We DJs are have a "lazy musician" stereotype, and it's not entirely unfair to say it. Not all of us produce or compose, and the ones that don't are playing other people's music, and ONLY other people's music. There's not necessarily something wrong with that, though, as there's still a lot of technical, programming, and psychological skill involved too.

What gets me is when people don't even put in that effort. A little background: In the same building as FurCon, now, there's an anime convention in late May called Fanime. It's held at the San Jose Convention Center. They're a huge bay area anime con, they have dances, cool.

So I applied there, and there were a few general notes that went out to all applicants. Here's two of them.
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# We expected every DJ to provide a live personal mix. Submitting a mix done by someone else tells us nothing about your ability other than being able to push PLAY.

# Finally, apply as yourself and not as a cosplay artist. If you've got the skills to be selected as a DJ, impersonating another performer would seemingly negate your own creativity. Many of the DJs who apply and perform are serious in their effort to DJ. If an "impersonator" was selected, it would not be fair to other applicants who bring original styles to the table.
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Why? Why, when looking for work (because that's what a set is), do people plagiarize and outsource? Even if you only plan on playing at dinky, backwater town bars, word spreads fast. This kind of laziness is a career killer, folks. Getting work as a DJ is largely word of mouth, and when you pull shit like this, you get a reputation as a "lazy musician's" lazy musician. Do your work, please, and don't insult the people who do.

On that, outside promoters, club managers, and other work-related supervisory and marketing people, we are the heralds of new music, particularly if it's electronic, hip hop, or otherwise underground. If official types give us work based on reputation, our customers, the dancers and listeners on whatever broadcast system we use, they are the ones who judge us, who keep us alive.

We are the tastemasters, the ones who are perceived to have the best knowledge of our chosen genres. Part of that is being confident in ourselves and our image on stage. If you appear on stage with an image that is not yours, what are you saying about yourself, and djs as a whole?

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not going to look down on someone who blends ideas from multiple sources. If you want to be a sparkly lesbian vampire that has a mechanical arm and leg on stage, feel free. Sure, that has elements of Twilight, Vampiros Lesbos, and Full Metal Alchemist, but it's not hard to tweak and make your own. I'm talking about blatant stealing, like applying for a set as DJ Naruto and showing up in your bright orange jumpsuit.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is effort, people. Even if you don't produce, or produce badly like I do, you still have to at least TRY to be yourself. Not only will you have more fun, but if you care at all about your career or the industry, you won't look like a royal dumbass.

~The Funkyqwhilla
Tamurello Ocello