Help! Advice (and encouragement) needed

Mrs Shuttleworth

Hi all, I hope you can give me some help with my dilemma. I'll do my best not to come across as a complete knobend.

The good part - being a casual dance fan for many years (progressive house, deep house, progressive trance, ambient), by accident during a module on radio I was doing for the craic, I discovered last year that I'm actually pretty good at proper DJing. I continued by going to the MoS Academy in London (not a patch on the Irish lads) and was asked by all tutors had I had lots of experience before and the answer of course was no. The reason I didn't pursue it before what that I genuinely didn't think I'd be any good at it - I was stuck both mentally and physically in what was considered a secure trade but which subsequently went to the dogs and I'm on the dole.

The bad part is that I'm 37 years of age - but just love the music. I go out now to club nights here and the UK a lot more than I did in my youth - but I'm far and away the oldest there, which does surprise me a little (would have thought there'd be a lot of 30 somethings into the likes of Zabiela, Derrick May, etc.) and obviously makes me feel uncomfortable. A lot of great stuff out there is blatantly not for the Rihanna/Gaga crowd. I only got slagged off once, that was in Eden in Ibiza by two Essex twats, but who gives a **** about them.

My latest outing was to see Union DJs in London last week, they were so ****ing amazing they blew the place apart with their mixes, performance and sense of humour.

I'd give anything to tag along and get up in that box with someone, anyone; more than anything, I can't bear the thought of the future - being now - for a life of the Late Late and a 2013 Michael Buble ticket from the daughter in law.

Has anyone any suggestions? Am I f**ked? Or should I do a Grace Jones and just say, f**k it I'll do what I like?

Thanks for listening lads.

SteveDon

Mrs Shuttleworth wrote: »

Hi all, I hope you can give me some help with my dilemma. I'll do my best not to come across as a complete knobend.

The good part - being a casual dance fan for many years (progressive house, deep house, progressive trance, ambient), by accident during a module on radio I was doing for the craic, I discovered last year that I'm actually pretty good at proper DJing. I continued by going to the MoS Academy in London (not a patch on the Irish lads) and was asked by all tutors had I had lots of experience before and the answer of course was no. The reason I didn't pursue it before what that I genuinely didn't think I'd be any good at it - I was stuck both mentally and physically in what was considered a secure trade but which subsequently went to the dogs and I'm on the dole.

The bad part is that I'm 37 years of age - but just love the music. I go out now to club nights here and the UK a lot more than I did in my youth - but I'm far and away the oldest there, which does surprise me a little (would have thought there'd be a lot of 30 somethings into the likes of Zabiela, Derrick May, etc.) and obviously makes me feel uncomfortable. A lot of great stuff out there is blatantly not for the Rihanna/Gaga crowd. I only got slagged off once, that was in Eden in Ibiza by two Essex twats, but who gives a **** about them.

My latest outing was to see Union DJs in London last week, they were so ****ing amazing they blew the place apart with their mixes, performance and sense of humour.

I'd give anything to tag along and get up in that box with someone, anyone; more than anything, I can't bear the thought of the future - being now - for a life of the Late Late and a 2013 Michael Buble ticket from the daughter in law.

Has anyone any suggestions? Am I f**ked? Or should I do a Grace Jones and just say, f**k it I'll do what I like?

Thanks for listening lads.

Id say go for it, djing as a hobby that is. If you think you can make a living out of it then you are seriously deluded. The age of the mega star dj has gone, good riddance i say. The only way to make any kind of money is becoming a big name producer, which takes years of hard work, buckets of talent and a little bit of luck.

Keep the day job, practise hard, send promotors mixes and gigs will come.

Btw i dont see what the problem is being 37, age is irrelavant, I know plenty of people that come to the same gigs as me and they are well into their thirties aswell. Music shouldnt have an age cut off point!

Mrs Shuttleworth

Thanks a million. No definitely don't want to be the next Digweed so not deluded, but wouldn't mind the odd gig either paid or unpaid after a good lot of work experience.

I'll just start getting the mixes out there and see what happens.

Thanks again.