Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to A.V. Hamilton . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
A.V. , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
Well thank you for asking, it’s a pleasure to receive and share information if it can help those interested. I learned how to DJ by first studying music and the effect it had on my family at our reunions. I learned how to songwrite a few years later after learning to produce and design sound. Knowing what I know now, when I was younger I would have asked for turntables and beat machines for presents instead of skateboards lol, but everything happens the way it should. The skills that I think were most essential were those of understanding how to tell a story and get a response out of an audience when it comes to my music, whether I’m commanding a party or writing my own music. The obstacles that stood in the way when I first started my journey was equipment, so for a while I had to invest a lot of time and resources to buying equipment and tools that I needed to properly learn my craft, as the demand for DJing became higher over time. Whether it was a paycheck from the 9-5 job, DoorDash driving, money I’d get sent from a parent, it all went towards music.
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A.V. , 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 field of work is DJing and songwriting. I got into my industry by being aware of the gifts God has blessed me with at a young age. The key to doing something about that awareness for me is putting yourself around those who can teach you something about it. Whatever “it” is, music, architecture, real estate, you have to put that knowledge into action and stick yourself to those who are in a position you’d like to be in one day. The services that I provide now because of said training, outside of the main two that I mentioned, include sound engineering, vocal production and background singing. The problems that I solve for my clients are that of knowing how to get out of the way of a song, and a clear thought of the direction a creative endeavor should go. And that comes with my ability to be present with people, which is what sets me apart from most. Sometimes a productive studio session for me is hours of deep conversation with a person, because whatever we’re working towards will have that much more chemistry poured into it. The spiritual and creative work put in. What I am most proud of up to this point is my project called “Pressure”, a 6 song EP with some of the best music that I’ve made along with my collaborators. It’s available on all music platforms. With that being said, what I would like people to know about my work, projects, events and so on, is that a real experience was created, with great music and soul to escape into while you’re listening. So much of todays content can feel microwaveable, but if AV had a hand in it, that shit had raw ingredients, and was cooked in the oven til it was right. Amen? lol
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is knowing that your gift is always within you. It does not depend on anyone else to be expressed besides yourself. However the progression of it depends on others reception of your art because it has to be good first. So when that song connects, or that creative risk you took moves people, it feeds that confidence of using the gift you have inside you.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I’ve had to unlearn from strict religious upbringing is that you have to be quiet about yourself if you want to be content. Many have the idea of humility in the form of being passive to one’s self and their own endeavors. However I find that it’s advantageous to yourself, at least in this industry, to be loud about what you have going on and to never hesitate to say yes to an opportunity if it is within your capacity to fulfill. The balance comes with being humble about what you don’t know, because no one knows everything and we are always students of the game.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bio.site/AV.Hamilton
- Instagram: @avmixedit
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@avmixedit?si=1VL50QIaIsgDGL4D
Image Credits
Photos: @kylerfranklin1