Protecting the Craft: Why DJing Still Matters

Photo: Wendy Wei

Every era has its rhythm. Every generation has a sound that defines who they are. For those of us who came up in the world of DJing, that rhythm is more than just music, it’s identity. It’s how we express ourselves, how we connect, and how we create energy in a room full of strangers.

But somewhere along the way, the industry started to shift. Technology made it easier to enter the game, but in some ways, it also made it easier to forget why we started in the first place.

So, I want to ask you something simple, yet profound:

What does this industry mean to you?

What made you fall in love with DJing, and what are you willing to do to protect it?

Where It All Began

For me, it started in middle school, long before the era of controllers, Serato, or streaming libraries. Back then, the equipment wasn’t something you could just go buy as easy as you can now, you had to really work for it, or borrow it.

My best friend, Burnett, we called him DJ Hicks, lived in the same apartment complex. Our parents were at work during the day, so after school, we’d hang out with whoever had a component set at home. That was our entertainment system, our stage, and our escape.

One day, while playing Push the Button by Nucleus, Burnett did something that changed everything. He placed his hand on the record and pulled it back, then pushed it forward again.
“Can you do that?” he asked.

I tried.
And from that one moment, I was hooked.

That was the birth of my love for DJing. Not because it was profitable. Not because it looked cool. But because it made me feel something. It was freedom, creativity, and connection all rolled into one.

We didn’t have Technics 1200s or fancy mixers. We had two toy turntables we wired together, because we couldn’t afford the real thing. But that hunger, that drive to make something from nothing, is what started it all for me.

From Curiosity to Calling

As I grew, so did my understanding of what this craft really meant. DJing wasn’t just about playing songs. It was about storytelling, reading the crowd, controlling the atmosphere. It was about feeling the music before the audience even realized what was coming.

That love matured into discipline. I learned how to listen, not just to the music, but to people, to energy. DJing taught me patience, focus, and intuition. And when I look at the industry today, I see how easy it is to skip that part.

Technology has made the job simpler in some ways, but it’s also created distance between DJs and the roots of their craft. Auto-sync can match a beat, but it can’t match feel. A screen can show you waveforms, but it can’t teach you to listen.

Back then, we trained our ears. Today, too many train their eyes.
That difference may sound small, but it changes everything.

What Protection Really Means

When I talk about protecting the industry, I don’t just mean guarding your income or keeping your gig calendar full. I’m talking about protecting the essence, the artistry, the respect, the discipline that built this culture.

Protecting the craft means:

• Teaching the next generation to mix by ear, not just by sight.

• Passing down the stories of where this all began, the basements, the block parties, the battles.

• Respecting the culture enough to charge fairly and work professionally.

• Upholding the standard, not lowering it for convenience.

And most importantly, it means holding yourself accountable to the same level of integrity you expect from others.

You can’t say you love the game if you’re only in it for what you can take. Real love gives back.

Old School Roots, New School Tools

Let’s be real we live in a digital era. Controllers, laptops, and software are here to stay. And that’s okay. Progress isn’t the enemy ignorance is.

Technology is a gift when used with respect for where the art came from. The goal isn’t to go backward, but to bridge the gap between generations.
The old school had crates of records. The new school has libraries in the cloud. Both can coexist, as long as we remember the foundation that made this culture special in the first place.

When you learn to mix by ear, when you practice on vinyl, when you take time to understand the why behind what you do, you’re not just improving your skills. You’re protecting the lineage of the craft.

You can’t protect what you don’t respect.
And you can’t respect what you don’t understand.

The Business Side of Protection

Let’s shift gears. Protecting the industry also means protecting your business.

Every quote you send, every gig you take, every client interaction you have, all of it shapes how the world views DJs. When you underprice your work just to get booked, you’re not just hurting yourself. You’re lowering the value of the entire industry.

Respect yourself enough to have contracts.
Set boundaries.
Be professional.
Charge what your skill and experience are worth.

This isn’t arrogance, it’s stewardship. Because when you hold the line on quality and professionalism, you help everyone rise. You send a message that DJing is not a hobby, it’s a profession.

The Power of Mentorship

One of the most powerful ways to protect the industry is through mentorship. Every seasoned DJ has something to teach and every new DJ has something to learn.

When we started, mentorship was built into the culture. You earned your spot by showing up, asking questions, and practicing until your fingers hurt. Now, too many are left to figure it out alone or worse, to learn from shortcuts instead of structure.

If you’ve been around a while, share what you know. Show someone how to blend with intention. Explain crate organization. Teach them how to prepare for a set, how to feel a crowd, and how to recover when something goes wrong.

When you mentor, you’re not just passing on information, you’re passing on standards.

Ask Yourself: What’s Your Why?

At some point, every DJ needs to ask, why am I doing this?
Is it the love for music? The connection with people? The money? The attention?

There’s no wrong answer, but there is a weak one.

If your “why” is built only on money or recognition, it won’t hold up when things get hard. But if it’s built on passion, culture, and creativity, it will carry you for decades.

I’ve been at this for over 40 years, and I still love it like I did that first day with Burnett. That’s because my reason never changed. I didn’t chase trends, I chased connection. And that’s the same thing I want for every DJ out there.

Protecting the Legacy

The truth is, DJing is more than a job. It’s storytelling through sound. It’s communication through rhythm. It’s a culture that deserves to be honored, not just used.

Protecting it doesn’t mean keeping people out. It means raising them up, helping them see that this isn’t just a way to make money, it’s a way to make meaning.

It’s about teaching respect for what came before, and responsibility for what comes next. Because whether we realize it or not, we’re all part of a lineage. And the choices we make, how we play, how we teach, how we represent determine what this culture will look like 20 years from now.

So I’ll ask one last time:
What does this industry mean to you?
What made you fall in love with DJing?
And what are you willing to do to protect it?

DJing isn’t just about spinning records, it’s about spinning stories.
It’s about connection, energy, and legacy.

If you love this craft — truly love it — then protect it.
Teach.
Respect.
Evolve.
And never forget where it all began.

Because long after the lights go down and the crowd goes home, it’s the DJs who protect the craft that keep the heartbeat of the culture alive.

By: Mike Garrett (2 DJs 1 Mic)