About Dj Nancy
🎵 Dj Nancy – music with heart and soul ❤️
Hi, I’m Nancy — better known as DJ Nancy. For me, music has never been just sound. It’s memory, emotion, connection. From my grandma’s record player to packed dance floors, I’ve always felt that music can touch people without a single word.
On SmartDJGear, I share my journey, my personal experiences with DJ gear, and the stories and lessons I’ve gathered along the way. No sales talk, no distance. Just me, my music, my experiences — and a community of people who love beats as much as I do.
Because music isn’t only what you hear. It’s what you feel. And that’s the feeling I want to share with you.
Table of Contents
- From Grandma’s Record Player to the DJ Booth
How a childhood dream turned into a musical reality - The First Spark of a DJ Inside Me
When curiosity met rhythm — and my room turned into a club - My First DJ Gear & Setup
From stereo towers to slip mats – building something out of nothing - Practice, Practice, Practice (and a Little Daydreaming)
From home mixes to a living room rave - Early 80s – Reggae, Disco, and New Wave
How I went from buying records to playing in a packed bar - Electric Boogie – The Bridge to House
From street moves to club grooves: how the sound evolved - From Volunteer to Paid Gigs – The Real DJ Training Ground
No paycheck, but worth its weight in gold
From Grandma’s Record Player to the DJ Booth
How a childhood dream turned into a musical reality
Grandma’s birthday. You know the vibe: a living room full of guests, the smell of coffee, a tray with slices of cake — and in the corner, one of those classic 1960s radio-turntable combos. The kind where the next record drops down automatically. At one point, the music stopped. And that’s when it happened…
I was around ten years old, and music already had me hooked.
My grandpa had once shown me how that machine worked, so I walked up to it… dropped on a record… lowered the needle…
And then — magic.
As soon as the music came back on, I noticed it right away:
people started moving again, laughing, dancing.
And I felt it through my entire body: this wasn’t just sound.
Music could do something to people.
Right there — between my dancing aunts and grandma’s smile —
I felt something magical fill the room.
Music brings people together. It revives memories.
It makes people dance without saying a word.
That’s the power of sound. Too beautiful for words.
For others it was just a moment,
but for me, it was the start of something big.
Music had power.
And for the first time, I felt like I could be part of it.
The smell of old vinyl sleeves.
The soft crackle of the needle.
And the warmth in a room brought back to life.
That was the beginning of my journey.
From grandma’s record player…To DJ Nancy — and from the old-school DJ gear back then
to the modern gear I use now.
“I didn’t know it yet, but that simple act — putting on a record — was the start of a lifelong journey with music.”
The First Spark of a DJ Inside Me
When curiosity met rhythm — and my room turned into a club
As I got older, my taste in music started to shift. I became curious about new sounds, strange rhythms, and unfamiliar voices. At home, I began recording songs from the radio onto cassette tapes — sometimes waiting hours for just one perfect track.
My bedroom slowly turned into my own little club. An old radio-cassette player stood in for a turntable, and a hairbrush? That was my mic. I’d sing, rewind, play again… dreaming of beats and crowds.
When I turned fifteen, my parents finally let me go out. There was this local youth club nearby, open from 8 PM till 1 AM. While most teens were out on the dancefloor grooving to ’70s disco beats… I was somewhere else: right by the DJ booth. Watching. Mesmerized.
What was that guy doing with those records? Where was the sound even coming from? The transitions… the feel… the vibe — it was pure magic.
After a while, he noticed me. “Come a little closer,” he said. “You’ll see it better from here.” So kind — and so defining.
He explained everything: how the gear worked, how you mix records together, how he played in discotheques (that’s what we called clubs back then).
And yep… I became a regular. Every weekend I was there, watching, listening, learning. After a while, I could tell just by the energy: “That track is coming next… then that one… and now the blend…”
That’s when I really started to feel it: the flow, the structure, the rhythm behind the craft. It wasn’t just about playing music — it was about reading the room.
And school? Well… let’s just say I was often snapped out of a daydream by teachers.
But I wasn’t slacking — my mind was busy matching tracks: “This song fits perfectly after that one… and that hook blends beautifully with that chorus…” I was already arranging in my head.
My DJ mind? It never turned off.
“That night, I realized: it doesn’t matter where you play. As long as the music moves people, it’s real.”
My First DJ Gear & Setup
From stereo towers to slipmats – building something out of nothing
Around the age of fourteen, my dad bought himself a brand-new stereo tower. And I was like: “Dad, can I have your old one — speakers and all?” And yes… he said yes.
Somewhere in the house, there was still an old turntable lying around. I hooked everything up. Cables into the amplifier, a bit of fiddling here and there… and YES — it worked. Instant party at Casa Nancy!
