In school, I am constantly reminded that being open-minded and exploring new things would help me grow and become a well-rounded person. So, aside from my passion for football, I have also ventured into music.

Music has actually been a constant presence in my life.

I vividly remember: I was in my room while the record player was blasting out the theme song of “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” This struck me because I knew I could change the drop of the song to one of Will Smith’s hits in the ’90s, “Boom! Shake The Room.”

I created a mashup on GarageBand, an application on my Mac, then voilà! I was  impressed by the end result.

More mashups

From then on, with the help of the Internet, I started researching on how to make more mashups until I found the website DJCity. This gave me the idea to become a DJ.

I tried it as a new hobby. For me, it brought my knowledge of music to a whole new level.

Playing DJ is basically like writing. What you write does not end with the last period you wrote on your piece. In fact, it is continuously being re-lived once others read the piece.

If my interest in music in the past was just about the artists and songs I liked, being a DJ taught me that this time I could be the artist and creatively mix and play music for others to hear.

Since I did not have the proper equipment for DJs yet, I downloaded applications. I started with Virtual DJ, but I found the app too mind-boggling and messy.

Gladly I found DJay—one of the most popular apps for virtual DJ-ing on the App Store today.

Back in the day when records meant vinyl, DJ-ing was a cool job even if the pay, they say, was low. How I started was not exactly the most ideal way to learn how to DJ, but then again my goal was not really to become a professional DJ.

I just wanted to try it out.

I continued learning from the app and  got myself used to it. I stared recording my own mixes.

I think the best mix I made was a progressive house mix. It was a two-song mix of “Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap and “We Come Running” by Youngblood Hawke.

From there my confidence grew, so I thought of saving up for my first DJ Controller, the simpler versions of the CDJs you see in clubs nowadays.

And depending on your preference, you can choose from an array of controllers offered by world-renowned music brands such as Pioneer, Vestax, Denon, Numark and Traktor.

The DJ Controller was a game changer. The fact that it is hands-on and realistic, it helped me learn more and delve into DJ-ing. It was also convenient. I could use it anytime to sharpen my skills in mixing.

There are a lot of aspiring DJs especially since EDM (electronic dance music) has made DJs such as Hardwell, Avicii, Steve Aoki, Steve Angello, Nicky Romero and many others world-famous.

So, the competition to get gigs is pretty hard. That is why having a profile on MixCloud and/orSoundCloud is pretty vital.

I actually have my own MixCloud account where I post my promomixes. It helps me become known and book gigs.

Seeing people dance to the music I’m playing is such an ecstatic feeling of connection with the crowd. I’m extremely blessed as well to have friends such as Gaby Herbosa, Mikko Abello, Bcal and Johnnyverse from Style Entertainment. Because of them my interest in DJ-ing grew even more.

Nowadays, I get to enjoy more exciting stuff by spinning not only at school events but also in Aracama Manila.

DJ-ing will always be in my heart. I love its artistry and the connection it builds.