Summer is over, your heart is filled with amazing memories and it’s starting to get cold. That means only one thing: Amsterdam Dance Event! No matter if you will attend for the first time or this is your 20th visit, a well prepared DJ/Producer or musiclover counts for two. Let’s concentrate on five important things based on personal stories to remind you: “How to ADE in 2021?!”
Written by: Mark Benthem
1. Schedule your stay
A good schedule makes it so much easier to focus on the things why you actually are in Amsterdam. That means less time loss on thinking about where to go to. This gives you more time for other important elements: socializing, studio sessions or being that surprising guy during meetups.
Besides that, it’s easier to achieve your goals. Are you at ADE to learn about producing, a specific subject about organizing events or something else? You better know where to go, Amsterdam can be a maze. So could the schedule be.
2. Try to listen to other music than you usually do
One of my favorite tips as enthusiasts of electronic music: open your ears for a musical expansion! Back in the days I used to listen to Big Room beats, but by attending events where music is played which you don’t even know yet is very good for understanding music.
A personal example, I taught myself how to dance on drum ’n bass, hardstyle is not really my thing and techno deserves my appreciation. In this manner I nuanced my opinion by getting the full experience. Doing research your pays off, don’t be afraid to buy a ticket! It’s all for a good reason: your own development as DJ, producer and listener of electronic music.
3. Prepare a pitch
Imagine, you’re a producer. You’re walking to the first Demo Drop you see. The A&R manager wants to know more about you, he’s interested. Your moment has come. But… you’re tongue-tied. “You can send an email”. Your chance is gone. Prepare yourself to avoid this kind of situations.
On your ‘moment of truth’ you have to be confident. Quite obvious, music counts. But the fact that labels receive hunderds of demos says that an A&R manager doesn’t have the time you need. That means that you have to show that you’re different in a short time. Practice a few sentences to say within 15 seconds, it’s going to be okay.
4. Take care of yourself, know your limits
After partying a few days and all those meetings with a lot of people, your battery might run low. It happened me once. On day three, I finally got a talk with an artist I really wanted to work for. Partying until the early hours (at afterparties during Covid) is not that good for the quality of that one important conversation.
In the end I only taught myself an important lesson: know your limits. A good tip would be to choose specific days for meetings and visiting party’s. And ensure a good place to stay for a rest.
5. “I’m at ADE! Let’s meet!”
Last, but not least: the socials. An important part of your image is how you show yourself on social media. I think it’s okay to let everybody know what your plans are and why you are at ADE. This is because that shows what your mindset is, that you want to learn, that you’re openminded to get more knowledge about new developments and what is going on in the industry. You want to get the most out of your potentials, right? Have a lot of fun and good luck!
