We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Calesta Ahola a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Calesta, appreciate you joining us today. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?

Outside of a few years as a full time DJ, I spent most of my adult life balancing a regular full time job with DJing on the weekends. As tiring as it can be, I’m grateful because I have learned so much of my discipline and organizational skills from my “day jobs”. A lot of times, I see other creatives struggle with the business end of music- promotion, marketing, scheduling, etc. Even something as small as returning an email in a decent amount of time can be the difference between a new residency or a burnt bridge.

I remember trying to work with a collaborative, creative group a few years ago, and ended up walking away from the situation because we just could not get on the same page about professionalism when it came to our goals. The musical connection was there. We put on amazing shows together! Unfortunately, it just wasn’t going to go anywhere without us all being able to meld in a business-sense, as well as musically.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Cal, but on stage I go by “ANNALXG”. I’ve been DJing since 2014 and producing since about 2019(ish). I’ve played just about any kind of show you can think of- open mics, clubs, weddings, corporate parties, fashion shows, drag shows, parades, festivals, etc. I take great pride in being flexible enough to provide whatever the party of the night requires, but my passion lies in open format and house music. I started DJing in Milwaukee, WI and made my way to Kansas City, Missouri before I landed here in Savannah!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

After living and performing in a few different large cities, it’s really apparent which venues care for the music and the culture, versus which venues are there for the paycheck.

The first and most important thing bar and club owners need to do to support creatives, is PAY YOUR ARTISTS. It may look easy to do, but the cost of equipment alone (which we are required to provide at our own risk at most venues) is enough to prevent a creative from being able to move forward in their career. In addition to equipment cost, think about the amount of hours they have invested in practicing to be able to make it look easy! Now add equipment, hours, on top of investments in record pools or song purchases so they can legally play those songs at your venue, AND inflation. When is the last time you raised your DJ’s base rate?

Second, and this one is for other artists in the community, don’t undercut other DJs! It’s so frustrating seeing DJs accept a free gig or a $50 gig just for exposure. You are lowering the expectations for the owners and hurting yourself in the future. Talk to DJs in your city that have regular residencies and find out what they are charging. You can make small adjustments for your experience and equipment, but request what you deserve. If that gig won’t pay you, another one will. Have the confidence to walk away.

This last point might seem like the most simple, but it’s the most important- go out and support others! Venues need that foot traffic to keep their doors open. Not to mention, you’ll end up meeting other creatives who will stick around and support your shows.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I have to throw a special thanks to my good friend and mentor, Christian Caicedo, for this book recommendation. He talks endlessly about “The Go Giver” by Bob Burg on his[Christian’s] podcast, “Electronic Dance Money”. It took me a while to break down and read it because my attention span for books is close to non-existent, but as soon as I picked it up, I was hooked.

This book is written as a short story, so it’s an easy read for those of you who have similar feelings towards books. For as quick as it was, it changed my entire outlook on my music career, my relationship, and my life. Instead of relentlessly going after my goals in the attempt to be successful, I started relentlessly trying to support others. I HIGHLY recommend this book to creatives, non-creatives, and everyone in between!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://soundcloud.com/annalxg
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annalxg_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annalxg
• Other: https://www.mixcloud.com/Annalxg/

Image Credits
Brian Rendon