DJ K.D: The Way Past Failure Is Getting Better Every Day

“If you want to play the peak-hour slots, you have to get better every day.”

DJ K.D at Muse’s Day | Source: MUSE INC

He started out as a content creator on social media. Today DJ K.D (real name Nguyễn Cao Đạt) is one of the most talented young DJs around, with an impressive track record: sets at Tiger Crystal Rave, Backpack Festival and Rap Show – 95G, plus big bars and clubs such as Home Pub Saigon and The Local Cocktail Bar.

At this edition of Muse’s Day, DJ K.D talked about how he saw the job when he was starting out, how he got through the hard times, and what he learned in his first years as a DJ.

DJ K.D playing at Home Pub Saigon | Source: MUSE INC

How he became a content creator

Full of positive energy and always trying something new, DJ K.D saw content creation simply as a way to share the energy he had at the time. A few short videos posted on Facebook brought Cao Đạt a fair amount of success.

“Back then I made a few videos that went viral, so I thought I could make money doing this” | Source: MUSE INC

“It wasn’t because I stopped making videos that I decided to become a DJ,” Cao Đạt explains when asked about his next steps. Watching DJs perform at big festivals first-hand is what inspired K.D to set himself the goal of becoming a DJ.

The challenges of starting out

Looking back on his first years chasing the career, Đạt says time was the first obstacle the first-year university student had to face. Balancing his studies, a part-time job for extra income and his passion were DJ K.D’s three main goals back then.

The chance to move to Saigon for university opened a whole new chapter, and that is when Cao Đạt came to Muse Inc to find out whether DJing was really for him.

Turned down more than 10 times

“After graduating, I quit my job at the cinema to look for my first DJ gigs, but life isn’t a dream,” DJ K.D laughs as he recalls his first experiences in the job.

He tried every way he could to reach the managers of bars, pubs and lounges in Saigon, but “every time I applied, I got turned down.” It was a real letdown after giving up a job that paid the bills to chase his passion.

“Later I was lucky enough to be introduced by someone I knew to a lounge in the basement of a building. The pay back then was only 150,000–200,000 VND for an hour and a half.”

But in the end, to be a DJ you just have to start doing it. The first steps show you where to go next. As Đạt puts it: “The owner didn’t know yet what I could do for their venue, so honestly I was happy with that pay, because I got to go to work and play music for the love of it.”

“I was happy with that pay, because I got to go to work and play music for the love of it” | Source: DJ K.D

Pushback from his family

The second difficulty came from his family: Đạt says they only found out he was a DJ quite recently. Prejudice against nightlife in general, and against DJing in particular, is still a big barrier that stops young people from being themselves and following their own passions.

But over time, as his income became steadier and he kept working tirelessly, Cao Đạt says: “Little by little my family came to understand, and now they just remind me to look after my health.”

“Little by little my family came to understand, and now they just remind me to look after my health” | Source: DJ K.D

Lessons from his first years as a DJ

To become a professional DJ, you have to get better every day

When you’re new to the job, you’ll run into “toxic” situations more than once, and they make you wonder how you can prove yourself. For Cao Đạt, there is only one way: get better every day.

DJ K.D explains: “Say you start working at a venue that already has its own DJ team. It’s hard to get the peak-hour slots, you mostly play at the start or the end of the night.”

But to reach his career goals, DJ K.D refused to give up. Instead, he focused on new projects and kept changing himself every day.

Keep up to date

For K.D, a DJ has to do more than stand on stage and get the crowd going: you need to keep sharpening your skills, learn new techniques and stay on top of the trends. At Muse’s Day, DJ K.D shared a few tips he has picked up over his time in the job.

• Practise with the DJs you love: Start by listening to the sets you like, break them down and learn their techniques. Knowing your strengths and the areas you need to work on is key to developing your skills.
• Ask for feedback and learn from great DJs: Getting the opinions of other DJs and industry professionals gives you a more objective view of your playing.
• Keep up with today’s music trends: That means following where music is going and knowing which genres are popular and working in the market right now. It keeps you open-minded and ready to challenge yourself with new genres that better match what the audience wants.

Classes of up to 4 students. A lively, creative learning environment.

Classrooms designed and decorated in a modern, youthful Western style.

Well-known, dedicated instructors with real-world performing experience.

Modern, international-standard equipment from HARMAN International.

Chances to perform at major music festivals, game shows and well-known bars and clubs