trapqueenheath-blog

[trapqueenheath-blog]

Stay motivated, stay focused.

I recently have been going on random dates more and more frequently, and I actually think it’s so fun! You have absolutely no idea who these people are and they don’t know anything about you. I find it almost like a game, since all the cards are on the table because nothing is holding you back. Except in this particular case, it did not work out too well.... story time!

All I’m really going to say is that this last man I had dinner with made me realize that if you don’t have any motivation in your life, you’re not going to get anywhere. 

If you don’t know what you are passionate about, what you want to do, or what you want to accomplish in the next stage in your life- then you are just going to stay on the same step forever and will not continue to grow or succeed as an individual at all.

I went out to dinner with a man who was 9 years older than me last night. I didn’t know the man’s age until the end of the date, but by his attitude and his personality, I thought he was 23 years old, IF THAT. The best quote of the night from him was:

 “You are a 22 year old with a 27 year old’s mindset and I am a 31 year old with a 25 year old’s mindset.” 

Like... I just don’t get it... were you trying to impress me with that line? 

Half of the time was spent with this man was him going off on how he wish he could be motivated and that all he does is lay on the couch and watch television. Do you think that’s a great trait to have as a human? Do you think that’s a great way to try to impress yourself on a first date? Not to mention if I didn’t know what movies, actors/celebrities, or TV shows he was talking about, he looked at me like I was the crazy one. With being a full time student in graduate school and working part time, all in combination of trying to maintain a social life and not go insane, I definitely do not have time to sit and watch countless hours of television, sorry bud.

I guess what the moral of this story is is that don’t let anyone make you feel bad if you are motivated. This man made me seem like it was a bad thing for always being busy and not answering my phone and XYZ... but to me, that means I’m doing one hell of a good job. 

I don’t want to be known as the lazy, unmotivated person who just sits around and watches Netflix all day, or the person who can only talk about shows/festivals. (Yes I go to probably way more than I should but that is not the only thing I do.) The first question this man asked me when I sat down was what festivals I was going to next summer and that he was trying to pick three... I literally looked at him with 5 heads because that is the last thing on my mind! Also the biggest reason why I splurged on so many festivals last summer was because I know once I get a real job, I will not be able to just casually fly across the country and take weeks off of work at a time! I kind of felt bad at the fact that it’s November and this 31 year old was trying to plan out what he was doing seven months away... You’re not going to succeed in life if you just sit around all doing nothing, you’re just going to continue to slip down the ladder until you reach rock bottom. 

So stay focused my friend, keep it up. It might seem like it’s not worth it, that it’s too much work, that you can’t go out with your friends every weekend because you’re either working or writing a paper, or doing whatever it is that has taken up all your time. Because once you cross that finish line and realize that you finally made it... you’ll be at the top while all the unmotivated, unfocused, unpassionate people are watching you from the ground.

NOT TO MENTION the fortune cookie I got from the date just proves my point with this entire story: 

(Also let’s not forget he didn’t like my fortune... I can only imagine why, huh?)

[trapqueenheath-blog]

“If you have to look for what you’re passionate about, then you’re probably not passionate about it at all.”

Here’s some motivation for this lovely Friday afternoon!

This article popped up on my Facebook page this morning- and I had to share it. Too many people in this world ignore what they are passionate about because they think its weird, won’t make them enough money, or that they think people won’t approve of what they are doing. 

This article is so spot on it hurts.

Click here 

[trapqueenheath-blog]

Nostalgia is one powerful drug

Whenever I catch myself daydreaming about last summer, it completely blows my mind at how much I experienced and how grateful I am to have been able to do of all the things I did last summer. As I’m currently scrolling through my iPhoto library, nostalgia hit me hard in the feels when I stumbled upon the start of festival season. 

