Is DJ an artist????

People often ask: is a DJ an artist? This is a difficult question. Sure, there is a certain skill involved in DJ'ing, but does that make the DJ an artist? There is skill involved in driving a car but no-one would call driving an art-form. Is the same true of DJ'ing?

I believe that DJ'ing is a form of art. The purpose of this short piece is to explain my reasons for holding this belief. My goal is to convince the skeptics that DJs should be put into a similar category with other artists. Musicians, composers, painters, and photographers are all artists that have learned a skill. They use their skill to bring about emotion in other people. They do this by either creating something new, or by capturing a unique scene or moment in time, and then making the result available to an audience. DJs are the same. They use their skill to create mixsets, and in doing so they are capturing something unique which can be made available to an audience. To strengthen my point, I will draw an analogy between a photographer and DJ. I believe that if photography is a form of art, then so is DJ'ing.

So, what does a DJ actually do?

At its most basic level a DJ selects a range of musical pieces and plays them to an audience. The primary goal is to make people dance. But is this art? Surely an iPod on random shuffle can do this. We wouldn't want to call an iPod artistic--especially if it is random. Of course, this is a naive view. An iPod on random shuffle cannot keep people dancing. Occasionally it might play an agreeable song, which some people will dance to. But that is just blind chance. Its pure luck. An iPod is not an artist.

So what does a DJ do that an ipod does not do? There are two important aspects to DJ'ing. First, there is the process of mixing. Second is song selection.

1. Mixing
A good DJ will blend songs together in order to create a suite of music in which the audience is unaware of the transitions between tracks. Not only does this keep a dance floor energy on a constant flow, it can also sound very good when elements between two songs interact. Mixing is a technical skill that many people can learn. It is important, because it gels the music together, but ultimately it is a mechanical process and therefore not artistic in itself.

2. Song selection
The most fundamental aspect of DJing is song selection. A DJ selects a range of tracks that mix nicely together in order to create a "mixset" (sometimes simply referred to as a mix). When a DJ does his job well, not only will the set be seemless, it will also take people on a musical journey which is almost symphonic in structure. The set will start in a certain place and take people through highs and lows, light and shade, through major and minor keys. This is not done randomly. It is done by carefully considering the mood of the people on the dance floor while also considering which songs mix well together. DJ sets often build up to a peak in energy before gradually coming back to the same level at which they started. Other DJ sets can start off subtle and continue to build people up, increasing the energy and excitement to a crescendo before rapidly dropping back down. Sometimes a DJ will end his set at the crescendo.

The important feature of the DJ mixset is the journey that it takes its audience on. And it doesn't have to be live. A DJ can mix a set on radio or in a studio which will take its audience on just as powerful a journey--though this is more difficult because most mixsets are constructed in reaction to the audience.

So, how is this art?

Well, it is art insofar as the mixset is a unique suite of music, which can be considered as a complete unit. It is built out of a range of separate tracks that the DJ has consciously chosen to include in the greater whole. It is not a random selection. The DJ has chosen the tracks for a reason--to generate emotions and feelings. Furthermore, this is not something that anyone can do. DJs are like music filters. There are thousands of tracks released every year, and the DJ has to filter through them and decide what is good, and what is not good. The DJ has to decide what to put into his set for people to hear.

But is this art or just musical taste?

It is art in the same way that photography is art. Consider a photographer. She will go in search of scenes that she believes have certain qualities. Often the scene a photographer finds can look quite ordinary to other people. In fact, many people might walk by without noticing. The photographer sees something unique and beautiful in the scene and uses her technical skill with the camera to bring out its best qualities. The resulting picture is then made available to an audience. The same is true for a DJ. The DJ finds music that he considers to have certain qualities. The DJ then uses his technical skill to blend his chosen music together in a way which brings out the true beauty of the individual pieces. In this way the DJ is like a photographer. If a photographer is an artist, then so is the DJ.

Conclusion

My goal in this article has been to show that a DJ is an artist, and the mixsets he produces are a form of art. There is more to DJ'ing than the mechanical act of mixing. Good DJ mixes do not consist of random song choices. There is an artistic process at work. Just as a photographer picks scenes that already exist and packages them in a way that makes them appealing to an audience. A DJ picks music that already exists and packages it in a way that makes it appealing to an audience.

A mixset is a piece of art.

Preselecting playlist

Some DJs assemble their playlist for a dance ahead of time, especially if they play their music from their laptop or iPod.  Others plan out their general rotation of dance types but wait until the moment to select the song itself, watching the dancers' energy to see what the perfect tune for that moment will be.

Both approaches are equivalent to creating a lesson plan for teaching a class, so therefore my advice is the same as on my teaching tips page, for the same reason.  I recommend creating a good plan, then improvising on it at the moment.

When you assemble a playlist in the quiet of your office or home, you can try to guess what the mood of the dance will be at each moment, but you can never be sure.  It's easier to accurately guess the rotation of dance types... a calmer tango after a fast exhausting swing, for example.  So you can draw up a playlist of dance types.  But the variables for selecting the best tunes are so complex that it's far better to use your intuition, in watching the energy of the dancers at that moment, to choose the perfect song.

Have you ever pre-assembled a playlist of tunes then thought, "It seemed like a good idea when I wrote the playlist, but that tune just didn't work very well."  Yes, that will happen at least once every night, and more likely several times.

You can say, "oh well, that's good enough" if you want to be a "good-enough" DJ.  This page is suggestions of how to be abetter DJ, maybe a great one.

An ideal compromise is to plan out your playlist ahead of time, including the song titles, then re-evaluate your choices right before you get to each one, during the dance.  "Was that really the best choice for right now?"  You'll probably find that most of your preplanned list is okay, then occasionally you'll make a substitution when you feel that your first guess wasn't really the best choice for this moment, or if you come up with a better choice which didn't occur to you during your prep time.

