Since this is my site, I figure I should tell you where I come from. People are always asking me where I was born, where I grew up, what my childhood was like, why I wanted to become a DJ and how I went about learning to DJ and basically what path in life got me to the point where I am today. I’ll actually go more into the Djing portion in a later post, but for now, suffice it to say that I learned how to become a DJ from my good friend DJ Mac. You may or may not have heard of him, but today he teaches millions how to DJ through his website.
As for me, I was actually born in South America. Specifically, I was born in Bolivia. My father was a research biologist and we moved around a lot growing up. Actually don’t remember Bolivia at all, since I only lived there for a short period of time, just over a year actually. Nevertheless, it is the place of my birth. After Bolivia, we moved several times to various countries in South America, but only stayed in each for a month or two. Obviously, I don’t remember any of this.
When I was almost 3, we finally moved to the US. Once I started school, my mom decided to pursue her passion in life once again. She had put it on hold for me once she learned she was pregnant and even before that, she had put it on hold for my dad. But now that she was back in the US and that she had the days free with me in school, she decided to get back into music.
She is probably the main reason I became interested in music myself and the reason I wanted to become a DJ. She always had a sick DJ setup made up of all the best DJ equipment. My man DJ Mac has a lot of info on buying DJ equipment on his site, too, so check that out.
My mom is also where I get my musical talent. It certainly does not come from my father who is completely tone deaf. My mom actually played several instruments and worked mostly as a producer, creating tracks for others. She did do some DJing as well, though. When she did, she mostly spun her own tracks, like I try to do myself today. Of course, this was not always possible. Many of the gigs she worked had very strict requirements for what kind of music they wanted her to play and she never had a problem doing this. Her main concern was that everyone in the crowd was having a great time.
As I was growing up I got more and more interested in what my mom was doing and she loved that I took this interest. She loved showing me the ropes and teaching me how to spin records and also teaching me how to create new tracks. She also made sure to impart her philosophy. She wanted me to play music for myself and for the love of it, but also for the crowd. She wanted to make sure that no matter what I did, where I played and for whom I played, I always kept the crowd’s interest in mind first and foremost.
Just like she had always done, she wanted me to make sure that everyone was having a great time. I loved this selfless attitude, but in reality it is not entirely selfless. If everyone is having a great time at your shows, the word will get out, your crowds get bigger, your career will take off and you will make more money.
Today I am a relatively successful DJ and the fact that I am one is down to my mother. The lessons she taught me growing up as well as the DJ skills she taught me have made me into the person I am today. I am very grateful to her and will continue repaying her through my music. The pride I see in her eyes when she comes to one of my shows means more to me than any other rewards my career has provided.
If you’re interested in female DJs, here is a list of the ten best.
