Photo: Danny Carman
DJ Church moved to Des Moines from Omaha about three years ago and has been hitting it hard in the music scene ever since. As a self taught DJ, she got into it for the love of music. You’ll often find her doing sets at Heroes, Lime Lounge and Silent Discos. She’s also performed at Pride, Baconfest, Oktoberfest, and the Iowa City Block Party.
Be sure to give DJ Church a listen before her performance at our 10th annual Backstage Ball fundraiser on March 8 at Noce. You can find her latest releases on Soundcloud and Facebook
- DMMC: How did you get involved with music? When did you start DJing and who or what were your early passions and influencers?
- DJ Church: I’ve always been around music my whole life, making CDs for my friends when I was younger and finally got into it when I started college. DJing house parties and eventually getting my first gig in Omaha.
- DMMC: Tell us about your spinning style.
- DJ Church: I have a unique style when it comes to DJing. I try to make everyone involved. Whether its mixing in some oldies, but still making it relatable to the younger crowd or vise versa.
- DMMC: What are currently your main challenges as a DJ? What is it about DJing that makes it interesting for you?
- DJ Church: My main challenge right now is just networking in a new city. I was so used to knowing people in Omaha where I could get any gig anywhere because of the people I knew. Living in Des Moines for almost three years has been a struggle but I have found a good home here and things are just now starting to look up for my career as a DJ. The most interesting thing as far as DJing goes for me is connecting with every soul that is out on the dance floor. If I can channel their energy and feed off of it then I feel like I have accomplished the goal. Making people enjoy music the way music should be enjoyed.
- DMMC: What do you usually start with when preparing for a set?
- DJ Church: Sometimes when I listen to a certain song or that have a particular beat I like it gives me inspiration on what type of genre or direction I will be going towards for the night. I usually wait until the last minute to put a set together because I am constantly making sure that it is perfect and that it is going to be all cohesive.
- DMMC: How important is building a real relationship with the music you’re playing for your own approach? There’s so much music out there, is it even possible to build meaningful long-term relationships with a particular track or album?
- DJ Church: It is definitely possible to connect on a deeper level with a track or album. It can take you back to a certain time in your life whether it may bring joy or sadness. If music doesn’t give you goosebumps, make you cry, or sing all the lyrics on the top of your lungs then you’re not listening to music right or listening to the right kind of music for you soul.
- DMMC: What makes you decide to play a particular record during one of your sets? Do you have specific criteria for selecting what to play at a gig?
- DJ Church: Whatever I am feeling during the night I play. I may have a plan or an idea of what I’m doing but I never know exactly how it is going to turn out until the moment it happens.
- DMMC: What projects do you have in the works for 2019-2020?
- DJ Church: I’ve been hitting it hard starting off my 2019 trying to go to as many local shows as possible to get my name out there and hopefully be able to get a spot at 515 Alive or any other music festival in the Midwest area.
Get your tickets to Backstage Ball! Tickets start at $100. All proceeds are donated to the 501(c)3 non-profit, Des Moines Music Coalition.