The Passionate DJ Podcast

Episode 13 - Happy New Year! www.passionatedj.com/013 Happy 2015!! In this special (read: impromptu) edition of the Passionate DJ Podcast, I help 6 of my most valued listeners get answers ('resolutions') to their questions. Thanks to Raymond, Ian, Brian, Thiago, Joseph and Alex for submitting voicemails! If you'd like to submit a question for the podcast, you can leave them at PassionateDJ.com/ask! In this episode, I help our listeners answer: - How to better organize your music library and maintain energy - The importance (or not) of harmonic mixing - If and when a DJ should invest in high-end sound - How to turn DJing into a legit business - How to play more underground/non-commercial gigs - What I think a "real DJ" is Interesting happenings in 2014: - Pioneer DJ releases a "CD-less CDJ", shortly after the company was sold to KKR for $551 million - Screens appear on controllers (Kontrol S8, Numark NV) - Lots of SoundCloud controversy - DDJ-SZ shows us what a "pro-grade" controller looks like - Reloop's Beatpad provides viable iPad DJing solution - Virtual DJ offers free "universal" DVS engine. Here's to a happy and healthy 2015!

Episode 12: Is Being Nice Effective? by The Passionate DJ Podcast

Episode 11 - Aiming High to Build Locally! www.passionatedj.com/011 In episode 11, I interview Tony DeSaro and Billy Dickensheets of 3DMentional Entertainment - a promotions company focused on bringing new and exciting electronic music events to Dayton, OH. Tony and Billy have excellent synergy, having originally come into the "scene" from different angles (one from the music side and the other from the party side). They meet in the middle to throw shows that Dayton is not used to seeing these days... bringing in bigger names, focusing on programming and progression of a night, and providing upper-tier production. values. They have loads of advice and inspiration, and I'm super excited to share it with you! In this episode, we talk about: - The differences in throwing shows now vs. 10 years ago - The differences in the scene in Dayton vs. a place like Detroit - How 3DM is working to set their brand apart - Advantages & disadvantages of booking big names in small towns - How much work it is to put together events like this - The importance of collaboration - Tony's approach to DJing - What 3DM wishes DJs would do more and less of Resources mentioned in this episode include: http://www.3dmentional.com/ 3DMentional's Website https://www.facebook.com/3dmentional https://twitter.com/3DMentionalEnt http://www.instagram.com/3dmentional 3DMentional on social media

Episode 10 - Stepping Up Your Professionalism Game! http://www.passionatedj.com/010 Episode 10 is all about treating your DJing more like a business in order to build credibility, land awesome DJ gigs, build your fan base, and do justice to your craft. In this episode, I interview Casie Lane: a seasoned DJ and industry insider. Having worked nearly all sides of the event spectrum (DJing, promoting, artist management, etc.), she has a lot of great insight to share with us about the benefits of professionalism and smart marketing. Casie is the founder of such great online resources as The Deejaypreneur and Land Awesome DJ Gigs... check them out in the resource list below! In this episode, Casie and I hash out: - The initial struggles she ran into as a female DJ in a foreign country - Why it's so hard for DJs to make money - How to handle live screw-ups - DJ and crowd etiquette - Common DJ mistakes that hurt your reputation and sense of professionalism - What it really means to "brand yourself" Resources mentioned in this episode include: http://www.thedeejaypreneur.com/ The Deejaypreneur - teaching deejays to turn their craft into a real business. http://www.thedeejaypreneur.com/classes-programs/connecting-to-key-players/ Connecting to Key Players (an intimate online class with Casie which teaches the right way to connect with people to help advance your DJ career) 10/14/14 at 11 AM eastern http://bit.ly/1lcn1YK Land Awesome DJ Gigs - a free cheat sheet!

Show Notes & Resources: www.passionatedj.com/009 Hey folks! It’s been a while, but we’re back with episode 9 of the podcast… and I think it’s safe to say that it’s one of the best episodes yet! First, we start out with a Q&A session featuring YOUR questions! After the Q&A and announcements, I have a conversation with my good buddy John Chapel… a local promoter/DJ in my home town. He’s been running a successful weekly electronic music night in our town for over four years, based on a local guest rotation. I wanted to get his insight on the struggles that come along with small town promotion. As you’ll hear, John is loaded full of personality and really adds some spice to today’s episode. (I started loading him full of beer, which didn’t hurt.) It gets fairly humorous/ridiculous towards the end. I hope you guys enjoy! In episode 9, John and I discuss: - The purpose of a local guest-rotation type of night - How much work goes into a weekly event - Monetization considerations (collecting cover, etc.) - How John’s night was able to succeed even after starting it in a scene “slump” - The hurdles and failures John has run into over the years - The role that collaboration plays in our town Resources mentioned in this episode: Submit YOUR question to be answered on the podcast! http://www.passionatedj.com/ask

Episode 8: Storytelling And Adding Value To DJ Mixes w/Joe Pardo by The Passionate DJ Podcast

