FROM FULL-TIME DESIGNER TO A PART-TIME DJ
When I got the news at first, that I was going to be in charge of the sound during Spectator to Spectacular 3, I was a bit shocked. Though I used to be in the technical department of my fellowship back in school and we were in charge of sound, but it’s been a while since I practiced.
I asked Gbenga for more clarity on my role and then he told me a fearful thing: I’ll be acting as the DJ! I’ve never mixed songs before in my life, I’ve never even had any interest in doing so, to begin with. I had a lot going through my mind at that point… like, how am I going to pull this through? What if I don’t play the right songs? What if I mess up? However, it was obvious that I had nowhere to run to and everyone else was busy with their own roles.
I got the virtual DJ software and downloaded some tutorials from YouTube so I could get acquainted with it a little. With a lot on my hands (I had design duties too), I maximized the little time I had to practice. There was no going back.
Finally, it was the D-day. With the help of the program coordinator, I was able to get the speakers to the venue. I got the speakers set up but found out that the cord connecting devices to the speaker was not compatible with my laptop…. Now, this was a setback.
I had to improvise, and instead of using my laptop, I used Gbengas’. With a few minutes left to spare, I installed the software on Gbenga’s PC and got everything set up. The best word to describe this experience is “amazing”. The fear I had vanished when I made the first switch between the tracks I played. When I looked across the crowd and realized that they were having a great time, I began to enjoy myself too. The program went on smoothly till the end, and so did the sound.
Why This Story?
A lot of people believe they can only perform perfectly in areas where they’re interested in, but that’s not true. I had no interest in an impromptu DJ role but I was able to deliver anyways, so kill that mentality and start training yourself in any field you find yourself so you can be the best.
You don’t need to be interested to do good work, you need to do good work to be interested.
I’m going to end with a quote from my mentor……
“Be Extremely Good At What You Do That People Just Cannot Ignore You”
Damilola Emmanuel Akinosun
Chief Design Officer
