From There to Here (or, How I Came to DJ)

Welcome back, hope your time since our last meeting has been full of great things! Taking the Prism Rhythm to a more personal level this time and sharing the Cliff's notes version of how I got into this profession in the first place. It is the most commonly asked first question I am asked upon meeting someone, since this isn't exactly the kind of thing where you study and ace a final or work up through getting promotions. For most of the truly experienced DJ's I know, it was something they either got inspired into learning by observing or hearing a DJ, or they had to jump in as an emergency fill-in when a DJ didn't show up or got sick. Some, like me, never even thought about it. I have always loved music and dancing and exploring different clubs and venues. I love walking up to and into a place and absorbing all the atmosphere, meeting different people, listening to the songs I know and finding out about music that's new to me. One feature that always gets my attention is the lighting. Visual effects add a whole other dimension to any party experience. And that's what opened the door for me.

I got a job bartending at a popular Buckhead classic dance club called Bellbottoms. I was a second-on bartender, which meant that while I had to be there at a certain time, sometimes I would have to wait a bit until they needed me behind the bar. Bellbottoms had an amazing light set-up, with lightning effects and rain lights, an enormous disco ball, and many more, so to kill time I would go up in the DJ booth and play with the lights, which were set up on an easy to use controller. After a while, the head DJ, Steve, took notice of how I was always on beat with the light transitions. I spent years as a band geek in school (first the flute, then the tuba... that's another story) so the concept of measures, beats and frames was by no means foreign to me, and after I explained that to him he said the words that changed my life: "Have you ever thought about learning how to DJ?"

As I mentioned, the thought never crossed my mind before then. But he showed me how to match beats in a beat mix, and told me when I could do that to come back to him and he would teach me more. I spent two weeks making horrible thumps and bumps, and the one day Eureka! I carried off a mix. I spent a year practicing several times a week at the club, for hours during the day when they were taking deliveries (I had great managers there; thank you Tricky and Matt!), and eventually auditioned for my first paying gig. I still had a lot to learn, but over the years I've had many talented mentors and to this day I still learn from everyone I meet, about new music and new technology and new techniques. Always keep your eyes and ears open, you never know what opportunity could present itself to you next!