A complete guide for controlling the music with confidence in social situations.
Hangouts, car rides and parties often call for background music. But choosing what songs to play can be a daunting task. Some may confidently rise to the occasion and showcase their DJ skills while others avoid the responsibility at all costs. Nobody wants to swing and miss in these scenarios. If you are on the fence, but feel the urge, here are some tips and testimonials to help you dominate your aux-cord duties.
- Keep it accessible for all
The world would be a boring place if everyone had the same tastes. You should be proud of any style of music that speaks to you. Jimi Hendrix once said, “I’m going to wave my freak flag high” and you should too. So listen to your death metal, hyper-pop, avant-garde, math rock, industrial techno, or whatever jam floats your boat. But social settings also require consideration of the collective. Throw in some country, jazz or R&B. There is no harm in compromising your favorite tunes for those who aren’t fans of, say, Limp Bizkit.
Radio K DJ Henry Jonas compares playing music for friends to solving a puzzle. “It is a creative endeavor,” Jonas said. “I’m trying to find where our tastes intersect.”
But this is hard to accomplish when playing music for strangers. It can be helpful to create one or more varied playlists for these situations. “I have multiple playlists that I like to play in the car or while getting ready to go out,” said University of Minnesota freshman Liv McBride, who doesn’t shy away from aux cord privileges. “When the energy needs to be higher, you delegate accordingly.” If you aren’t equipped with your own music, there is no shame in turning to Pandora or Spotify’s curated playlists. Just do your best to avoid situations where advertisements are frequently interrupting the mood. Or upgrade your service.
“Don’t overthink inclusion when it comes to background music,” McBride said. “Play whatever you like, and it could open doors for other people.”
- Play to the mood
The best DJs don’t always have encyclopedic music knowledge or hundreds of pre-made playlists at hand, but they have an acute sense of the room’s energy. “I’m not an expert, but I love trying,” Jonas said. “If it sounds cool to you, other people will probably think it sounds cool.” Imagine you and four friends are headed out in the car to catch a movie. Everyone is excited, energetic. It’s just not the time to put in your “midnight blues” playlist. It seems obvious, but many fail to read the simplest scenarios.
Jonas says that reading a room involves taking risks. You must allow yourself space for trial and error while noting what works. “You want to string things together, and it should unfold organically,” he said. “Nobody has good or bad music taste, it is just a confidence thing.”
Senior Risa Vandegrift puts it this way: “Choosing the perfect music to complement a situation can enhance your bonding experience.” Picture the lively and euphoric bliss of five friends singing their way to the theater.
- Learn from mistakes
The best DJs have thick skin. They aren’t afraid to try something new, and they find greater fulfillment through success than disappointment through failure.
Failure in this context implies a learning opportunity. The hangout wasn’t a fan of hip-hop? Don’t sweat it. Either try something new, or they can deal with it. These conflicts are negligible at the end of the day. You just can’t expect to get aux-cord duties back if you don’t make necessary adjustments.
“If you have something you are passionate about, just go for it and share it,” said first-year Emily Renn. “Maybe they won’t like it, but if it is important to you, then why not?”
Jonas agrees. “If you play something and someone doesn’t like it, it is totally cool. They won’t think you are a moron for playing something they didn’t like. Sometimes I’ll play something and think they didn’t like it, and they’ll text me two months later saying how much they love the song.”
- Embrace discomfort
Confidence is a shared trait of all good DJs. “If you are uncomfortable with playing your music in front of other people, confidence in your own creativity and vulnerability is worth developing,” Jonas said. “My advice is that you put yourself into uncomfortable situations. Force yourself to do things that you aren’t good at.”
Setting trends is better than following them. “If you like country, play country,” Jonas said. “If you are playing something weird, that’s awesome.”
Sources:
Risa Vandegrift – Vand1661@umn.edu
Henry Jonas – jonas129@umn.edu
Liv McBride – Mcbri247@umn.edu
Emily Renn – Renn0125@umn.edu