Part Of My “Why”

Even though a DJ often performs in front of large crowds of people, the work of a mobile DJ can be oddly isolating some days.

A lot of our time is spent solitary — prepping playlists, crafting introductions and scripts, setting up and striking equipment early in the morning or late, late at night, fixing and organizing gear, rehearsing what we’re going to say and what we’re going to play, replying to the never ending stream of emails and messages, etc. But when showtime hits, we’re thrust into the public eye in a larger way then most of the population would care for. It’s a strange transition going from quiet solitary work to the complete opposite in often just a matter of minutes.

Having said that, the DJ community is connected today in ways that have never existed before. And every day, each of us is discovering new people from that community that hold something special for and with us. This functions beautifully to combat the many solitary hours we spent working on our businesses and our art.

Over the past few months, many people have asked me why I dedicate myself to writing at aDJthought.com…why I work with DJ associations…why I involve myself so much in our industry.

As I’ve been thinking more and more about those questions lately, one answer continues to resurface: I love surrounding myself with eager, inspiring, and motivational people. The DJ community provides me with endless numbers of people precisely like that. All of my involvements mentioned above help me (selfishly, maybe) accomplish that task (while hopefully, providing value to peoples lives in the process).

Not only do I enjoy being surrounded with people that lift me up, it is essential for keeping “Dave Ternier” moving forward as the man you all know.

While we are all “connected” more then ever these days, removing the computer/phone from between us and getting together in person is where magical conversation and connection really takes place. I was blessed to experience much of that two weeks ago at the Mobile Beat Las Vegas DJ show and conference.

Photo Credit: Luka Miller
Enjoying lunch with Chicago DJ, Shani Barnett, is an example of one of the many amazing people I spent time connecting with at Mobile Beat Las Vegas 2017. (Photo Credit: Luka Miller)

Make those connections folks, no matter your industry (in case DJing isn’t your primary source of income). Get connected, become involved, because you never know when you’ll lean on those relationships in ways that’ll get you through the quiet days. The solitary days. We all have them, no matter what we do for work.

It’s never to late to begin adding to your family. Start today.

~ Dave




2 thoughts on “Part Of My “Why””

  1. Here! Here! There has been a shift for me when going to these conferences. I am now more excited to see my DJ friends from around the world at these conferences. The education from the stage is great but the education from fellow DJ colleagues that I see at that conference is what I really look forward to. The connections and the relationships are what fuel my drive.

    1. Yes, that is a LARGE part of things for me as well Rob. The community I keep myself surrounded with provides me with much of the energy and motivation I use to keep moving forward.

What are your thoughts on this post? Love it? Despise it?