Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Maurice (GetMoses) Pelman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Maurice (GetMoses), thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
The first time I did an actual DJ set/performance was a high risk, but also the greatest reward. Until then, I had only done live hip-hop performances where I would play a show track for each song and do scratches/turntable tricks over the music that the rappers/singers were performing to. One day in the middle of a recording session with a client, I received a call from the general manager of the biggest club in town (who knew of me from the hip-hop scene) asking if I was available to DJ a special philanthropy event for him. Not only had I never done a live DJ set before, but this was an emergency fill-in gig happening in 2 hours because the original DJ canceled last minute. In this industry, you sometimes only get one shot at making a good impression so I was flooded with anxiety about what to do.
Aside from the live hip-hop shows, I had only ever DJ’d in my home and never expected to be doing solo gigs in public. I had to think quickly and was brought back to something that DJ/Producer RJD2 told me upon meeting him a year prior: “Never say no.” That was his surprising response to my question about his best advice for an up-and-coming artist. “Never say no. You never know what might come from it.” And to this day that has been the best advice anyone has ever given me. I did the gig, absolutely nailed it, and was asked to be a resident DJ of the biggest club in town immediately after we finished the event. I was terrified, but knew I needed to take the opportunity and it paid off exponentially. Today I DJ for the Milwaukee Bucks, Red Bull, my own event, Non-Pop!, played at Electric Forest, and have a radio show (Non-Pop! Radio) Tuesday nights on WMSE 91.7FM. I even got to open for my musical heroes, Atmosphere, at Summerfest in 2022. Everything changed and it all goes back to that moment of taking a risk back in 2013.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I go by the artist name GetMoses and I’m a producer, DJ, recording engineer, and founder of Non-Pop! and Higher Education Records. I’ve been making music since 2008 and started taking production seriously in 2009. I’ve been DJing in hop-hop groups since 2010 and began DJing clubs in 2013. Growing up, I was in orchestra, marching band/drumline, and symphony orchestra from elementary school through high school, which gave me a great background for when my own music production began – the catalyst being when my mom got me the Fruity Loops beat-making program for my 18th birthday.
Today I make music (beats, songs, compositions, etc), DJ for clubs/bars/venues as well as the Milwaukee Bucks, Red Bull, Summerfest, and others, and have my own recording studio, I’m also on the radio on WMSE- Milwaukee 91.7FM every Tuesday from 9pm-Midnight (CT) for my show: Non-Pop! Radio.
I believe what sets me apart from others is an obsessive work ethic, a deep passion for art & creativity, a love of connection with others, and a deep belief in doing and being good to others. I’ve also made a point since my career began to be extremely diligent and dedicated networking. That has without a doubt been paramount to my success in my career. All those elements have come together to propel me to where I am today.
I also am a recent cancer survivor (Leukemia) and bone-marrow transplant recipient and that struggle has enabled me to help others in ways I never could have imagined. All sorts of people have come to me not only with support but to ask for advice on their own or family/friend health situations and it’s been the biggest blessing to be able to do that for others.
Aside from what my own health experiences have allowed me to do regarding helping others, One of the things I’m most proud of what my Non-Pop! team and I have been able to do, carving our own artistic lane with diverse music, live art, and nonprofit support in Milwaukee and beyond. Pushing art and creativity is very important to me, especially when it’s such a struggle going against the grain doing something different.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Coming back from cancer (Leukemia) and a bone marrow transplant is the best way I can illustrate resilience. In 2016 I was having the best year of my career up to that point, I was finally making (and saving) money, I was starting to perform at the majority of major clubs and music venues in the city, and had just begun traveling to LA and Chicago. Right at the peak of everything I was blindsided by a Leukemia diagnosis that had me sidelined and fighting for my life for a year. Even after my treatment, there were months where I couldn’t go outside and be exposed to germs or even pollen spores. I would sometimes drive by the clubs I would perform at and listen (with my windows up) to the music being played just to feel that connection again.
It was a long road to getting back to normal. As my body adjusted to the new bone marrow and things began to become safer for me overall, I had to rebuild my career, reestablish my name in the city (although the city and scene were overall very supportive), and reestablish my revenue streams. I also had to rediscover what music was popular in establishments and get reacclimated to musical and cultural trends, which was very strange to recapture. It took a couple of years of being diligent, driven, and dedicated, navigating through all the hardships, before I finally got back on track with my career and goals. Giving up was never an option and I always knew in my heart that I would survive, get back on track, and excel at everything I was pursuing. I attribute that constant belief and positive attitude to not only my career success today but also my beating cancer. The power of positive thought through the worst of times is incredible.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Simply coming out to events to support is so important and impactful. People seem to think they need to make a large financial or time contribution to have an impact, but just coming to an event for a little bit of time can have a huge rippling effect that helps us all. If only a small handful of people brought one additional friend to come to support local events, it would do wonders to help cultivate and sustain the creative ecosystem. And even if there aren’t in-person events, simply sharing posts or helping spread the word about artists/creatives is huge. It feels as though the “someone else will show up (or support)” mentality is far too prevalent these days.
Showing up for art and creativity is crucial to its survival. I’ve heard so many people complain about not having an art/music scene in their city, but in my travels, I’ve experienced so many of these art/music/creative events being very poorly attended. Be the change you want to see. If you want to have a thriving creative ecosystem, you can’t rely on others to sustain it. We all have to support it together. A little goes a very long way to reap the wondrous fruits of the creative labor.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.getmosesmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmosesmusic
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/GetMosesMusic
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/getmosesmusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/GetMosesMusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HigherEducationRecords
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@getmosesmusic
Image Credits
Kelsey Lawson Michael Bryan Bryers Dent Roger Gonzales Jr. Roman Gunderson