Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
"Keeping the beat"
48 Plays1 month ago
Whether he's pumping up the crowd during a game at The Walter Pyramid or at a commencement ceremony, B-ROKK keeps his alma mater moving.
Recommended
Transcript
Podcast Introduction
00:00:17
Speaker
Hello, I'm Dan Montoya, Vice President of University Relations and Development here at Cal State Long Beach. Welcome to our podcast at the beach. This podcast shares news of Cal State Long Beach and ways you can get
Introducing Brandon Ayala
00:00:29
Speaker
involved. Today, I'm delighted to introduce a special guest.
00:00:32
Speaker
If you've ever seen him at a match at the pyramid, you know his work. Besides slam dunks and volleyball spikes, he is an active part of the show in every game. He's known for laying down killer beats and amping up beat sports fans like no one else does. He also gives a lot of pizza out too, which is great.
Brandon's DJ Journey Begins
00:00:52
Speaker
Brandon B-Rock Ayala, a Beach alum, is a professional DJ and MC based in l LA with over a decade of experience in the music industry. He became a well-known DJ on campus through K-Beach Radio, now 22 West Media, and is currently the official DJ for CSULB Athletic Games at the Walter Pyramid.
00:01:12
Speaker
And I would also say for commencement as well. He has performed with some big name artists like Trey songs, Miguel, and for huge corporate clients beyond DJing. He co-runs photo booth group, providing photo booth services for events and is interested in exploring music production in the future.
00:01:29
Speaker
Welcome, Brandon. or do you you Or do you prefer B-Rock? I do prefer B-Rock. Awesome. Well, so good to have you here. i see you in so many venues and you're you're always so easy to to get along with and you're so good with the public. And so I'm just excited to have you here.
00:01:47
Speaker
And so we're going to just have a conversation, go through some questions. Yeah, now let's talk. Get to know you and get to know all about your experience. your interest in DJing, how you, how you did it, how you got into it, you know, what you're doing now and where you're trying to go.
00:02:02
Speaker
Yeah, no, let's talk, man. and And before we dive into it, um you know, I said it earlier, you know, if i'm I'm happy to be here and I have a lot of love for campus. I have a lot of love for not only the campus, but the city of Long Beach.
00:02:13
Speaker
You know, if if there's any part where I can be involved, you know, i'm down I'm down for it, you know, so I'm excited to be here. That's great.
Musical Influences and Heritage
00:02:19
Speaker
So your musical journey started with you picking up a guitar at age 12 and later transitioning to DJing after playing DJ Hero, I understand. Yeah.
00:02:28
Speaker
What was it about DJing that captured your passion compared to other musical plans you explored? ah So i've I've always been ah fan of music. Guitar was the first instrument I picked up. At the time, i was very big on classic rock.
00:02:41
Speaker
So like Metallica, Guns N' Roses. you know ah my My guilty band right now is ah Arctic Monkeys. you know if If I'm driving the whip alone, that's that's what I'm bumping right now. There you go So i'm I'm a big fan of rock and guitar was like my first outlet into into some music, took ah classes and everything until I used to religiously play a Guitar Hero until ah Activision came out with DJ Hero. That was my first time hearing any type of like mashup or like, you know, and in a band, you you play one song in three minutes.
00:03:12
Speaker
But in this game, I was playing like five different songs in five minutes. And I was like, this is kind of cool. Yeah. And this was ah during the whole rise of ah of house music, EDM music. um You know, festivals were were on the rise. Raves were on the rise. And on the radio, I was a big fan.
00:03:29
Speaker
Kiss FM, they would have, i don't remember if it was weekly or daily, ah like nighttime ah house mixes from DJ Drew, who I was a big fan of at the time. On this ride home, my mom would be driving, I'd be in the backseat and in this 30 minute ride home, DJ Drew's bumping just house music that was like, yo, this is cool, this is cool is fun. right And know i'm within that 30 minute ride home, you know I'm listening to all kinds of music and mashups and then that game came out and I played it and I was like, yo, this is this is very creative. Like, and ah and I kind of want to tap into this, you know, so just the whole aspect of, you know, putting these words over this beat or this beat over this beat and, you know, just kind of ah being very creative with music in a short amount of time.
