Today we’d like to introduce you to Julian Justjuwit Whitley.
Hi Julian, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I come from a very musical family, with both my brother and dad being musicians. Everyone in my family listened to all different types of music, so I grew up being exposed to a wide variety of genres and artists. My mom listened to Latin music and Top 40. My dad listened to Gosepl and Old School R&B. And then my aunts listened to everything from Funk to Reggae, Neo-Soul, and Hip-Hop. This led me to develop a love and appreciation for all styles of music, which formed the basis of my interest in DJing.
I got my first DJ controller in college and began playing house parties at the University of Maryland. What started as casual get-togethers with just my circle of friends grew into full-blown parties where everybody was invited. Those parties gave me an opportunity to practice my skills as a DJ and mix together all of the different types of music I loved growing up.
From there, I was introduced to other DJs and creatives in the DMV and began to play shows with them in and around D.C. With each show, I was able to get my name out there and build my brand as an open-format DJ. After college, I moved back to Baltimore, where I continued to play at different venues and event spaces in the city. For the past 5/6 years, I’ve been lucky enough to branch out and play different public and private events, all while still being able to share my love for music.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Any creative can tell you that self-doubt and insecurities are always a part of the journey. There have been many a time that I wasn’t sure if I was “good enough” to keep DJing. Combine this with a lull in gigs and comparisons to others, and it’s enough to make you think that it’s time to hang things up. Every time I start to feel like this, I have to remind myself why I started in the first place. Engaging in other creative endeavors, digging through new sources of inspiration, and blowing off steam with friends always gets me back in the mindset to continue pushing forward.
Balancing work with DJing can also serve to be a challenge. During the week, I work as a teacher here in the city. Not only does the job require a lot of you during the day, but there are also times where work comes home, and you have to put in the extra hours of grading and planning outside of the classroom. This means having to squeeze in the responsibilities of DJing (practicing, building my music library, responding to clients, etc.) into any free time I get. There’s a constant work-life balance that I’m always trying to master.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
At the end of the day, I just really love music and the way it makes me feel. I do my best to capture this feeling and put it into all of my sets. Whether it be a wedding, club venue, or community event, I want every single person in the space to feel the same way I do when their favorite song comes on. The best part of DJing for me is looking out into the crowd and seeing people having a good time. Regardless of what else may be going on their worlds, we’re all able to come together and forget about it all, even if it’s just for a small amount of time.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I’m always open to work with people who love music! The best way to reach out is through my booking email, justjuwit@gmail.com.
Any support is always appreciated! Whether that be coming out to an event or sharing it online. You can find all upcoming events on my socials. People can also share my videos and mixes online to help spread the word.
Pricing:
- DJ Services $100/hr
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/justjuwit
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/justjuwit
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/justjuwit
- SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/justjuwit
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@justjuwit
Image Credits
Whitness the Greatness
Charanga Productions
Christina Delgado
Baltimore Creatives Acceleration Network
