JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN DOESN’T MEAN YOU SHOULD
Okay hold up. This DJ course would in no way help my career. I’m a 50-plus mid-to-late career journeyman who has overindulged in the multi-job path.
Learning to DJ, or rather “to professionally sound mix”, would neither increase my career prospects in fintech nor up my salary cache in any shape or form.
As I began to slowly scroll away from the allure of the digital ads – my wife, in her infinite wisdom, simply said, “Just do it.”
And with that it was a done deal. I signed up and almost immediately was met with a cheerful rep via WhatsApp, who guided me through a registration process that was in the most seamless, no-fuss way a government-subsidised programme could ever be.
Jokingly, I mentioned to the Hustle rep that I was probably going to be the oldest uncle in the two-day weekend course, to which her reply was, “Don’t worry, you won’t be.”
I LEARNT TO DROP THE BEAT
She was right. The class was a true rojak of Singaporeans from all walks of life. From the 20-something crowd looking to learn to mix Deep House to classically trained musicians and even older, ex-permed hair uncles looking to revive the best of canto-pop music, this cohort of DJ wannabes was as diverse as our national pledge makes us out to be.
The instructor, Dzul, was a fireball of energy. He was clearly doing this out of love for the craft - he had been in the local music scene for years, dedicating himself to the culture of sound across a multitude of capacities and genres.
His expert instruction brought us from complete noobs to semi-competent mixers (I wouldn’t call myself a DJ yet) by day two – via a nerve-wrecking exam performance that had to be staged in front of the whole class.
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