Be the Fan, Not the Star
Leave a commentJanuary 5, 2017 by DJ Elroy
One of the more interesting interviews I read in 2016 was DJ Mag’s piece on Justin Martin. A down-to-earth guy and it really comes through in both his music and what he says. This bit in particular caught my interest:
“I would go out to parties when I was living in New York and I remember finally getting to be back behind the scenes in the green rooms where DJs that I really looked up to where playing. I was a fan, so I remember the guys who were good to me and gave me positive words of inspiration, and I remember the guys who were total assholes. I said to myself, ‘If I ever get to that point I’m going to be cool to my fans.’ I feel like I’m no different; I’m just another fan of the scene and the music and we’re all in it together and having a good time.”
And that’s what so many big names today miss. It takes more than skills, hustle, and luck to make it to the top and stay there. You’ve got to love what you do and you’ve got to be humble. Don’t forget where you came from, don’t take anything for granted, and don’t forget the people that support you.
If you approach every day on the road like it’s your firsts, if you act like the fan and not the star, if you treat your career like a privilege and not a job, people will notice. And they’ll appreciate it.