00:04:06
Speaker
um You know, i told my parents I kind of want to try this and they looked at me very weird. And, you know, being the supportive parents they are, they they helped me find DJ school. And that's just where the journey started. That's awesome.
00:04:19
Speaker
But I know that your palette for music probably started at a young age. Talk to us about what you used to listen to growing up. I mean, obviously influences from your parents and, you know, stuff that you, you, you know, saw on TV or maybe MTV or, I mean, these things. So talk to us about how you developed your sound and your ear for music.
00:04:38
Speaker
Yeah, great. ah Great question. um And to this day, it's it's still evolving. To this day, I'm still learning about like hits from the 60s or 70s. And I'm still learning about hits that just came out yesterday. Yeah. It really all started obviously at home.
00:04:50
Speaker
You know, I'm half Mexican, half Salvadoran, you know, born in Lancaster, raised in between El Monte and Pico Rivera. Right. uh so very east l.a driven my mom was huge on 80s disco and freestyle um so she had these like mixtapes like these hour-long mixtapes and you know it's bumping music from like taps to debbie deb and on my dad's side ah you know same thing my him and my parent him and my mom grew up in the same time but my dad is very uh rooted in the salvadorian culture okay you know so that's where the knowledge between like cumbia and salsa comes from nice um And then you have my sister who's, um I love my sister. You know, we joke around and she was like the hooligan growing up in the family. So she's she's true East LA homegirl. Like, you know, so she's bumping Eazy-E, Tupac. Nice. um You know, Snoop Dogg, Sir Mix-A-Lot, you know, so I don't know. It's a very diverse family. And then, you know, on my mom's side, on the Mexican side, when, you know, we're we're Latinos, man, we party for everything. That's right. You know, when that's when you get the knowledge on like the banda music and the grupos and...
00:05:52
Speaker
you know, gi alitas and all that. So, you know, it's just families where it where it comes from to this day, you know, working in music now it's, it's coming from, you know, just different peers that are working in music. I i have friends that are DJs for so-and-so artists or, you know, I have peers that are management for other artists and, you know, especially with the rise of, um, they're called the DSPs, which are digital streaming platforms, you know, so it was like Spotify, Apple music, social media, um, Yeah.
00:06:20
Speaker
new music is coming my way right but you know to answer your question it comes from really family and then you know as as i emergrged um through my time here at long beach state you know this is a very diverse canvas super diverse yeah you know, from different cultures, ethnic ethnicities, age groups, you know, there's there's so much different types of people here and being, what's the word I'm looking for? Exposed to these different groups. You know, it's just naturally you just had to learn how to adapt to these groups and how to how do you please them with music. Yeah, I think that's such a beautiful thing. and And I kind of had a feeling that you were going to explain it like that because, you know, in our culture, there's there's so much to it, right? There's so many complexities. And and even even the friends that you have and you grow up with, there's like so much of a mixed match. Talk to us about, you know, okay, okay, so you you played, ah you know, the the video games and, and you know, DJ here and all that.
00:07:14
Speaker
How did it evolve for you to go into a school for DJing?
DJ School Experience
00:07:18
Speaker
And talk to us about that process. And what I want to know is like when you first started, like what was going through your mind? And then and then eventually that discipline that you had to to keep, you know, perfecting your craft and how has that process evolved to where you are now?
00:07:33
Speaker
Yeah, great question. Well, the reason i I suggested a school, my parents suggested it, was because no one else in the family knew how to DJ. Right. It was he smart, though. It smart. Yeah. Yeah, like, i you know, I pitched it to my parents. And again, the supportive parents, they are. um Even through the financial hardships were at the time, they, they ah you know, they moved mountains to figure it out. Right.
