Simple Lessons

Once a month, or so, I go to a local event for DJs, Rappers, & Bands to perform. It’s sort of low key but also it is a good place to go and hit the ground with performances. The audience is pretty open to a wide range of musical styles and the deeper the underground the better it is for them. The thirst for authentically created music is intense and these outlets are difficult to find. This event is run by a super hype and energetic organizer who as a human has some flaws. These are particularly impactful when required to solve the many and various problems which stem from the operation of such an event.

In past events, I have lend an extra hand with some of the technical issues and gear solutions. This has been beneficial not only for myself but other performers. However, this most recent edition, I had some time constraints in my personal life and was not able to transport any gear so I was only armed with a thumb drive. My thinking was that many other performers in the past have had the opportunity to show up armed as such and things went off without a hitch. Plug and Play.

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That was not my experience last night.

Everyone showed up with a laptop and controller and only wanted to use their own gear. They also did not want to allow anyone else to handle their gear, not even to put a thumb drive into the USB slot. Or their laptop did not have a USB slot.

I knew this lesson before I even made my decision so I am not crying for pity here.

I managed to jack into the amplifier with bluetooth from my phone which had a solid set of material - and has been the option I choose to handle changeovers in other events. Then when the available laptop for the stage finally became free for use, I was able to transfer into using the ‘better gear.’

My takeaway lesson is to avoid frustration by making a bit more preparation. I do have much lighter weight options for this type of scenario. At the minimal, I could have taken my own laptop (and will do so from hence forth unless I am bringing the whole sound system rig, then the laptop is overkill.) I also have an even lighter weight set up as an option; my iPad has almost the full volume of material necessary for me to present new music in this event and I have a tiny little controller which is serviceable as the hardware interface for mixing.

A side note here: I do not consider myself to be a DJ, as I do not spend a great amount of time practicing mixes or fancy mixing techniques. I merely go for a simple beat match and cross faded blend from one song to the next, which I feel is perfect for presenting music I have produced to have all the crazy, whiz-bang sounds without needing DJ tricks.

So, while I knew what I was going into when I made my decision, I went with it. I suffered the consequences, thankfully the audience was still entertained when I did get my set going and forgiving enough or distracted enough that they did not even notice (or at least hold it against me.) My lesson learned is that I am not one of those people who gets the benefit of showing up with the least amount of preparation or gear possible. Especially as I really do not like the set of emotions I felt during the entire ordeal. So. Lesson Learned.

Eckenrode Muziekopname is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.