Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to CaSera Heining. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

CaSera, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

My journey to becoming a Full-time DJ is very unique to me. I began DJing as a freshman in Undergrad while pursuing my Bachelors in Radio Broadcasting and DJing just fell into my lap after taking a course on it. Shortly after the course was completed, I began DJing various events ~ all while still being in school full-time, working off-campus at Culvers, and working on campus in the Radio Department. So at first, DJing was something I looked at as a hobby that just so happened to bring in some extra income. And that’s how things remained all 4 years of my college career.

The last time I held a “regular job” was the summer going into my Senior year of college. I had previous been at AMC when an opportunity presented itself to DJ various sports events for one of the Big10 teams in Illinois and my manager refused to approve my schedule to allow me to have the hours to be able to do it – I quit on the spot and took a chance on myself. But the summer going into senior year, I got scared. I didn’t have too many gigs lined up, I wasn’t working as many hours on campus, and my paid internship wasn’t set to start until fall semester. So I panicked and picked up a job at a local car wash…..I was there maybe 3 weeks before I started picking up more gigs and it was causing too many scheduling conflicts. I never put the regular job first, I’d always call off and prioritize the DJ gigs instead.

Once I left the car wash, I told myself that I’d do everything in my power to ensure I was working in the fields I desired – Radio and DJing. And I’ve been doing just that ever since I got my Diploma in 2017. I work Part-time at WGN Radio and continue to prioritize my DJ gigs ~ so now my hobby is my primary source of income and my regular job is my “hobby”.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Lets start with the basics, my name is CaSera Heining, better known as DJ Ca$h Era. I’m a Queer Woman of Color DJ from Chicago and I’ve been DJing for about 9 years now. I went to Columbia College Chicago for Radio and Television from 2013-2017; and I am a first generation college graduate. DJing was never something I imagined I’d be doing, but now I can’t imagine doing anything else in this life.

I learned how to DJ by taking a course called ‘Club DJ 1’ during my freshman year, 1st semester. Once the class concluded, my professor, DJ I.N.C., connected me with a local non-profit called Young Chicago Authors and I began Djing for their poetry slam event called Louder Than a Bomb (now known as Rooted & Radical). That’s the very beginnings of my career. I couldn’t do any bars/clubs yet as I was only 18 at the time. So I stuck to the non-profit sector and college events and quickly got introduced into the corporate sector where I began working with Adidas, Apple, Redbull, and more.
Fast forward to 2017, I graduated top of my class and landed a Part-time Producer position at WGN Radio. I began to really focus on DJing as my main source of income and it’s been that way ever since.

What sets me apart from so many other DJs is that I don’t do this for the money or the fame ~ I DJ for the love of the craft, for the love of connecting with people, and bringing people together through music. I genuinely love what I do. I also think my style sets me apart, I’m an open format DJ with heavy influences from throwbacks (80s, 90s, and early 2000s), and I like to test the boundaries of genres when it comes to mashups.

Throughout my career, I’ve had the honor of working with many notable brands, I’ve played various music festivals including Lollapalooza, My House Music Festival, Pitchfork, Burning Man, and more. I was a member of the Jordan’s Women’s Collective and continue to work with Nike/Jordan on various projects. I play all throughout the Chicagoland area at many venues including Scarlet Bar, Hydrate, Promontory, Soho House, Emporium Arcade Bar, and so many more.

There are so many things that I’m proud of, I think one of the main things being that I’m a queer black woman breaking the stigma/idea that most DJs are men. It’s a very heavily male dominated space and a “boys-club”….I’m causing cracks in their foundation and their norm and I love it. I’m also very proud of the fact that I ensure every venue I DJ at is a safe space for EVERYONE to enjoy themselves. The Club/Bar scene is historically misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, etc. by way of how patrons are treated, the various dress-codes that are enforced, and so many more things. Any venue that I DJ at, people know that all are welcome exactly as they are. Lastly, I’m proud that I’ve made it this far and I’m still going on my own, meaning no manager, no booking agent, etc. I’ve worked with brands I never imaged possible; I’ve performed on stages that I didn’t even dream of because I didn’t think it was possible; I’ve traveled to other countries and cities to perform. I’ve literally crossed almost everything off my vision board and I continue to impress myself with what I’m capable of. I’ve done all of this by staying true to myself and continuing to pour into the communities that believe in me and pour into me.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My primary goal is to be better than myself each year. I try not to compare myself to my male counterparts because our experiences are completely different – I’m faced with so many various issues that they’ll never see or possibly even comprehend. What drives me is my family and friends; the communities that I serve and their desire to see me succeed; and all of the younger DJs coming up after me that see themselves in me. I want them to be able to go further than me and I’m hoping that the trail I’m making now, will allow them to have less hurdles to get through.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think one of the best things people can do to supports artists and creatives is to give local artists the same energy they give mainstream artists. Most people have a friend or know of someone with a small business, that’s a musician, a visual artists, etc. When you see their posts on social media, interact with it – share it, repost/retweet it, go to their shows, buy some of their artwork. We’re so quick to stream the new Drake or Taylor Swift or Bad Bunny albums as soon as they come out, but don’t put the same energy into our friends that released a new EP or project. Play the local artists music, check out local venues and see up-and-coming comedians, performers, etc. Artists don’t get big overnight, they started in your city, playing at those local venues – SO GO SEE THEM. There’s an amazing feeling that comes along with being able to actively watch a local artist/creative grow and begin to receive the recognition they deserve. Instead of waiting for the next big artist to pop-up, go find the local artists in your city and help them become the next big thing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.djcashera.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/djcashera
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/djcashera
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/djcashera