12 Feb 2015

Everyday life is all about connecting and interacting with people, and some people were lucky enough to have jobs that are people oriented and a hobby that is similar to their job portfolios.

One such individual is Phemelo Motlhale a guidance teacher at Ghanzi Senior Secondary School who doubles as a disc jockey (DJ) on his free time.  Motlhale, who goes by the stage name DJ PMaster says the connection with people is what makes his two jobs similar though vastly different in nature.

As a teacher he has to give his students his undivided attention and connect with them at a personal level to get the most out of them, whereas, as a disc jockey he has to read his audience and play music that speaks to them because they are there for fun and a good time.

Motlhale says he uses his music to engage his students, and, because they are aware that he is also a DJ, they have interest in whatever he teaches.

“It eases their attention and concentration in class, as they connect with their teacher harmoniously,” he says, adding that he always encourages them to realise their talents and use them to survive. 

He adds: “There are students who aspire to be DJs, and whenever there is a gig at school I offer them a chance to showcase their skills for their peers”. 

The teacher-cum DJ says he helps students to set up equipment as well as sound tuning for the success of their entertainment shows in schools. 

“I basically supervise my students behind the scenes as a member of the entertainment committee in my school which is a boarding school,” he states, adding that he started deejeying while at senior school although he has had a passion while still young intrigued by the turn tables.

As is a concern to most parents to see their children pursuing the showbiz world, Pmaster also had a similar case as his mother did not approve of his passion especially that she wanted the best for his son after he had lost his father. 

Nevertheless, he pursued his passion and with the encouragement of his friend, he made it; they used to do rehearsals only on weekends using his friend’s sound equipment until he had bought his own in 2007 when his game now started rocketing.

Inspired by the likes of Douglas Mosadi aka Dmoss of Motsweding fm, DJ PMaster, who competed in the Orange Spin doctors in 2005, and reached the quarter finals, says he would like to see himself playing live sets.

“I would like to see myself playing house music live; drums and keyboards included,” he says, adding that he is getting to that stage in where he is expanding his audience and crafting his skills for absolute pleasure for his audience. 

“You have to give the crowd their money’s worth in this game,” retorts Pmaster, who often features as a guest DJ at the famous Hill Talk popularly known as Tshola Uzwe night club in Ghanzi.

He reckons that a DJ is at the top of their game when they now ‘play regularly alongside top DJs and playing in famous venues with a responsive crowd.’

He plays mostly at parties and some private sessions, and also says he often plays at his home village in pubs during festive seasons.

As a DJ, PMaster says one has to thrive to please their crowd and always try to always be creative and come with something fresh that will woo the audience and make them scream for more. 

“As a DJ I always try to be creative and I take hours to prepare for every show; and when I am in a line up I try by all means to give my audience a different set to the previous DJs before me,” explains Pmaster. 

And, he adds that when a crowd does not tap to a DJ’s tune then something is not right with his set. 

“When a DJ plays they should study their crowd and see what best suits them so that they do not disappoint their audience; it is not just about playing music, it is about reading the crowd and playing the right thing at the right time,” he emphasises.

Regarding the DJ industry locally he says there is growth in the sector, especially that most DJs are now doing it as a daily job unlike in the past when it was just a side job. 

Nevertheless, with the mushrooming of DJs, PMaster could not hide his concern, saying some of them own laptops and virtual DJ software yet they declare themselves DJs. 

This, he says can in the end degrade the DJ industry because these are the very same DJs who would take anything for payment; thus sabotaging those who are professionals because they are often sidelined because of their ‘hefty prices’.

He says a DJ who gives quality with quality sound would not accept anything less because he takes his craft seriously, adding that despite his love for Djiing, he does not see himself trading his teaching career for Djiing. 

But rather, he says to him they are both his professions and that if he can incorporate ‘what I do in my regular life to my teaching career, I could make a difference’.  ENDS