Insight Into The Female DJ With Tina T!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011 "Rest and you rust." -Helen Hayes
I believe that it is very appropriate that our next feature DJ is Tina T!! We have been wanting to feature her for a long time on the Buzz and the perfect timing finally occurred for both parties! We have been focusing this past month on the contributions that women make in the nightlife industry and the challenges that they respectively face, as a result of being in an overly male-dominated business. Times are definitely changing and Beyonce’s latest smash hit, “Run The World (Girls)”, might truly have more meaning to it than we think! DJ Tina T has been a self-motivated performer since the tender age of 15 and true to her mantra, “Rest and you rust” via Helen Hayes, Tina never slows down for long! Perhaps it’s in keeping with her artistic, creative personality, that she believes there is a challenge around every corner and to survive one must always be one step ahead in the game, to greet that challenge.
Tina has truly accomplished so much for her age and has had a wealth of legitimate experience to back her perspectives about the challenges and advantages that face the contemporary female DJ. In the past, the primary role of the female in clubs was either dancing on stage or in a variety of service roles. A lot has changed since then, and women now are not only all over the charts creating the smash hits that the club patrons crave to hear, they are setting the club vibes via the turntables and/or Serato! In fact, according to Tina, female DJs are actually in high demand these days. “Many events specifically request a female DJ. Those are a direct advantage for us.“ (cited from DJ Tina T’s Buzz 2011 Interview Responses) With quite often a heavy male clientele, the female DJ can enhance the performance element within a club venue. However, it’s a dangerous stereotype that the female DJ is currently facing.The looming question remains…is she another glorified sexual creation to be objectified, is she a talent to be respected or does SHE CHOOSE to use both approaches to enhance her own industry image and further her success? There is definitely a legitimate struggle in the world of the female DJ in terms of defining the role and how it should be portrayed within the industry. Who is defining the contemporary role of the new millennium DJ!? Tina T is truly a qualified voice and highly respected in the nightlife realm. She’s been awarded several years in a row Las Vegas’ “Female DJ of The Year”. She is SOUGHT OUT by reputable companies, as she has an image that they like to use to promote their product and/or service.
Tina not only is beautiful, but she is intelligent, skilled, has personality, creativity, business savvy and intuition! She possesses the whole package. Yet, as the saying goes, “sex sells” and it always will. Club owners will continue to put half naked women behind the decks in order to bring in the crowds. Tina advises new female DJs who are starting their career to develop a “thick skin”, as it is much needed for survival by the female DJ in the nightlife world. Women aren’t always respected for their talent, but rather their appearance only. It’s an age old struggle that still exists today, but individuals like Tina T are working to undo potentially detrimental stereotypes and prove to the world that women are every bit as talented as male DJs. Tina states in our Buzz exclusive questionnaire that, “I think we have a lot of stereotypes for relying on our looks and gender to get work. People make a lot of judgments about female DJ's before they hear them play.“ (cited from DJ Tina T’s Buzz Interview Responses)
In Tina’s career, she has chosen to use her ability before using her looks to work her way up the ladder! She legitimately mastered her turntable, and vinyl scratching skills the old school way and continued to tackle the new technology as it has emerged. Tina has also taken her game to the next level and has actually found a way, HER WAY, to give back to the DJ community. She “…wanted to find a fun way to bring everyone in the DJ community together” and as a result, has created a summer camp for teens, with a focus on teaching DJ skills. The summer camp still offers traditional outdoor fun activities, but Tina has utilized her extensive industry network to form a connection between the DJ world and the upcoming generation of new potential DJs!
Through her entrepreneurial spirit, Tina is actively working to preserve the traditional skills in the profession such as scratching and use of vinyl, that were the vehicle to kick starting her own career in the industry. Tina is a very active participant in Camp Spin-Off and actually has scholarships established to help give economically challenged kids a shot at attending her camp and possibly opening the door to their respective future! Camp Spin-Off truly embodies Tina’s dedication to her profession and it truly speaks of the depth of her active character and her work to elevate the perception of the female DJ. Tina’s fun loving, GIVING, nature is very appealing and she’s quite often known as the “little sister” in the biz to many world famous DJs, producers and recording artists.
