Experience The Buzz: No. 10 -- JOHN HAMILTON | DJ + Producer + Dept. of Sound on Steno.fm

Experience The Buzz

No. 10 -- JOHN HAMILTON | DJ + Producer + Dept. of Sound

February 11, 2021 11:00am

1h 20m

John Hamilton is an amazing individual. He is officially West Coast - East Coast. Grew up in Sacramento. Now lives in New York. His craft? A big-time DJ who opened up for acts like Steve Aoki, Gwen Stefani, Q Tip, and Maklemore. His career moved into producing his own music which led to becoming the Executive Director of Department of Sound. This program was built for the youth of America and is housed in Sacramento, California.

In today's interview episode of Experience the Buzz, Host Steve Buzzard speaks with John Hamilton. "This is like a proud dad moment. Having the opportunity to be John's teacher for five years, it is great to see John's success and at a young age has found a way to give back to others through his expertise of music and production." Our conversation hits FOUR areas:

Segment ONE gives us a glimpse into how John became a part of the DJ world, his breakthrough after opening up for Steve Aoki in Mexico, doing gigs in New York, and some great nuggets of information for all DJ's.
Segment TWO highlights John's transition from the clubs to the BIG STAGE, transition to producing, his Q-Tip story, and more DJ tips.
Segment THREE starts with this question, "How did you become John Hamilton?" (he was J. Hodgson before the name change. This segment is dedicated to John's new project called Department of Sound.
Segment FOUR, John talks about meeting big-time musicians, West Coast vs. East Coast living, Sibling Update, and Intramural memories. And I can't believe it ... I forgot to do Rapid Fire.

Here are some of my favorite HIGHLIGHTS ...
1. Early on, John did DJ gigs for FREE. It was a great strategy toward getting more business.
2. Later on in his career, he was able to lead off that he was the DJ for the Sacramento Kings. That helped in his conversations with local officials in being able to launch Department of Sound.
3. "Don't Outshine The Master" - John talking about knowing his lane when he was opening for big acts.
4. How the Covid-19 Pandemic gave Department of Sound additional vision to reach more people than they expected.

ENJOY THE TALKING STORY!

Department of Sound (Non-Profit | Free program) | deptofsound.org 🎶
Department of Sound Feature on Sacramento365 | Click Here
John Hamilton Sacramento Kings Hype Edit | Click Here
John Hamilton Club Sampler - Side A | Click Here
John Hamilton Club Sampler - Side A | Click Here
John Hamilton on