That's what i thought when my then 17 year old son told me, "Pop, i want to be a composer. But i don't think i'll ever make money doing that. So i want my day job to be in music. I will be a damn good DJ."

My answer, "You ass. You're so damn talented, what are you going to do, play records other people made?"

It took me about 8 months to realize that DJ'ing was a new instrument, with all the possibilities that entails. I'm forever glad i came to that realization without wasting years being an old fogey.

DJs, albeit amateurs, twiddling knobs and playing records doesn't meet the criteria.

PS. In an interview for a music mag, after his pioneering success in being one of the earliest house DJ's making the Frisco scene famous (and after him being the first western DJ to play Beijing), he was asked to comment on the effect of some of his best work. His answer: "There's some kid (twiddling knobs) in his bedroom somewhere tonight, who will blow us all away in a few months." or something to that effect.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin