When the Coronavirus shut us down, clubs and festivals ceased, and everyone was essentially forced inside with no definitive end in sight, DJ Times wondered: How is our tribe coping? How are DJs getting by? So, we sent out our “Coronavirus Questionnaire” to DJ/producers from all musical genres to find out.
During the crisis, DJ Times will be presenting the questionnaire responses from talented music-makers from all over the world. Here’s our latest installment, this time from The Left Coast: L.A.-based, electronic hitmaker Morgan Page.
What’s it like where you are? Right now, the lockdown is manageable, and it’s actually given me energy and motivation to get stuff done. I didn’t get much done the first few weeks, because it took a while to accept the situation and find the rhythm of juggling family life, a screaming kid, and work. I’ve been using the time to learn new skills like video and live streaming, and it’s been mind-blowing to see the reaction to my live streams.
What income-producing work did you lose? All spring gigs are basically toast and we have moved many of them to August and September – but even that might be optimistic. But it’s been great working on special projects that pay, like fitness mixes for companies like Nike.
Are you doing anything now that can or will produce music-related income? Besides doing special partnerships with brands that I love, it’s mainly about staying connected to fans and finding creative ways to continue DJing.
What are you doing now that’s ultimately constructive to your life and/or career? The live streams are already changing my approach to radio and creating content moving forward. I basically built a TV and radio station in my studio.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve realized during this period of social distancing? That I’m a born introvert and, while I miss the shows, I don’t need to be around people 24/7 to be happy.
What else are you doing online? In addition to the streams, I will be launching my interview podcast Airwave soon, which was planned before the crisis. But it feels like a good time to launch it, even though people are not commuting or going to the gym.
Any theme tunes recommended for the moment? Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now.”
Any advice on staying sane & relatively positive through this situation? I think you have to look at the current situation with optimism. When I have Facetime calls with friends, they just want to complain and refresh their social-media feed. This is the most unique opportunity of your lifetime, so don’t waste it. Learn new skills, bring value to other people, build content, get off your phone, stop checking the news so often and do something physical. If you’re bored, you’re doing it wrong. It’s easy for me to say, because I have 24/7 access to a studio, but find a way to channel this energy into something productive.
To check out more Life in Lockdown features, click here.
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