Daily Inspiration: Meet Sandeep Kumar

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandeep Kumar.

Hi Sandeep, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve wanted to be a DJ pretty much my whole life. I was six years old when my cousins would take me up to their attic, and I’d just sit there and watch them DJ. Once I saw them rock a party, I had pretty much decided that’s what I wanted to do.
When I turned 18, I got a job and saved up enough money to buy my first set of turntables. From there, I started doing local parties for my college and putting out mix CDs. The mix CDs quickly started gaining attention nationwide, and before I knew it, I was touring all over the country to places like New York, San Francisco and Chicago, and eventually headlining some of the biggest Indian events in the U.S.

That success also changed the direction I wanted my life to take. I switched my focus in school from accounting to audio engineering and attended the Los Angeles Recording School. Around that time, though, recording studios were struggling and closing, so I went back to school again and studied Music Business at Musicians Institute. By the time I finished, the record-label side of the industry was going through many of the same problems. Eventually, I went back to a university and earned my degree in Computer Information Systems.

The funny thing is, throughout all of those changes, DJing was the one thing that remained constant. I was still doing local private events like birthdays and weddings the entire time. That side of the business just continued to grow, and it’s actually what I primarily do today.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely NOT been a smooth road! From bigger challenges like the COVID shutdowns and 2008 financial recession, to experiencing the music industry pretty much go bankrupt because of illegal music downloading, there have been some huge changes that were very difficult to adapt to.
Most people would probably say they’ve learned some profound lesson from every challenge in their business journey, but honestly, some of this stuff was just freak occurrences that I don’t think anyone could reasonably prepare for. I never would have imagined that venues around the world would be shut down for over a year, and realistically, how do you prepare for something like that?
Beyond those bigger challenges, being able to connect with so many different crowds and musical genres requires a tremendous amount of research, trial and error, and just learning how to read a crowd. That’s an ongoing challenge no matter how long you’ve been doing this. I think reading a crowd is probably the greatest skill a DJ can have, but it’s also the most rewarding. The musical connection is so special to me.

There have definitely been some rough gigs along the way, but I’ve never given up on a crowd. I’ll keep working at it and changing things up until I find what connects with them and make sure people have a good time.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m primarily a DJ, but over the years that’s expanded into a lot of other areas. I also specialize in remixing and producing, MC’ing, sound and lighting system setups, and event entertainment coordination and consultation.

I’m probably best known for Indian music and for my mixing ability, which really comes from my younger days playing clubs, colleges, concerts and touring. That background has carried over heavily into what I do today. A lot of the events I DJ now are very multicultural, so I might be mixing Indian music with Hip-Hop, EDM, Top 40, Latin, throwbacks or just about anything else. Being able to move between all of those genres naturally and read a really diverse crowd has become a big part of what I do.

I’d say what I’m most proud of, though, is my reputation. People will sometimes refer to me as a ‘legend,’ which honestly always sounds funny to me, but at the same time, it means a lot. I’ve been doing this for a long time, so knowing that I’ve left that kind of impression on people and that they still remember the events, mixes or performances from different points in my career is probably more meaningful to me than any individual accomplishment.

As far as what sets me apart, I think it’s probably my passion for DJing. I’m the only DJ I know who always has at least one full DJ setup at home just for my own personal DJ sets—and usually it’s actually nicer than what I bring to gigs! At home there’s no client, no schedule and no particular crowd I have to play for. I can tap into the music on a much more personal level and just connect to my core inner DJ.

Even after doing this for all these years, I’m still obsessed with finding new and interesting music. I’m constantly digging for songs, remixes and different sounds. DJing started as something I genuinely loved doing, and after making a career out of it, I think the fact that I still love doing it even when nobody is watching probably says more about my passion for it than anything else.

What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is making sure people have the best time I can possibly provide. The people and their energy are really the fuel that keeps me going. There have been so many times throughout my career where I know I’ve made someone’s night—whether it was just a casual night out or one of the most important nights of their life.
That’s always meant a lot to me. With weddings especially, you realize that you’re getting to be a part of a moment that people may remember for the rest of their lives. Knowing that I had some part in making that memory special is probably the most rewarding part of what I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.SandeepKumar.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sk_event_ent/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sandeep.Kumar.DJ and https://www.facebook.com/SKEventEntertainment/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SupaSandeep
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sandeepkumar

Image Credits
William_Short_Photography (only the picture of me in the jacket_