David Wistocki is a 19 year-old junior. What makes Wistocki your Spartan of the Week? On the weekends David becomes DJ Dayve.
The Minaret (M): Tell us how you got into DJ-ing.
David Wistocki (DW): When I was 12 years-old, I was looking for something to do [for work], but no one would hire me. My dad had some money in a fund set aside for me for a car, so I asked him to take some out and buy some DJ-ing equipment. I started DJ-ing for friends in Naples and from there it just blew up. Now I do homecomings, proms and weddings.
M: What do 12 year-olds listen to? ‘N Sync?
DW: No, I played hip-hop, rap. Now I play everything.
M: Do you do your own mixes?
DW: I don’t, but only because I don’t have enough time. All my stuff is live.
M: What do you play off of? How do you pick your music?
DW: I run a program off of my Mac and play music that way. Some of the music is predetermined, but I play off of the crowd mostly.
M: How often do you work, and what are you rates?
DW: I charge $150 an hour, twice a weekend. Each show is about three to five hours.
M: I want to be your assistant. Do you need help? Does anyone help you now?
DW: My dad runs an entertainment company, so for big stuff he helps me and we play off of each other, but everything else I do myself.
M: What does the future look like for DJ Dayve?
DW: I’d have no problem doing this for the rest of [my] college [career], but not full-time. Just the next three or four years. This won’t be my career; this is just [helping me pay for] college as of right now. I love being able to play music for people, but I’m looking for something more professional [as my career].
M: How do you juggle DJ-ing with being a full-time student?
DW: Very close time management. I’m very organized. It takes a lot of work at times. I set contracts throughout the day, make phone calls, do interviews. I commute most weekends to Naples for everything.
M: What’s your favorite type of music to listen to?
DW: I’m actually really low key. I like R&B and soul, Michael Bublé. Low key stuff.
M: Is DJ-ing a passion of yours?
DW: Definitely. DJ-ing more so than music. I love the management aspect of it. I enjoy it all. It’s great to be able to cater to a crowd. You move to them. It’s very synergistic.
M: What advice would you give to someone who wanted to become a DJ?
DW: Read your crowd. The crowd is most important. If you keep them happy, you’re golden.
M: What was one particularly scary or nervous moment for you?
DW: My first homecoming. I was out of my element, I had never done such a large venue before. I had 900 kids that were just focusing on me. I was the main attraction. If I screwed it up that was it, it was over.
M: Have you ever been in a DJ battle? What’s it like?
DW: No I haven’t, but it’s a lot like a drum battle. People come and play against each other.
M: Where do you get the songs you play?
DW: I do popular ‘90s songs to get people pumped and I play a lot of remixes. A lot of DJs post their mixes to websites, so I constantly listen to new songs in case something is good and I can use it.
M: What’s one mistake you see a lot of DJs make?
DW: Not reading the crowd. Some play their own favorites instead of what the crowd would want. It’s not about you, it’s about them. Play to them, not to you.
Want to book DJ Dayve for your own event? Check him out at DJDayve.com!
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