Today we’d like to introduce you to Juliet Mendoza.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I come from a very musical back round. Mother- Singer, Disco Dancer/Father- Bass Player, Music Lover. At a very young age, my parents put me in dance from ballet to hip-hop. Music and dance have been a very big part of my life. It has helped me overcome many of my hardships and downfalls. It is my therapy, the only place I know that I am not wrong.
I started dancing in the LA House scene at 13 years old. I made life long friends and family in this city. I worked for Go-Ventures in my 20’s and met many amazing people and artist. Dancing was my thing for so many years, and then the Music took over. At the age of 26, I found my parents records again and started to play them for therapeutic reasons.
Depression, anxiety, life, motherhood, and mistakes kicked in really fast around that time. I had to learn how to live my life all over again. Dance and music have always put some amazing people in my life, like my Dance family OpenHouse. So from playing in my living room for myself to playing for friends, I ended up playing at my first gig for a party called Link’D at Medusa Lounge in 2011 (B-Love).
I was able to express so much through the music, I had no idea I could move people the way that the Dj has always moved me. It was life-changing. What a way to give life to someone in need of movement! I have learned so much from playing music in different places. Music is the messenger; Dance is the language in my eyes. Have you ever just watched a room with people dancing… it is so beautiful, to watch no one care.
Being a female in this industry has also been a very big challenge. I feel that you have to make sure you have all your ducks in a row before you play with the big boys. Don’t get me wrong, there are many men in the industry that are kind and want to be mentors and helpful. I can say that I have been blessed with great mentors. This is why my partner Megan Berardi aka Sassacrat and I decided to start Jill’s House.
It is a platform for womxn identified DJs to share their sound with the house community here in Los Angeles. We want to give the ladies some shine time. That is really hard to find for many of the up and coming in the community. We started in September of 2018 with Dj Kerry Simester. We want the artist to be able to be themselves and play their style.
House music comes in many different forms, so it is a very special night every time we have a party. Not only do we have DJs come and play but we also feature dancers that are a part of the house dance community. It is important to us that we have the conversation that is needed with the dance floor and the DJ. Experience is everything, making memories and having a great time.
We are so excited to be able to do this and bring these talented womxn from around the world to share. This summer we are happy to announce the Jack and Jill series so please stay tuned! Jill’s House is located at Apt 503 in K-town, you can find us on Facebook and Instagram for more details to the party. It is every 3rd Thursday of the month.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I won’t say that anything in life is smooth. Managing work, music, djing, and my personal life has to be the biggest challenge. I think trying to sleep in between gigs and travel has been the hardest on me. Being healthy and staying healthy is key.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Jill’s House story. Tell us more about the business.
My partner and I started Jill’s House in September of 2018, It is a Platform for womxn identified DJs to share their talent with the house community. We want to be able to give the artist shine time and let them do their thing.
We are open to the sounds of house music. It comes in many forms and has created many different movements. We also feature dancers from the dance community to share their love of dance. It creates a language between the dance floor and the Dj, which makes our party unique in the sense that the ladies run the show.
We are a party that has flip the tables and set the bill to create a big female presence. I would say I am proud that we have opened doors and are making opportunities possible for up and coming artist and womxn in the house scene.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck and being in the right place at the right time with the right mind has been a big thing for me. I met my mentors and house family because of lady luck. I don’t believe in bad luck just bad choices. So I am grateful for everyone that has helped me with this journey.
Contact Info:
- Address: Apt 503 Lounge in K-town
- Email: jillshouse.la@gmail.com
- Instagram: @jillshouse_la
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jillshouseLA/
Image Credit:
Narek Petrosyan , Shelly Leung
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