|
landing a job young in america
|
View this Thread in Original format
| Haunted |
| anyone have any tips for landing a job at a club in america? im 17.. live in new jersey. and i spin vinyl. there are some clubs around here.. and im curious how to land a gig. i know i make a demo cd. but how do i get it out to clubs? drive over and give it to who ? and also should i look for clubs with teen night since im 17 ? |
|
|
| DjJade |
go out and meet people. you have to know people. eventually those people will introduce you to people who introduce you to promoters
once you get to know promoters, give them your cd. it might help to make alot of friends who know promoters and give your cd to your friends first so the promoters "hear about you" and then hear your cd after they get to know you : P
usually there is some kind of local forum. i know theres one here...and theres also one in mississippi. so if theres one in mississippi theres gotta be one in NJ. so run a search on google, get into the local forums w/in TA get to know people, start going out more. you will eventually meet the right people
thats what i say atleast i donno really how to do it but if i were to find a job that will have been how i did it...if that makes any sense lol.
edit...i know youre 17 but im sure there are parties that are all ages....if not then just wait till youre 18 and bag groceries for now or soemthing lol... hope that helps : \ |
|
|
| Ghostface |
yeah i def agree with that^^
The time spent getting to know promoters is invaluable. |
|
|
| bachatu |
besides knowning promoters, go to local record stores, and get to know ppl who go there, ppl who work there. Pass out your demos to different record stores or music stores as well.
It will be kinda hard to develop relationships with ppl at the clubs, because you probably wont be able to get in (age limitation).
You can make up for your age with by having a good attitude, and show that you are serious about what you are doing.
Besides that, make sure you are ready to play in front of ppl, make sure you have your skills intact, so if someone gives you a shot, you wont make a fool out of yourself.
You have to realize that there are many other ppl in your area that DJ and have been djing for years. Also, some may have more experience than you... However, dont let that stop you.
As a younger person, you may have more drive, hunger and are willing to do more things (play certain parties other ppl may not want to take).
Let your ppl know at your school what you do and what you are into.
You may get where kids have brothers or families in college and you may get some college parties.
Start knowing your local area as to what the spots are for the type of music you play and also try to meet ppl who like same type of music. |
|
|
| zizack |
| quote: | Originally posted by Haunted
anyone have any tips for landing a job at a club in america? im 17.. live in new jersey. and i spin vinyl. there are some clubs around here.. and im curious how to land a gig. i know i make a demo cd. but how do i get it out to clubs? drive over and give it to who ? and also should i look for clubs with teen night since im 17 ? |
Hey, I'm from Jersey too. What they all said is very helpful. In terms of landing a job in this particular area, you're going to need to know some people, or have somewhat of a following. Like I said, I live in Jersey, but I only party in NYC. I've actually never been to a Jersey club in my life, and don't plan on it anytime soon. So, I'm not really too sure how they do things. But in terms of NYC, it's really not THAT hard to get a gig. I would recomend trying to get a slot at a teen night to start off. The NYC clubs that come to mind, that have teen nights every so often are Exit, Sound factory, and Roxy. I'll tell you one thing, you're not getting a slot based on a demo. In those places, all you need to do to get a an hour or two (In one of their side rooms) is to sell a certain amount of advanced tickets to friends etc... I think, in order to spin in Exit's Red Room, or even their white room, you need to sell around 25 or 30 pre-sold tickets ($25 a piece). Basically find out when their next teen night is, and contact a promotor. If you need some good promoter's names, let me know and I'll PM you their contact info.