Mysteryland USA: Bethel Woods, NY, USA

It was my first year experiencing Mysteryland and to this day, it still holds a special place in my heart. I was hired as a brand ambassador by the company back in January so I spent a lot of time promoting this festival, so when I arrived at the campgrounds, I had higher expectations (compared to other festivals where I was only just an attendee). This 3-day festival on the old grounds of WoodStock was nothing short of a fairytale. Although it was cold (around 50/60 degrees), I wouldn’t have changed anything for the world. Last fall I went to Atlanta for TomorrowWorld and I didn’t think any festival could out do that one, but Mysteryland takes the cake. It was an amazing weekend with even more amazing people and I will be returning next year!

What was really special about this festival is that I took one of my best friends who wasn’t really into “EDM” and that stuff, but I convinced him that it was worth it and that he would love it. Bringing friends into the festival atmosphere and the EDM community is such a powerful thing- as this community is something that is entirely different than anything I have ever experienced before. My friend fell in love (and actually ended up coming with me to another festival that summer) and now identifies in the EDM community. For everyone who doesn’t give festivals, electronic dance music, or the entire thing a chance, they are missing out on so many beautiful opportunities and experiences. The people I have met at festivals years ago I still talk to- the people I travelled across the country with are now considered family- and honestly, there is no better feeling then when your favorite artist is playing your favorite song, while you’re surrounded by 10,000s of people connected, in sync with one another. It’s a beautiful, euphoric feeling that you can only get in that moment- that experience- and that is why I love Mysteryland so much.

EDC Las Vegas: Las Vegas, Nevada USA

Not even a week after returning home from Mysteryland, I hopped on an airplane and flew 2,500 miles alone to attend the biggest music festival in America. Sounds a bit crazy, doesn’t it? I couldn’t tell you what my parents were possibly thinking of when I told them this, but let me tell you something, it was completely worth it. 

I flew to Las Vegas to work my first Insomniac event as a Ground Control member, which happened to be the 20th year celebration of Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas, Nevada. With this being not only my first time on the west coast, but also working an event for this dream company, I was so excited to take this huge leap alone pursuing something I am extremely passionate with. The experience I received from working this HUGE event is something that I will never forget, as it was truly amazing. It’s such an amazing feeling when you are surrounded by people who all came together for one reason, the love of music- and being able to help people in need at big events like this is so rewarding. People would question my decision to fly across the country to “work” an event like this- but I had such a better time working my three days at EDC than my day off as a headliner, because it was doing what I love... what’s better than that? 

Also, for anyone reading this, I recommend traveling alone as something everyone should do at this age (early 20s). I studied abroad in Denmark two years ago and it was the best decision I have ever made. I was able to fly to Vegas and not worry about anything- I met people who I still keep in contact with- and made memories with people who I’ll never forget. Step outside of your comfort zone and do something different than everyone else, you’ll never regret it, I promise.

What I really loved about EDC Las Vegas was that the entire atmosphere and experience was SO different than the festivals I have attended on the east coast. With EDC Las Vegas starting at 7pm and going until 6am, you are able to watch the sun rise and set with your favorite artists playing around you. I was able to expand out of my comfort zone of artists and explore different people who I would NEVER see personally, but I did because the people I was with wanted to, and I ended up loving them. It’s all about opening your mind to new experiences, new things, and new people- it will only make you better. And for my Insomniac family, I was so grateful for the experience and can’t wait to be back on the west coast soon! 

Camp Bisco: Scranton Mountain, Pennsylvania, USA

This summer was full of new beginnings- with Camp Bisco being the third festival of the summer where it was my first time attending the event! Insomniac was hired by Bisco to help out because they received bad reviews from last year, so a tiny group of around 20-30 Insomniac members were hired to come to Bisco to make a difference! 

It was truly amazing to see how the reputation and the respect we got as Ground Control increased daily at Bisco. I remember working my first shift on Thursday, headliners didn’t really understand why we were marking their tents and coming over to talk to them and they were a bit sketched out by us, thinking we were security or something… but by Saturday they understood who we were and that we were here to help. I loved working Bisco because in comparison to Vegas, it was SO small and you really got to know the people that you were working with, which makes the experience so much better in my opinion... also our staff wristbands basically got us in anywhere, so once I was done with my shift I was able to catch my favorite artists.

