A cultural commentary platform known as viewfromabridge, has published a TikTok where a contributor, Ethan, shares his theory as to why everybody wants to be a DJ now. He argues that social media has made us all want to be cultural pioneers, making us forget that we are part of cultures just by existing in spaces and having fun; we don’t have to take up the title of “creative.” In a bid to actualise a version of themselves that could be seen as a cultural artefact, he explains, people order a pair of decks to be “observed producing pieces of culture.” I strongly agree that the perceived dichotomy between an observer and a creator of culture in our minds should be broken down, but I also feel that people are picking up decks for much simpler reasons.

“I adored feeling like I was helping curate a sensory experience that brought people bliss and refuge from cold, stress-filled Cambridge terms”

My personal journey with DJing began during the pandemic when I started experimenting with a new pair of decks using the software Rekordbox. I grew up in a music-loving household, played instruments throughout school — where the music department was my second home — and had spent years making hundreds of Spotify playlists, not to mention my affinity for being the person on aux. Learning to DJ felt right, given my interest and passion for curating music. Soon after I started, my friend Anaya, who started the Queer Get Down, asked me to DJ for the event, and I stumbled into regularly playing at Mash. I have always loved nightlife, and I deeply enjoyed the feeling of seeing people, especially my friends, enjoy themselves at the events I DJed. Particularly because I was able to control the lighting, I adored feeling like I was helping curate a sensory experience that brought people bliss and refuge from cold, stress-filled Cambridge terms.

An important voice in the UK music scene, Elijah, a DJ whose The Yellow Squares project of short, thought-provoking commentary has sparked many industry conversations on Instagram and X, argues that more people DJing is good for music. When defining the term DJ, he emphasised that a DJ is a collector and curator of music for themselves and other people, which may extend to the public sphere, or it may not. He emphasises that there is a stark difference between being a DJ (the career) and DJing (the activity). DJing is music curation, music journalism, creative expression, and so much more; it blends into so many different facets within the music industry and outside of it. In my experience, DJing has definitely been a stepping stone of confidence into music journalism and, later, music production and sound design.

Looking back, I feel that monetising my DJing early gave me less time to really sit with it as an art; I realised that some of my frustrations with DJing were due to the fact that I did not feel I could be as creatively autonomous as I would have liked to have been. This was partly because I was almost immediately monetising DJing to an audience within Cambridge, where students demanded pop music that I did not like playing, and partly because I had not taken the time to understand the different ways I could use my controller to mix more creatively and make my mixes feel more like my own artistic expression.

“Look for or create the spaces that are right for you”

For people who are just starting out, I really recommend prioritising finding your voice and style in — you are learning a new instrument! Look for or create the spaces that are right for you, which may be in your room with your best friend, on an online platform, or in a sweaty warehouse rave with hundreds of people. What truly feels good to you? What do you dream of? That could be uncompromised musical expression, which may delay earning from DJing but will definitely keep your sense of self more intact.

As for the question, ‘Why does everybody want to be a DJ now? ’ the answer, in my opinion, is that so many people feel a deep connection to music, and the technology is more accessible than ever. Everybody sings at some point in their lives, but not everybody is a singer. Most people have strummed a ukulele, played a flute in year two, or pushed a few keys on the piano, but not everybody is an instrumentalist. I find the idea that people are learning to DJ because everybody is trying to be ‘cultural pioneers’ a bit exaggerated. DJing is social, fun and not necessarily a career. Not to mention that everybody is a creative; living is an innately creative act. The world would be a much better place if more people started expressing themselves musically and enjoying music within a community. There are more than enough decks to go around.