I didn’t have a mixer yet, but I got creative: if I held the knob on the amplifier just right — halfway between Phono and Aux — I could kind of hear the next track sneak in.
And believe me… that already felt like mixing.
It was wild to realize I could build something musical with almost nothing. That thrill — priceless.
Later, when I moved out and started earning my own money, the adventure really began. I wandered into all kinds of secondhand shops — not even specifically for DJ gear, just HiFi stores. Remember: there weren’t any DJ stores or webshops yet like we have today.
And then… I saw it.
In this tiny old-fashioned store, in a glass display case: an actual DJ mixer. 😳
I couldn’t believe my eyes. I walked in — a kind older man stood behind the counter. I asked, “Sir, how much is that mixer over there?” He smiled. “Ninety-four dollars, lady.”
I didn’t even hesitate. “I’ll take it.”
That was the one: My very first real mixer. The Phonic MRT70 series, complete with EQ sliders. And yes — I still have it. Pure nostalgia.
At first, I mixed with my dad’s old amp and a turntable with one of those rubber drive belts — no direct drive yet. But I had picked up something important: real DJs use slipmats.
Why? Slipmats let the platter keep spinning while you hold the vinyl in place — ready to release it at just the right moment for the mix. And it worked!
Soon after, I bought my first real turntables: Two legendary Technics SL-1200 MK series. And from that moment on I knew: I was in it for real.
“That setup wasn’t fancy. But it taught me everything I needed to know: how to list
Practice, Practice, Practice (and a Little Daydreaming)
From home mixes to a living room rave
Every single day, I was glued to my gear. Mixing records, testing transitions, listening, correcting — and starting all over again. Nope, I didn’t dare call myself a “DJ” yet. Perfectionist as I’ve always been, I needed to be really sure I was good enough first. Only then… would I take it out into the world.
Then came that one birthday party.
A good friend knew I’d been practicing non-stop and asked, “Nancy, can you bring some music for my party?”
At home, I had my turntables, my mixer, my vinyl… but no portable setup I could just haul into someone’s living room. So, what did I do?
I recorded my favorite mixes onto cassette tapes — straight from the decks, through the mixer, into the tape recorder. Real, raw, home-cooked blends.
And on the night of the party? I packed up my trusty Ghettoblaster, threw in the tapes — and off I went.
Then… PLAY. Volume up. And… BOOM! The roof was on fire.
That living room turned into a full-on dancefloor. Everyone was dancing, laughi
Early 80s – Reggae, Disco, and New Wave
How I went from buying records to playing in a packed bar
In the early ’80s, I fell in love with not one, but three genres.
First up: Reggae.
Then came the funky sounds of ’80s disco.
And yeah… I almost forgot the third: New Wave.
But reggae? That one hit deep.
I heard some Bob Marley tracks on the radio and thought:
“Wow… this groove, this vibe — it’s just right.”
Only problem: where do you buy this kind of music?
A friend tipped me off about a record store that specialized in reggae.
I went in… and walked out with my very first reggae vinyl:
with tracks like Trenchtown Rock, Kinky Reggae, No Woman No Cry…
You know the classics.
I kept going back — hung out there for hours — and got chatting with the owner.
Then one day, he asked:
“Would you like to work here? Thursday nights and Saturdays?”
Me: “Are you serious?”
Him: “Absolutely.”
So there I was: working at a reggae record store.
Can you imagine? I loved it.
And of course, I couldn’t resist sneaking in some mixing between helping customers.
The owner didn’t mind – he actually loved it.
One day he said:
“I know someone who owns a bar. They’re looking for a DJ. Interested?”
You bet I was.
That’s how I started spinning every Saturday night.
The bar was always packed, the crowd was buzzing —
and I was learning so much.
Eventually, I even organized a DJ battle at a youth center,
where reggae DJs from London came to compete against me and my crew.
Such a sick experience!
I made several trips to London after that —
to buy records, and yes… even did a performance there once.
But even while reggae ran through my veins,
my heart kept beating for disco, especially the ‘80s kind.
At the youth club I went to, they started playing more disco and New Wave.
As usual, I was glued to the DJ booth — helping out with lights, watching, learning.
One DJ taught me how to mix this new electronic sound:
synths, drum machines, electric guitars… it was evolving fast.
And you know what we used to do on Sunday afternoons?
Jam sessions.
Just us, some decks, and a few friends with congas, drums, bass, or keys.
Pure vibes.
We’d laugh, relax, and just play.
Music was our medicine on those lazy Sundays.
“Looking back, those early ’80s weren’t just about styles or trends.
They were about finding my place behind the decks — and in the music itself.”
