We recently connected with Eugene Puno and have shared our conversation below.
Eugene, appreciate you joining us 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?
I’d say I learned DJing and Production by throwing myself into the fire early maybe before I was even ready. I had a friend throwing an art event at a local club in 2015 in Ventura, I jumped on the chance to play a set (having just bought a DJ Controller 2 weeks prior) I messed up so many times, but that left me determined the following weeks to ask so many questions to fellow DJ’s and watch endless tutorials and practicing for hours.
Knowing what I know now, I could’ve sped up the learning process by seeking out a mentor/coach. Nobody can truly be successful alone I truly believe it takes a village to help mold a young creative mind and it’s up to you to be Coachable and receptive to constructive criticism (Drop your Ego!)
The most essential Skill as aforementioned is being Coach able and able to handle criticism. Too many times I’ve seen people unable to have a break through moment because their egos get in the way and aren’t willing to cop to their own mistakes and truly work on them.
The only obstacle id say that stood in the way of learning was myself procrastination and bad time management are only excuses…
We need to ‘MAKE THE TIME’ to do what we LOVE not ‘find the time’
Even with our busy schedules in a crazy life even 15 minutes a day dedicated to your craft will go pretty far
Eugene, 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?
For starters my name is Eugene Puno III
I take my DJ Moniker simply from my initials. ‘EP3’
I’m Mainly a producer as ‘LIVEWITHEUGENE’ and you can type that name in on Apple Music, Spotify, any streaming platform and check out what my work is about.
I’d I got into BeatMaking music production as a carry over from my curiosity as a kid and being involved in school band in middle school. I played drums from 6th-8th grade, but my true passion for music went even further when someone gifted me a portable turntable and taught me what sampling in hip hop music was.
Then since high school I taught myself how to use an MPC and eventually learned Ableton and was heavily influenced & inspired by producers such as J Dilla, Nujabes, And the Alchemist. I just wanted to figure out how & why their beats sounded the way it did. How was it able to keep me grounded in reality while simultaneously creating an imaginative landscape for me to escape for a few hours. It felt like a whole other language within itself.
Fast forward I can say what I can provide service wise for artists and lyricists is a canvas for them to paint on when it comes to making the right beat that fits them. Their backstory, their tone, their current mood. They can really be going through some stuff in life and if they trust me enough and give me 20-30 minutes I’ll have a beat cooked up that’ll convey that mood and allow them to write to it and unlock their full honest creative expression.
That too is what I can say sets me a part, I care a lot about building a trustful and safe working relationship with artists and not just have it be transactional. I want to know how the artists is feeling and going through on the day to day. It allows us to relate and the music come out that much better and meaningful.
I want potential listeners to know my beats are very personal to me and they act as journal entries. Specific emotions and hardships I have trouble expressing to others I’m able to express it in my beats
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
I just finished reading ‘David & Goliath’ by Malcolm Gladwell
Without diving in too deep
The main point and philosophy I took from it that I feel like I can apply to my life as a creative and entrepreneur and so can you
Is reframing your thinking and what could be perceived as a disadvantage can be turned into an advantage to overcome odds.
Sometimes we think we lack the resources and money but with enough Creativity we can always find a solution
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Man, I feel like taking a look in your own backyard every now and then
Check out what the local scene is like in your city
I’d bet my money some of the best producers, DJ’s, singers, bands etc etc
Work a humble 9-5 during the day
Get off of work and pour their heart and soul into their craft and they’re right there in your own city hiding in plain site at that local bar
Some of my favorite Bands and DJ’s are out of Long Beach playing at bars like the Blind Donkey, The Grasshopper, Salsa Wine Bar
And they’ve played some of the best sets I’ve ever heard that’s including big festivals too.. you’ll never know until you explore the beaten path
Contact Info:
- Instagram: LIVEWITHEUGENE
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7pktnVqVjRi5f4nVJITG9u?si=cn4hSuM-S8ygS_ZPx8s4mA
Image Credits
Deepesh (Black Cat)
@avocadoqueen