Hey Mr. DJ
This post is a bit of history and a lot of opinion.
I want to start out here by saying that I've been DJing furry cons for over 15 years. This does not make me an authority, but it does mean I have experience. I also want to acknowledge here that at no point have I ever been a huge draw in the fandom, so I'm sure a lot of people won't give a crap about what I have to say. That's totally fine, take it or leave it, it's just my thoughts.
DJing a furry con today is not remotely what it was like 15 years ago, to no one's surprise. There were not 50-100 people auditioning for spots when I started. In fact the first time I ever played, I was called in last minute to replace someone else, I had no intention of even DJing at all, but because they knew I had an extensive CD collection, I stepped in and enjoyed it enough to want to continue. You could reasonably in those early days expect that any set you got would be a minimum of 2 hours, and sometimes that went to 3 or longer. Why weren't there more DJs? Because hardware/software like Traktor and Serato and all of that hadn't exploded yet, which made DJing easier than ever for people to learn.
The first con I ever attended (ConFurence) didn't even really have a real dance, it had someone playing a bunch of extremely furry, often silly songs that people would sort of attempt to dance to. It wasn't remotely dance music unless small children count. When I was asked to play (at the very first FC) I wanted to play stuff that I would want to dance to. I can definitely say that I'd rarely ever been to a real club (maybe once or twice ever) so I just winged it with what I had. There were no fancy flashing colored lights or effects and the sound system was a bit modest. It did the job but not a lot more.
These days dances are a huge deal, some of the most popular events at any con. The sound is huge, the spectacle is amazing, everything is a million times more impressive, which helps a lot of the exposion of interest in DJing. DJing a con is a pretty awesome experience, but it's important to point some things out.
A recent DJ sign up page for a convention gave a list of expectations for anyone wanting to play that read like something you'd expect at an electronica festival instead of a furry con. I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, it's totally understandable that a coordinator is trying to put on the best show possible and foster cooperation and unity among it's DJs. On the other, if there is an expectation that DJs selected are to be as professional as possible, such as purchasing all their music, I think at some point it's fair to acknowledge that being a "real DJ" is a very expensive profession, one that is never compensated by so much as a slight discount in registration by any convention I'm aware of. Because it's assumed that playing a con is such an honor that you should be thrilled to get the opportunity. There's always someone willing to replace you for free, right?
Let's just get this out there right now. How many of you out there haven't seen dozens and dozens of tweets on weekly basis about how inconsiderate and absurd it is to expect artists to work "for exposure"? It's insulting, right? And yes, I'm drawing a parallel here. Is drawing original art the same as playing other people's music? Of course not. Does it take a lot of skill, practice, time, patience and money? You better fucking believe it does. DJs are the least respected people of all artists because it's so often assumed that "anyone can do it" by "just pressing a button". We've heard jokes about DJs almost as many times as we've been reminded how critical it is to respect furry artists. Is getting to play a large convention a privilege? Sure, but that doesn't mean the time and money put into that privilege should automatically go mostly unacknowledged and unrewarded by conventions.
With that out of the way, let's talk about diversity and favoritism.
In the beginning if you had talent and offered to DJ cons, you stood a decent chance of playing, and if you demonstrated your ability well, you had no shortages of opportunity. Now the sheer amount of DJs playing any popular genre is huge, and the competition is intense. If you play a type of music that isn't "in" with a lot of people you may have less competition, but also less demand at a big con. You may be the most skilled, technically perfect techno-rave nightcore DJ there is, literally, and still never get a spot. It's not an indictment of skill, it's a result of what people seem to want to come dance to. Having said that, hip hop DJs have been woefully under-represented. This is finally starting to change, and frankly it's about time. The fandom isn't all white nerds listening to TMBG anymore, if it ever was. (Narrator: It wasn't.)
I think most everyone can agree that diversity is a pretty good thing, but encouraging diversity and forcibly enacting it are much different. Earvelvet made a great point recently in a tweet: "You can't expect DJ coordinators to get to know every applicant." It's true, there's literally no time for that based on dozens of people applying. And as much as everyone deserves a shot, the cream rises to the top. In reality, a person's race or gender should be pretty irrelevant to their qualifications as a DJ. Maybe DJ audition mixes should all come with no names on them, just code numbers, so the chance of bias is reduced to the smallest possible amount. Where are the statistics to prove that the race/gender of DJs being selected are wildly out of proportion to the overall pool of those race/genders in DJs applying? Even if you wrongly assume that all DJs are equally talented?
Being a DJ coordinator is a thankless job. Sure, some con staff might genuinely appreciate it, but generally much like a ref at a sports event, most people won't notice you exist unless you screw it up. Having to pick a few DJs from a huge pool of qualified individuals is not fun, it's a ton of work that you know in the end is going to make some people disappointed or angry. I can say this cause I did it a few times, and I never wanted to do it again.
