Time to Shine
REDD's Interview with Mz. DJ Tone
REDD: When did you start DJing?
DJ Tone: I started DJing around 2007, playing around making mixed CDs for myself when I was pregnant with my first child.
REDD: What or who were your early passions and influences?
DJ Tone: My father was my main influence, because he raised me around music. He instilled the love of music in me and after watching him DJ and play around with it; I wanted to have fun with it too.
REDD: What do you personally consider to be the powerful moments in your artistic career?
DJ Tone: I think the most powerful moments in my artistic career involve my work with the local Chicago skate community. I was able to help Chicago become more viral amongst skaters nationwide as well as help the some of the newer Chicago Skate Producers gain a wider reach with their music outside if our city.
REDD: What are currently your main challenges as a DJ?
DJ Tone: My BIGGEST challenge is balancing my family life with my career and secular work. Sometimes, it’s almost like I have to be 3 different women within a 24-hour period. At times, it can be overwhelming.
REDD: What makes DJing interesting for you?
DJ Tone: The artistry of it! There’s so many ways you can flip a song, play it, pair with another song, bring it in or fade it out. And next to that… The music itself. It’s easy for me to get caught up in a genre casually listening and want to do more with it.
REDD: What do you usually start with when preparing for a set?
DJ Tone: A prayer! LOL That’s a good question!!! I guess it depends on the set, the crowd and my mood. Sometimes I just jump right in a set, or I take my time and build up to where I’m trying to go.
REDD: How important is building a real relationship with the music you're playing for your own approach?
DJ Tone: Extremely important, because each song conveys a different feeling or mood and can take you in several directions. If you don’t take the time to study what you’re working with, you wont really know how to use it properly.
REDD: With so much music out there, is it possible to build meaningful long-term relationships with a particular track or album?
DJ Tone: Absolutely! There are some tracks and albums that I never get tired of ever after they’re out of rotation. I love timeless tracks more than some of the temporary trendy top 40 songs that may be current.
REDD: What makes you decide to play a particular record during one of your sets?
DJ Tone: It depends on what I’m trying to accomplish. Sometimes I want to bring something familiar or popular, or I may want to reintroduce something old that I may think is just as good or better than what’s current… Or I could want to break in something no one’s ever heard before. Depends on the mood and where I’m going with it.
REDD: What criteria lead your music choice for a set?
DJ Tone: Demographics and the mood of the event!!! Reading the crowd is everything.