DJs rule the world. They fly from city to city in clandestine private jets, indulging in white leather luxury, as adoring fans crowd the dance floor to get a glimpse of their favourite superstar DJ. Bodies glisten in the heat; fists triumphantly pump in unison while the crowd heaves to the relentless beat. So how do you become a part of this exciting world?

Well first up you need some DJ gear. While back in the day the ultimate DJ gear set up consisted of two Technics turntables and a mixer but now things have become somewhat more sophisticated. The industry standard is now Pioneer whose CD decks and mixers are the weapons of choice for most DJs and nightclubs with many features on offer. Multimedia inputs, midi mapping and special effects like ‘phase’, ‘trans’, ‘delay’, ‘filter’, ‘crush’ and ‘roll’ a sampling repeat effect that can add a new dimension to tracks.

These effects can be applied to existing tracks to make new sounds and interpretive versions of the original music. These days DJs only have to turn up with a USB stick, a pair of headphones and they’re ready to rock a crowd. Furthermore you are now able to synchronise up with software programs like Traktor and Mixvibes to create personalised sets and remixes. But wait a moment; we are getting ahead of ourselves. How do you go about securing the best value DJ gear available? Cheap DJ gear might not always be the best option but on the other hand expensive top of the line gear might not always be the best immediate solution either. Do you stick with a brand name like Pioneer or perhaps look at other more affordable brands that may offer similar features like American Audio or Gemini. If you are looking to buy DJ gear then you will need to do some research and this is where you can really save money.

First up however the type of gear required is often dictated by the type and style of music are you playing. This will determine what type of equipment is needed. If you love hip-hop and rap perhaps a scratching set up is warranted. Are you playing vinyl or CDs or other types of digital media? The mixer of choice for scratch DJs will usually have a bulletproof cross fader with curve adjustment. Perfect for scratching up a storm and dropping beats. For those playing house or trance a mixer with effects and high sound quality is usually most desired. Whatever DJ gear is needed whether in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Ibiza, more research is required. There are plenty of DJ forums and websites out there that prove invaluable when buying any type of DJ gear, from ‘old school’ (Technics turntables) through to ‘new school’ state of the art equipment (Pioneer CDJ2000s).

Becoming a singer is what most people dream of. And for these people, the question on how to become a singer always enters their mind. For some it is easy, as they have both the talent and the connections to make it big. For some, though, it would take a longer period of time. Sometimes they even have to pass through the eye of the needle in order to achieve their dream.

As they say becoming a singer takes hard work. It doesn’t happen right away. There are some things to be done in order to achieve that particular dream.

Learn the basics of singing. In order to become a singer the first thing that has to be done is to learn how to sing. Learning how to sing is the first step that one has to take. Indeed, there are some people who don’t even have a formal training in singing but still were able to make it as a singer. But it was said that those people who never stop learning and are willing to improve their craft are the ones who last.

Learn from the experts. Learning from other singers may help. Observe them. Watch their style. Where did they get their singing talent? Who teaches them the basics of singing? What did they do in order to achieve their dream of becoming a singer?

Have voice lessons. Sometimes people who want to know how to become a singer think that they could just do it on their own. They never realize that getting a voice teacher would help them improve their voice. Some even think that they could save money by doing it on their own. But that is a wrong concept. Sometimes when an aspiring singer does it by herself the result is that they would only damage their voice.

Be comfortable. New singers often face stage fright especially on their first performance. They think that after they have spent time practicing they could do it so easily. But once they face the crowd they start to be afraid of the crowd. Not knowing what to do, sometimes they even forget the lyrics of the song. The best way to avoid this is to start practicing in front of many people. Some do this by joining different singing contests. In this way they would become used to the crowd. Or sometimes they would sing in front of someone, be it a relative, their mother, father or sister.

Develop your own style. Sometimes there are some people who just because they admire a certain singer imitate that singer. They imitate the singer’s style and way of singing. That is why most of the time an aspiring singer doesn’t have a style of his/her own. They always identify themselves with this and that singer. So in order to be successful in this field one must develop one’s own style without imitating anyone else.

The art of singing can be learned and with technology nowadays, you can teach yourself to sing. Getting a professional voice trainer can be pretty expensive. With the internet, materials and information on how to sing properly are readily available. And you can learn at your own pace and time at a minimal cost.

