How To Kickstart Your DJ Career (Self-Taught DJ PoV) - w/ Mayya
In this episode, featured not-expert is Mayya Perova. Originally from Moscow, Russia, Mayya recently graduated from a Masters of Arts degree from DePaul University but for the purposes of this episode - we’ll be deep-diving into how Mayya kickstarted her DJ career from scratch.
We go over the onset of Mayya’s musical pursuits, how she learnt mixing - which is the fundamental skill every DJ must learn, and how she landed her first gigs. Currently Mayya is one of the hottest DJ-ing prospects in Chicago, and we discuss how she made it to DJ-ing at some of the biggest locations in the city. We also go over music production, steps to becoming a “master” at DJ-ing and some really funny stories of stuff she’s seen at clubs.
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Resources:
Mayya's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mayyaperovaa/
Timestamps:
(00:00) Background + Introduction(02:19) What was it like growing up in Moscow?(04:01) Initial exposure to music growing up(07:04) Beginning of DJ journey(10:12) First gigs and mixing experience (playing for “people” and not just friends)(13:37) Learning from feedback on initial gigs and spotlight effect(15:34) Landing first gigs in Chicago via open decks(18:53) Playing pop crowd-favorites VS “unknown” but rewarding house music(22:40) Should a DJ care about pleasing the crowd?(24:21) “A real DJ never takes requests” - Yay or Nay(27:15) Juicy gossip of stuff that Mayya has seen at clubs(29:41) Freaky starer-s (DJs find this type of people ridiculous)(30:59) What do DJs and their friends talk about during hang-outs(32:50) How to integrate into and leverage the DJ community to break-out(35:20) The three key steps to becoming a competent DJ(38:29) Signing for record labels(40:34) The “final boss” of technical ability in terms of a DJ(43:59) How exactly does a DJ console work(46:38) Why do DJs wear headphones?! - (It’s not JUST for show)(49:44) Advice for DJs starting out right now(54:01) Jokes + Outro + Gratitude
