Nothing has become more saturated than the DJ world the past few years, and I am done pretending that most of them have any talent at all worth pursuing in a real way.

With more and more aspiring DJs eager to share their passions for mixing and turning, at least one of your friends has definitely gotten on board (the mixing board, that is) and gone full Tiesto with their “baseline” and “fader” talk.

I personally know many electronic dance music (EDM) lovers who go from just listening to the music at raves and through their headphones at home to going out and buying all the expensive equipment necessary to mix their own music.

I am always up for my friends involving themselves in other experiences, whether it be that they want to try out hip-hop dancing or even a new type of food. I don’t care; I even applaud that kind of attitude. I mean, how else are you supposed to understand this world and all it has to offer without trying new things and expanding your horizons?

However, the DJ crowd is blowing up in a way that doesn’t seem to meet these “try something new” aspects. It feels more like a “jump on the bandwagon” type of deal than anything else. And it bothers me, like I’m sure it bothers people who truly commit time to the art that is a good mix.

It seems that a majority of the people that do get involved with this art are those who listen to that type of music. Maybe they believe that mixing is something they truly want to invest time in and learn, or they just want to have the DJ title and hold the belief that mixing is  easy.

Well, in today’s world, they wouldn’t be totally wrong. Most boards today have a red button: the sync button.

The sync button, in its most raw form, matches beats per minute (BPM) across two tracks. This simple push of a button changes pitch to keep things in time and nothing more. But, this is where the problem starts — a lot of “DJs” simply use this button to mix. According to most, this isn’t mixing and should not be considered an art form at all.

The sync button, whether it is the tempo sync or the beat sync, isn’t the only cause of all that has gone wrong with the DJ world and its multitude of unqualified DJs, but it definitely contributes to this problem a lot.

The true DJ craft goes beyond the chore of locking two beats together. It involves listening to thousands of tracks and knowing music inside and out. You have to understand song structure and BPM. Additionally, good DJs know how to read crowds and understand moods to feel out what track to play next and when to mix it in, for how long and with what faders, equalization, effects and filters.

These things take years and years to learn and understand. You cannot just ask your parents for a mixer board for Hanukkah and call yourself a DJ — that’s like baking a cake from a Betty Crocker mix and calling yourself a baker.

We’ve got a whole lot of technology out there masking lack of skill, knowledge and creativity in kids who call themselves DJs. They are everywhere from frat houses to bars on campus, and I can’t handle it (I am looking at you, The Red Lion).

Technology is a good thing. I have nothing against the idea of the sync buttons; it allows DJs to do even more creative mixing.

I am not asking people to stop DJing. I am asking them to get better at what they consider to be their craft and to try and be unique with what it is they are doing. Educate yourselves and create something amazing, because you are invested in this and you want to be the best you can be.

DJing is a forward-thinking art form that revolves around technology and music, which is ever-changing.

Just remember that printing out your custom DJ name on a sticker in “Metallica” font so you can get out there and promote yourself isn’t going to get you anywhere. But practice and commitment to the cool, innovative culture and art form that is DJing might at least produce some cool mixes.

Leah is a sophomore in Media.

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