The Female DJ Council Is Finding Its Groove

By DJ Stephanie Stardust | Founder, Female DJ Council

Why do female DJs even need their own space? And what exactly are we going to do with it?

I've been attending DJ conferences for 8 years, and when you're in a room where men make up the majority, there's a natural curiosity when you spot another woman behind the decks. You want to know who she is, where she's from, what she plays, and what her experience has been like!

In our hometowns, those connections aren't always easy to make. We may be competing for the same clients, venues, and opportunities. But when we travel to conferences, suddenly we're meeting women from all over the country who share our experiences without the competition.

 While we spend thousands of dollars on equipment, education, and conferences, I've found that the relationships are often what keep us coming back.

Thanks to DJX and the generous space they provided us in the Annex this year, we're getting a better idea of what this community can become. Our lounge gave us a place to find one another, perform, network, create content, collaborate, meet manufacturers, and connect with some of our favorite personalities from social media.

We featured talented female DJs from across the country, at registration last year and in our lounge this year, giving more women opportunities for visibility and exposure. 

We also had the pleasure of welcoming Shyra Sanchez, who hosted meet-and-greets, sang, danced, performed, and brought some fantastic energy to our space. She was an absolute sweetheart!

A huge thank-you to A-Roc Entertainment for collaborating with us on our gorgeous custom DJ booth, along with ATA Photobooth, AlphaTheta, QSC, and Both Lighting USA for helping make our lounge such a success. Having industry brands involved opens up even more opportunities for women to build relationships, showcase their talent, and get involved beyond their local markets.

There's also something to be said about having a community that has your back.

We've seen some pretty ugly bullying, harassment, and personal attacks directed at female DJs, particularly online. I've also watched women step up for one another, reach out privately, offer encouragement, and become the support system so many of us wish we'd had earlier in our careers. Having friends throughout this industry means knowing there are people you can turn to, whether they're down the street or across the country.

And that's something worth building on.

The Female DJ Council is inclusive, welcoming, and growing. We want to create more opportunities for performances, education, mentorship, brand collaborations, content creation, networking, and good old-fashioned friendships. We also welcome the support and ideas of men, manufacturers, educators, and anyone interested in helping talented women gain more visibility in our industry.

I owe a special thank-you to Shawn Hazan, who has been an incredible sounding board for my ideas. Watching him help turn our conversations into actual experiences has been one of the most exciting parts of this entire project. 

Now I want to hear from YOU!

What would you like to see the Female DJ Council do next? More performances? Workshops? Meetups? Collaborations? We're still finding our groove, and the women getting involved are helping us figure out where we're headed.

Join our Female DJ Council Facebook group, where we share opportunities.  And follow us on Instagram, where we promote and spotlight performances, collaborations, and accomplishments of our Council members.

We're creating something that extends well beyond the showroom floor, and I hope more of you will come be part of it.

After all, there's room for more than one queen behind the decks.

The door is open. Come find your people.

Photo Credit: John Hohman