Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryan Chang.
Hi Bryan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Thank you for having me! I am the Founder and Executive Director of Dance Music Initiative, a small, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that believes in a grassroots approach to sharing the positive effects that dance music culture has on the community. We’ve been teaching DJing fundamentals, history, and culture to the local community for free since 2016.
Under the surface, dance music culture is much more than just a DJ playing songs at a party. It’s a culture built on acceptance and love, originally stemming from urban minority/LGBTQ+ disadvantaged communities. Dance music gatherings—that are steeped in dance music culture’s values—offer a safe space for those to creatively express themselves and are therapeutic for life’s hardships and struggles. Dance Music Initiative’s goal is to share deeper, community-driven experiences beyond a Friday night out after work. We do that by offering free, hands-on music education. Our goal is to highlight the benefits of this art form beyond a commercial, transactional experience.
The core of dance music culture can be traced back to folk and tribal dance circles, customs that are very human and innate to our society. Dancing brings communities together and strengthens ties between different cultures and backgrounds. Music and dance are universal. They transcend language barriers. DJing and dance music culture are the modern iteration of these ancient traditions.
Dance music’s rich culture has had a profound impact on my life. It started as just a way to be creative with music, but the more I immersed myself in the underlying warm and welcoming culture that supports DJing, the more it became clear to me what is important in this life. This led to me retiring from my lucrative career in the tech industry and I am now dedicated to sharing how fulfilling this social and active art form can be with my community.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of our challenges is overcoming outsiders’ perceptions of DJing and dance music culture. To those who have not spent any time in the culture, it can be shrugged off as merely an activity where young people stay up all night, partake in various substances, and dance to repetitive beats. What they don’t see from the outside are all the positive benefits that dance music culture has on physical, mental, and social health. Dance music brings people together to celebrate art. The DJ gets an opportunity to share their musical passion, taste, and creativity as they weave songs together on the fly for the audience. Dancing in itself is a fun and stimulating form of exercise.
One of our goals is to introduce the community to uplifting, healthy dance music experiences and overcome negative stigma. Our main vehicle for achieving that goal is to provide DJing and dance music culture education to the community for free, including after-school programs for children, community programs for adults, and dance events where our students get to perform and express themselves creatively for their peers.
Another obstacle comes with securing funding and placement for our after-school program. Competing with STEM community providers is challenge enough for any art-based program. Combined with some of the stigmas mentioned above, we often get overlooked. School administrators often forget that encouraging creativity in developing minds pays off in dividends. Learning to DJ has a bonus perk in that it is a modern art form that mixes technology with creativity. To make it easier for schools, we provide a robust curriculum, very experienced and passionate instructors, and all the necessary equipment. We also help organize live performances for the students and their schoolmates. Dance Music Initiative makes this fresh and engaging form of education turnkey for schools.
As you know, we’re big fans of Dance Music Initiative. Why do you dedicate so much of your time and energy to your nonprofit?
As Executive Director of Dance Music Initiative, I help on many fronts towards our mission of collectively inspiring creativity through dance music culture. Some of my contributions include developing & refining our DJing fundamentals curriculum, mentoring students & instructors, advocating the benefits of dance music culture, fundraising & grant writing, marketing & collateral generation, and event planning & execution.
I firmly believe that in-person instruction is always going to be more effective than watching a how-to video. Even though the latter scales better and can reach more people, the former builds a stronger community; Dance Music Initiative is a people-first organization. Our students get hands-on training on both the original (vinyl records & turntables) and current (digital music & DJ controllers) technology. Our curriculum focuses on the fundamentals of DJing dance music, including counting beats, musical phrasing, beatmatching records, analyzing musical keys, and ear training. Once students have demonstrated technical proficiency, we book them to DJ events for the local community.
I teach DJing because it is a very accessible way to be creative with music, and it generates many positive effects. Here are a few reasons why DJing is particularly appealing to explore:
* It’s a form of music that people can do independently (versus playing in a band)
* It can be inexpensive to get started (there are many free smartphone apps that go over the basics)
* The first few attempts can sound amazing from the get-go because it’s built from already completed songs, creating a positive and encouraging feedback loop
* It’s a very practical art form that has low-barrier income/entrepreneurial potential
* DJing amplifies the art of other musicians
* Unlike most forms of music, the live performance is spontaneous and interactive as the DJ adjusts to the reception of the dance floor
* Dancing is a positive social experience and a fun form of exercise
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
Luck may have played a role in our organization’s success. However, I feel it is the dedication and generosity of our community that have been our greatest assets. We started our mission by giving out our time and knowledge for free. Our investment in the community has since created long-lasting bonds. That karma has opened doors for us. Our collective regularly pays altruism forward, as that was the tone originally set at the start. It’s definitely a long play. A flourishing culture takes time to cultivate and should not be compromised in exchange for short-term gain.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dancemusicinitiative.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancemusicinitiative/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dancemusicinitiative/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dancemusicinitiative
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/dance-music-initiative
- Other: https://www.mixcloud.com/bryan-chang/