Although this is only three of the festivals I attended last summer, there are so much more I could post and write about, but to me, these three experiences were the most rewarding. I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have been able to attend and work these events, because I get such an euphoric feeling from the moment I walk into a venue until the show ends- and it continues for days and weeks after. Whenever I find myself questioning the current path I’m on and if it is the right decision for me, I always find myself back to thinking about these experiences at Mysteryland, EDC LV, and Bisco. I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world and I am so excited for whatever opportunities that might pop up in the future.  

[trapqueenheath-blog]

#TRACKONREPEAT this week,

Nice Hair with The Chainsmokers 027 feat. Illenium!

Current obsession is with Illenium, and since I’ll be seeing him tomorrow opening for Big Gigantic, I thought this was a good mix to post for ya’ll! (And because The Chainsmokers are beautiful)

[trapqueenheath-blog]

IT FEELS LIKE CHRISTMAS EVE

I don’t think Excision can top his Paradox tour, but with his latest album, Virus, being so incredibly diverse and amazing, I cannot wait to see when he’ll be playing at Boston next when the tour is announced tomorrow!

[trapqueenheath-blog]

How to fail at almost everything and still win big, kind of the story of my life by Scott Adams

So I just finished reading this book and I highly recommend it! It isn't like your typical enlightening book or anything like that. It's written by a comic and basically just gives you an outline on how to be successful & what you should alter in your daily schedule to help achieve that goal. Totally buy it and read it!

Listed below are a few quotes I underlined throughout the book, if after reading these you're still interested in the book, pick it up! You won't be disappointed.

Energy is good. Passion is bullshit.

You might not think you're an early-morning person. I didn't think I was either. But once you get used to it, you might never want to go back. You can accomplish more by the time other people wake up than most people accomplish all day.

Simplification frees up energy, making everything else you do just a little bit easier.

One simple way to keep your priorities straight is by judging how each of your options will influence your personal energy.

No matter what you want to do in life, higher energy will help you get there.

Faking it until you make it.

Walk away from the soul suckers.

There's no denying the importance of practice. The hard part is figuring out what to practice.

Simplicity trumps accuracy.

Everything you learn becomes a shortcut for understanding something else.

Don't assume you know how much potential you have. Sometimes the only way to know what you can do is to test yourself.

Smile, ask questions, avoid complaining and sad topics, and have some entertaining stories ready to go.

Being a good persuader is like having a magic power.

A thank-you is like a treat for a human.

If you show how much you love a particular form of entertainment, it will be easier to persuade others to try it. Energy is contagious. People like how it feels. If you show enthusiasm, others will want to experience the same rush.

Good health is a baseline requirement for success.

There's one pattern I see in successful people: They treat success as a learnable skill.

All you need to do is stay in the game long enough.

If your gut feeling (intuition) disagrees with the experts, take that seriously.

The world is full of such ordinary coincidences.

Sometimes the people around us gives us information we need, or encouragement, or contacts, or even useful criticism.

If you live near optimistic winners, hose qualities are sure to rub off to some extent.

Their good habits and good energy will rub off on you.

Step one in your search for happiness is to continually work toward having control of your schedule.

Don't let reality control your imagination. Let your imagination be the user interface to steer your reality.

Optimists tend to notice opportunity that pessimists miss.

Optimists make themselves an easy target for luck to find them

Happiness is the only useful goal in life.

And always remember that failure is your friend.

[trapqueenheath-blog]

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."

I've never related more to a quote then that Fitzgerald line from The Great Gatsby. I cannot believe how fast this summer flew by- all the things I have experienced- and how quickly things have changed in these short three months.

Just three months ago I was graduating college, working two full time jobs, and not knowing what the next step was for me to take. Since then I've travelled  to Vegas solo to work the biggest music festival in America, not to mention attending a new record (for myself) of attending 4 music festivals in one summer. I've realized the next steps that I need to take in order to get one step closer to the dream job, which is going back to school to learn about business.

