For aspiring Deejays in NUS DJ Collective, spinning records are routinary – it is their passion, their hobby and an escape from school all rolled into one. A shared love for electronic music brought this group of individuals together to get a feel of producing and composing their favourite genres.
When asked what pushes the members to commit time and effort to the Interest Group (IG), Ong Jing Han, the leader of the IG, maintained that beyond a shared passion for music, his members’ devotion to this artform stems from a cherished bond between the members.
From every DJ-ing session to the next, the collective had learnt lessons and grown closer together. With each gig performed, they celebrated their growth as a team: DJ Collective is as close to family as it gets.
The Alumni Factor
It helps that every batch of alumni members from the club remain tightly knitted. They continue to coach and mentor junior members at DJ sessions. Jing Han recounts: “Junior members get to hone their skills at these sessions with the graduated seniors. From the seamless blending of various types of music to the different techniques in mixing, there are so much to be picked up on from our mentors.” He adds: “We are familiar with one another and that familiarity brings about enjoyment. It makes learning fruitful and fun. There is a saying, ‘come for the music, stay for the family’, this is what keeps us close.”
Outside-of-the-classroom, beyond NUS
NUS DJ Collective stretches beyond an interest group on campus, the group brings about new opportunities for these student DJs. The DJs’ gigs extend not only to University events, but also off campus venues in Singapore.
For these DJs, every gig and performance are memorable: watching everyone rave to their music would spark a certain sense of accomplishment. It is also refreshing to chase the high of an enthusiastic crowd.
While COVID- 19 prevents the gatherings of crowds, the Collective subsist their activities through frequent Instagram livestreams to showcase their skills to an online audience Indeed, technology has changed the artform and created a new wave of DJ-ing.
If you have always held wonder for the skill of DJ-ing and wanted to follow in the likes of Frenchman David Geutta’s or local hotshot MYRNE’s footsteps, check out NUS DJ Collective on NUSync. Chances are, you may not only be able to and make not just lifelong friends but also, find a new family.
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Liu Qianyu, Year 2, Business