Here's a specific suggestion to help come up with the perfect tune for the moment.  Have second music player (not the one playing music for the dancers) with headphones, to hear your possible song choices during the three minutes when the previous song is playing.  Our memory of our music collection is often sufficient, but actually hearing the next tune, in the real context of the moment, is usually better.  (This method works better with CDs and MDs than with laptops and iPods.)

Best DJ Headphones

You are likely to find this guide helpful, if you plan to buy DJ headphones , but find it pretty challenging to navigate the vast terrain of offers, differing in frequency ranges, bass response, swivel mechanisms and other parameters. Instead, we narrow you choice options, presenting these 10 Best DJ headphones for you to choose from.

Skullcandy SK Pro

 These headphones, aimed specifically at DJs, are very popular with their eye-catching variety of colors, so that everyone can find something to their taste. You can comfortably wear these headphones for a long time due to the ear cups with thick leatherette soft ear pads, which are large enough to fit comfortably around the ears, and not just rest on them. Skullcandy SK Pro isn’t fatiguing sound-wise, too, with the 50mm drivers, which deliver warm, deep bass and clear, crisp treble. The model features a coiled cord, 90 degrees swivel of ear-cups, is designed to fold and is overall portable and compact.

Sony MDR-V700

 The MDR-V700DJ is in the top range of headphones Sony produce specifically for DJs. This model features deeper, down to 5Hz, bass response, a wider driver, swiveling and reversing ear-cups, a carry case, and a 10 foot-long cord. Their thick design gives a misleading impression of heaviness, while in fact they are very light and comfortable to wear, with a wide molded headband keeping them tightly in place. The warm and balanced sound they deliver with strong bass and detailed upper frequencies doesn’t tire the ears over long time.

Sennheiser HD 25-C II

 What makes Sennheiser HD 25’s so largely preferred by professional DJs are such advantages as better outside-noise isolation (even in extremely noisy environment) and the rough build of construction. Though hard to break, even if they do, every damaged part can be replaced. This model also features rotating ear-cups (for one-ear monitoring), a nylon carry bag, a 3 metre-long coiled cable, and a pair of velvety velour earpads for replacement. Their light and adjustable (to virtually any head size) construction is very comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.

Audio-Technica ATH-PRO5-MS

(camouflage)

 These stylish ATH-PRO5-MS camouflage headphones feature warm sounding bass with their powerful 40mm drivers, and their wide, 15 – 28,000 Hz, frequency range gives them a natural sound. Their lightweight construction – with large, comfortably fitting earcups and well-padded headband – is very comfortable to wear. The single-sided coiled cable and strongly rugged all-metal affair of jack connector mean they are not easy to break.

Panasonic RP-HTX7

(black)

 One of their bestselling models, Panasonic’s retro styled RP-HTX7 comes in a diversity of colors. With a variety of adjustments and wide headband this model is designed to fit most comfortably the majority of consumers. These headphones are pleasant to wear for long periods without any pressure on your head, with their large, foam, leatherette-covered earpads fitting comfortable around the ears. The full, warm sound of their wide (7 – 22,000 Hz) frequency range doesn’t tire. Though relatively short (only 1.2m), their single-sided straight cable won’t tangle easily.

Sennheiser HD-215

Though the most affordable among the broad range of Sennheiser’s DJ headphones, HD-215’s boast a lot of features of more expensive models, such as rotatable ear cups (for one-ear monitoring), outstanding isolation from outside noise, and a detachable single-sided 3m coiled cable. The soft foam earpads with large, comfortably fitting earcups may be not quite ideal for people with small heads or those looking for lower profile headphones. Sound-wise, the great stereo imaging gives them a real sense of space and depth.

Allen Heath Xone XD-53

 These Audio Technica-manufactured headphones provide excellent isolation – a feature so much-welcomed by DJs working in noisy environments. They offer rotating and swiveling earcups (for easy one-ear monitoring); a metal-reinforced, adjustable headband; a coiled, 3m single-sided cord; a folding design for compact portability and leatherette carry pouch. This model features fantastic sound with a frequency range 5 – 33,000 Hz; and their 53mm, large drivers provide detailed crisp highs, deep thumping bass and punchy mids without distortion.

Sennheiser HD 25 SP II

 With the look and many features of its older brother HD 25s, this Sennheiser HD 25 SP model is more affordable. The HD 25 SPs headphones feature a single headband, a frequency range of 30 – 16,000 Hz, and a double sided cable. Though smaller and lighter in design, the HD 25 SPs are built to last with virtually all of their parts being replaceable. This model features also excellent noise isolation and detailed clear sound.

Technics RP-DH1200

 This leading model of Technics weighs 435g and features a pretty chunky construction, and yet, it’s a rather common sight in DJ booths with the shiny face on the ear cups it has. The RP-DH1200s feature an impressive 5 – 30,000 Hz frequency range with bright and full of bass sound, which doesn’t tire. The headphones fold down to be stored and transported in a leatherette carry case which they come with. This model allows for one-ear monitoring with its rotating and swiveling ear cups, secures good noise-isolation, and the ear cushions and padded headband allow for comfortable listening for prolonged period of time.

Technics RP-DJ1200A

This Technics RP-DJ1200A model is designed for DJs, who prefer smaller headphones. It features a 5 – 30,000 Hz wide frequency range and delivers a solid bassy sound, though not quite so thumping, since its drivers are only 41mm. RP-DJ1200A supports one-side monitoring with its 270 degrees- swivel folding swing arms on ultra-rugged headband. And the 3-meter long single-sided coiled cord will make minimum tangles to get annoyed with.