Michael Gerth will never forget that New Year’s Eve at a ski resort in 2018. The venue was packed. The atmosphere was perfect. The crowd was ready to explode into celebration.
And Michael had them completely dialled in.
“I had played the venue before, but this night was magic,” Michael recalls. “The crowd, the music prep, the vibe – everything aligned. It felt like I could read the minds of the entire crowd. They danced so hard the place was sweating, and it fuelled my hunger for DJing for a long time afterward.”
That moment of pure connection – DJ and crowd moving as one – is what every DJ dreams of. But just a few years earlier, Michael was convinced he’d never experience it.
The reason? He was suffering from crushing imposter syndrome.
The confidence gap
Michael started DJing around 2008, drawn by a lifelong love of music. He’d always made mixtapes, and DJing seemed like the natural next step. But when he actually started, reality hit hard.
“When I first started, I had no idea how much I didn’t know,” Michael admits. “My confidence was way higher than my skill level – but oddly, that overconfidence gave me the push to get started.”
He played around with Traktor DJ on his phone and got totally hooked. He read Rock the Dancefloor! and learned so much. But something was still missing. Structure. A clear path forward. Accountability.
“I thought having an actual course with a schedule would be better for me,” Michael explains. “So I found Digital DJ Tips’ The Complete DJ Course and ran with it.”
The course that changed everything
The Complete DJ Course did something Michael didn’t expect. It didn’t just teach him mixing techniques – it showed him there was so much more to being a DJ than he’d ever realised.
“I really appreciated how the course pointed out the various areas I needed to work on to be successful, including building up a network,” Michael says.
Following the course’s guidance, Michael found a local “open deck” night – basically an open mic night for DJs. He showed up not knowing a soul. At 15+ years older than anyone else there, he could have felt out of place.
But because of his preparation from the course, he was much better prepared than most people there.
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“That helped a lot as I worked up to my first public performance – a whole 20 minutes on a Tuesday night in an empty club!” Michael laughs. “I was terrified and had some issues with the club equipment being broken, but I learned a lot and went from there.”
The breakthrough moment
Michael played open deck nights for many months, meeting people and building relationships. Those connections eventually turned into booked gigs on off nights. Then paid gigs on off nights. Then paid gigs on weekends.
But his real breakthrough came when he made a bold decision: stop waiting to be booked and create his own opportunity.
“I got together with one of the friends I met on the open deck nights and we approached a brand new club about hosting our own residency,” Michael explains. “We met the club owners, laid out our plan, and they graciously agreed to let us do a monthly Thursday night.”
They worked hard to prepare for their first event. They designed and built an 8-foot LED tower to make their night stand out. Their first event was a huge success.
They were over the moon and ready for their second instalment.
And then Covid shut everything down.
Resilience and reinvention
During quarantine, Michael and his DJ partner did small outdoor events. As restrictions eased, the club gave them a weekly residency every Wednesday night on their rooftop patio.
“It was a blast and we did it for a year before we decided to cancel it to focus on other one-off events as well as a new Saturday night club residency at another new club in a nearby city that has been going well.”
Michael also got involved in the Burning Man community, becoming the sound and stage lead for a camp where he runs the sound system, books DJs, and plays sets himself.
He’s opened for big-name acts like Cosmic Gate. He plays house parties and paid private events. He juggles all of this alongside a full-time job at a tech startup.
That New Year’s Eve moment
Which brings us back to that ski resort on New Year’s Eve 2018.
“I’d played the venue before, but this night was different,” Michael remembers. “Everything was in sync and everyone had that transcendent unity that we’re all seeking – ‘the universe was playing through me’ flow that DJs sometimes talk about.”
“I’d had it before, but not like that.”
That moment of total connection – when the DJ, the music, and the crowd become one entity – is what DJing is all about. And it’s a feeling Michael would never have experienced if he’d let imposter syndrome win.
The power of structured learning
Looking back, Michael credits The Complete DJ Course for making his entire DJ career possible.
“The Complete DJ Course was instrumental for me finally taking DJing seriously,” Michael says. “Per the course’s advice, I made a conscious decision about how to carve out the time needed to learn to DJ. I dropped online gaming to focus on DJing.”
“The part about getting out to network and meet people was crucial. People often complain about how everything is about ‘who you know.’ It is absolutely true, but not in the way they think.”
Michael explains that opportunities happen spontaneously. “If you’re not out meeting people and taking part in your local scene, you’ll never be able to take advantage of those opportunities. Sure, some people only book their friends, but there are tonnes of opportunities for new people out there if you put in the time to show up.”
“And showing up is just as important a skill as being able to do fancy transitions or having the best music.”
Words of wisdom
Michael’s advice to his pre-DJ self is characteristically practical:
“There’s an incredible opportunity coming that will give you everything you want – but there’s more to learn than you think. Be humble. Listen to your mentors with both ears. Expect to learn from every gig. Never assume you know what’s going to happen – everything can change with a single song.”
His guidance for aspiring DJs?
“DO IT! It’s one of the most emotionally rewarding things you’ll ever get paid to do. Start with the right information in the right order. Don’t dive into fancy transition tricks or complex gear tutorials on YouTube before you know how you’ll even get a gig.”
“I learned a lot in circles until I found Phil and Digital DJ Tips, and then everything started making sense. Yes, it felt like drinking from a firehose at first, but it was the clarity I needed.”
“And most importantly – don’t rush. This takes time and experience to truly master.”
Finally…
From imposter syndrome to packed dance floors. From an empty club on Tuesday nights to ski resorts on New Year’s Eve. From playing alone in his bedroom to opening for Cosmic Gate.
Michael’s journey proves that structured learning, community connection, and simply showing up can transform anyone from a self-doubting beginner into a confident, working DJ.
“I literally credit my entire DJ career success to finding Digital DJ Tips,” Michael says.
That’s not hyperbole. That’s gratitude for the clarity, structure, and confidence that proper training provides.
The imposter syndrome never really goes away completely, but with the right foundation, you can quiet it enough to let your passion shine through.
And when it does? Magic happens.
Ready to build your DJing confidence?
Michael credits The Complete DJ Course with giving him the clarity and structure he needed to transform from self-doubting beginner to confident working DJ, but we also have a wide selection of DJ and production courses to choose from.
Want everything Michael learned and more? Access All Areas gives you unlimited access to every Digital DJ Tips course, including The Complete DJ Course and all future releases.
