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DJ AMBER

1. When did you start to DJ, and what were the main reasons that made you embark on your career?

During college (in 1997), like everyone, I was going out constantly trying out all types of events and scenes. When I found the rave and club scene it struck a chord with me immediately. I had always been a night owl, a dancer, and a performer (musician, theater, etc.) DJing was clearly a place where my interests all came together.

Soon after I made friends with some people who had turntables at their apartment. I asked them to show me how to DJ, and with a short five-minute introduction I was given the basics. From there I just worked at it on my own. Needless to say, it sucked me in and years later DJing has changed from a hobby to a lifestyle for me.

2. Who are your biggest musical influences?

Wow, who isn’t? I listen to everything—country, world music, classic rock. There’s something to learn in everything. But my favorite producers in the style I play are D.A.V.E. the Drummer, DDR and John Selway.

3. How do you feel your style has evolved since you started?

My current style is techno and tech-house. I started as a slammin’ acid trance DJ, playing each track faster than it was originally produced. So, I’ve mellowed out (um, relatively) and gone from an electronic to a tribal techno sound.

4. San Francisco is a mecca of artists with a strong community that supports and educates other artists, especially in the DJ realm. As a co-founder of the NorCal DJ and Music Production Academy, why do you think this is, and what was the inspiration for establishing the academy?

San Francisco has a strong artist community because the average person in the Bay Area is young and creative, and has a nearly endless choice of forums to show or collaborate on their art. There is literally a community for just about anything! This is doubly true for a DJ because the area is so technology-savvy.

5. How many students do you see on average per week, and what is the typical student body demographic?

In 2004, Norcal DJ and Music Production Academy graduated over 100 students. I believe we’ve already topped that number for 2005, offering more than double the number of classes in our first year. Personally, my average class is about six students, but has been as small as two!

Demographics run the whole range, from 14 to 40 year-olds. As we like to say, we’ve had everyone from a 40-something attorney to a teenage pinball machine repairman. It’s all colors, backgrounds, and definitely all genres. Each class has been developed to be applicable to every genre, so each student gets exposed to a lot in a single class.

6. You are also hosting a kids DJ summer camp. Tell us how this came about, and what goes into teaching kids vs. adults.

We offer evening classes throughout the year, which just isn’t practical for the pre-teen set. So, during Summer and Winter break we offer kids classes during the day. The kids camps sample a bit from a few different classes, so they touch on a broader range of topics, only more briefly.

7. Your latest CD release is “Live With Friends and Family”, a live set complete with the sounds of the crowd, quite an engineering feat! What went into the planning of the recording and what type of set up did you use?

There was very little planning for pre-production—most of the credit goes to Russ Arteaga for his masterful post-production. You can check out the final product at iamthedj.com. All sets at that party were already being recorded to DAT tape, so I brought my minidisk recorder and a microphone, rested the mic on a roll of duct tape at the front of the stage, and recorded the live crowd.

8. What was your most memorable DJ experience?

Speaking to a crowd of thousands about nightlife industry rights and legislation in front of San Francisco’s gorgeous City Hall.

9. When you are in the mix and the crowd is feeling your vibe, what is the message you most wish to convey to them through your music?

“Raaaaaaaargh!!”

10. What is next on the horizon for you?

I’ve been developing my scratching skills. It’s a real challenge to get the skills up to a speed that works with the fast BPM of techno, but I hope to get there.

11. Favorite tracks of all time?

Artist: D.A.V.E. the Drummer
Title: 9
Label: Hydraulix

12. Red or Pink?

Red!

13. Sneakers or Stilettos?

Sneakers!

14. Complete the next 2 sentences:
a. I never thought I would. . . play internationally.

b. I’m at my best when I. . . play for a crowd that really loves techno.

15. What advice do you wish you had received when first starting out?

Oh, I just wrote a large article on this for the May 2005 issue of Remix Magazine. Anyone can read the whole article in the Press Clippings section of the photo gallery at iamthedj.com.

If I had to pick just one, I wish someone would have told me to try turning down my headphones and turning up my monitor to improve my beatmatching. It’s counterintuitive to a new DJ, but totally key.

16. Any advice you would like to give to the ladies starting out in a DJ career?

Get a mentor. There’s no reason for you to figure every last little thing out on your own, so find a pal who will show you the way.