THE EVOLUTION OF A DJ

The result of the growing digital age; stores that sold vinyl become obsolete, technics announces they will cease production of the 1200's, you can scratch digital records on an ipad, we text more than talk... People have gotten so sttached to their technology that some will not even allow themselves an hour of time free of their phones while they get a massage!  What's going on???

Let me say I LOVE a lot of the conveniences the technological age has allowed - carrying record crates was heavy lifting - but I can't help but feel nostalgic about what we are loosing in order to gain.  There was such a beauty to the artwork on record sleeves and a thrill in the hunt for them, especially when you found that rare 12" single, and I loved the popping sound a needle made on a record. Part of the art of being a DJ was finding the music... When I became a DJ in 2000 the digital age of spinners had already been ushed in.  I was a bartender at the time and there were female DJ's that would come to spin at the club I worked in carrying only a few cases of CD's under their arm.  Seeing this CD-DJ revolution happening and hearing these ladies not really representing the females well made me decide that I needed to get on and do it right.  It was about respect for me - respecting the art form as it was meant to be and gaining respect from my colleages for holding it down right.  Being able to do a little bit of beat juggling, match a beat and mix well, understand the music and rock the party right while still looking hot and feminine.  There was no greater compliment than when a patron realized that the person on the tables all night was a hot chick spinning vinyl!  It was, and still is, awesome.  But, lifting crates became old and serato became "it."  Serato enabled vinyl DJ's the ability to functionally spin as they always had - with a needle on a record - except you no longer needed to change the record.  Welcome the new way a DJ travels to the club:  with a small bag containing a couple master records, needles, headphones and their laptop.  It's genius really - we were able to carry infinite abouts of records without the weight and we did however, the cost is the death of record stores.  That's the evolution....

I expected, though it made me sad, that records would become obsolete but technics ceasing production of their 1200 turntables!  That surprized me.  No other company had made a better turntable for a DJ than technics and we still need turntables even with serato so why??  I am still searching for that answer.

My belif is that change is the only constant in this life and we should go with the flow... but as the winds blow us into our future I can't help but reminisce about the touch, feel and sound of a record.  I am proud to have had a chance to have been a DJ the original way and, though the death records makes me sad, I embrace our evolution.

THIS BODY ROCKS!

We are so divine aren't we??  Every single cell, neuro transmitter, organ, joint, muscle... all functioning non-stop to keep us going.  And how we regenerate!  Every seven years all the cells in our bodies completely regenerate!  All so amazing...
I wanted to post just a few massage facts for those who may not know much about why they should consider a massage:

• Massage Therapy will keep you healthy.  It has been proven to boost the white blood cell count in your body (the wbc's are the ones who come to your defense when a virus or any other foreign substance tries to enter).
• It moves blood, much like a great cardio workout pumps blood to your heart.  Except, during a massage your heart gets to rest while reaping the benefits.
• A massage can help reduce your stress levels!!!  Think about it people.  There is a nasty little hormone called cortisol in your body that likes to gather around your gut, it is your stress hormone.  We release so much more than we need because we are the only species who lay in bed and stress - therefore causing the same physiological response as if we were running from a tiger - ultimately overloading our systems.  Massage can help!
• Let's not forget that a massage can help your body recover from an injury, a workout, a surgery...
• It can help you feel better about your body.
• It can help you relax - rest and digest.

People this is not a luxury, it is a necessity!  It is preventative medicine and it feels really good!  Yes, I love what I do... (shameless plug - http://www.naomigwin.com/)

Now, on a music tip:
There is this band I have heard a few times around Miami - Elastic Bond.  DOPE!  I love their vibe - totally latin, electro chill melodies and rythmns.
Listening to a good band, a good DJ, a good song... that's feel good stuff too.  I believe music is therapeutic for sure.  I am always grateful when I hear some good tunes... music releases, relates, revives our spirit.

So, that being said I have a stay healthy and relaxed tip for today.
Put on something ambient or, if nature is playing listen to her beautiful music.  Then, find a comfortable spot to lay in and rest on your back with a bolster under your knees and neck.  I reccomend getting a couple tennis balls and shoving them in a sock and resting it under the base of your skull as a still point inducer - those sub cervical muscles work very hard all day to keep your head up and this is a great way to release them.  Then, a lavender eye pillow and a few drops of a lemongrass and eucalyptus essential oil blend in in the air.
Just lay down and relax for five to ten minutes letting the stresses of the day melt away and allowing your mind to unwind.  Give yourself a gift, be present in the present moment...

Namaste (the light in me honors and respects the light in you)