Music conveys different types of emotions, techniques, and is present in many cultures. People have a large variety of avenues to listen and experience music. Experiencing it from the hands of a DJ, however, contrasts hearing music from other sources like an iPod or car radio. What makes a DJ much more complex than an iPod, is the unique sense of style each DJ brings to how they play music. A DJ can manipulate music to become something new, match their own style, as well as interact with their audience. This interaction between audience and DJ brings a very interesting social component to the music experience. The DJ and the audience create their own atmosphere and culture complete with values, behaviors, and identifications. It is this interaction and culture surrounding Djs that I am interested in, and will examine during this study.
I have always been intrigued with music and its different style. I grew up playing violin and later guitar. However, in High School I was introduced to a new form of musical expression outside of what I could create with an instrument: Djing. I began putting on my own shows and developing a large repertoire of my own mixes. I found it fascinating how I could combine all of my favorite songs and remix them into totally new concepts. They still retained original elements, but sounded completely different. I continue to be interested in the DJ world and am always eager to learn anything that I can to further understand it all.
Today I DJ at clubs in Nashville and other events in the area. But being a student as well as a DJ, I found that I never have time to immerse myself into the trade. I am a DJ, but I do not have much knowledge about the life of other Djs in Nashville, and I definitely do not belong to any sort of collective group. I am always wondering, “what are all those other Djs up to around Nashville?” Thus I want to discover more about the overall style of Djs in Nashville. Initially I just wanted to learn about the technical art of Djs, however, now I want to explore the culture in a larger sense. I want to know if “those other Djs” around Nashville have a collective style.
Though the main question of style when discussing a DJ revolves around his or her music, it is formed through a number of elements. Thus the information I gather will be focused on a variety of characteristics including a Djs interaction with the audience, his or her personality, equipment, technique and also the purpose or mission desired. In the context of this study, and the question of what a Nashville Dj’s style is, I do not believe it is possible to study DJs without also studying the music that they play. However, in order to asses the style of Djs in Nashville I must also explore the cultural elements involved. Overall I am interested in discovering if there is a style that Djs fit into, if there is a conglomerate of styles, or perhaps if there is not much of a vibrant DJ culture at all in Nashville. Whether it may be a combination, or none of the above, I am interested to see what I can conclude about the subject.
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