00:07:52
Speaker
But when it comes down to, like, no one else in the family had the equipment to teach. And, you know, they're big on education. So I think they just, like, heard, like, DJ school. Oh, school. You know, just put them in there. More education. That's good. That's good. Which was a blessing because, you know, i'm i'm in this in I'm in this class and I think at the time I was probably a freshman in high school. So I think I was like 13, you know, around a lot of older students, you know, and who are probably like my age now, like in their mid 20s, late 20s, early 30s.
00:08:20
Speaker
You know, so they're all looking at me like, who's this kid? like who's this kid And it was ah also a blessing because, you know, so i'm I'm around these people who have like some type of vision of what they're what they're doing here, like their purpose here.
00:08:32
Speaker
And my instructors at the time were pretty big names. And I just didn't know, cause wasn't tapped into the DJ industry um at the time. So, you know, at the time, you know, my instructors are Hoppa, Dynamics, Mr. Chaga, the Beat Junkies, Revolution, like these these big names in the DJ scene. right right And 13 year old me is just like looking at him like, and okay, like what do I do?
00:08:53
Speaker
You know, but with that that's why, you know, like I didn't have family to teach me. And, you know, they at the academy, they ah they taught me everything from music theory to the history of hip hop to the history of DJing, understanding the equipment, how to brand yourself as a DJ from the programming side, which is the music side. Yeah. From the way you look, the way you talk to people, um you know, your presence on social media and everything in between.
00:09:14
Speaker
um You know, they kind of lay it all out for you. And it's it's up to you after you graduate with the program to to apply however you want to. Yeah. And I think that's smart because you probably saved yourself years yeah ah ah than rather than trying to do it on your own. So I think that's smart. Yeah. And and it paid off because I remember at a very young age, around 16 years old, um I took a couple of years off ah from the Scratch Academy because I just got busy with the high school varsity sports and school. But within those years I took off, I was still you know at home practicing or you know friends would book me for like house parties or you know backyard family parties. Right, right.
00:09:50
Speaker
But I noticed when i went back to finish the program, i was about 17 years old. I had just gotten, remember I had just gotten accepted Long Beach State. So I'm going to college. I tell my parents I want to finish this program. And I go back and I can tell not only like do I feel it, but others like these new students that I'm around at the Scratch Academy, they're looking at me like, yo, like B-Rock knows what he's doing, you know, and he's only 17, 16. Right.
00:10:13
Speaker
And it's because it all started from, you know, learning from sure professionals in the DJ industry, you know, and when I finally got into, you know, nightlife DJing clubs and working with artists and navigating the scene, you know, I'm i'm i'm already moving, moving and grooving and 18, 19, 20 and You know, I'm around, you know, different peers and individuals who are older and, you know, they're all just kind of asking me, like, how did you how did you get here? you know, and and it just kind of roots from that, you know, learning from professionals versus, yeah you know, versus watching YouTube University. Yeah. Trial and error. Yeah. um So real quick, maybe just tell us about your time at Long Beach. um
00:10:49
Speaker
Talk to us about your education and what you enjoyed most about going through your time here
Impact of University Life
00:10:54
Speaker
at the beach. Yeah. Well, like I said earlier, I love this campus. Everything from the resources to obviously the curriculum, but most importantly, the ah the environment.
00:11:05
Speaker
Yeah. You know, it's it's a very diverse and welcoming campus, um very lively. There's a lot of different age groups, cultures, you know, and and there's a lot of individuals here who have different visions and goals in mind. And If you really put in the work to stay involved in campus, it's it's fun.
00:11:24
Speaker
It's very fun. And, you know, i was i was involved with ASI. um You know, I started at KBeach Radio at the time, which is now 22 West Media. You know, I tapped in with ah Beach Pride events, doing programming, um athletics, obviously, which is where I am now. And, you know, and and I graduated with my degree in business. so i was I was at the business.
