‘I’ve learnt to take difficulties as a challenge’: DJ Shaan

DJ Shaan gets tens of thousands of fans grooving to his tunes whether in India or internationally. But, the young guy remembers that he only had 50 attendees at his first gig. And he uses the damp debut to keep him grounded. “I have photos of the gig in my room to remind me how and where I started,” he says, “Like any musician’s journey, mine has been full of ups and downs and setbacks.” He adds that at times it has been a bit too rough but it’s been great nevertheless. “I want to keep going and growing. There is a lot more I have to do,” he avers.

STRUGGLES AS A TEENAGER

The downside of being an EDM artiste or DJ (constant touring, pressures to perform, etc) has been highlighted of late especially since most of them start quite young. Shaan, too, started his career when he was just about 15 years old. The End of The World hitmaker tells us that his struggles were managing music, university, and studies. During such testing times, it was his family that stood by him rock solid. “I’ve learnt to take difficulties as a challenge. I always think about how it can be much worse. If you take it as a challenge, you learn from them,” he explains. It was also music, playing football and hanging around friends that helped him deal with things. “Also, you know your goals and that you have to get there. So, no matter how down you are, you have to get past it all. It’s just about having the mindset that this will pass, too,” he says.

HOW HE DE-STRESSES

While people turn to music to wind down, what does the music man turn to? “I go to the gym or for a jog. I play a lot of cricket or football. I do anything that will force me to keep the phone away,” he laughs, adding that mobile phone is one of the greatest contributors to the stress. “DJs have to keep checking analytics and likes on Instagram, etc,” he points out.

ALWAYS PLAYING THE DJ

An occupational hazard for Shaan is the fact that when he goes to a party or to a friend’s, they expect him to spin. He laughs, “Yeah, it’s always, ‘ek gaana gaao na, beta’ or ‘guitar bajao’. But, I’m a DJ and it can never be just one song. Even when I’m in a car with friends, they ask me to play songs.”