MY GRADE: 
I have to go into this one prepared. Because I don’t want to come across as old and stodgy (good luck). So I decided before I attempted to debunk the whole “djs are artists” mythos I’d do a little research.
Yes, I understand “DJing” these days implies a little more than just cuing up Steely Dan records at an oldies radio station and giving the weather report. But at some point in the past 10 some-odd years it’s become a media cliche that the very best club DJing was an “artform.”
Now surprisingly, there’s very little I’ve been able to dig up online that really attempts to break down what makes DJing such a difficult, unique and artistic skill. I would have thought that the kids with their crazy internets would love to explain to those of us in our 30′s and beyond why not learning a musical instrument is form of artistic expression.
But I did find this article. And this one.
Basically, they state that club DJing involves spinning records, or Mp3s, and mixing one song into another to create a mood, a musical montage, a song salad, if you will.
And… uh… that is art. Apparently.
Maybe the real problem is nowadays nobody wants to have a “regular job.” Everyone wants to be an artist. It’s not enough to be a really talented mechanic who can fix my carburetor. You have to be an artist. It’s not enough that you’re a really good CPA and can get me a nice tax refund. You have to be an artist. It’s not enough that you’ve been hired to work at a dance club and turn on an MP3 player and choose some music to play. You have to be an artist.
Myself, I’m of a different mindset. I’m a screenwriter. It would be pretty easy to make some sort of half-assed argument that what I do is an “artform.” But it’s not really. (And if you’ve seen any random handful of Hollywood movies lately you’d probably agree with me.) The best I can say about screenwriting is that it’s kinda sorta a craft. A unique skill. A strange gig. But an artform? I think not. And I don’t really care. (Because I tend to look silly in a beret)
So if I’m okay with not being an “artist” isn’t it about time we break it to my dry cleaner that perhaps he isn’t an artist either? Can’t we all just collect a paycheck and get on with our lives?
Okay, I need to stop for a moment. Because I promised myself I’d try to be fair about this whole DJing thing. So let me dive into a couple of DJing-as-art cliches and see if perhaps I’ve been too hasty in my judgment:
“A DJ senses the mood of the club and puts on just the right record to keep the party going. And that in itself is an art.”
I see. Kind of like when a dinner party host puts out a delicious bowl of snack mix at just the right time and the whole room is aglow. Same thing, right? Sounds like art to me. I’ve hosted several dinner parties. And through years of plying my trade I know the perfect time to serve the cucumber dip, and precisely how the Triskets and cherry tomatoes and zucchini slices need to be arranged for maximum effect, and the exact moment the bowl of salsa needs to be replenished. Therefore I am an artist.
Here’s a different analogy/cliche that many a DJ would agree with: “A DJ is like a musical chef.”
You know — a chef who takes pre-cooked food and places it on a plate in a certain eye-pleasing fashion. Kinda like the guy who invented and designed the world’s first TV dinner. Or a flight attendant who hands you a tray of Salisbury steak and side of mashed potatoes fresh from the microwave.
Okay, I think that’s fair. So let’s compromise. Maybe DJs aren’t quite “artists” per-se. They’re more like really talented flight attendants.
See? Perfect. Now nobody is offended.
Agreed. And thank you for the explanation. I was kind of of the mind that DJs simply “played” music for people. Maybe scratched the record every now and then. I guess it’s a little more complicated than I thought, but Musical chef works for me.