00:11:43
Speaker
college of business almost every day but i loved my time here i always tell people i wouldn't be where i am now if it wasn't for the experience i had here at long beach state you know and and the people that i met um you know and the tips and tricks that everyone offers here yeah so what i always tell people is when you get your degree it just teaches you how to think right it's not this magical thing that say oh you got your degree and you automatically get this or that Even, you know, yeah i think you you told me you study operations management, right? Yeah. But there's so much to that like that you can use in your business, right? Correct. Because you still got to use marketing, accounting, finance, absolutely so strategy, management. you're you're You're a CEO of your own company, per se, and you have to manage your own books and you have to...
00:12:31
Speaker
Go and book your own shows and all that. So I think, I think you, what, not only the DJing, but also your business degree has kind of prepared you to go out and and be a so successful entrepreneur, which I think is fabulous and amazing. Absolutely. and And going off what you said, you know, it's like having the degree is one thing.
00:12:50
Speaker
And, you know, there used to be this perception of you have your degree and everything's going to line up. When in reality, it's not always like that. You know, you you have to put in the work to to build your network. And I feel ah like that's what a university is is for. You know, it builds character. It lets people know, like, you have drive. You can get stuff done.
00:13:08
Speaker
But you should you also use it to to build your network. You know, that the network you have and the friends you have will will help get you to the goals that you have. Yeah. So I know we want to, I want to get to what you do here for the beach, but maybe you can talk about out there as a business guy, an entrepreneur in, you know, doing shows and working with these, you know, celebrity artists and, you know, talk to us about how, how that is.
Performing with Renowned Artists
00:13:33
Speaker
And maybe some of the highlights that you can remember in working with, with your favorite folks. Yeah, absolutely. Well, to answer how it is, it's ah it's great. yeah it's it's ah there's There's no other like feeling to it, but it's pretty um it's pretty exciting. It's pretty exciting to you know to share a stage with.
00:13:50
Speaker
you know Here on campus, i've I've shared the stages with ah you know Sir, Blast, Trey Songz, Givion. And outside of here, um you know I've been in the same rooms as you know big artists from Exhibit you know to Carol G, Becky G, and and many more. And it's, it's a good feeling.
00:14:06
Speaker
And in the beginning, i would always question like, do I deserve to be here? And I've recently come to acknowledge that I, I i do deserve to be in these rooms. Yeah. But it's, it's for sure a good feeling, you know especially when, when any of these people, they might not be a big celebrity, but it might be a person next to them who's like a manager or some type of PNR person who also acknowledges me and or who might recognize me from some work.
00:14:30
Speaker
Yeah. Through the industry. But it's, you know, within those moments, it's it's for sure ah a good feeling and a good reminder of the journey. You know, I've i started at 22S at K Beach Radio at the time, you know, with the goal of being in radio and I'm in radio now, you know, working with with K-Day and Power 106. And, um you know, but that whole journey from 17 to now, it's ah it's crazy.
00:14:53
Speaker
That's awesome. i You said something that is so powerful and that I that i like to tell students, um you know, in our Latino community, a lot of times, you know, we're brought up asking permission for everything, right? And we're always like, well, I need to ask permission to go and and do this or belong. And you said something that was so powerful that you asked yourself, do I belong?
00:15:15
Speaker
and And you do, you prove to yourself that you you do belong. And so I always like to tell them, I was like, you don't need permission. yeah Just go do it. Right. and And you're an example of that because you just went and did it. Right. I think that's so powerful. Maybe you can, ah you know, kick some of the wisdom that you've learned to say, yeah, you know, just show up and and give it a shot. You know, of all the times that you've worked your business and how many times have you failed versus how many have you succeeded? All the time, All the time. um You know, and and I call myself an entrepreneur now. You you mentioned my business background. I used to work in the aerospace industry and just got to the point where DJing was taking over and I had this this urge to try different business projects. You know, and I'm an entrepreneur now, but for sure building the confidence throughout those years ah is a process in itself.