Show Notes & Resources: http://www.passionatedj.com/007 Welcome back, Agent, to episode 007 of the PDJ Podcast. Episode 7 is a spiritual successor to a post I made a while back, titled "Having a "Sound" vs. Having a Genre". In that post, I talked about the idea of generally disregarding genre labels, and trying to build an overall sound that reflects you as a DJ and as a person. In this session, we will dig a little deeper into where you might be able to look to help find and define your sound, and make it all your own. In episode 7, we discuss: - How genre labels can create layers of abstraction - What actually determines the overall "sound" of a song or set - Why not everyone is interested in finding their own sound - The six places you can look to help define your sound - How this all applies to promotion - What a signature sound really is Items mentioned in this episode include: - The Sound vs. Genre post that inspired this episode: http://www.passionatedj.com/having-a-sound-vs-having-a-genre/ - Signup link for BlueHost http://www.passionatedj.com/bluehost Themify and Wordpress http://www.themify.me http://www.wordpress.org A picture of the PDJ booth at the anniversary show (coming soon)

Show Notes & Resources: http://www.passionatedj.com/pdj-006-turntablism-vs-djing-and-competition-strategy-w-world-champion-vekked/ Hey, Passionate DJs! It’s back! Episode 6 of the podcast is for all of you turntablists, or those interested in learning more about the intricacies of exhibitionist-style mixing and competition. This is a topic that has been largely untouched on the Passionate DJ Podcast, so to do it justice, I brought in an expert on the subject. Today’s interviewee is Jake “Vekked” Meyer: winner of multiple world championship titles! Vekked has an impressive list of qualifications, that include World Champion status for 2012 DMC and IDA competitions, Canadian Champion status for IDA (2012) and DMC (2011 – 2013), and Hamilton DMC Champion (2011 – 2012). He is the first and only DJ to win both DMC and IDA world titles in the same year. In this interview, not only do we get to hear some great insight into the turntablism world (especially as it relates to competition), but we get to hear some of his performances as well! (Also, I have a question for you at the end, so listen all the way through!)

Show Notes & Resources: http://www.passionatedj.com/pdj-005-life-of-a-full-time-dj-the-state-of-modern-trance-wlaurent-veronnez-aka-airwave/ Hi folks! Welcome back for the fifth episode of the Passionate DJ Podcast. I’m excited to announce that this episode is an interview with someone who I hold in very high regard: Laurent Véronnez, better known as Airwave! A 20+ year veteran in the underground dance music scene, Laurent has witnessed a lot: the digital revolution, the peaks and valleys of the prominence of trance music, and the commercialization of various flavors of “EDM”. Throughout all of this, Laurent has kept true to the sounds that move him. Airwave is a hugely popular (and deeply respected) name in the dance music scene, with a very loyal fanbase. He is especially known for his work in the trance genre, both progressive and psychedelic, and is an open and honest speaker about the state of the industry. As such, I just had to get him involved with the podcast… and as you’ll hear, we had a fantastic discussion!

Show Notes & Resources: http://www.passionatedj.com/pdj-004-small-time-promoter-tips-wjessica-fortune-fenner-pt-2/ In episode 3, I introduced you to Jessica Fenner of A.part Music out of Milwaukee. If you haven’t listened to episode 3, make sure you go and listen to it first! Outside getting to know Jessica, we talk about some unique approaches to building nights in small or limited markets, the value of a mentor, how to please your market, how “word of mouth” is greater than any promotional tool, how to have a sense of security when planning your own event, and how to avoid burnout.

Show Notes & Resources: http://www.passionatedj.com/pdj-003-small-time-promoter-tips-wjessica-fortune-fenner-pt-1/ In this episode, I interview Jessica Fenner, also known as “Fortune”, of A.part Music in Milwaukee. Currently producing 2 weekly parties, both in their third year, one off larger scale events and a DJ collective, Apart believes in delivering music to the community by putting the spotlight on local artists, as well as bringing world class talent to Milwaukee. As a DJ, Fortune has had the privilege of warming up the decks for the likes of Audiojack, Colette, Derrick Carter, Catz & Dogz, JT Donaldson, Gaiser, Kaskade, KiNK, Johnny Fiasco, Justin Martin, Derrick May, Pezzner, Kid Sister and Green Velvet. Jessica has been writing a compiled list of “small-time promoter tips”, and she is joining us on the podcast to share 30 of them with us! Because of all the great info that we discuss, I had to break it into two episodes. So, this episode covers the first 15 tips.

Show Notes and Resources: http://www.passionatedj.com/pdj-002-how-to-build-buzz-instead-of-hype-and-why/ Episode two of the talk-radio style Passionate DJ Podcast is about building buzz, whether it’s for your events, mixes, albums, or anything else you want to promote in the music scene. In this second episode, I talk about: Why you want buzz, not hype Leveraging your connections Why “shouting louder” is not the ideal way to be heard as a DJ Why having talent isn’t enough How to start building a fan base of people that matter Finding your key fans; your “ambassadors” that support your efforts

Show Notes and Resources: http://www.passionatedj.com/pdj-001-introducing-the-passionate-dj-podcast/ This is different than other DJ podcasts in that it’s conversational (not like a mixtape or DJ set). The idea is that I will talk about different aspects of DJing, hold exclusive interviews, and provide other content that you can’t find elsewhere on the blog. Hopefully we can use this new feature to help and learn from each other! Thanks so much for tuning in, and if you enjoyed it (or have any ideas on topics you’d like covered), please take a moment to let me know in the comments section below!