You are what you play With 15 minutes and the right equipment (OK, an iPod), anyone can be a DJ
By Christopher Muther, Globe Staff | April 5, 2005 By the time the theme from ''Charles in Charge" began playing, the puzzled looks and arched eyebrows had already begun to subside. After all, this was a crowd that had been unwittingly exposed to everything from the Electric Light Orchestra's ''Sweet Talkin' Woman" to Fountains of Wayne's ''I Want an Alien for Christmas" for the past two hours. It was going to take much more than the theme song from a 1980s Scott Baio-Willie Aames sitcom to scare them away. ''That's the thing about a night like this," says the offending ''Charles in Charge" fan, Sarah Korval. ''You're not at the mercy of one DJ. You could hear 15 amazing minutes of music and then 15 not-so-amazing minutes, but it's always changing." Korval is the host of a first for Boston, a new night called ''So You Want to Be an .MP3J?" The weekly gathering offers anyone with an iPod an opportunity to experience 15 minutes of fame -- or shame -- as a DJ. Every Wednesday night at Allston's Common Ground Bar and Grill, digital music aficionados can sign up, patch their iPod (or any other MP3 player with a headphone jack) into the club's sound system, and share their playlist with the room. Think of it as the strongest form of musical democracy since the jukebox. Beginning with the gramophone, DJing has been a strictly autocratic operation. The DJ chooses music, the DJ mixes the music, and the DJ gives you a dirty look if you attempt to make a request. ''So You Want to Be an .MP3J?" allows any schlub to show that he can do better. Most of all, ''So You Want to Be an .MP3J?" acknowledges how the iPod has revolutionized the way that people look at music. ... http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2005/04/05/you_are_what_you_play/ Reply with a "Thank you" if you liked this post. _______________________________________________ MEDIANEWS mailing list medianews@twiar.org To unsubscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
