Today we’d like to introduce you to Dj A.k.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
In my past life I worked in visual merchandising, in 2013 I was laid off from my corporate job and used my severance payout to pursue DJ’ing. I bought a laptop, enrolled in Scratch Academy (W. LA) and a year later completed their DJ certification program. I failed my final exam and had to re-take my last class BTW. Post graduation I struggled through beginner DJ rates/gigs, lugging around turntables while juggling part time jobs to supplement my income. In 2018 the gigs became better quality and became more consistent. Like the rest of the world, 2020 brought my business to a complete standstill so I was nudged to get on Twitch to live stream my DJ sets. Streaming has a big learning curve, it’s like producing a live TV show at home but I was able to get some help and grow my channel into a pretty lucrative community. My business thrived virtually, I made a lot of connections with DJs, corporate brands and met some amazing people I’m still friends with. Collaborating with so many different people and playing so much music was a game changer. I came out of the Pandemic a better DJ. Looking back I was in a season of complacency, at six years in I was no longer prioritizing prepping/practicing like I did when I started DJ’ing. Instead of showing up to gigs 1-2 hours prior I would arrive sometimes with as little as a twenty minute window. To be completely transparent I thought I was a better DJ than I was at that time. Lockdown created a routine where I literally clocked thousands of hours of playing time, The rigorous schedule five days a week, several hours per stream was huge. Those two years made me fearless on the decks, having the time to develop that gift was priceless. It’s freeing to take chances and feel confident in those choices when you play. No matter how long you’ve been doing something practice is one of the most important aspects of your career. Always a student.
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?
I’m a black woman who started DJ’ing in my 30s in a male dominated field. One of the biggest struggles was staying excited about the thing even when the thing is not producing financial results and opportunities I desired. I didn’t understand there’s a developmental period that happens from beginner to intermediate. People don’t owe you anything, they’re not being malicious by not booking you. It’s not personal, it’s a business. I look back and realize a lot of gigs I coveted I wasn’t t ready for. I also made the mistake of thinking I could do everything alone and people would just figure out who I was and book me… LOL! Since I realized how important community is I’m reaping the benefits of that support, having people to collaborate with and bounce ideas off of has been monumental. My DJ bag was stolen in 2019, every single thing I used and needed to work was in that bag including all of my music I had accumulated over six years. I was DEVASTATED, little did I know that was the best thing that could’ve happened to me. So many DJs helped me put the pieces back together with my music and my DJ insurance covered the expenses I had to replace my gear. I truly understood in that moment it literally takes a village. That experience lit a fire inside of me to fall in love with DJ’ing again and take a serious look at what I needed to do to elevate my business.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m an open format DJ, I specialize in clean mixing/beat matching and programming. I’m most proud of taking a leap of faith to learn a completely new skillset almost ten years into my career. In 2018 my interest was peaked on the creation side of things but when I initially inquired about my school of choice it was too expensive. Shortly after the pandemic I had an opportunity to receive some grants/scholarships for said school and at the top of 2023 I enrolled in their accelerated music production program. I probably cried once a week… I know I cried once a week. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, it’s still hard, my work flow is at a turtle’s pace but I stuck it out and graduated in May summa cum laude. I wouldn’t encourage acquiring student loan debt to learn production but if you’re like me, need the structure and struggle with self teaching do your best to get as much of your education paid for as possible. My professionalism sets me apart from others, I always provide the most elevated experience I can for my clients from initial inquiry to the follow up email post event. People having pleasurable experiences working with you is sometimes more important than skillset.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Adapting to new technology and practices to become more of an artist is my new priority. For open format DJs there is a ceiling, you can make great money DJ’ing and not touch a club but there is only so far you can go. If you’re not on tour with an artist, on the radio or have successfully created a big brand party a song can provide a breakthrough that can take you around the world. I’m actively working to create opportunities that provide me the option of not having to always rely on being be booked for an event or party.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sheisdjak.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/sheisdjak/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsaRhBbAZmgsyT7lbyxUN4A
Image Credits
Lucratif Photography
