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

DJ, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I learned the basics of how to DJ when I decided one day to download and try a program called VirtualDJ! I remember seeing someone post a video of how they did their song transitions on there and I was like, wow that looks cool, let me try it! I remember being so intrigued by it and started to mess around with song transitions and learning the basics. What really took it to the next level was when I finally bought a physical DJ controller. It was really cool using the knowledge I learned from practicing it digitally and actually using buttons and faders to transition between songs. Practicing and learning your controller is definitely essential so you can know what to do if something goes wrong or so you can learn new tricks! Around the time I got into DJing, I also got into Music Producing. At first, I was messing with GarageBand and make songs and beats using the samples that was inside of the program. Eventually, I started to learn the basics of how to do music producing with a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) named Ableton 9, such as just making simple beats or making a mash up by using the instrumental of one and and the acapella of another. After a while, I started to take more interest in music producing and started to research and learn how to make songs and how to use plug ins such as Serum and such. Eventually, I did end up taking a Music Production course at Garnish Music Production School in LA and it honestly was really helpful in honing my skill and learning new tricks and learning how to make a track properly. Honestly, time is the biggest obstacle that stands in the way. You definitely need to practice in order to learn how to make your DJ sets better, or taking the time to mess with music production and learning new tricks and skills.

DJ, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Definitely! My name is Kevin, also known as DJ Kevanator. I’m a DJ from Southern California and got into the DJing industry when I DJed for Avalon Hollywood and We Love Kandy back in 2017 until 2020. After that, I started to DJ more in 2021 when I got the opportunity to perform at bars and clubs and it opened up many other opportunities ever since then. At the moment, I do DJ for bars and clubs around the LA County area such as for Don Sals Cocina & Cantina, Yaamava, Foodieland and others,and also do private events such as birthdays, weddings, quinces and graduations and more. I also have a YouTube Channel that has amassed more than 75k+ Subscribers. One thing that I do to try and set myself apart is to not use the same song order for each mix or for each time I DJ! One of the things that always brings me happiness and pride is seeing the crowd having a great time with each other and the music because of course, I want to make sure the crowd is having a good time and enjoying themselves while I’m also enjoying myself with the mixing! Another thing that brings me joy is seeing comments that people leave on my videos expressing how much they love the mix or use it to work out or to do chores or for commuting. The fact that a mix connects with someone to that level just means so much to me and it always reminds me of why I love djing so much and why music is incredible.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I feel like non-creative people don’t realize how much time and effort it takes to be an active DJ. While DJing is a cool hobby and may look easy, it does take a good amount of effort and time to prepare yourself to be able to DJ live. Whether it’s practicing song transitions or a dj researching and finding music that they want to play, it does take a long time to make it sound good and flow right. That’s also not including the time it takes for a DJ to find their equipment and such! Another thing that also takes time and effort is making engaging content for social media. While it could be as easy as just posting a clip, sometimes some content creators do take it to the next level and make new videos and content for a post, and that alone takes planning and time to even record and edit it!

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

The best thing society can do to best support an artist is to be active with the person you want to show your support to! Something as small as someone telling me “I loved your set!” to someone liking one of my posts or leaving a comment saying how you enjoyed the mix really goes a long way and it makes me really happy that my craft is being enjoyed by others! Engagement is also really important in Social Media, so showing any engagement whether it’s reposting a post, leaving a comment or even recommending them to friends really does go a long way and helps expose someone that you support to others who might enjoy their craft!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://djkevanator.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djkevanator/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0lzMWW_6Dp2iuIXnpNPkow
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/djkevanator
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/081LqFjYHvzmZfxtAdtJGK
  https://www.tiktok.com/@djkevanator

Image Credits

We Love Kandy (1)
Photography by Wonderland (2).