When I was fairly young I realised that I wanted to avoid a mid
life crisis and so made the decision to have my wild and crazy
years first, then go and be sensible when I'd had enough.
I've certainly done the crazy bit - moving to California, living on
desert islands, partying with rappers and models, DJ'ing for celebs
and at fashion shows - but now I'd like a bit more stability in my
life. One of the main problems that I face as a DJ is boredom
during the day. All my friends work and unless I make solo
trips to galleries and museums (which I do and now have a pretty
good catalogue of potential date days stored up) my brain will
rot. I've always loved kids, I get on well with them and
relish the idea of having the opportunity to inspire and change
lives. Time to take my two career choices into the ring and
fight it out...
Round 1 - The pros of the DJ lifestyle
1.The women - Well, I wouldn't have met my wonderful girlfriend if
I wasn't a DJ!
2. Passion/thrill of performing - I love the buzz I get when a
packed dance floor of 1000 people all throw their hands in the air
and let off a squeal because I've dropped an awesome mix!
3. Skill - I enjoy refining my technique, mixing, working samples
etc. The more I mess about with the music, create and practice
tricks the more fun it is.
4. Free drinks - Well, that's always a perk right?
5. The Money - If you're good, It's good!
Round 2 - And the cons
1. No job security - A club can just shut down or let you go with
no notice.
2. No sick pay/holiday pay - Don't DJ, don't get paid!
3. Unsociable hours, crazy lifestyle - even though you are out at
the party, you're working whilst everyone else is
partying.
4. It's harder than people think concentrating for hours on end
linking one song after another with no break. Everyone thinks they
can be a DJ and pick the songs that work but they can't
really!
5. The rude morons that come up to the DJ box and ask for
ridiculous music. I especially dislike the drunk ones that spit on
my face or shout in my ears.
Round 3 - The pros of teaching
1. I love kids.
2. It's rewarding - especially when you can see the effects and
that you have truly inspired a child.
3. There are a lot of bad teachers out there, I have the chance to
be a good one and change lives.
4. Job security and benefits.
5. Hello... the summer holidays!
Round 4 - And the cons...
1. Early mornings!
2. There's a lot of work involved outside of teaching hours.
3. Paperwork.
4. Lack of money.
5. Coffee break cake is likely to make me a fatty!
So I decided to go back to university while I make my decision and
have now obtained a 2:1 for my BA in Theatre Arts. I start my PGCE
in September. I'm very lucky, I'm a good DJ and therefore the
job is lucrative and doesn't take up too much time, leaving me
relatively free to study. Had I been in another industry with
a normal salary I doubt I would have been able to afford to return
to school. The government doesn't make it easy for students
and it's even harder for mature students! With the workload I
probably won't have much time to DJ anymore and this really saddens
me as I'm so passionate about the music. Oh well, there's
always the school disco!
