When people would come to me for advice on how to be DJ they were often shocked that 'being good at mixing' was last on my list (more often than not it was first on their list). My advice was always simple and to the point: have good records and never take your eye off the dancefloor. I think that's why I like Ethan's analogy. Knowing your materials is having the right records, whilst as a DJ you listen to your audience who speak with their feet. Both go hand in hand. If you don't know what pushes their buttons then your materials will never be right. Do these things well and you will be good DJ/curator. How you mix (or bring flocks together) is part of the glue that can help take you from being good to great, but it's certainly not essential.
I spoke at an event in Manchester recently and gave my Utopian vision of the future of the BBC as one in which the corporation embraced it's role as an enabler. We've enabled unsigned bands through BBC Introducing for years so why not extend it to DJs, film makers etc. pushing our audience to the long-tail of content they then produce. When asked about how I see roles changes within the corporation I spoke about how I'd like to see less producers and more curators.
Technology and social media has put the BBC and other PSBs like Channel 4 in the perfect position to democratise the media. The Beeb still needs to be a trusted guide, and the roles of the likes of Peel and Tong will never vanish. But if social media has taught us anything it is that our audience are using new tools to take control for themselves and if we think a chart based on sales or a phone poll still cuts it then we better think again. The BBC can still discover and champion but it needs a big rethink in how it does that.
There have been some really great efforts made by the BBC, mostly experimental, and there have been great learnings as a result, but if ever the time was right for making bold moves then surely that time is now. It's time the networks got it's hands well and truly dirty playing with the tools that enable them to listen to the audience, to discover new talent then push the audience to it.
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