A few years ago, as he kept finding himself at music festivals and soaking up the EDM scene in South Florida, Gaven Simon realized that he didn’t want to just be one of the people dancing in the crowd. He wanted to be one of the people playing the music that people were moving their bodies to and driving that energy. He wanted to be a DJ.
So, he made the proper investments in the equipment and software and practiced his ass off as he offered to DJ friend’s parties and made sure that his followers on social media knew that he was serious about pursuing his passion. Next thing he knew, he was being booked for events and parties. The ball was rolling.
It was a recent move to New York City, though, that really catapulted Gaven into the scene, offering up both constant inspiration and opportunity amongst the community, even as he maintains a full-time corporate job and finishes up his master’s degree.
SO.GAY caught up with Gaven to hear about how he got his start as a DJ, finding his footing in the community and what his next bigs steps are in the music world.
SO.GAY: Tell us a little bit about how you first got into music and realized you wanted to be a DJ.
Gaven: I’ve been attending music festivals since I was 18, so I’ve just been very immersed in all sorts of EDM music since then. When you’re 18 and you start to find yourself in the queer community, I found a really beautiful overlap between EDM and becoming a queer adult and music festivals. Then I moved to South Florida, and I got really into house music—that was in 2022—and then I finally moved back to Tampa, Florida, in 2023 and just bit the bullet and spent, like, $300 on the board and $200 on the software, and I taught myself how to DJ on YouTube.
I basically had no social life in Florida, and I was starting my master’s degree and I was just really determined to practice, because it was a hefty investment for just something I wanted to try. I thank my friends, because they had to listen to me mix back then, which was terrible at the beginning. That’s pretty much how I started, and I have a background in podcasting, so there’s always this creative edge that I need to scratch.
SO.GAY: How did you actually start to DJ parties and events? Did it start with friends’ house parties?
Gaven: You have to be the awkward bitch and say, “Oh, you’re having a house party? I’ll DJ it!” So I remember my first event was, like, a good friend’s Christmas party two months after I bought the DJ board, so I DJ’d his house party. But also what I find so important, especially in today’s world, is that I had to post about me being a DJ. I would post, like, a picture of the board, or maybe a clip of me mixing something, and I’m really doing PR for myself. Then my first public gig was through a friend in LA who works for Google, and I DJ’d for Google at LA Pride.
So.GAY: And how did that go?
Gaven: It was amazing. It was so electrifying. Mind you, it was a double decker bus with, like, 50 gays surrounding me, and we’re on a moving vehicle, and I’m DJing and it just went so well.
So.GAY: And so what kinds of gigs have you been doing since then?
Gaven: I moved to New York last May, almost a year ago, and I hit the ground running. I would just, I don’t know—I have a friend or two that DJs, and so I would see who’s booking them, and it was just all about connections and networking. It’s also about just treating everybody with kindness, because you have no idea who you’re speaking to sometimes. I was very intentional about not burning any bridges, not being messy and just being very professional.
So.GAY: They say that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, and it’s kind of amazing that you just sort of marketed yourself on social media after deciding that you wanted to be a DJ, and you just became a DJ. I think that a lot of people can probably find a little bit of inspiration in that, because there’s an element of faking it ‘til you make it in that you’re sort of teaching yourself as you go.
Gaven: Right? I wanted it to be extremely transparent. Like, I’m not gonna tell you right now that I’m an amazing DJ. I’m continuously learning, and I will continue to always learn, and I want to stay true to that. I always want to be in the learning state of mind.
So.GAY: How would you describe your DJ style? What would people expect from one of your gigs?
Gaven: That’s such a hard question to answer. I have a lengthy background in EDM, and so I love EDM so much, but I would say you could typically expect to hear lyrics. I love a good, catchy hook. I would say I love to play sexy music or, like, a really good, sexy remix of your favorite song. Sometimes I lean a bit more tech house, but I definitely do like a really strong bass line, too.
So.GAY: Who are your DJ inspirations? Who do you take cues from as you’re building your career?
Gaven: There’s this queer DJ named Baby Weight, who is a huge inspiration. I really like that they are able to blend their queer identity into the music that they play. I think it’s very beautiful, and as somebody that has a background in a podcast that was about gays and girls, I just really resonate with Baby Weight’s music. I would also say my best friend Robyn DaBank. Robyn has an amazing sound and will always keep you on your feet and just right on the edge. So, yeah, a lot of my inspiration comes directly from the community that I’m in.
So.GAY: You and Robyn should do a gig together…
Gaven: Oh, we have! But, you know, I did want to add that not every set is going to be the best set of your life, and there’s just a constant learning process to this. I also remember that I kept getting booked with Robyn, and I was like, “Okay, I need to get booked by myself.”
So.GAY: Where do you hope this goes for you? Do you have a vision of what you want your DJ career to look like or turn into?
Gaven: So, I currently have a full-time job and I’m finishing my master’s degree. I also have an active social life, and I’m a DJ. On top of this all, I want to finish school and gain some more of my own time back so I can really move further into the producing scene. I find that if you’re able to produce your own tracks or just produce some tracks, you’re able to stand out. So I think what you can expect for me in the next few years is some original stuff.
Check out a glimpse of what’s to come from Gaven at our first birthday party at Aura 57 below.
