We recently connected with Chloé Padilla and have shared our conversation below.

Chloé, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

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

First off, my name is Chloé Padilla. I was born in Guanajuato, Mexico, and adopted as a newborn. I spent the first 9 years of my life in Arizona. My family and I then moved to Orange County, California, where I have been ever since. I have always had a love for music and the arts. A love that has not stopped growing. I have always known I would work in the entertainment industry since a young age. Months after I graduated high school, I reached out to a friend named Gilbert, who went to my K-8 with me and was already DJing. He was very open to teaching me the basics. This was back in November 2016. I suddenly returned to the University of Arizona (where I attended one semester) with a Traktor X1 and started practicing in my dorm. During this time, my mother’s health was beginning to decline, and I soon then came back home for good and started taking classes in Communications and Audio Programming and Production at my local community college. By the time I arrived back home in December of 2016, Gilbert and my other friends already had a gig lined up for us. It was a house party for New Year’s Eve 2017.
With the support of my friends, I became addicted. A month later, for my birthday, I received a $100 gift card to Guitar Center from another friend who DJ’ed, and I bought a $ 156-floor model Traktor S2, which I used for the next 6 years. I used my Traktor S2 to create many mixes that were more like journal entries than mixes. An audio diary of sorts. In 2017/2018, my mom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, and I was still navigating my higher education journey. It was not until 2019 that I started getting gigs and investing more in volunteer work and coordination. 2019 was a prominent year for me. I involved myself with the Parkinson’s Foundation. I started fundraising, organizing a team for Moving Day OC, and putting my name out there as a DJ. Obviously, 2020 took a hit on the world, and I focused on creating more mixes. Trying to engage and tap into the collective feeling of the world. Some of the best mixes I created were during this time. My audio-producing classes came to a halt.
In May 2020, I started volunteering with Second Harvest Food Bank and continued to do this for almost 2 1/2 years. In June 2020, my mom had a 6-hour-long Deep Brain Stimulation surgery for her Parkinson’s. A lot was going on. But I honestly found myself during this time of awakening. In light of this, I got into Loyola Marymount University to finish my Communications Studies degree and start my own little business/network in what I call ‘sanctuaryw/’. I produced my first solo event at a particular warehouse in Garden Grove for my 25th birthday. Soon after that – almost a year ago, I was offered a job to start producing and coordinating community events geared towards the Latinx and Queer communities.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

A particular goal and mission that drives my creative journey is my friends and family. I have seen and continue to visit the sometimes hidden creative traits those around me are too afraid to fully step into. I aim to recognize and showcase people’s talents to the world. We often get caught up in our daily lives to survive. Suppose I can give anyone the platform to get out of their comfort zone or work with me to create a song, event, memorable night, etc. In that case, I am truly stepping into my purpose.
Along with my family and friends being a driving force in my journey, my volunteer work and critical theory courses at LMU have also pushed me to step into my purpose. The traction I get from my art and platform can only help raise more awareness for causes that are near and dear to my heart, such as a cure for Parkinson’s Disease and food insecurity. I see it this way: as I continue to gain knowledge and access resources that most people do not have, I can take what I have learned and share it with others. Knowledge is wealth, and the sky is the limit for growing together.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/chlopadillaa
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chlo%C3%A9-padilla-339171146/
• Other: SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/chlopadillaa Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7vDNDLZUAJE1m6nihI16FB?si=pW2LiC4bThu-ryMOtj5ebQ

Image Credits
Jacob Morales – @jxmoraless Juan Gutierrez – @lifeinpixels.jp Alan Escalante – @twinlensproductions