We were lucky to catch up with Carlos Duarte DJ StyleS recently and have shared our conversation below.
Carlos Duarte, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I will always give credit were credit is due, to my mentors Jeff, Foster, and Sway. These men have guided me and taught me most of my skills. Now I said most because I had to put in the work and creativity but they gave me the tools to succeed.
Honestly I think that to learn quicker, you have to listen and I didn’t always want to listen. To me that’s the most essential skill to have in order to learn anything, not just DJing.
Now what stands in my way of learning more is time. Having to DJ 40 hours a week plus prep time, Content Making, Music Researching and well life it is sometimes hard to find time to learn something new. When you do find the time to improve then the possobilities are endless specially with music
Carlos Duarte, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My stage name is Dj Styles, I am from the DMV area and have been djing for a little over a decade now. I would describe my style of music as open format, meaning I can curate vibes for every genre, nationality and background. Although my main focus has been the club scene, djing the hottest spots in the DMV area, I have recently started dedicating time to weddings, corporate parties and overall private events.
I got into the industry at a young age through a DJ program provided by Arlington County, in this program I was given the opportunity to learn a new skill, while also acquiring a great mentor that to this day has guided me through my professional career. Shout out Jeff! He was a key role in the introduction of DJ Styles.
I have had the opportunity to work with a diverse group of people, I have learned that the key to helping my clients is making sure there is a clear line of communication and that the ideas they bring, is being done and even exceded. This help me with all types of clients, wether that is with wedding clients talking about their first dance. Or giving owners/managers of venues ideas to elevate parties or private events. I am always looking for ways to improve their experiences.
I think what sets me apart from others is my ability to absorb new techniques and new information that multiple DJs have encouraged me to pursue. While implementing my own style, I try to think outisde the box and making sure to go above and beyond.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
It has to be the chills and goosebumps I get when myself, the crowd, my friends and even staff are all in synchronisation to the beat of the song. It gives me such a euphoric feeling when we are all in that state of mind together.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Allowing society to comprehend that us DJs will not conform to pleasing individuality. The crowd is our number one critic and we want to ensure that our style and performance is kept in tact while also maintaining the vibes. 
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bookextraordinary.com/dj-styles/
- Instagram: Iamdjstyles
Image Credits
@heartvslogic – IG @theo.setse – IG @dwaicreations – IG