DJ TINA T WITH DJ AM
DJ AM was TRULY her biggest mentor as she quite often notes in her bio and interviews. Since he was the “Wayne Gretzky” of the the DJ world, it’s no surprise that she picked well when it came to learning from a brilliant artist. Tina is a complete professional when it comes to her work and her personal life. She presents a polished image off and on camera. She knows how to manipulate her sex appeal to give just the right amount edge to her game, yet still remain classy and marketable to the most exclusive club venues in the global nightlife scene. Tina is very much in charge of her destiny and for that she sets the bar higher for new female DJs. She proves that it is possible to make it in the industry by using BOTH talent and sex appeal. Mainstream female recording artists that she looks to for inspiration include: Madonna, Beyonce, Gaga, and Gwen Stefani. In considering why she has chosen these women, it would seem that they all share something in common. It’s a balance between level of confidence, ability, sexuality and responsibility. These women all place a great priority on their art form, yet do not compromise their agenda or sense of self, in order to promote their image. They stick to what they believe in and remain in full control of their choices.
Female DJs now have this choice available to them, as a result of the work of artists like DJ Tina T. I believe Tina’s comment about the biggest issue facing the female DJ truly sums up the current state of this affair in the industry and her insight resonates hope. “I used to deal with issues of wanting to prove myself as an equal when I was first started out and wanted to be taken seriously. Now I feel confident in what I have accomplished. I want to inspire other girls who are aspiring DJ's and feel intimidated at times, to know that they can accomplish anything they work towards.“ The sky is the limit now for what female DJs can do, thanks to efforts of Tina and many other hard working female artists. With less gender restricting limitations and more power placed back into the hands of women, the parties can only get more creative, more diverse and more celebratory, as everyone appreciates BOTH the talent and unique individuality of the female DJ.
WHO is DJ Tina T!!!? BIO!
Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, DJ Tina T. headed out to Los Angeles after graduating from Washington State University. She made her first impression in Los Angeles becoming a finalist in the DJ battle hosted by the #1 Hip-Hop radio station POWER 106 FM, and the world famous Big Boy in the Morning Show. She then took home the gold with her victory as LA Weekly’s first ever DJ Spin Off battle. Boasting more than a dozen years of experience, Tina T. has rocked crowds in some of the hottest nightclubs all over the world including the Bahamas, Philippines, Canada and Mexico. She has toured the United States with such companies as Red Bull, Etnies, DC Shoes, Reebok, Skull Candy, Fox Racing, and Mountain Dew Action Sports and held down residencies at some of the most famous Las Vegas nightclubs including Tao, Tao Beach and Prive, with headlining performances at Lavo, Pure, Rain, and Tabu.
Currently, Tina is a resident at Marquee Nightclub inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and was just named Las Vegas’ “Best Female DJ” for the second year in a row. She has DJ’d exclusive VIP private parties for the likes of Travis Pastrana, Rob Dyrdek, Lil Jon, and has shared the stage with such celebrities as Ludacris, Run DMC, Lady GaGa, Too Short, Black Eyed Peas, Sir Mix A Lot, Will I Am, DJ AM, Steve Aoki, and Samantha Ronson.
TINA WITH LIL JON
Tina has also been featured in Red Bull and DJ Hero commercials, MTV's The Hills, E! News, The Travel Channel, Fuel TV, among others. The pairing of Tina’s skill behind the turntables, her flawless music programming, along with her overall persona, has proved her success thus far.
TINA WINS LAS VEGAS' FEMALE DJ OF THE YEAR FOR THE 2ND YEAR!
BUZZ EXCLUSIVE CUSTOMIZED DJ SURVEY FOR DJ TINA T!!
FOCUS: FEMALE DJ’S IN THE INDUSTRY
1. What made you decide to become a DJ? What was the moment?
When I was 15, a friend brought me to watch a DJ battle in Seattle and it was at that moment that I knew this was something that I was very serious and excited about pursuing. Being surrounded by such a supportive group of DJ's had a huge role in why I continued to pursue DJing.
2. How do you think female DJs are perceived and what stereotypes would you like to see corrected?
I think we have a lot of stereotypes for relying on our looks and gender to get work. People make a lot of judgments about female DJ's before they hear them play.
