DJing has become extremely popular among many college students and a handful of high schoolers. Hackley junior Josh Gandelman takes control of the crowd with his music, as many friends and Hackley students dance on the floor below him. Josh, also known as Heath, is a DJ outside of school. Josh has DJed at multiple events for friends and also at venues.

​Josh discovered djing through his love for music and turned his hobby into something fun that makes him money and gives him the opportunity to meet new friends and have new experiences.

​”I’ve always been super into music. My brother initially started djing, and when I saw him making a bit of money and having fun with it, I became more passionate about it,” Josh said.

​This hobby is extremely convenient for Josh. Although DJing has a lot of upside, it is tough and requires memorisation, as well as being comfortable with the controller, which takes a lot of practice.

​Being able to DJ during his junior year is extremely difficult, as he has to study for the SAT or ACT, tour schools, work extremely hard in school, and also play Varsity Soccer and Wrestling.

“It serves as a break from all my academics; if I have a series of assignments, I might take a break in between by djing a little bit,” Josh said. “Every week varies, I might do 2 hours each night for a week and then not at all the next week.”

Josh demonstrates that it is possible to balance school, sports, and fun while also pursuing something that requires time and effort.

DJing requires a ton of preparation to deliver a great set, but it also requires focus and skill during the event to read the crowd and select the most fitting music.

“Prior to the event, I wasn’t nervous at all until about 20 minutes before I got up. Whenever I am really nervous, I will play a song, do a transition, and from there I will gain more confidence and use the skills that I prepared,” Josh said.

Hackley sophomore Cassius Evans-Thompson is a great friend of Josh and has seen Josh DJ various times.

“He sort of enters a flow state, and the music and transitions he creates are really good. When watching him practice and see the transition slowly being put together, it is really cool to see the progress.” Cassius said.

Djing is very difficult to learn because the various controls can be overwhelming at first. For beginners, it takes serious practice and can be difficult without someone like Josh’s brother.

“It was difficult to learn at first, but being able to DJ is like riding a bike; you don’t forget easily once you have learned,” Josh said.

Djing is an amazing opportunity for a future job and also a hobby throughout your life.

“Right now, it’s just a hobby for me, and it’s really good because you can make a pretty good amount of money from it. I will obviously continue through high school and most likely take it to college, but I think I will always have it as something to do on the side,” Josh said.

Great DJs take into account the crowd’s vibe and everything that is going on to play the best beat possible.

“I really like being able to read the energy of a crowd and control the experience people have. It is really rewarding to have people come up to me after an event and say I really liked the music you played,” Josh said.

Being a DJ means that you are the centre of the room, and you can completely alter someone’s night. This is awesome, but also pressure-filled. DJing is a fast-paced, fun environment with so much room for talent. Josh is DJing at many parties; you can see them in this link.