Why I finally started learning to DJ

There’s something about the start of a new year that makes you restless in a hopeful way. You start noticing the things you’ve been talking about for ages but never quite committing to. The ideas that keep circling back. The “one day” plans that gently refuse to go away.

For me, that was DJing.

I’d been saying for months that I wanted to learn. Casually mentioning it. Laughing it off. Letting it sit in the background. And then, slowly but surely, the signs started stacking up. Not subtle ones either. Conversations. Opportunities. A very loud nudge from the universe saying, it’s time.

Pioneer DDJ-400 2-channel DJ controller

Last year I spoke to the wonderful Neil at The Rehearsal Rooms in Bury St Edmunds about where on earth to start. I didn’t want to spend a fortune, but I also didn’t want something that felt like a novelty. I wanted decks I could grow into, not out of. His recommendation was the Pioneer DDJ-400. Reliable, beginner-friendly and proper enough to take seriously.

So when a second-hand set popped up for just over £200, I took it as my sign and snapped them up immediately.

I got the decks home, plugged everything in… and then had that very humbling moment of realising I had absolutely no idea what I was looking at. Buttons everywhere. Lights flashing. A lot of confidence very quickly replaced by “oh no, what have I done?”

But underneath that panic was excitement. Real excitement. The kind you only get when you’re starting something new and slightly terrifying.

That’s when I remembered Crossfader.

Crossfader is an online DJ learning platform where you can pay monthly and work through structured lessons at your own pace. Exactly what I needed. No pressure. No expectation. Just space to learn slowly, in my own home, without feeling silly for rewinding a lesson five times.

So yes, I pulled out my credit card and pressed pay.

And honestly, it’s been such a good decision. Learning a completely new skill as an adult can feel intimidating, especially something technical and creative. But Crossfader makes it feel accessible. Calm. Doable. I can practice in my living room, make mistakes in private and build confidence one small step at a time.

Longer term, I know I’ll absolutely be booking in for in-person DJ lessons with Neil. Especially as he’s taught the likes of Radio 1’s Alyx Holcombe, which still blows my mind a bit. That feels like a future version of this story.

But for now, this is enough.

Right now, it’s about letting myself be a beginner again. About enjoying the process rather than rushing the outcome. About trusting that you don’t need to know exactly where something is going in order to start.

Will this lead to gigs one day? Or just pure joy in my own home? I don’t need to answer that yet.

All I know is that I finally stopped talking about it… and started.

And that feels very on brand for this chapter of my life.