By Marzia Ferraris
ROME, March 6 - To succeed as a DJ you must be willing to stick with the long hours, push through the difficult times and avoid getting sucked into "the clubs' dirty environment", says Mathew Felix Di Nunzio, a well-known Rome DJ.
Oh, and practice as much as you can, and welcome any opportunity to play for an audience, he says. The secret to success is to climb your way up the scale, taking baby steps.
After graduating
from Marymount High School in Rome, Di Nunzio used his father’s equipment
to enrich his passion -- music. He played at house parties for his friends, and
he was called by his school to perform at a dance.
In 2001, Di Nunzio started playing
at a Roman pub two nights a week. From there, he moved on to Grotta Pinta in Campo De
Fiori four times a week. After that, DJ Madd Mix became a non-stop request.
This 32-year-old went from pushing "play" on his father's equipment to playing in the most exclusive clubs
in Rome: Art Café, Bloom, Gilda, Goa, Supper Club, Babel, and many
more. “When the market realizes there is something new and fresh there,
everyone wants it,” he said.
He had more requests than he could fulfill.
Di Nunzio says “the glamorous side of being the DJ is that you are the focal point in the club, you can not be unnoticed. The DJ gets respect from the crowd, and gets to meet many celebrities”. The drawback, however, is “you are dealing with clubs, which are not a clean environment, and never will be. Clubs sell alcohol. If you end up into the behind-the-scenes environment, you will be engulfed in by it. That is why I stick to my DJ booth.”
Another downfall, says DJ Madd Mix, is women. “Girls think that you are a player
even if you are not. I do not like having that label,” he says.
It is not easy to be a DJ. It can be stressful. Coordinating the dances with the music, managing the technological side, adapting to different crowds, keeping the pace up even when you are tiring, are just a few examples. “If you are not in your game one night, you can loose your crowd very easily. Four songs can make or break a night,” he says.
“My advice to all of you who have a passion, or dream is: keep your nose to the ground and be true to yourself. Stick to it and practice," he says. And always remember “when you reach a certain level, you realize you made enemies you don’t even know, just because you are doing your thing. This is confirmation that you are doing well”, he adds.
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