00:16:04
Speaker
Yeah. you know And to this day, I'm still asking for permission and feedback because I still have that doubt where I'm like, sure like am i doing things right? you know Am I in the right vision for what you want me to do? um you know So you know so it's it's for sure a process mentally on like building that confidence, but there's moments where you know you know you're good at what you do. yeah And, you know, i've I've been reminded by multiple people ah where, you know, they tell me you you wouldn't be in this room if if you weren't. That's right. You know, so it's and it's that confidence where it's like, yeah, like I i do deserve to be in this room. and
00:16:37
Speaker
And it's normal. It's normal to feel that way. Because if you you you look at Kobe, if you look at Jordan or any of the artists that you talked about, they would say the same thing.
00:16:47
Speaker
You know, there's that every now and then that that little, you know, thought of doubt creeps in and you're like, well you know But then then you just go with what you know. and And the thing is that you've done it so long that you probably just do it in your sleep because it's just so ah so many repetitions, right right? And that discipline and then just just getting it better and better.
00:17:08
Speaker
I'm sure that you listen to music a lot different than you did. 10 years ago. Absolutely. And it's like you listen for things in music that, you know myself would never even pay attention to. Right. Right. And I think that is, again, that discipline and just fine tuning your craft and and, you know, becoming sharper and sharper.
00:17:27
Speaker
Right. Yeah. And, uh, and I love it you know and it's with any profession, you know, the, the way I think about music is different from someone else, you know, versus, um you know, versus yourself who, who looks at these university different than what I do.
00:17:39
Speaker
yeah You know, I, especially as, as in a student's perspective, yeah you know, and a student might see their, this camp is different than, than what you see it, you know, and it's just, you know, it's just having the, the experience in some type of profession or, yeah you know, what, and, uh, what's the word, not profession, but, um maybe be career.
00:17:57
Speaker
career,
Adapting DJ Sets for Audiences
00:17:58
Speaker
you know? Yeah. So talk to us about reading the room, right? You are, you're at the pyramid or you're commencement or you're DJing a club or whatever, and you're playing the music, right? And and you're, you're playing obviously for a specific audience or how do you, how do you read the room to to keep it flowing? You know i mean? Is there times where you call an audible and say, you know what, it's not, it's not what I thought. So I got to switch it up. Talk to us about that.
00:18:24
Speaker
Yeah. um Great question. And ah it changes every time. It it changes every time depending on on the people in front of me, you know, the type of room I'm in. It might be in a small room, a big room. But to you two examples, you know, it's the way I approach a pyramid event is different than the way I approach commencement.
00:18:41
Speaker
Yeah. Only because it's it's two totally different demographics going going to these events. You know, and it, it, uh, it, it changes every time, you know, there, there might be a game at the pyramid where it's, it's jam packed. It's, it's wild, you know, so it's a lot easier. It's a lot easier controlling these people, you know, where, you know, the, the power of a microphone is, is, uh, is crazy too. You know, i'm building that confidence with my voice too. And like the, you know, letting people hear me, sure you know, has grown over time, but you know, between talking on a microphone and music, you know, at the pyramid, it, it's, it changes every game.
00:19:11
Speaker
Yeah. There's games where it's a little slower in the beginning, you know, and it comes down to the players too and the teams that that are playing as well. So it just kind of, you just kind of feel it, you know, the same way you watch a baseball game or a basketball game at home, you know, and you're on your seat because it's its third quarter, you know, 62 to 62. I want, I want that same feeling when you're in the pyramid, you know, and and it's,
00:19:33
Speaker
you know, I, in the end of the day, always tell, um I always tell folks, I want people to walk away saying this, this was, this was a heck of a time. Like this was a heck of experience. Like not only because of game, but without thinking about it, I had a great time listening to music or watching this promo on the court. And you know, the way I eventually get into that is, uh, You know, obviously through through practice, but just kind of just kind of gauging the vibe, you know, you know, for example, if when I go to commencement, i'm I'm inside the stadium. I get a couple of minutes to, you know, they walk me and I get a couple of minutes to like gauge the ambiance, you know, just ah the vibe in the room. Sure.