Electric Boogie – The Bridge to House
From street moves to club grooves: how the sound evolved
Before House truly exploded, I found myself right in the middle of the Electric Boogie era.
That funky, spacey sound from the ’80s?
It made your feet slide and your shoulders pop like gravity didn’t apply.
Robot voices, fat synths, and of course — the iconic Roland TR-808.
That deep, warm thump… your body just had to move.
There were whole new dance styles emerging:
popping, locking, waving — and of course, the moonwalk.
Now, most people think Michael Jackson invented it when he did it in Billie Jean (1983),
but come on… we’d been doing it for years already,
on the street, with our shades on, white gloves, and full-on groove.
That was breakdance coming to life.
But Electric Boogie wasn’t just music — it was a lifestyle.
A bridge between the old-school funk and this new thing on the horizon: house music.
Between 1982 and 1985, names like Afrika Bambaataa (Planet Rock),
Egyptian Lover (Egypt, Egypt), and Newcleus (Jam On It)
were taking over the floors with futuristic electro-funk.
It was the soundtrack of the streets —
body poppers, gliders, robotic dancers —
grooving like machines with soul.
Then around the mid-’80s, the sound began shifting again.
In New York and Miami, a new style showed up: Freestyle.
Latin synthpop with high energy and emotional vocals.
Think Shannon – Let the Music Play
or Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam – I Wonder If I Take You Home.
At the same time, Chicago and NYC were cooking up something fresh:
Hip House — a bold fusion of rap and house beats.
Tyree Cooper, Fast Eddie… the vibe was changing.
Electro started melting into club culture.
And then — BOOM — it happened:
House Music was born.
Straight out of Chicago’s underground.
Soulful tracks by legends like Frankie Knuckles and Larry Heard (aka Mr. Fingers).
And not long after came House’s wild little sister: Acid House.
In 1987, Phuture – Acid Tracks hit the speakers,
and it was like someone flipped a switch.
Dance floors got deeper, trancier, freer.
No more tight robot moves —
this was eyes closed, heart open territory.
Sure, Electric Boogie had had its moment…
but that groove? It’s still in my bones.
During that time, I started going to clubs that played this exciting new house sound.
At first just dancing, soaking it in.
But I loved it so much, I began buying records and experimenting at home.
No big plans — just pure love for the music.
One day, I played a mix for a friend.
She was instantly hyped.
What I didn’t know?
She told someone at a local club where she volunteered as a DJ.
Then one night, I was chilling at a bar when this guy walked up to me:
“Hey, are you Nancy? I heard you can mix. We’re looking for a DJ.
Want to come by and show us what you’ve got?”
We set a date for that Saturday.
When I got there, two other DJs were already waiting.
They said, “Alright Nancy, show us what you can do.”
I didn’t even bring my own records —
I just grabbed two random vinyls from their crate.
Put them on.
Pressed play.
And BAM — nailed the mix.
Smooth. On point. No nerves, no mess — just clean vibes.
I saw them glance at each other like:
“No way… did she just do that?”
Then came the words I’ll never forget:
“Congratulations. You’re hired.”
“That night wasn’t just about getting the job — it was about stepping into who I was meant to be.”
From Volunteer to Paid Gigs – The Real DJ Training Ground
That volunteer DJ job? I ended up doing it for more than ten years. No, I didn’t get paid — but honestly? It was worth every second. Because that’s where I learned the real stuff: how to read a crowd. How to switch the vibe when things dip. How to feel the room and become one with the dancefloor.
And technically? Let’s just say: you learn fast when the gear is not perfect.
Needles breaking. Someone switching all the cables around (grrr). The mixer acting weird mid-set… You learn to improvise, fix things on the fly, keep it flowing.
That’s where you grow — not when everything goes smooth, but when something breaks, and you just keep going.
And the best part?
From that unpaid work, I started getting paid gigs. People would see me spin and say: “Yep, that’s who I want at my event.”
Even now — all these years later — I still get booked every now and then. And you know what I think every single time?
That’s the power of just showing up.
Sometimes you need to play for free, before someone sees your value and pays you for it.
Don’t see free gigs as wasted time. See them as your business card, your marketing tool, your way of saying: “Hey, this is what I can do — come feel it.”
That’s how it all started for me: with passion, curiosity, and just doing it.
No big plan. No big talk. Just spinning, learning, growing.
Whether it was in someone’s living room or under stage lights — every set brought me closer to myself. As a DJ. And as a human being.
What did I learn?
- That music doesn’t lie.
- And that sometimes… you have to give before you can truly shine.
“Let music be your business card — and everything else will follow.”
Thanks for being here — now go explore the music.
Much love,
DJ Nancy 🎧