DJs appear to have an exciting job. Three
would-be DJs discovered that it is hard work but are nevertheless impressed
with it.The DJs on the radio seem mysterious. They keep a distant yet close relationship with their listeners who phone in to share personal feelings with them.
This impersonal side did not deter three youngsters. Vivian Wong Wai-kwan, Kathy Ng Tze-lam and Noi Hau Wai-san are fresh graduates from the DJ training programme organised by Breakthrough. After work experience as a DJ they realized the job is not as easy as people might think. The myths were shattered, but not their dreams.
Myth vs truth
A DJ often interviews stars. But how often
they see celebrities depends on the shows they host. Music and talk shows have
celebrities and are often broadcast live on weekdays. But shows on weekends are
often pre-recorded. The three youngsters rarely met a star during the whole
programme, even on an internship at Metro Radio. “ The only star I met was
Nancy Sit Ka-yin,” Noi joked.
Another myth is that DJs make easy monet.
People think that DJs get paid to chit-chat and play music. Kathy saw that DJs
needed to do research on the interviewees as well as on the music. They needed
to report their ideas to the management for approval. In her case, she needed
to submit her idea and script to her instructor for approval three weeks
beforehand.
The art of speaking
The art of speaking
RADIO DJs often discuss mundane issues, but
they have to speak in an effective and interesting way to hold the listeners’
attention. Kathy said a major mistake her classmates made was using vague
adverbs and adjectives such as ‘very’ and ‘good’. Since listeners only hear
words. DJs need to speak in a concrete way. “Using these kinds of adverbs only
shows that you have ruby short of words,” Noi said.
Agnes Wong Yuk-kuen is the instructor of
the DJ training programme. She discovered a common speaking problem among her
students.
“The pronunciations, or what we call the ‘lazy
sound’ problem, is getting worse among teenagers,” she said. “What I am really
worried about is they don’t even realised their pronunciation is wrong.” In the
past, accurate pronunciation was a must for a DJ but people are now less
concerned about it. Therefore, DJs also pronounce words carelessly.
Self-reflection
“We used our own personality during
broadcast s to create a unique identity,” said Noi. “It is ridiculous to expect
a person to change overnight from being quiet to very talkative.”
Vivian was also herself during her
internship at Metro Radio. “I am OK avoiding slang on air because I rarely use
it always,” she said.
All three believe being a DJ requires
self-reflection and self- understanding. They became more sensitive to current affairs
and things around them. Every little incident could be developed and elaborated
on. It became a habit for Vivian’s curiosity and observations to turn into
serious thought.
“In the past, I would just look at things
and not think about them. But I now think about the causes and effects,” she
said.
A greater conviction
The realities of radio broadcasting have
not scared them away. Instead, they are much clearer about what they want to do
in the future. Both Kathy and Noi cannot wait to enter this field and pursue their
dreams.
Kathy, who is currently studying
media-related subjects, has used this programme to find out what she is really
interested in. She now wants to work in the radio production which she finds
challenging.
For Noi, who likes thinking all the time,
he thinks his character would be perfect for a DJ.
“I like keeping my mind active. Even though
I’ve learnt that being a DJ is a tough and challenging job, I enjoyed it very
much.”
But for Vivian, this experience has only
increased her desire to become a social worker. Social work involves spreading
messages to the public and this role is similar to that of a DJ.
After teaching the programme for five
years, their instructor Agnes said that a beautiful is an asset. But she added
that even if you do not have this you could still be a DJ if you have three
things: the willingness to learn, work and listen. Anyone can do it if they
follow this advice.
“It only depends on whether you dare to
dream and grasp the opportunity,” she said.