00:20:09
Speaker
And, you know, it's 30 minutes before commencement and they tell me that, OK, start. And I have. 20 minutes to give them the Long Beach experience, you know, and there's family and friends in the crowd who've never been to Long Beach State. Like they don't even know what a Long Beach State experience is. Yeah. um You know, so it's my job within those 20 minutes to to let them know, you know, not only, you know, should you be proud of of your graduates walking the stage, but like this is what what we do every time for them.
00:20:34
Speaker
That's awesome. You know, and and again, like there's there's a lot of friends and family and different groups and ages and cultures. But through my time here at Long Beach, you know, being in small rooms at the USU ballrooms to a big stage like the pyramid, you know, i've I've learned to just, you know, read the room and I see like, okay, there's this group right here. I might play this song and they react very well to it. And it might be like earth, wind, fire.
00:20:56
Speaker
Yeah. And so now I know like, okay, let's, let's double down on this. that's right Or, you know, or if I get bored of it, like, you know, I know we're in the college of business or I know this is liberal arts, huge Latino community. Let's, let's try, let's try this, you know, and it hits and I'm like, okay, cool. Or if the reaction isn't as big, let's, let's do an audible and try switching this, you know? And, um, you know, and that, that just comes from, you know, the experience throughout the years and, you know, the music knowledge too. Yeah, that's so cool. And, you know, you are the DJ for the men's volleyball national champions.
00:21:29
Speaker
Yeah. You know, you know shot yeah right I didn't even know they they brought home the trophy. Yeah, they did. They came in today. um You know, you you constantly bring the energy there. And, you know, what do you enjoy about being in the pyramid and and just the crowds and.
00:21:43
Speaker
There's, there's a, like all kinds of ages, age groups in there. And so, so what do you enjoy with that? You know, maybe, maybe talk about your experiences and in the volleyball games this year. Yeah. And recently I've been more involved in volleyball.
00:21:56
Speaker
Uh, at first it was mainly focused on men's volleyball, uh, men's ah basketball and, you know, I'm building the. in-game experience in that. sure um But now being part of a volleyball program that's ranked number one nation is is pretty nuts in itself. But my favorite part is when I'm leaving the pyramid after any event and there's anyone, it might be a small child to this family or a parent, and you know without asking for any feedback, they naturally just, they naturally communicate
00:22:27
Speaker
come up and say, great job. yeah You know, like you, like you, like you had this pyramid moving and grooving. that's good And, and that's just a reminder of, you know, it just reminds me that, okay, like I, I'm doing what I'm supposed to do.
00:22:39
Speaker
And I'm just hoping that, that, that energy is, you know, reflecting onto the, you know, the faculty and staff and admin at athletics too. You know, only because I do care about ah do care about the brand of this campus, you know, whether it's from athletics to commencement sure to an A-Sci event or some type student event. I care about, um you know, the overall brand and vision behind, you know, the beach.
00:23:01
Speaker
And, you know, there's people that go to the games and they see me at the pyramid or they see me at commencement, you know, which is another large another large stage. and and And they get it. Like, they come up to me and they're like,
00:23:12
Speaker
Like, yeah, like that's that's B-Rock. That's right. and you know And that's and that's what I want. You know, when they see me step on the court, you know, and they either see the hat or the yellow jersey that says B-Rock like they they're locked in. They're like, OK, like something's.