One more point I want to make here. A frequent complaint I've heard is "the same people who play the same thing always get the same primo play times". There's a lot of truth here, but let's examine why. Coordinators have a responsibility to make sure the dances are as packed as possible. They also have lives beyond organizing furry con dances. Should they take a risk on a DJ who could draw a big crowd, or pick the guy who's drawn a huge crowd the last 5 times he's played? Is it fair? That's very debatable. The con argument is that the rich get richer, and the big names have it easier cause they're playing the prime spots while the new DJs don't get a chance to show their stuff in front of a decent crowd. The argument that a new DJ who is good should be able to draw a great crowd on an off night isn't completely fair. I've seen low turnouts at big cons on Thursdays/Sundays, and it's less because the DJ sucked as people just either weren't around or decided to do other things since everyone knows Friday and Saturday are the prime nights. Except for the people who love to dance and don't really care as much about what type of music, that's just the way it is and probably will continue to be due to there being more people at cons on Fridays and Saturdays.
The flip side of that is that if a particular DJ is such a huge lock in drawing a crowd, then why can't they draw that huge crowd in a non-prime spot, thus making it that much easier to fill the room for a Thursday or Sunday dance slot? Isn't the mark of the best DJs being able to turn out people no matter when they play? Sure, if you give a prime spot to a DJ who isn't a slam dunk you're taking some risk, but what's more important? Playing it safe or trying to inject diversity and give people a chance? I'm not here to promote either side, just demonstrate that both sides have side good points and there is no easy solution.
Being a quality DJ isn't easy, especially if you come by all of your music honestly. DJs really deserve so much more recognition and respect than they frequently get. Yes it's easier now than maybe it ever was, but easier does not mean easy. DJ Coordinators ALSO deserve more respect for performing a difficult job for free. It doesn't make them immune to valid criticism, but remember the surest way to get something done better than you feel it's currently being done is to volunteer yourself.
At the same time, I think it's critical for DJs to check their egos. You may bust your ass for your adoring crowd, and that's amazing, but the more self-promotion you do, the more it feels to me like you are putting yourself ahead of the music. To me, your music should provide most of the hype. Posters and announcements are cool, but I wouldn't go see Madeon or Porter for the same reasons I go to a furry dance. If you wanna hone your craft at furry cons in the hopes of achieving those heights, more power to you, but no one will ever convince me that humility isn't way more charismatic than self-hype.
I think my time as a con DJ is probably coming to a close sooner rather than later, though I'll probably still play locally as much as I can. I've enjoyed playing for, and am grateful to, everyone that has ever came out. Even more so to those who reached out or promoted me. To those of you that support your favorite furry DJs (frankly a necessary term but one that always sounds like a dig), you are the reason we do it, cause in this fandom that's the only salary we're gonna get.
I welcome comments and feedback, as this is just one gator's opinion.
I want to start out here by saying that I've been DJing furry cons for over 15 years. This does not make me an authority, but it does mean I have experience. I also want to acknowledge here that at no point have I ever been a huge draw in the fandom, so I'm sure a lot of people won't give a crap about what I have to say. That's totally fine, take it or leave it, it's just my thoughts.
DJing a furry con today is not remotely what it was like 15 years ago, to no one's surprise. There were not 50-100 people auditioning for spots when I started. In fact the first time I ever played, I was called in last minute to replace someone else, I had no intention of even DJing at all, but because they knew I had an extensive CD collection, I stepped in and enjoyed it enough to want to continue. You could reasonably in those early days expect that any set you got would be a minimum of 2 hours, and sometimes that went to 3 or longer. Why weren't there more DJs? Because hardware/software like Traktor and Serato and all of that hadn't exploded yet, which made DJing easier than ever for people to learn.
The first con I ever attended (ConFurence) didn't even really have a real dance, it had someone playing a bunch of extremely furry, often silly songs that people would sort of attempt to dance to. It wasn't remotely dance music unless small children count. When I was asked to play (at the very first FC) I wanted to play stuff that I would want to dance to. I can definitely say that I'd rarely ever been to a real club (maybe once or twice ever) so I just winged it with what I had. There were no fancy flashing colored lights or effects and the sound system was a bit modest. It did the job but not a lot more.
These days dances are a huge deal, some of the most popular events at any con. The sound is huge, the spectacle is amazing, everything is a million times more impressive, which helps a lot of the exposion of interest in DJing. DJing a con is a pretty awesome experience, but it's important to point some things out.
A recent DJ sign up page for a convention gave a list of expectations for anyone wanting to play that read like something you'd expect at an electronica festival instead of a furry con. I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, it's totally understandable that a coordinator is trying to put on the best show possible and foster cooperation and unity among it's DJs. On the other, if there is an expectation that DJs selected are to be as professional as possible, such as purchasing all their music, I think at some point it's fair to acknowledge that being a "real DJ" is a very expensive profession, one that is never compensated by so much as a slight discount in registration by any convention I'm aware of. Because it's assumed that playing a con is such an honor that you should be thrilled to get the opportunity. There's always someone willing to replace you for free, right?
