We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Vozz Rich a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Vozz , thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
To date, I’ve had a number of very meaningful and special projects that span music making, collaborations, and live performances. But one in particular stands out to me the most and it was a weekly house music event I co-launched in Dallas known as “The Elysium Project”. Elysium, as it was known ran from February to December of 2023 and our mission was to showcase new and up-and-coming DJ talent based in DFW.
The co-founders Felix Castillo, Boston Jones and I felt strongly that in Dallas, like most large metros, paid DJ playing opportunities generally had high barriers to entry with requirements that most new DJ’s couldn’t meet such as a large social media following, 2-4 years of experience playing in paid environments, or having previous residencies at clubs. And in some cases, getting booked is about who you know, and how networked you are. It can be daunting to a fledgling DJ! We knew there had to be a way to shine a light on the hidden talent in DFW.
We wanted to provide a platform for DJs and producers to be seen and heard without barriers or popularity requirements. And each week, our event was well attended and gained traction and fast popularity in the Dallas house scene even for a tuesday night.
The project ran for 11 months and showcased over 150 DJ’s and in many instances, launching the careers and recognition of DJs that got their very first gig at Elysium.
This project meant a lot to me because the co-founders and I knew there was a growing thirst for house music during the work-week, and we knew the ever-growing number of DJ’s that have taken to this hobby were longing for a chance to play in front of an audience. The project was fulfilling and satisfying as a way to give back to a community we loved dearly. Elysium was special.
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?
My names’ Vozz Rich and I’m an electronic music producer and DJ. I split my time equally between Austin and Dallas, and I make songs with an emphasis on latin, melodic, and tech house genres. I grew up in a music and entertainment focused family, with three generations of artists going back to my grand-mother who was a singer and stage actress in South Korea.
I got into music at a very early age learning trombone, percussion, and guitar. I studied music production in grad school and spent several years as what’s known as a “ghost producer”, making music that other artists release under their own names. I did this because I had a corporate day job and a career in software and music really, was a hobby for me. In time, the hobby became my sole passion and I began DJ’ing and releasing my own music.
I’m most proud that I get to make music that makes people feel joy and emotions they can connect with just by streaming music. I’ve had fans from around the world write to me and tell me my songs have special meaning to them and that I’ve been part of incredible experiences for them, and it’s something I truly value in connecting with my listeners around the world.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I think the most challenging part of being an artist in whatever medium you work in, is finding resources along your journey that you dont have to always pay for. Earlier on when I was dabbling in music production and creating beats and melodies for others, it felt very lonely. I didn’t know early in my career how many great online communities, discords, and reddit groups existed with people that are in my field and struggle with the same kinds of issues whether creative, financial, or personal. I took on the work of creating by myself and looking back I wish I could’ve discovered these wonderful and positive communities around the world with like-minded artists that desire to change the world and create moments of joy for others. For aspiring producers and DJ’s I recommend finding mentors and coaches, and most of all networking outside of your local city through online groups and discords. Had I known about these way back when, I would’ve felt the impact of the community much sooner in my career. Extra ears and sounding boards for ideas can make a big difference.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
I learned somewhere in school, that the true measure of a civilization’s greatness isn’t it’s monuments, its techologies, or military conquests, but rather that it’s in the Art created by that civilization. I’d even take it further and say it’s also measured by what that civilization or society does to nurture artistic expression in the young. The best thing we can do as a society today, is to fund more art in schools, and local communities. To create lasting endowments for art of all types, and to use the power of crowd-funding to propel artists, especially those in historically under-served communities, I envision the return of art and music guilds that develop artists throughout their journey and I believe it can have a healthy and sustained impact on communities everywhere.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vozzrich.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vozzrich/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/vozzrich
- Other: None
Image Credits
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