00:23:23
Speaker
Yeah. Something fun is about to happen. That's cool. But, you know, for sure, getting that feedback from fans and, you know, in the teams um is one of the greatest feelings. But for sure building and, and you know, over time building this this in-game experience, it's for sure a process.
00:23:37
Speaker
It doesn't happen overnight. It doesn't happen in one game or two games. yeah You know, it's it's something that I've been building with with the team and, um you know, the organization at the Pyramid between the past three seasons. Yeah. Um, you know, and and now it's, it's getting to the point where like, yes, like you go to a game and you know, you're going to have fun, you know, regardless if, if we're hot or not on the court, um, you know, you, you know, you're still going to have that, that fun experience, which is what, what I want, you know? Uh,
00:24:03
Speaker
ah You know, and in professional sports, there was a stadium I went to recently, City of the Art Stadium. The team may not be the hottest in in the league right now, but as a fan, I went and i was like, oh, my goodness gracious. Like, I became a fan just because of the in-game experience. Nice. You know, the the technology was state of the art.
00:24:22
Speaker
Their DJ and host that that was on the court was was moving and grooving. And, you know, it's just it's just it's fun. You know, and it makes you want to return. Yeah. um You know, regardless of how how well a team may or may not be doing.
00:24:32
Speaker
Yeah. No, and think you hit it right on the head because we we want to create that in-game experience. We want people to have a great time regardless of the outcome, right? We want them to say, you know what?
00:24:43
Speaker
Long Beach is just a fun place. It's just ah an awesome place to be. So do you think you've found your passion? Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Okay. Absolutely.
Future Career Aspirations
00:24:52
Speaker
That's awesome. What's next?
00:24:53
Speaker
Like, I know you've you've dabbled in or or exploring music production and and some of those things. What's what's next? Yeah. You know, mentioned earlier, I'm i'm an entrepreneur and now, you know, and, ah you know, DJing is part of that.
00:25:06
Speaker
But, you know, the um the long-term side of me, like yeah the... yeah The mature side of me is sure it's also telling me, you know, I don't want to be the this dude still having to yeah pump up these people. You know, and no visually, it just might not look the same as I am now. yeah You know, so, you know, help manage photo booth company, which is doing very well now, you know, and that's one aspect of business I still want to build and grow. You know, the entrepreneur side of me wants to build in real estate and, you know, build a ah stock portfolio. Good. You know, just think about like long term wealth ah that way. um And on the music side, know i know i'm I'm good at DJing and hosting and, you know, there's different ways where I can elevate on that, whether it's being an on air personality on on a radio station, which is what I'm working on now.
00:25:56
Speaker
good You know, I'm DJing now for nine to five K day, which is. Probably, either probably or if if it not is, then it probably is the longest running ah like hip hop radio station in the nation. Yeah. You know, Elliott Radio, their sister station is Power 106, which is the, ah you know, the new hip hop. Yeah. um You know, but the goal is for sure to be either, you know, a daily on-air mixture with them or on-air personality.
00:26:20
Speaker
And even, a and, you know, you might hear some big names like Diplo and Dylan Francis and and they're all producers. Yeah. yeah you know So eventually I do want to dive into producing, you know either making edits or remixes and you know dispersing music that way. you know that's That's an easier way to to get your name out versus you know having to physically be yeah at some place or city and yeah you know only those people in the room hear your name.
00:26:43
Speaker
yeah That's awesome. yeah but I think i think you know you have a solid base, man. You have a great foundation to build from and i and we look forward to all the all the great things you're going to do. i mean, you know, so how can people
Connecting with Brandon
00:26:58
Speaker
follow you? Like what what what platforms are out there that you're on? Obviously, Instagram and probably Facebook, LinkedIn, but there's probably other things that you i out there that you can, people can listen to your mixes or yeah listen to you on the radio. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I'm the i'm on the radio every weekend, Saturday nights, 9 to 11 p.m.