Everybody who has a voice can actually sing. He just opens his mouth and croons away. Although this is true, you should also bear in mind that when you sing, you should do it rightfully and healthfully so that you would able to protect your voice from harm and abuse. Plus you also have to consider those who want to hear you for they would not want to hear noise but music swayed by a beautiful tone.

To sing properly, you must possess a fit body and a fit voice. With both of these, you would be able to sing passionately and expressively. You must have a healthy lifestyle to perform right. You must eat right and sleep tight. You must not smoke nor take dope. You should exercise and drink wise, meaning 8 to 10 glasses of lukewarm water and minimal alcohol.

Correct posture is also imperative in singing well. You should stand upright, feet apart with 12 inches in between, and one foot a little in front of the other. Your feet should be aligned with your shoulders and your body relaxed. Your chest must be ready to expand to its full capacity so as to allow the proper passage of air into your lungs. The precise amount of air you inhale and exhale will make you produce the correct vocal tone.

It is also critical to know the suitable way to breathe when singing. You must not forget that when you teach yourself to sing, you must also train yourself to inhale and exhale appropriately. When breathing accurately, you would be able to create a melodious and pleasant voice. You should constantly practice breathing exercises. One exercise is to inhale deeply, inflate your midsection and then breathe out a hiss. Repeat this constantly so as to master the correct way of breathing.

If you are a DJ who enjoys mixing with physical CDs, there has never been a better moment to switch to a complete digital experience — DJing music from a laptop computer.

For those trained in using the jog wheels found on CDJ, the options are nearly unlimited. There are tons of mixing controllers available and nearly as many software programs to choose from. If you’re feeling lost as to where to begin, heed the advice of a DJ with 10 years experience — choose your mixing software first and then choose a controller.

The first point is that there are quite a few more kinds of DJ controllers on the market than there are decent software platforms. The second point is that you want to choose a program that has some history, not an app that’s brand new and still has a lot of bugs. Many hardware makers have put out digital mixing programs and while some may be suitable for small-scale wedding DJs, if you are mixing in clubs then you need to use the best DJ software you can find, especially designed for DJs that have CDJ experience. Without a doubt it’s Traktor.

A small disclaimer. While I have never actually used Traktor (I chose to use Ableton since I like to perform tracks I produce) there is no doubt that it’s one of only two pro platforms. The other is Serato Scratch, but that’s more geared towards vinyl DJs. While I’ve never used Traktor, you can take my advice to heart because I was mentored by an old-school DJ who shared headlines with all the big guys before they were famous… Hawtin, Glaude, May, Atkins, etc. When my mentor made the switch to digital he picked Traktor — and he’s a vinyl DJ. This guy breathes, eats, and sleeps techno music, so his opinion musn’t be taken casually.

The internet has led to changes that would have been impossible to understand just a decade ago. Buying a musical instrument without hearing it is one such change. But keep a few things in mind when you do it and it can be a convenient way to score a good instrument at a good price.

There’s really two kinds of people who should be buying their guitars online, experts or really serious guitar players and beginners. The first group knows exactly what kind of guitar they want, and at that level of price and quality they can be assured that that particular guitar will be terrific. Beginners don’t really care as much, so long as it has six strings and can play. The truth is each guitar is unique as its made out of a particular sheet of wood that experiences conditions unlike any of its fellow models at the factory. Each sheet is alive, and guitars can age with grace or misery depending on how they’re maintained. This needs to be kept in mind when looking online, but even still it’s possible to buy.

Let’s say you’re looking for a vintage guitar. You know what an old Gibson ES125 will sound and play like because presumably you’ve played one before or you have a particular interest in that guitar. There is variety in each instrument, this truth can’t be said nor emphasized enough, but you can count on quality guitar makers to make reliably good instruments. Most sellers are very upfront and compile a list of the defects, repairs, problems with the instrument. Typically they’ll have close up shots of the damaged parts. This will convince you they’re being pretty honest. It’d take a cynic to believe that they’re listing the minor defects so to appear honest only so they can get away with a big, big problem. Check the seller’s history on eBay. Many reputable music shops sell on eBay too, so if you can find out where they’re located and learn more about their business this should help.