My name is Darren Mazyck and I started playing music at the age of ten.
There was no such thing as CD players back in those days. In fact, besides the phonograph or record players, the eight track tape player was the most popular way to listen to music. The introduction of the cassette tape player made the eight track player obsolete.
Not having enough money to invest in equipment, I had to improvise. I played and mixed records with two separate component sets (a turntable on top of an eight track player and a radio). In the absence of a mixer and headphones, I had to listen real close to the record in order to hear the next song. I then hooked both systems to the same speaker. That's how I was then able to mix and beat-match two records.As time went on I decided to get into electronics. I learned more about audio equipment and went on to become a radio and TV repairman. Though I was still playing music, I felt very unfulfilled. This prompted my move to join the US Navy. I became a Missle Technician in advanced electronics on submarines. Besides my job, I also took care of the ship's audio and visual needs while at sea. When in port I was the base DJ.
Being the base DJ put me in contact with many different people, which exposed me to a wider range of music.
I perform all the functions of a highly qualified DJ, and since my retirement from my country's service, I have continually delivered the best musical mixes to all my clients.
My name is Jai-Smoov aka Dee-Jai Rugget and I've been playing music for over 35 years.
I first started when I was about 4 years old. I would watch my father play drums, and in turn I learned to play drums, match beats, keep time and so on.
As a drummer, transitioning to a DJ came easy to me. It was like having a drum in my left hand and a drum in my right hand. The next thing I did was make them sound like one, which was no problem. My partner DMDJ and I drove our families crazy for hours playing music, and we loved it.
To this day I still enjoy playing music and I have played at clubs, made studio recordings, and records. I'll never give up playing music, It's in my blood.