00:27:20
Speaker
If you want to bump some, ah you know, all the throwback hits. That's right. That's, ah you know, if you're either on your way home or to the club or back from the club, 9 to 11 p.m., 93.5. ah ninety three five ah my I'm most active on Instagram and TikTok right now.
00:27:33
Speaker
um But all social media platforms are at DJ B-Rock, DJ B-R-O-K-K. I have a lot of mixes out there too, you know, between, you know, hop, R&B, uh, reggaeton, dembow, like all the the Latin hits, you know, between SoundCloud and MixCloud.
00:27:49
Speaker
Uh, but same thing, all, all that DJ B rock. That's cool. Yeah. And we want to definitely make sure that, you know, people get to know you, get to know what you're all about. Cause you know, you're, you're, you're a product of the beach, right? You are one of our own. Yeah. And this will always be your home. I just want you to know that, but you already know that.
00:28:06
Speaker
And we we just really appreciate all that you do for us. and And any other things that you want to share with us in terms of like what has what has inspired you to become who you are or or to who you're becoming or any words of wisdom to to the youth who may but want to follow in these footsteps? Yeah.
00:28:27
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, whether whether it's music or you know, whatever career you want to um to develop in professionally, it's it's for sure believing in yourself um and surrounding yourself with people who you want to be.
00:28:40
Speaker
Right. You know, the you know, they they've always say your network is your net worth, you know, which which I believe. But, you know, aside of that, it's also being likable. You know, i try to become someone's friend before sure I try to get anything out of them.
00:28:53
Speaker
Right. You know, and and that and that's not me trying to say like, you know, i'm I'm trying to be like a weasel in the scene, but it's just I try to be I try to build relationships. Sure. and I try to build relationships and, you know, i generally care about either individual or an organization's brand and you know, their vision on how they want to be perceived.
00:29:12
Speaker
And when I come in to try to help with that, whether it's on the music side or hosting, You know, just putting in the work to to let people know that you care, you know, not only about the service you're providing or the product you're you're trying to provide, but also the outcome that they're, that this other person is trying to, um, is trying to get. So, you know, it's it's becoming likable before you you can be workable.
00:29:30
Speaker
Yeah. and what else also want to let people know? I love the beach. I love Long Beach. It's always tell people it's it's my second home away from home. You know, I live in Pico Avera, but, but you know, my heart is is here in Long Beach.
00:29:41
Speaker
Yeah. And, ah you know, i always enjoy the energy and ambiance, you know, whether I'm just walking through campus or being at the pyramid, being at the USU, anything that going on here on campus. And I, you know, and I said earlier, you know, whatever I can do to to help with the beach, you know, if I'm available for it, let's let's let's do it.
00:30:00
Speaker
That's right. That's awesome. And again, you know, we we really appreciate your partnership and and all the work that you're doing with us in so many ways. We look forward forward to seeing you next week at commencement. That's a special time.
00:30:12
Speaker
Hundreds of thousands of people will be there and listening to your jams all day. Yeah, nuts. and And I feel like no maybe maybe there's there's other universities that have that same side that same thingint same type of ah approach, but um you know I don't know any other universities that are jamming out now at commencement and yeah having this crazy yeah this crazy like experience. Yeah. so So if you're out there and you see DJ B-Rock, say hi to him. Yeah. Say what's up. Say what's up. I'm a very open person.
00:30:41
Speaker
yeah Say what's up. If you want to drop a song, let me know, and I'll i even let you drop a song. All right. Cool. Cool. So many thanks, B-Rock. That concludes another edition of At the Beach. I want to thank iSpace and our colleagues here at the university for sharing this podcast studio with us.
00:30:56
Speaker
I'm your host, Dan Montoya, Vice President for University Relations and Development, which produces this podcast. Thank you for listening. Brandon, we always close out this are all our episodes with a Go Beach. So let's get a Go Beach on three. One, two, three. Beach. Go Beach.