“I am the DJ”

Vancouver boasts an astonishing number of female-identifying, non-binary, and trans DJs. Over the past three years, the list of working DJs and DJ/Producers has grown from under 20 to almost 100. Interviews were conducted with six local DJs spanning four decades of experience as well as diverse genders, races, and sexualities. Included in the data was Toronto DJ Sydney Blu (The Blu Party), who has navigated “gate-keeping” and the male-centric industry since the late 1990s. In this presentation, you will learn about the participants experiences with both discrimination and empowerment which include similar stories, such as the phrase included in the title of the case study. Also covered will be a brief history of dance music and its relationship with inequality, as well as some information on subgenre differences, and previous research into female collectives within the industry.

Dr. M Gillian Carrabré (BMus, MMus, PhD) is a Musicologist, Violinist, Sessional Lecturer, Music Teacher, and Radio Personality. She was awarded the SOCAN Foundation Award for Writing on Canadian Music in 2021 for her doctoral research on Electronic Dance Music and Culture (EDMC). Her current research will be published in an upcoming book on DJ Culture in Canada. Dr. Carrabré has also performed professionally with various orchestras and with DJs across Ontario as an electronic violinist. Additionally, during her PhD, she curated a radio show called Elektribe that featured up-and-coming DJ Producers from Canada. She currently lectures at UBC in the department of Journalism, Writing, and Media.

Host or Publisher UBC School of Music