If you’ve ever been a part of the sweaty mobs of Santa Clara University’s bar scene, chances are you’ve heard Stefan Hsiao DJing. Stefan, an economics major and communications minor from Setauket, New York, is a true example of the benefits of hard work and perseverance.
For those who’ve heard him play, his affinity toward electronic dance music (EDM) becomes immediately apparent. He notes, “I love what it does to people. It brings them together and connects them in ways that other music does not.”
He first fell in love with the genre in high school, and his freshman year at Santa Clara he pooled all his money into buying a basic controller and small pair of speakers. “I wanted to play music for my friends while we pre-gamed in the dorms. I practiced all the time and spent hours learning DJ tutorials on YouTube. I was always in trouble with my CF!”
As he improved, he began offering upperclassmen free DJ services for their parties using his own equipment. Though he was able to play three or four small events, he quickly learned the true meaning of a rough start. “It went terribly, but I kept pursuing it. I kept practicing, and sophomore year I began to improve greatly”.
This was a stroke of good luck for Stefan as the previous “Claron” DJ was graduating, leaving a need for someone new to fill the spot. Through a recommendation from a friend, he was able to meet with the bar’s owner who eventually offered him the gig. His junior year he became their official DJ and has been playing there every Thursday night since.
Since his rocky beginnings freshman year, Stefan has moved on to DJ both the Claron and the Hut, and was even given the opportunity to open for The White Panda fall 2015 concert. He’s met artists such as Eric Prydz, Audien, Gareth Emery, Crizzly, and Krewella, and has networked with stage and lighting companies like Top Shelf Lighting and Owl Vision. Though DJing will always be a passion, Stefan says he hopes to pursue a career in event management for music festivals or lighting production.
For any aspiring DJs out there, he offers a word of advice: “Practice hard and put yourself out there. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people. Even if they shut you down, try and try again. It’ll eventually pay off!”
At the end of the day, it seems all of us could take a lesson out of Stefan’s book.