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 City of Angels, house-music maven, J. Worra (aka Jamie Sitter).
What’s it like where you are? I have been locked down in my apartment since the second week of March. Things are definitely strange and people are panicky, but I have been trying my best to write music and stay focused on other revenue streams outside of playing out live. I’m hoping to knock out as much music as possible while stuck indoors.
What income-producing work have you lost? Buku fest in New Orleans, MainStage at Ultra in Miami, potentially EDC Las Vegas, potentially my first North American headline tour, which was scheduled to run from May to July. This year was shaping up to be my biggest yet. It’s hard to wrap my head around what’s happening, but it’s not just me. Everyone is being impacted and we need to be there for each other now more than ever.
Are you doing anything now that can or will produce music-related income? My team and I are targeting some remixes – but outside of that, I am just focused on writing original music. Here’s my latest, “Just Because.”
What are you doing now that’s ultimately constructive to your music life/career? Getting an adequate amount of sleep, writing music, practicing DJing on my set-up, practicing playing piano, organizing the backend in my Ableton – all the things that have had to take a back seat while I’m touring that ultimately add up in the end.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve realized during this period of social distancing? How much I love what I do. It’s not surprising, but this is a reminder of how lucky we all are to be able to travel, play our music in public and connect with fans in-person. Times like these also make me appreciate those around me. I have one incredible support system and team that I am so thankful for.
What have you done online? I did a set for the HARD Summer Staycation Virtual Rave-A-Thon. I did record a mix that was broadcast on Sirius XM as part of the Virtual Ultra Festival and I’ve reposted, with a bonus hour added for new listeners. But, in all honesty, I’ve taken this time to disconnect from social media and re-focus.
Any theme tunes recommended for the moment? I haven’t let my mind go there, but one quote – from Maya Angelou – that sticks out to me right now is: “Every storm runs out of rain.”
Any advice on staying sane & relatively positive through this situation? I’m not sure I have the magic answer for that one, but… do connect with friends and family, decompress, take this time to detach from social media. I think there are a lot of positives that can be found in this pandemic and I encourage everyone to dig around and find theirs!
To check out more Life in Lockdown features, click here.
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