As a Musician/Engineer

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When I started dancing, my perspective of music evolved to another dimension.

I want to explain it with an allegory:

 

Imagine a mathematician/physicist who draws formulae on a board. Maybe this is the best idea anybody could ever think of, but for most of the people these drawings dont make sense. They would even dislike seeing these "hieroglyphics".

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Still, as soon as this thought reaches people that understand how to use this information of new thoughts, the engineers, they can make a product out of it that

everybody can enjoy and appreciate - without all those people even knowing how it works - by watching, listening, pushing the gas pedal.

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Now imagine a musician that composes extraordinary music. Maybe he creates songs that most of the people don't understand or make sense to them. Maybe they do not understand the musical language or the written language that it was composed in.

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So who can use this information? Actually, it is dancers.

They can again make a product out of it that everybody can enjoy and appreciate - without even knowing how it works by watching, listening

- or a usable product by dancing with them!

 

Don't get me wrong: Those who "simply want to enjoy" don't need to know how it works.

However, every dancer (like an engineer) should be educated and sensitive to how it works to transfer the masterwork.

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Everybody can push the gas pedal in a car.

Everybody can move his/her body to music.

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In the end, it is all about how much you understand of what you are doing.

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As a Dancer

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I repeat: Everybody can move his/her body to music. To the better or the worse.

And everybody can learn it.

There are countless reasons for people to start dancing.

But what does really matter while dancing?

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To me and to all other people, it is a universal law that dancing should make you happy before anything else. This is the connection between the mood of the music and your mood and does not rely on any aspect of quality. You can shake your ass, sing songs wildly, wipe the floor with rhythm, .... This is totally fine.

But is it already art? Do other people enjoy watching you and listening to you?

Maybe, maybe not.

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If we want to proceed in emotion and expression, we have to learn what our body and the body of our dance partner is really capable of. What can we express with our body? Can I be a note, a percussion element, a feeling, an artificial person or even something else?

I do not encourage you to be whatever you want, then it would not be proceeding step.

Be what the music tells you! But before we can even try to do this, we have to learn how music and our body actually work and connect!

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How can we learn this?

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There are countless possibilities to learn how our body works and also those of other people: fitness training, team sports, dance classes of any kind, sex, ...

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Unfortunately, there are not many classes to learn how our ears and perception work.

Actually, we don't want to learn an instrument which is not easy and time consuming, we will need to train the accuracy of the ears by other methods: Apps, listening comprehension, ... This is one of my future construction sites for people to learn.

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The following most important step is even harder if not the hardest:

to connect what we learned about body and music not only to interpret alone,

but to react to it in a couple, transfer a part of it and get something in return.

However, not only respect our dance partner but let him or her dive into your idea of interpretation.

Waiting for the answer, giving signals but also give space.

Take time but also give time.

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The outcome is what both people make out of a dance. Of course, the whole dance is limited by the weakest link. As a leader, you should adapt to this as should a follower.

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But why should we make such an effort to learn a dance in that detail if we can enjoy music already with simple means and maybe alcohol?

 

Well, that is a question of level of joy. The more you understand, the deeper you can dive into another world where rare short single moments feel better than the best sex you will ever have in your life and will be remembered by you until

the end of your days: Making life worth living.

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As a DJ

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I never intended to be a DJ. I am a true musician but playing music created by other people for dancers was never planned. Life sometimes decides otherwise.

 

As musician, I listen to music way differently than other people do. I know all instruments, all harmonies, all rhythms, all effects.

 

As a dancer and engineer, I know what is possible to dance and what is not. What is easy to interpret and what is hard to interpret.

 

As a sensitive introvert, I know which mood fits which people, which moods are well connected and which are not. However, I do not only intend to exclusively play music which people like and want to hear. I use my skills to make a difference.

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That is why I play music that help people to grow: In their musicality, in their perception of mood and in their repertoire of music styles.

Because Bachata can be anything. Not for Dominicans but for anyone else ;)

 

Nevertheless, the way up to the point when people can grow with my music, they have to go themselves.

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Visit festivals, learn from teachers, artists, music, emotions, respect and culture.

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The best and fastes way to learn is to experience the roots of Bachata, the very motherland: The Dominican Republic. Dance technique is taught anywhere else.

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If you dislike beautiful Dominican Bachata,

maybe Bachata in general is not your dance.

And if you don't know beautiful Dominican Bachata, search for it.

I am sure you will discover :)

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Yours,

DJ Vamp