WOMEN IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
Since I started DJing in 2014 I was one of the only one of my friends listening to ‘EDM’ as it used to be as classed back in the day. And not only that I was one of the only girls in my music class, the college open days and even when I was looking on social media there was 0 girls around my age looking into becoming a DJ/Producer. It was a very male dominated industry back then and I know it was only 9 years ago but I feel it has now changed a heck of a lot!
When I started getting regular gigs at a local bar when I was 16 people used to come over to me like: “do you actually know what your doing?”, “ha I bet she just uses sync”, “shes just playing off spotify”. And you know what I was so shocked that people just couldn’t understand why a woman can be a DJ. Obviously there was a lot of people telling me how much respect they have for a woman in this field of work and that made me really happy. Now in 2023 I don’t feel as alone.
I have been approached by club promoters wanting just female DJ’s, people wanting me to play at their clubs with an all female line up! Noticing Instagram pages and TikTok accounts like @girlsdontsync and its making me so happy women are being welcomed and respected as ‘proper DJs’ into this industry finally!
With now so many female DJs headlining festivals and for the first time in history the female DJ ‘Charlotte de Witte’ closing the Tomorrowland mainstage, we know that its only going to get bigger and better for us female DJs :)
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
I don’t really write about cringy quotes like ‘follow your dreams’ or ‘live, laugh, love’ but I will write about this one! I never used to believe my teachers at school when they used to say ‘believe in yourself’ but now being a self employed DJ at 20 I can say it works wonders.
About 3 years ago when I had already been DJing for around 5 years I still thought I was a beginner. I was getting paid gigs every weekend and mixing live weekly, DJing at weddings, bars, clubs, restaurants and pubs, I would still think I didnt know how to DJ. People would ask me where can I find your mix’s online and I would just say ‘you can’t’ I would never post anything. Not because I didn’t know how, because I was so scared of what people would say or if I wasnt ‘doing it right’. And fast forward 4 years on that same mix that I wouldn’t post back in 2019 now has regular listens on soundcloud weekly and has over 2000 views (and for 16 year old me I would be so happy).
So from that day forth I have told myself for every hard gig that I face each weekend I tell myself, I can do this! And after over 70 gigs last year I now know that I do truly believe in myself.
My dream has always been and still is, is to DJ at Ushuaia Ibiza. And each year that goes by I know i’m one year closer to making this dream a reality. I keep telling my Mum and Dad when we go to visit Ibiza… ‘next year I’ll be up there’ and now I have set a goal to have 1 gig booked in 2023 on the Island, not Ushuaia just yet! Well I wouldn’t turn it down if I was offered haha!
So one thing i’ve learned from growing up being self emplyoed is…. if it feels right go for it! And take every opportunity that comes your way because one day they will all stop coming and you’ll wish that you woudl’ve!