Why do some city DJs wanna change tracks?

The job of a disc jockey is perceived by many to be glamorous, and this has inspired a lot of youngsters to take it up as a profession. Though Bangalore is one of the few cities in the country that produces talents of international stature, there seems to be a sense of disillusionment among city DJs, or else why would they be making alternative career plans?
While the not-so-happening nightlife of the city might be one of the reasons for this trend, another significant reason could be the cut-throat competition among the DJ fraternity in the city.Though some are confident that their talent as DJs will see them create a niche for themselves, there is a palpable sense of insecurity among others.
City not conducive to DJing
One of the obvious reasons is that the present nightlife scenario fails to inspire the confidence to take up DJing as a career path. DJ Deepak, who has been in the industry for a decade now, says, “One way to look at it is that the scene in Bangalore right now isn’t conducive to our profession. One must have an alternative career, especially to maintain the kind of lifestyle we are used to here.” Deepak adds, “Internationally, there is so much happening on the music production front that nowadays mixing music isn’t enough; one should also make music. This is why a lot of DJs are getting into music production. I was a cricketer, and DJing happened to me by accident, but when people ask me my profession, I’ve always said I’m a DJ. Now I am learning music production,” he says.
It's the route to take
Sasha, a well-known DJ in the city, is now running an event management company that he worked over the years to set up. Says Sasha, “From the time I started in the industry, I have built a good network of contacts. Gradually, I branched out into doing events for them. And before I knew it, I got quite immersed in event management. One needs to make use of the opportunities. When people used to ask me to play for an event, I thought that instead of using a third party for sound equipment or events, I should be providing those services.” He adds, “The career lasts as long as you can pull it off and I don’t want to be DJing when I am in my fifties. But it all depends on individual perspective.”
Extra Income
DJ Mohasin, who is one of the younger DJs in town, is also a businessman. He says, “Who doesn’t want to have an extra income? Everyone wants to lead a good lifestyle and afford at least one trip abroad every year, and being a DJ might not be enough. I have my finances sorted. I have a business and I play at gigs. I believe in working hard and partying harder and I don’t like to keep all my eggs in one basket.”
Using your resources
Entertainment professional Rohit Barker has been there and done that. Today, he wears many different hats. Rohit says, “I had the bandwidth and the expertise to try out various areas of entertainment, be it being an RJ, or DJ, or VJ, or doing events. It is a question of loving what you do and not because it is cool. Stick to your talent and carve a niche for yourself. I was lucky to be able to use my gift and managed to juggle various aspects of my career. I started with radio and stuck to it as my mainstay, and handled other areas too. It is, really, all about having talent.”
Need dedication
To be a full-time DJ, one needs dedication. However, it is not always possible to have that kind of time or patience to give to the profession. Jasmeet, who has always been a DJ without trying any alternative careers says, “I guess everyone is just trying to make a living, and with so much competition around, one is sort of forced to look for an alternative. Notwithstanding the nightlife scenario that is in a limbo right now, I only want to be a full-time DJ. To be only that, one needs complete dedication to the craft.”