Lifestyle

How to Make Your Name as a DJ

Published

4 years ago

November 30, 2021

Great DJs set the mood for a party or in the club and keep everyone entertained. While many people might think that DJs only play music, there is a lot more that goes into the role that ensures people think of you when they think of great DJs. If you are thinking of becoming a DJ and do not know where to start and how to become popular, here is a guide on the things you need to concentrate on.

Love Music

It is almost impossible to become a great DJ if you do not like music. Your career and the rest of your life or career will revolve around music and so you should love it if this is the path you would like to follow. Your love for music will manifest as passion and your audience will feel this passion when you play. If you do not love music and are not enthusiastic about it, your crowd will feel it, and you might not be able to gain the support and following that is required to become a well-known and successful DJ.

Learn the Basics

Before you can start thinking about your DJing career, you should learn the basics. Learning the basics will give you the skills you need to DJ, and these skills are crucial before you can actually start working with other DJs, recording mixes, or trying to land a gig.

The basics you need to learn include mixing, song selection, software selection, technical and interpersonal skills as well the techniques you need to know to entertain an audience or client. To learn more about how to DJ, you can refer to the detailed guide created by Pirate. Pirate offer DJs access to professional equipment and practice stations, whether they are learning how to DJ or just want to improve their skills. Pirate also offer musicians affordable spaces to write, record, and produce their own records.

Build a Decent Music Collection

DJs are known for the music they play and how they play it. It is therefore important to take your time to build a decent music collection before you start playing for a crowd. Try to collect high-quality mp3s and lossless audio because these tracks will sound better when you play them.

If you have a favorite genre of music, as most people do, try not to lean too heavily into it unless you want to be known as the DJ who plays that genre of music. When getting started, it is important to curate music from as many genres as possible because you will be playing in different venues and for different audiences. Having a diverse collection of different music genres will help in these situations.

Produce Your Own Music

Many DJs are opting to stand out by producing their own music. Technology has come so far that it is now easy for anyone to create their own music. You can choose to create original beats and samples, or to remake and remix some of the music that is already available.

If you decide to go with the latter, remake and remix songs that people are already familiar with so you have a better response when you play them. If you cannot or do not know how to produce high-quality music, you can always seek the services of a ghost producer. These producers produce music that other DJs end up owning and playing as their own creations.

Work with Other DJs

No one is born a DJ and no one becomes a well-known DJ. It takes a lot of practice to become a good DJ even after learning how to DJ. Also, if no one ever gives you a chance, it will be difficult to break into the industry on your own. Working with other more experienced DJs can help you massively as it can help you understand what DJing is all about and give you the experience you need.

Volunteering to work with other DJs is a great way to learn how everything in a DJ set works and to experience how it feels playing in front of a crowd. You can volunteer to do a one-hour set before the crowd becomes too large or even to set up the DJing equipment so you know how everything works together.

Leverage Social Media and Other Online Platforms

Practice as often as you can and once you feel you have adequate skills, create a one-hour mix. The mic can showcase your skills playing different genres or your technical DJing skills. Once the mix is recorded, it is time to upload it. First, upload it privately so your friends and colleagues get to listen to it first. Take any criticism and create another mix trying to improve on the first.

Once you are happy with your iteration, put it online for people to listen to and maybe download. Try to upload your mix on as many platforms as possible. DJs have a massive advantage today in that there are numerous platforms where they can upload their mixes to have a wide reach.

Stay Social

In the age of social media, no one can ignore it as a marketing and promotional medium. Use platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to not only showcase your skills but also interact with your fans. Try as much as you can to build a loyal audience who would be happy to hear you play when you get a gig.

Network

Even if you have worked with other DJs in the past or have a large online following, it is still important to network. Interact with promoters, music lovers, and hype men to see if they can get your name out there. Do not shy away from advice and criticism and don’t feel embarrassed about asking for a guest spot. Many DJs are perfectly okay with letting other DJs play as long as they have the skills, or they do not have to put their reputations on the line.

Becoming a successful DJ is a lot of work. However, once you master the skills, all that is left is to keep improving and to get your name out there. Fortunately, there are so many ways, avenues, and platforms DJs can use to get their name out there today.

Lifestyle

When Seasons Shift: Dr. Leeshe Grimes on Grief, Loneliness, and Finding Light Again

Published

3 days ago

February 22, 2026

Michelle Langton

Some emotional storms arrive without warning. A sudden change in weather, a holiday approaching, or even a bright sunny day can stir feelings that don’t match the world outside. For many people, the hardest seasons are not defined by temperature; they are defined by what’s happening inside, where grief and loneliness often move quietly.

This is the emotional terrain where Dr. Leeshe Grimes has spent her career doing some of her most meaningful work. As a psychotherapist, registered play therapist, retired U.S. Army combat veteran, and founder of Elevated Minds in the DMV area, she understands how deeply seasonal shifts and unresolved grief can affect people. Her upcoming books explore this very space, guiding readers through the emotional weight that can appear during different times of the year.

What sets Dr. Grimes apart is her ability to see clearly what many people overlook. Seasonal depression, for example, is usually tied to winter months. But she often sees it appear during warm, bright seasons, the times when the world seems happiest. For someone already grieving or feeling disconnected, watching others travel, celebrate, or gather can create its own kind of heaviness. Sunshine doesn’t always lift the mood; sometimes it highlights what feels missing.

The same misunderstanding surrounds grief. Society often treats it as a short-term experience with predictable phases and a clean ending. But in her practice, Dr. Grimes sees how grief keeps evolving. It doesn’t disappear on a timeline. It weaves itself into routines, memories, and milestones. People learn to carry it differently, but they rarely leave it behind completely. And that’s not failure, it’s human.

Her approach to mental health centers on truth rather than pressure. She encourages clients to acknowledge the emotions they try to hide: sadness that lingers longer than expected, moments of joy that feel out of place, and the waves of loneliness that return even when life seems stable. Instead of pushing for quick recovery, she focuses on helping people understand how emotions shift and how to care for themselves through those changes.

Much of her insight comes from her military years, where she witnessed the emotional toll of loss, transition, and constant survival. She saw how people continued functioning while carrying pain that had nowhere to go. That experience shaped her belief that healing requires space, space to feel, to speak, and to move through emotions without judgment.

In her clinical work today at Elevated Minds, she encourages people to build small, steady habits that anchor them during difficult seasons. Journaling helps them recognize patterns and name what feels heavy. Community support breaks the cycle of isolation. Therapy creates a place where emotions don’t have to be minimized or explained away. And intentional routines, daily sunlight, mindful breaks, and calm evenings help rebuild emotional balance.

Her upcoming books expand on these ideas, offering practical guidance for navigating both grief and seasonal depression. She focuses on helping readers understand that healing is not about escaping pain. It’s about learning how to live with it in a healthier way, honoring memories, acknowledging loneliness, and still allowing room for moments of light.

What makes Dr. Leeshe Grimes a compelling voice in mental health is her ability to bring language to experiences that many struggle to explain. She reminds people that emotional seasons don’t always match the weather and that there is no single path through grief. But within those shifts, she believes there is always a way forward.

The seasons will continue to change. And with the right tools, compassion, and support, people can change with them, finding steadiness, softness, and light again, one step at a time.