Something about storytelling (pt2)...

When I started DJ'ing in the mid nineties I kept telling people how it had changed the way I would listen to music forever. As a House DJ, listening to music for the mix became a multi-layered affair.

First there was the TEMPO: Seamless mixing requires that the two tracks being played are perfectly beat matched - so they can be played over each other without sounding like the 'charge of the light brigade'.

Then there was KEY: As a person with no real proper music training, key mixing remains an elusive wonder. Sometimes I get it and sometimes not. But essentially each song or track has it's own key. And as you know if two keys do not compliment each other, perfectly mixed songs will sound off.

And finally there's TRACK SELECTION and PLACEMENT: This is the 'art' of it. Reading a crowd and taking them on a musical journey that stirs emotions and in the context of a dance floor - brings everyone together to a place of mass bliss! If it's done right, the dancers on the dance floor feed off the DJ's energy and in turn the DJ feeds off the response of his audience in a cycle of reciprocal enjoyment.

To this day, even when I'm making one of those compilations CD's for my car, I still make a significant effort to get a sort of musical journey in the track placement - it's a more personal journey usually - but a journey nonetheless.

Here's a sample of a mix I did last year - all be it a promo for an event with four different dance floors - I think it gives you an auditory sample of the basics described above. (NOTE: I did the audio only, and lay NO claim to the amazing video...)

In my first ever blog I spoke about how I thought storytellers are special because they're able to "recount the seemingly mundane events of daily life and and etch lively textured images on my minds eye".

Becoming a blogger has been like that journey into music. I'm no longer just living each day as it comes. I'm actually making an effort to look at the details. Each day, has it's own TEMPO, KEY and PLACEMENT on the tapestry of my life. I'm seeing things in an entirely new light, so much so that at this point, I feel like the simple decision to blog has quite simply changed the way I view life forever.

Obviously the fact that I'm on a Holiday makes for boodles of good 'material'. And there's a three part summation of the holiday brewing in my head, which is why there's no 'story' today. ;0)

I have no idea if my zeal for finding the 'story' will be as great when I get back into the daily grind of growing flowers, managing labour and such. But I'm pretty certain, that even if the daily routine of things does somewhat overwhelm at times - I will still be searching for little snippets to make each day it's own - rather than one bundled mass of days, weeks, months an years.

So this post goes with special thanks to Rambler, Allie and Mel, who in their own way (but without ever demanding it) have inspired me to find the TEMPO, KEY and PLACEMENT of each day in the mix of my own life.