As soon as she sits behind her turntables, a rhinestone snake drawn on her cheek, Carolyne becomes DJ Schnake. A USB stick plugged into the red-lit stage transports the audience into a musical universe where techno bass rubs shoulders with Kylie Minogue. She turns up the tension, her hands running across the mixing desk. The beat quickens and the “kick” subsides. The DJ raises her arms, fists clenched, and the faces turned towards her follow her, shouting with joy.
This evening, Carolyne and Lise are the two in charge of opening the back-to-school evening at Kilomètre25, a large open-air event in the north-east of Paris. For the young women, this is their first time: “ Kilomètre25, in Paris, is something, it anoints you as a young DJ »whispers Carolyne from the artists’ dressing room, jumping up and down with stress a few minutes before the start of her performance in front of 2,500 people.
Carolyne started DJing in her bedroom just three years ago. With her little “controller” (a cheap DJ table connected to a computer) given to her by her friends for her 23rd birthday, she took to her first stage thanks to a competition organised in her hometown of Rouen by a DJ collective. She then met the right people and went on a series of “dates” in front of a captivated audience.
The secret to this early success? “ My presence on stage »judge. Choreography, clear artistic direction, social media management… “ Today there are DJs on every cornerthe business school graduate explains with a laugh. Then you need added value as an artist. » Although Carolyne has not received specific training, like many techno DJs, many people, in order to break into the scene, resort to specialized training.
Self-promotion, a prerequisite
Since the early 2000s, DJ schools, private courses in person or online, They have thus flourished in France, offering training in mixing techniques, musical composition, but also in communication or entrepreneurship, to stand out among the ever-growing number of fans. Sound Academy, Rythmik Academy, Zygomatik, Eanov School… It is difficult to assess their number, because they are rarely listed in the National Directory of professional certifications.
“ We are getting more and more requests, especially from people who want to become more professional beyond YouTube tutorials. »says Yoann Ingrassia, director of the Rythmik Academy, which offers training from four to ten months at a price ranging from 5,400 to 8,030 euros.
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