalists
Basic Skills
Personality
You should also be able to efficiently perform several tasks at once. Without interrupting your set, you may need to speak with audience or club staff members who approach you to chat or make requests.
One of the key aspects of becoming a successful DJ is learning how to read the crowd. Although you must always have at least one ear and eye on the music you are playing, you must also be aware of your audience at all times. Watch how they respond to what you're playing, and always be prepared to switch it up if they don't seem to be enjoying what you're playing.
Long Hours
Equipment
- Headphones
- Mixer
- Dual audio player: Either turntables, variable speed CD players/mixers, or MP3 players
- A large selection of music: Depending on what type of player you'll be using, either records, CDs, or MP3s