CURRENT MISSION

To learn to embrace the jungle until I find the path.

ABOUT ME

I'm just another twenty-something living out his quarter-life crisis abroad. If you have to be a cliche, you might as well enjoy every second of it.

I'm a pretty laid back, outgoing person. I guess the word that most people would probably throw out to describe me is "gregarious." I've got a lot of energy and I try to apply it in as many ways as possible in my life. I'm also a big fan of positivity.

Right now, I'm an English Teacher by day, and DJ by night. I average about 3 parties a month. I spin mostly electro and disco house stuff, if your curious you can check out my myspace page.

PHILOSOPHY

Wow, heavy stuff. Okay, I'd say the biggest part of my personal philosophy is that you choose how events effect you. Nothing bad can happen to you unless you consent to it, everything can be a lesson with the right mindset. I just try to keep the perspective that life is a gift not to be squandered.

Interests

I'm really into all kinds of music from the Indiest of the indy all the way up to the cheesiest of the cheesy(don't act like you don't crank it up when Abba comes on)

DJing and everything that goes along with it is probably my biggest hobby.

Basketball and Volleyball are my sports of choice.

I love latin dance(salsa, merengue, cumbia, cha cha cha), but I'll try any kind of dance at least once.

When I'm feeling nerdy I like to play nineties point and click adventure games(Monkey Island... what!)

I'm trying to get back into writing in earnest to justify my English degree, and I also dabble in fashion, design, desktop publishing and Electronic Music Production if I feel the need for a creative outlet.

• arts
• writing
• design
• fashion
• dancing
• cumbia
• partying
• music
• electronic music
• sports
• basketball
• track and field
• volleyball
• teaching

Music, Movies, and Books

I'll watch any movie and probably enjoy it(I'm talking to you Killer Clowns from Outer Space)

In terms of music, I'm more bent toward the electro scene because it's what I DJ. Stuff like Justice, MSTRKRFT, Digitalism, Cut Copy, Boyz Noize, and especially Daft Punk. But I'm also really into folk(Kings of Convenience, Sufjan Stevens, Regina Spektor) I try not to limit my music tastes too much, though.

In Terms of books, I'm going through the hardcore Europe Lit Tip that every American goes through when moving abroad. Lately that's been alot of canonical stuff like Tolstoy and Kafka.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I'd say the most amazing thing I've ever seen is the Pyramids at Giza at night under a full moon. It's just an image that will before forever etched into my mind.

Teach, Learn, Share

Here's something I've learned that I could pass on.

There really is an art to making a mix CD. It's not set in stone, but here are some tried and true rules that I've learned through djing that apply really well to making mixes.

Longer isn't neccesarily better. If you have a choice between a seventy minute mix with 6 filler tracks, and a 45 minute mix that's pure gold, go with the latter.

Pick a genre or a theme. This one seems obvious, but alot of people just throw in songs that they like that are all over the musical spectrum. Do a indie rock mix, or a folk mix, or a french house mix, or, better yet, go theme and do songs about spring, or songs about ice cream(You'd be surprised).

It's all about progression: There are different ways that you can do this, but I'd say the most effective way to compose a good mix is to start with a song with somewhat medium energy that is catchy and unique. Something that you think the listener will enjoy that they haven't heard before. You wouldn't ever want to start a mix with Livin La Vida Loca. Thrown in in the middle, that song could kill, but coming out the gate it can turn off listeners before they've even gotten into the meat.

After that its all about the build up. Listen to your songs for the beats per minute. Tap it out on your leg if you have to. You want to start with a low tempo and then build up to a high. However the build should last no more than 4 or 5 songs, at which point you want to drop it back down to a low tempo and then start the process all over again. However, you want each crescendo in tempo to be higher than the last. This is true for all kinds of music. It may seem unneccesary for something like folk or easy listening, but even in that situation, is the steady progression of tempo that keep your listener engaged.

End on a goofy note:
It always works really well to find something a little off-kilter to finish a mix with. Maybe some classic fiddlin' tunes on an RnB mix or a Frank Sinatra track on a heavy metalmix . Leave em with something unexpected.