3. Which DJ influenced your style the most and why?
DJ AM influenced my style the most because he had mastered the cross over between turntablism and commercial party rocking club sets. He took insane risks musically with crowds and was next level creative with word play and song selection.
4. What is wrong and right with the night life industry and why?
DJing in clubs puts you directly in the middle of a lot of bad things… everything from drugs, to prostitution and violence. On the flip side of that, its amazing to see people get out, let loose, celebrate, dance and enjoy their lives. It feels good to be a part of that.
5. Where do you see the DJ community heading?
I think we are heading in a direction away from technical skills on turntables and more into a wave of electronic music producers.
6. What has been THE BIGGEST ISSUE for you being a female DJ in the industry?
I used to deal with issues of wanting to prove myself as an equal when I was first started out and wanted to be taken seriously. Now I feel confident in what I have accomplished. I want to inspire other girls who are aspiring DJ's and feel intimidated at times to know that they can accomplish anything they work towards.
7. What has been The BIGGEST ADVANTAGE for you being a female DJ in the industry?
Many events specifically request a female DJ. Those are a direct advantage for us.
8. What clubs have been your favorite to play at and why?
It really all depends on the energy of the crowd and not the club or city I am in. Some of my best nights were unexpected and in random places. Overall, Vegas throws the best parties, people walk in the front door dancing and fist pumping.
9. What advice can you offer to upcoming female DJs?
If you take what you do seriously then others will take you seriously. Earn respect and don't expect it. Develop thick skin because you will need it.
10. Who is your favorite female vocal recording artist and why?
Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga, Beyonce… they are all inspiring to me and send out positive messages.
BEYONCE supporting kids, as DJ Tina T Does!
CAMP SPIN-OFF 2011“WHERE DJS GO TO PLAY”
Sponsored by: Hewlett Packard, Red Bull, Skull Candy, Royal Elastics,
Scratch DJ Academy & Award Winning DJ Tina T
(Oak View, CA) – Camp Spin-Off, the DJ camp for tweens and teens returns to Southern California August 1-5, 2011. This ultimate summer camp, founded by DJ Tina T. in 2010, unites aspiring young DJs from across the country with some of the industry’s top players. Over one week 50 campers between the ages of 12-17 will learn the art of spinning along with elements of the DJ culture, all set in the picturesque outdoor environment of Southern California’s Ojai Valley.
Campers are not only immersed in the culture but also experience an action packed week of traditional camp activities with their favorite DJ role models. Pioneers of the DJ world scheduled to appear during camp include DJs Reflex, Samantha Ronson and Spider. Camp Spin Off aims to give access to not only these masters, but also the proper DJ instruction and equipment, paired with a team-building environment in the great outdoors.
Campers have daily schedules filled with instructional classes, electives, outdoor activities, practice time and evening events. Activities include DJ instructional sessions with The Scratch DJ Academy, Royal Elastics T-Shirt screen printing workshops and HP multimedia classes where campers learn how to design CD covers, logos and business cards. Dinner & a DJ and DJ Showcases, along with lessons on beat making and remixing, break dancing and music business and marketing are also on tap for campers. These industry focused core classes are combined with more traditional summer camp fare such as zip lines, a climbing wall, skate park, pool parties, movies and skits under the stars, campfires and s’mores.
“I wanted to find a fun way to bring everyone in the DJ community together,” said award winning DJ and Camp Spin-Off founder DJ Tina T. “This kind of summer camp would have been a dream come true for me when I first started learning to DJ. Surrounding the campers with inspirational and positive role models is a great way to keep these aspiring DJs excited and motivated.”
Camp Spin-Off is held on the grounds of Forest Home Ojai Valley in Oak View, California, just a one-hour drive from Los Angeles. The fee of $800 per person includes all meals, housing, equipment and supplies. In addition, each camper will take home their own professional Skull Candy Headphones. Register at www.campspinoff.com
WE TRULY APPLAUD DJ TINA T FOR WHAT SHE IS DOING FOR BOTH FEMALE DJS AND FUTURE DJS IN THE INDUSTRY!!! SHE IS TRULY A PIONEER AND A LEADER TO ADMIRE!
Keeping the beat politically fresh with DJ Tina T,
