DJ drive

The youth in the city are grooving to a career at the console. While disc jockeys (DJs) have always scored on the cool quotient, DJ-ing as a profession is slowly catching up.

Formal DJ institutes are hard to come by in the city, but many professional DJs are turning teachers to cash in on the craze.

“Even three years ago, not many people wanted to be DJs. But now we are flooded with queries about the profession,” said DJ Akash, who runs ARD Training institute.

Most of these institutes offer a month-long crash course and an advanced course of four to six months. While some students wish to take up DJ-ing as a profession, others are only interested in manning the console at office parties.

With a number of nightclubs opening shop and the culture of dance parties at weddings catching up, the city has notched up its demand for DJs. Parents are also slowly changing their opinion about the profession.

“We make it a point to take the consent of parents while enrolling teenaged students. A girl in our institute, in fact, comes to learn DJ-ing with her parents,” said DJ Akash.

A drop in the price of mixing equipment has also made the profession more pocket-friendly for youngsters.

“Earlier, nothing cost less than Rs 1 lakh. Now you can get equipment even at Rs 15,000,” said DJ Abhishek.

Aspiring DJs who are unable to afford the classes — which cost between Rs 10,000 and Rs 30,000 — can log on to websites of Akash and Abhishek, who have uploaded tips on DJ-ing.

“Many people are interested in DJ-ing but do not know where to go. The website gives them basic tips on DJ-ing that they can build on later,” said Abhishek.


The Telegraph Metro