Let's just get this out there right now. How many of you out there haven't seen dozens and dozens of tweets on weekly basis about how inconsiderate and absurd it is to expect artists to work "for exposure"? It's insulting, right? And yes, I'm drawing a parallel here. Is drawing original art the same as playing other people's music? Of course not. Does it take a lot of skill, practice, time, patience and money? You better fucking believe it does. DJs are the least respected people of all artists because it's so often assumed that "anyone can do it" by "just pressing a button". We've heard jokes about DJs almost as many times as we've been reminded how critical it is to respect furry artists. Is getting to play a large convention a privilege? Sure, but that doesn't mean the time and money put into that privilege should automatically go mostly unacknowledged and unrewarded by conventions.
With that out of the way, let's talk about diversity and favoritism.
In the beginning if you had talent and offered to DJ cons, you stood a decent chance of playing, and if you demonstrated your ability well, you had no shortages of opportunity. Now the sheer amount of DJs playing any popular genre is huge, and the competition is intense. If you play a type of music that isn't "in" with a lot of people you may have less competition, but also less demand at a big con. You may be the most skilled, technically perfect techno-rave nightcore DJ there is, literally, and still never get a spot. It's not an indictment of skill, it's a result of what people seem to want to come dance to. Having said that, hip hop DJs have been woefully under-represented. This is finally starting to change, and frankly it's about time. The fandom isn't all white nerds listening to TMBG anymore, if it ever was. (Narrator: It wasn't.)
I think most everyone can agree that diversity is a pretty good thing, but encouraging diversity and forcibly enacting it are much different. Earvelvet made a great point recently in a tweet: "You can't expect DJ coordinators to get to know every applicant." It's true, there's literally no time for that based on dozens of people applying. And as much as everyone deserves a shot, the cream rises to the top. In reality, a person's race or gender should be pretty irrelevant to their qualifications as a DJ. Maybe DJ audition mixes should all come with no names on them, just code numbers, so the chance of bias is reduced to the smallest possible amount. Where are the statistics to prove that the race/gender of DJs being selected are wildly out of proportion to the overall pool of those race/genders in DJs applying? Even if you wrongly assume that all DJs are equally talented?
Being a DJ coordinator is a thankless job. Sure, some con staff might genuinely appreciate it, but generally much like a ref at a sports event, most people won't notice you exist unless you screw it up. Having to pick a few DJs from a huge pool of qualified individuals is not fun, it's a ton of work that you know in the end is going to make some people disappointed or angry. I can say this cause I did it a few times, and I never wanted to do it again.
One more point I want to make here. A frequent complaint I've heard is "the same people who play the same thing always get the same primo play times". There's a lot of truth here, but let's examine why. Coordinators have a responsibility to make sure the dances are as packed as possible. They also have lives beyond organizing furry con dances. Should they take a risk on a DJ who could draw a big crowd, or pick the guy who's drawn a huge crowd the last 5 times he's played? Is it fair? That's very debatable. The con argument is that the rich get richer, and the big names have it easier cause they're playing the prime spots while the new DJs don't get a chance to show their stuff in front of a decent crowd. The argument that a new DJ who is good should be able to draw a great crowd on an off night isn't completely fair. I've seen low turnouts at big cons on Thursdays/Sundays, and it's less because the DJ sucked as people just either weren't around or decided to do other things since everyone knows Friday and Saturday are the prime nights. Except for the people who love to dance and don't really care as much about what type of music, that's just the way it is and probably will continue to be due to there being more people at cons on Fridays and Saturdays.
The flip side of that is that if a particular DJ is such a huge lock in drawing a crowd, then why can't they draw that huge crowd in a non-prime spot, thus making it that much easier to fill the room for a Thursday or Sunday dance slot? Isn't the mark of the best DJs being able to turn out people no matter when they play? Sure, if you give a prime spot to a DJ who isn't a slam dunk you're taking some risk, but what's more important? Playing it safe or trying to inject diversity and give people a chance? I'm not here to promote either side, just demonstrate that both sides have side good points and there is no easy solution.
Being a quality DJ isn't easy, especially if you come by all of your music honestly. DJs really deserve so much more recognition and respect than they frequently get. Yes it's easier now than maybe it ever was, but easier does not mean easy. DJ Coordinators ALSO deserve more respect for performing a difficult job for free. It doesn't make them immune to valid criticism, but remember the surest way to get something done better than you feel it's currently being done is to volunteer yourself.
At the same time, I think it's critical for DJs to check their egos. You may bust your ass for your adoring crowd, and that's amazing, but the more self-promotion you do, the more it feels to me like you are putting yourself ahead of the music. To me, your music should provide most of the hype. Posters and announcements are cool, but I wouldn't go see Madeon or Porter for the same reasons I go to a furry dance. If you wanna hone your craft at furry cons in the hopes of achieving those heights, more power to you, but no one will ever convince me that humility isn't way more charismatic than self-hype.
I think my time as a con DJ is probably coming to a close sooner rather than later, though I'll probably still play locally as much as I can. I've enjoyed playing for, and am grateful to, everyone that has ever came out. Even more so to those who reached out or promoted me. To those of you that support your favorite furry DJs (frankly a necessary term but one that always sounds like a dig), you are the reason we do it, cause in this fandom that's the only salary we're gonna get.
I welcome comments and feedback, as this is just one gator's opinion.