Becoming a DJ During Quarantine
By: Alyssa Garcia
Life can have different meaning to each person, but to me my life is music.
Since I could talk I loved singing and music. There was a joy I found from singing a long to your favorite song with your mom. Once kids reach a certain age they become more confident in themselves. Eventually, they’re covering their mom’s mouths because they only want to hear themselves sing.
That perfectly explains my first music experiences. As I grew older I loved doing karaoke with my cousins and singing constantly. Eventually, I ventured into poetry which progressed into song writing.
Now at age 22, I have recorded my own songs I have written and have four of them out on all major streaming platforms. Music is what I love most, but I was concerned on the job market. So, I chose to major in journalism. I love writing so I figured I could earn my bachelors in hopes of landing a job in radio.
It involved music and it also was related to my major, a win win. I wanted to increase my chances of securing a job out of college at a radio station so I looked around for opportunities. I found out that my school, Cal State Fullerton has their own radio station that is run by the students. I contacted the station and asked if there were any opportunities and was told they would be opening volunteer DJ applications soon. So, of course I applied, pitched my show idea, then received the approval of my show.
I was ecstatic, but wondered how it would all work during the pandemic. After orientation I found out that we would be creating our DJ mix from home. I was a bit disappointed because I was looking forward to working in the studio and doing live shows. However, it was nice being able to learn how to create mixes in the comfort of your own home without the pressure.
Overall, the experience has been great I have been able to host interviews with new artists over zoom, write a piece for the station’s new magazine, as well as start on album reviews for their blog. Of course I am not getting the full experience as I would have before the pandemic, so I feel I may not be getting all the experience I would need if I were to apply for an outside station.
It is unfortunate that we have been limited during the pandemic, but be able to adjust may be a skill to note for my future applications. I plan on reapplying to be a volunteer DJ next semester, as well as applying for the station’s internships.
