A brief introduction to yourself.
I hail from Syracuse, NY where I grew up dreaming of living in NYC. Every time I visited I would get goosebumps from the energy and the immaculate skyline. Now I've lived here for almost seven years and have never looked back. I work in advertising sales for the NYPost, which I really like. But, my passion is music.
What’s your relationship with music?
We go way back. I grew up playing the piano for 7 years and the guitar for 2. I played because my parents made me, but I'm so glad they did. Once college and real life happened I got away from playing an instrument and haven't for quite some time. With that aside, I am always listening to music and my favorites genres are electronic and hip-hop. But really any music that makes my heart beat a little faster or takes me on an emotional journey.
Why did you come to The Foxgrove? What class(es) did you take?
I've taken the Instant Beatmaker class, the Instant DJ class, and DJ Level 2. I realized I was at a point in my life where I didn't have a creative passion to pursue. When I was young I would play music and draw all the time. I'm a late arriver to electronic music, but I've loved it since I saw Avicii play at XS club in Las Vegas in Feb 2013. I'd never experienced a DJ set like that and I realized that if he's doing his job right the DJ is telling a story and the dance floor is actively along for the ride. Since then that's been my favorite thing about electronic music whether I'm listening to it in my room or out dancing to it. With The Foxgrove I finally got a chance to learn to be a creator and not just a listener.
What was the experience like?
The experience was great. It was exactly what I wanted—which was to learn the basics of the DJ controller and the software as a launchpad to infuse my own creativity, then own it personally and turn it into a craft to hone.
Who inspires you?
In terms of producers Avicii, Daft Punk, Duke Dumont, Oliver Heldens, Galantis, Snakehips and guess I've got to say Calvin Harris since we share a first name. From a pure DJing perspective, it's Atrak. The things he's able to do are absolutely insane. It's like he came out of the womb with a turntable.
Any future musical plans?
I took this class to give myself a winter hobby not realizing how much I would actually love it. Now I'm practicing almost every night. I want to start playing in front of people whether at a friend's gathering or a bar to see if I'm any good at reading the crowd and telling them a story. I'll take it from there, but I know playing in a club would be a huuuuuge thrill one day.
What else do you love?
These aren't in any order but food, travel, family and spending time with my girlfriend.
One unknown fact about you.
I'm in the opening montage of SNL in Beck Beckett's part laughing in the background at a Karaoke bar. They've kept the same clip for the last three years and hopefully will forever!
Check out Calvin's recent mix here and look for him in a bar/club near you:
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Whether you are a music pro or just a beginner, get a taste of DJing with our Instant DJ class.
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This gem is brought to you by The Hunt, The Foxgrove's blog that looks into the electronic music and DJ world in the lenses of fashion, lifestyle, art and culture. If you'd like to contribute, find us at info@thefoxgrove.com.