Originally from Moscow, Russia, Mayya recently graduated from a Masters of Arts degree from DePaul University but for the purposes of this episode - we’ll be deep-diving into how Mayya kickstarted her DJ career from scratch.

We go over the onset of Mayya’s musical pursuits, how she learnt mixing - which is the fundamental skill every DJ must learn, and how she landed her first gigs. Currently Mayya is one of the hottest DJ-ing prospects in Chicago, and we discuss how she made it to DJ-ing at some of the biggest locations in the city. We also go over music production, steps to becoming a “master” at DJ-ing and some really funny stories of stuff she’s seen at clubs.

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Resources:

Mayya's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mayyaperovaa/

(00:00) Background + Introduction

(02:19) What was it like growing up in Moscow?

(04:01) Initial exposure to music growing up

(07:04) Beginning of DJ journey

(10:12) First gigs and mixing experience (playing for “people” and not just friends)

(13:37) Learning from feedback on initial gigs and spotlight effect

(15:34) Landing first gigs in Chicago via open decks

(18:53) Playing pop crowd-favorites VS “unknown” but rewarding house music

(22:40) Should a DJ care about pleasing the crowd?

(24:21) “A real DJ never takes requests” - Yay or Nay

(27:15) Juicy gossip of stuff that Mayya has seen at clubs

(29:41) Freaky starer-s (DJs find this type of people ridiculous)

(30:59) What do DJs and their friends talk about during hang-outs

(32:50) How to integrate into and leverage the DJ community to break-out

(35:20) The three key steps to becoming a competent DJ

(38:29) Signing for record labels

(40:34) The “final boss” of technical ability in terms of a DJ

(43:59) How exactly does a DJ console work

(46:38) Why do DJs wear headphones?! - (It’s not JUST for show)

(49:44) Advice for DJs starting out right now

(54:01) Jokes + Outro + Gratitude