We recently connected with Page Hodel and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Page, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?
So first of all i LOVE all these questions. Before I was a DJ I was and AM a musician. A rhythm Guitar player. Funk Rhythm Guitar.
After raduating high school I studied classical guitar in Paris at a Conservatory of Music.
Actually I was studying coming out of the closet.
After classes, I would go to the cafe have a beer and then and sing with my guitar on the street.
I remember distinctly the first coin that bounced inside my guitar case. It was a SILVER 5 Franc piece which in americ would be a silver dollar. I STILL have that coin as my most coveted possession. 51 years later…After becoming a professional musician, i made a sweet segue to DJ because I had hige birthday parties that hundreds of people would come to.
A local club called and sais whatever you are doing at your parties we want to hire you to do it here.
The career started.
I made 25 dollars for playing records in a club i loved.
that was 1980.
Still at it 44 years later!!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I think I might have explained this in the last question. I have always been driven by the delicious power of music. Listening to Beatles 45’s on my plastic record player.
Music has always been my private place, the place I go to get to my core. My secret room..
And my voice to get whats inside out.
It was never a question.
I KNEW it when I was very young..
The cause of MANY fights with my father as he wanted me to go to college.
I wanted only one thing.
to perform.
As it turned out I didnt think I had the temperment for the rigors of the music “Business”. As a musician. But I was so lucky to find my passion was apeased by being a DJ.
What I fell in love with at that time was the way people on a dancefloor would kind of all melt together and we could all have an experience together as one. It could be 500 people or 50. When you dance together something happens. People share their vulnerability, and open hearts on a dancefloor. For the most part people are on a dancefloor because they WANT to be.
I was a DJ in the Gay Clubs in the 80’s and 90″s during the horrors of the AIDS epidemic. I remember there was a window of thime that no one knew definitively HOW you got AIDS. TOUCH? SEX?
BREATHING?
KISSING?
So everyone was afraaide to touch eachother. But EVERYONE felt comfortable dancing. So the power of the connection on those dancefloors was palpable. I can still FEEL it today.
We all desiced that DANCING was SAFE SEX….
I was recently honored at a celebration for AIDS SURVIVORS, and one writer wrote something to me that has LITERALLY made my life.. I told him THAT was my GRAMMY.
He said that he felt there was no question in his mind that I saved as many lives as an doctor in SF during the epidemic. Because I created a place they could dance.
Goosebumps still…..
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My life goal is to contribute to the healing of society after the wretched horrors of SLAVERY and HOLOCOST…ANY events where our brothers and sisters were denied their freedom. I do everything I can in my life and work to always create experiences and events that reflect the diversity of our beautiful human race. I will work every moment to contribute to improving equality.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I live with astounding honesty. That is wonderful most of the time. It can be a trickster if i am overwhelmed by the behavior of some people. When I am in the presence of profound ignorance, i must navagate these emotions. And I dont always feel “Productive” I am so ANGRY at the ignorance. I worry that this is human nature. To”conquer” to “dominate” oye…my LEASE favorite words.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pagehodel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pagehodel/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/page.hodel
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/page-hodel-aa7bb54/
Image Credits
page hodel, irene young