Rhythms of the Market: Will Page's Journey from DJ Booth to Music Economist

Once A DJ

In this unique, rhythm-infused podcast episode, we dive deep into the life of Will Page, a DJ turned first-ever economist in the music industry. We begin by tracing Will's foray into the DJing scene and his philosophy of delivering music without crossing over boundaries. His deep-rooted respect for lyrics and the power they hold is explored, while hinting at the profound impact certain songs have on us throughout our lives.

As the conversation progresses, we delve into the flipside of digital technology's scalability - the loss of shared, intimate experiences in music. Will passionately discusses his favorite bands, such as Queen and Jungle Brothers, revealing how his fascination with economics came to life at a young age, eventually leading him to make a remarkable career shift.

We learn about Will's journey to becoming the first economist in the music industry, which started by wrestling with British laws about swimming in local waters and learning how to think like an economist. As he developed his DJing skills, he kept his connection to the music strong by resonating with the individualistic ethos of hip-hop culture and continuously cherishing the journey of discovery.

In the latter part of the discussion, we get insights into Will's time as a resident DJ, maintaining the lyrical integrity of Jungle Brothers, and his initiation into the world of writing. His experiences with Straight No Chaser and his philosophy of creating your own job descriptions give us a fascinating look into his non-traditional career path.

Finally, we discuss Will's work with Spotify, how it saved the music industry, and his understanding of the economic aspects of music. The conversation concludes with his fond memories of Miami and some valuable advice for those starting out in DJing. This episode is a must-listen for music enthusiasts and budding DJs alike. It's packed with anecdotes and insights, all beautifully woven together through the language of economics and a love for the beat.

Summary

• How did you get into Djing? 0:00
• How adam got into DJing.
• Getting the music across without crossing over.
• Getting the message across without crossing over.
• The power of the lyric.
• How old were you when you heard that song? 3:12
• Music that sticks with you for the rest of life.
• The hairstyle analogy.
• The internet can scale just about anything, but cannot scale intimacy.
• Music has never been more valuable.
• The loss of the shared experience of music. 7:38
• Lack of intimacy in the music industry.
• The journey of getting to jungle brothers.
• In days to come by
• Queen, all four members of the band can sing.
• Hip-hop and the public enemy. 10:42
• Public enemy, public enemy and anthrax.
• Jungle brothers, bill cosby and the forces.
• Economics coming to life at a young age.
• British kids drowning in british waters.
• How did you get into economics? 15:52
• Swimming in british water is illegal.
• The economics of swimming in British water.
• Becoming the first ever economist in the music industry.
• How to think like an economist.
• Do you think the Jungle Brothers resonated with you? 18:49
• Hip hop as a culture and lyrics that resonates with him.
• The empathy instinct.
• Hip hop culture is individualistic and individualistic.
• The ikea effect and the journey of discovery.
• The importance of physical and mental memory.
• The ibee barrett homes deal.
• How did you develop yourdjing skills? 25:50
• From cassette tapes to mixtape culture.
• The importance of liner notes for a mixtape.
• How did you get into Djing? 28:31
• The start of DJing at Glasgow university.
• The funky low lights from ckman.
• Building a reputation with mixtapes and australian dance Troupe.
• Being a resident DJ.
• Residencies and mental time. 33:38
• Residency vs one-off sets.
• How to stay true to the jungle brothers lyric ethic.
• Working in the civil service. 36:24
• Staying in Scotland and getting his big break writing for straight no chaser.
• Aussie jazz in rotterdam and deep rumba in holland
• Learning how to write and how to structure.
• The book on writing well by william zinsser, white cover blue letters on writing.
• Learning to write for yourself. 42:55
• Writing for yourself vs writing for others.
• The importance of starting a paragraph with words.
• Finding an incredible drum break for every beat.
• Writing for straight no chaser.
• Bahama is not just for hip hop heads.
• The bahama diaz effect.
• Don’t wait for your job description. create your job descriptions. 49:00
• Not comparing himself to bahama deer.
• Becoming the first economist in the music business.
• Digital ends up wrecking the music industry's picnic.
• Auction design and auction design.
• Work-life balance. 54:17
• Getting turned down for a job in Edinburgh.
• Work-life balance in Scotland.
• Highlife roots reggae and passing clouds.
• West African band 99% west african audience.
• Taking highlife to the next level. 58:16
• Taking highlife to the next level.
• The peak of highlife in London.
• Once in a lifetime, talking heads by
• Start a spotify as the chief economist.
• How Spotify saved the music industry. 1:02:27
• How spotify saved the music business.
• The history of the music industry in Europe.
• Broken record in the music streaming industry.
• Bbc radio vs spotify.
• Understanding the economics of the music business. 1:07:31
• Why spotify pays more than radio per listener.
• How many times a day a listener needs to read a letter from spotify.
• Stepping down from spotify for full-time writing.
• Mixcloud and what it means to him.
• The best thing about Miami. 1:13:24
• Meet emilio estefan, willie clark and jj women.
• The best thing about Miami is its history.
• Key pieces of advice for starting out with DJing.
• Learn the history of Kansas City.