For most teenagers, work is not something they look forward to; they’re just in it for the money. But for junior Boston Shoham, his source of employment is also his source of entertainment. Unlike the majority of his peers who work in the retail or restaurant industry, Boston is self-employed as a disc jockey, also known as a DJ.
This hobby was inspired by one of Boston’s peers, which Boston has converted into a fully functioning source of income. While he started small, through hard work and determination, it has grown into something inspiring.
“I had a mentor who used to DJ for the school; his name is Christian Bethea,” Boston said. “He graduated in 2023. He taught me DJ-ing over the summer, and then I started DJ-ing.”
What started as a summer hobby is now much more significant. The most important thing to do when creating a unique brand is marketing, and Boston has perfected this through sacrifice and hard work.
When starting, popularity is hard to gain. To achieve this, Boston made an effort to reach out to the surrounding area for DJ jobs. Now that he is further in his career, he has created quite a name for himself in the community as a DJ.
“When you first start DJ-ing, it’s very hard to get good jobs because you need to market yourself,” Boston said. “So the first job, you might not get paid a lot, or not at all—it’s just so you can market yourself and put yourself out there so more people know about you. I have to market myself. I ask bars or restaurants; in general, I just tell people I DJ, and they’ll usually contact me if I give them my info. If I put the work in, I get a lot of people who need DJs because there’s a high demand area here.”
Creating a brand has been very important to Boston’s career, and once established, he can focus more on his connection with DJ-ing. While DJ-ing provides him with income, it’s his passion for the work that truly fuels him.
Boston’s employment situation is not purely unique because of the nature of his job, but his relationship to it. To avoid the common issue most teenagers face with mundane jobs, Boston ensures his work and passions mix.
“I think [DJ-ing is] more for fun, but the money’s good; it’s a nice part of it,” Boston said. “I don’t want to do a boring job. I want to have a fun job, and DJ-ing is very fun because it makes people happy, and [you’re] happy doing it.”
Boston’s joy for DJ-ing is contagious. One of the highlights of the job is being able to create an entertaining atmosphere for those around him.
Being an entertainer might seem easy; however, there’s much more that goes into it than turning on music. The atmosphere is paramount for a good experience anywhere, and achieving that is intricate.
“[DJs are] just the people that hype everyone up for the party. We control the entertainment. We are the entertainment,” Boston said. “You need rhythm and forms [to DJ]. [DJs] help hype up the party because instead of listening to a playlist of long songs, you have someone actually there to entertain. DJ-ing takes a lot of practice and hard work, just like anything else. But it’s not for everybody, since you need a good taste in music.”
Boston’s business is a testament to his self-reliance and independence. His effort matches his passion for music, allowing him to share that with the world.
Having perfected his technique, Boston has also upgraded his DJ setup to match his skill. Boston took a great risk when starting up by investing in his own DJ counter, proving his dedication to his craft.
“I have two large speakers I bought from Costco that can probably host about 700 watts, or something around that,” Boston said. “I have a DJ-ing board with an old MacBook and a DJ-ing table with lights around it.”
By growing his setup alongside his skills, Boston’s business is sure to prosper. He has created a name for himself through his skill, marketing, and passion, which is not something many people can say for themselves.
Even though Boston has invested so much of himself into his work, he doesn’t plan to invest in it for his lifelong career. Instead, Boston plans on keeping DJ-ing as a personal source of joy on the side.
“I’ll probably stop [DJ-ing] later in life, but it’s pretty fun, so I’ll keep doing it [as a career] until after college,” Boston said. “I’ll do it for fun after college, but just as a side hobby.”