Another good place to start is setting up live streams online, and posting links to your live sets on various message boards. I have friends who do it a few days a week, and get a good 10-20 people listening in. That may not seem like a lot, but it is. If they like what they hear, they'll be more likely to tune in again, and will recognize your name when you finally do get the chance to spin out. I personally think the whole "ticket sales = booth time" idea is bull. A lot of time you go into one of these big places, and venture into one of their side rooms and the DJs are straight up garbage...more than half of them only know how to spin CDs. But, if you're an upcomming DJ, with friends that will support you, it's a good oppurtunity to get your music heard, and get some experience. |
|
|
| zizack |
| quote: | Originally posted by Haunted
anyone have any tips for landing a job at a club in america? im 17.. live in new jersey. and i spin vinyl. there are some clubs around here.. and im curious how to land a gig. i know i make a demo cd. but how do i get it out to clubs? drive over and give it to who ? and also should i look for clubs with teen night since im 17 ? |
Hey, I'm from Jersey too. What they all said is very helpful. In terms of landing a job in this particular area, you're going to need to know some people, or have somewhat of a following. Like I said, I live in Jersey, but I only party in NYC. I've actually never been to a Jersey club in my life, and don't plan on it anytime soon. So, I'm not really too sure how they do things. But in terms of NYC, it's really not THAT hard to get a gig. I would recomend trying to get a slot at a teen night to start off. The NYC clubs that come to mind, that have teen nights every so often are Exit, Sound factory, and Roxy. I'll tell you one thing, you're not getting a slot based on a demo. In those places, all you need to do to get a an hour or two (In one of their side rooms) is to sell a certain amount of advanced tickets to friends etc... I think, in order to spin in Exit's Red Room, or even their white room, you need to sell around 25 or 30 pre-sold tickets ($25 a piece). Basically find out when their next teen night is, and contact a promotor. If you need some good promoter's names, let me know and I'll PM you their contact info.
Another good place to start is setting up live streams online, and posting links to your live sets on various message boards. I have friends who do it a few days a week, and get a good 10-20 people listening in. That may not seem like a lot, but it is. If they like what they hear, they'll be more likely to tune in again, and will recognize your name when you finally do get the chance to spin out. I personally think the whole "ticket sales = booth time" idea is bull. A lot of time you go into one of these big places, and venture into one of their side rooms and the DJs are straight up garbage...more than half of them only know how to spin CDs. But, if you're an upcomming DJ, with friends that will support you, it's a good oppurtunity to get your music heard, and get some experience. |
|
|
| dknylady |
i'm from jersey too...i've had a few gigs at a club here and i might now get one doing some car show thingy..
anway, what you need to do is start going clubbing!!!! you need to go like, a lot, and start making friends with tons of people there! always introduce yourself to the dj and the people hanging around in the dj booth. don't give them your cd off the bat unless they ask. get to know them a bit first. just be friendly, and meet as many people as you can.
a messageboard that is good for the nj clubs is clubplanet. i dont' go on there cuz, hehe, god knows i go clubbing enough. i've gone maybe at least once a week since i was 15. but i'm just crazy like that.
so make a mix cd, make sure you have the tracks cued properly for the cd. bring some w/ you e/ time you go clubbing, but don't shove it in their faces, ya know?
i've been pretty lucky, i've never had to ask for a gig, and i get offered them a lot. but i turn down the nyc ones cuz i dont' think i'm good enough. (know your limits, introduce yourself with a bang!)
but than again, it helps a little bit that i'm a girl. not that i push that fact. :)
good luck and i'm glad to see you're pushing vinyl! |
|
|
| Omegasox |
| quote: | Originally posted by bachatu
Besides that, make sure you are ready to play in front of ppl, make sure you have your skills intact, so if someone gives you a shot, you wont make a fool out of yourself.
|
Very very important, and the reason why I haven't been promoting myself yet. I'm fairly confident in my skills, but first impressions last a long time. Unless you can throw together a near flawless set consistently, I wouldn't go after gigs.
Either you go in there your first time and play a mediocre set, then people leave and forget your name. Or, you throw a complete stormer and people will be asking when you're playing next. Don't be too hasty, you're still very young. Work on your skills, I'd say wait until you're atleast 18 then if you're confident enough, go for it. |
|
|
|
|
