i've been djing for 8 years, but technically my journey started long before that. a good majority of my adolescent years were spent glued to the computer on limewire downloading music (illegally lol) and curating the perfect mix cds as gifts for my friends. when i was around 11ish years old, my parents gifted me with a very wonky cd mixer from target that i played around with...but as a pre-teen (with undiagnosed adhd), i got frustrated that i wasn't 'great' at using it so i kept it under my bed. even though that mixer might've died, my love for music and interest in djing never did lol.
at the start of 2016, i was contributing a music blog (HOFisbetter) and was also curating playlists on soundcloud with cool edits i discovered while poking around. one day i got the idea to try and create my own edit, which eventually led me into creating a full mix. but here's the catch: i didn't have any dj equipment/hardware...i did it all on logic pro.
also, i had never even used logic pro before...but i was committed to creating a mix just to experiment. i think the whole process took me about 8 consecutive hours and i shared it to soundcloud right away. i have no idea how it happened, but it gained a lot of traction and that mix currently has 108k+ plays as of today.
i actually cringe when i listen to it now, because it is very obvious that i had no idea what i was doing...but let me not get too critical on myself, because this is what really started it all for me. here's that mix below (eeeek) 👇
from january-march 2016 i kept making mixes on soundcloud (via logic pro lmao), and my roommate at the time started taking dj lessons. as a gift for her birthday, i bought her a Pioneer DDJ-SB so she could use it at home. after her dj lessons wrapped up, she ended up never really using it...so of course, i picked it up and started messing around. i mean, come on...how was i doing so great releasing "mixes" on soundcloud and i had never even touched a live mixer before?
long story short, i got obsessed and couldn't stop practicing. i taught myself completely – i didn't use youtube, didn't read any tutorials. at the time, my dj friends (or lack thereof) were lowkey unhelpful so i didn't feel comfortable asking. it's also important to note that there were very few women djs in my personal network. and generally speaking, there were a lot of gatekeep-y vibes when it came to welcoming new hopefuls into the mix.
when my friends booked me to perform at #HOFDAY music festival in sacramento, i was f*cking terrified but i said yes. metro boomin was the headliner, and the lineup was stacked with local and national talent...i did not feel ready. i practiced my ass off in the days leading up to it and had one of the opening slots. i'm pretty sure the festival was sold out (it was a full-day event) – during my set the doors had just opened and the audience consisted of 20 close friends and vendors that were setting up. i was still SO nervous, but it's a day i'll never forget.
in spring-ish(?) 2017, i attended this really awesome beginner dj workshop hosted by Kittens – it was created exclusively for women. i picked up some solid djing techniques there, but the most valuable *thing* i learned from that workshop is this: support other djs and always share your knowledge with newcomers. that workshop changed my entire trajectory – especially because i was still a new dj and still didn't feel 'welcomed' to ask for help from others. so as i developed my personal skills as a dj, i became an open book (and still am) –– anytime someone reaches out or expresses they want to start djing, i never (ever!!!!) gatekeep.
later that summer, i secured my first weekly residency at this spot called Little Bar in mid-city los angeles. that's where i really got to grow my talent...those days were a lot of fun.
following that, i connected with a booking agent in 2018 and got to play at luxury hotels and corporate events all around socal. i still do that sometimes, but tbh i found out how much of a percentage that 'agent' was taking...so now i prefer take the self-booking route because hell nah.
it was a random night in february at my weekly residency when i got approached by a couple guys that worked @ goldenvoice. one of them asked me, "do you want to open for The Dream in a couple weeks at the novo?" – um, yes i do.
that was one of my most 'monumental' dj experiences ever and was the first large stage/audience i had ever played on. again, i was terrified and nervous but i did the damn thing. i stayed connected with those goldenvoice guys and they booked me for more big shows through 2018 and 2019. (just to name a few: alina baraz, ella mai, and a huge sold out comedy show at the microsoft theater)
after my big stage moment in 2018, i stayed booked and busy all the way up until the pandemic. i said yes to almost every opportunity, which led me to doing a lot of really cool gigs. i'm not going to sit here and list every single venue, gig, or client, but the list is deep when i really think about it. djing has really taken me places i didn't even expect to go.
while saying "yes" a lot brought me in some dope situations, it also led me to a lot of burnout. i was overly booked as a dj, while maintaining a full-time job and another part-time gig as a fitness instructor. once the pandemic hit, i got a lot of time to reflect on how i wanted to shape my future as a dj...because everything moved so fast for me prior to that.
i gotta remind myself every now and then that every single awesome djing opportunity happened just by being present and at the right place, right time. i never put effort into marketing myself as a dj and didn't spend much time trying to seek out bookings. that part is still kinda wild to me...because imagine what could've happened if i actually tried to focus on 'branding' myself as a dj?
i never wanted to be a full-time dj, i started doing it 8 years ago because i simply enjoyed it and that still remains true for me today. this means i've stopped saying "yes" to gigs that limit my creativity + don't excite me. i dj because i genuinely have fun doing it –– when i solely focus on djing for this reason, it brings me to the coolest places and connections i could ever imagine. passion before profit, all day everyday.
<3
anyways, if you've made it this far...thank you for reading. byeeeeee
annelisa