I think that the biggest thing that I have learned this summer is that if you aren't fully committed to something, then it is 100% a waste of your time. If someone is trying to convince you to take a different path that you don't see yourself on, then don't do it! I've spent the last couple of months figuring out how I'm going to balance another year of school, working, and living on my own, with very little support and it's been rough.

It's going to be hard to balance everything but it is the path that I have chosen, and I'm super excited to start it. I don't do well with people shoving their ideas of "what's best" for me down my throat- and I'll admit I'm very stubborn- so once my mind is made up about something, there is very little chance of that decision changing. People need to accept that not everyone has the same perspective on what's "right" and what's "wrong" for them, and just because you might think one way is better doesn't necessarily mean it is. Life starts again in the fall and I'm extremely excited to take this next step, no matter how challenging it might be, because it is the path that I want to do and is the path I believe I should take.

[trapqueenheath-blog]

The world is full of such ordinary coincidences

I know I haven't posted anything on here in awhile, I've been too busy to even sit down and open my laptop. Between graduating college, working two full time jobs, and trying to plan out the next steps in my life, keeping up with this blog has been pushed to the back burner. But in the last month, so much has happened!

I've attended Mysteryland, I flew across the country to work EDC Las Vegas, and I recently have just applied to grad school... Who am I? Everything happened so fast and I couldn't be happier with the spontaneity.

What I'm trying to say is, the world is full of such ordinary coincidences. While I was at Mysteryland, I unfortunately crossed paths with my past, which made me extremely grateful for the people in my life today. It's crazy how much things can change in a year, in a couple months, or even a week. During my time at EDCLV, I realized that my dream job is to one day work for Insomniac- and being able to work EDCLV has made me so much more ambitious to achieve this goal soon. I was also grateful enough to have had lunch with my best friend back in Boston before returning home from my two week festival hiatus, as our conversation opened my mind to new opportunities. Instead of trying to find a relatively "decent" job with my bachelors degree, I have decided to apply to grad school to get my Masters of Business Administration, so I can learn the business analytics of sales and marketing- being able to send me further on the path for working for a music company!

Never let impulse decisions make you question that current path. Two weeks ago I was eagerly waiting to hear back about this social media position, almost praying that I would get it. Now I almost hope I don't get offered it so it just pushes me more to get everything aligned for the fall. As one door closes, two more open- and always let coincidences make you question if there's a better path to take, even if it's harder and completely different than what your heart originally wanted.

[trapqueenheath-blog]

How EDC's Ground Control Crew Quietly Keeps the Festival Safer

So I was fortunate enough to have travelled across the country to work EDC Las Vegas last week, and while I was working with my group, we got stopped by a headliner to talk about the experience / the festival in general. As it turns out, this headliner was actually a writer for LA Weekly and she wrote an article on us and EDC- I posted it below along with a link to check out the original post!

How EDC's Ground Control Crew Quietly Keeps the Festival Safer by Sarah Purkrabek <- CLICK FOR ARTICLE

Behind an unmarked door in a nondescript wall behind a row of vendor tents, there’s a small army of positive-minded people whose job it is to make EDC Vegas fun and safe for every attendee. They're called Ground Control, and over the course of the weekend, 370 of them roam the grounds — 240 working every day.

The job of Ground Control is simply to check in on people. When we spoke to Brian, a senior GC member in his 20s who’s never been to a festival he didn’t work, he likened the crew to a mix between security and medical — but really neither — for the fest.

Generally, Ground Control members are pretty secretive — even their HQ is a secret lair of sorts. We stopped a roaming crew and they hesitated to even let us take a picture — “as long as we’re not giving a statement,” one said. Even Brian, who agreed to speak with us through Insomniac’s public relations office, was unsure of what he could and could not say in front of press.

That's probably because of just how much harm reduction is involved in the job. Officially, EDC promoter Insomniac has a zero-tolerance policy toward drug use at its events — so anything that involves helping potential drug casualties (who, in 100-degree heat, can be hard to tell apart from a straight-up case of heat stroke) requires it to tread lightly. Still, we give points to Insomniac for its creative — and effective — effort to minimize the potential self-inflicted damage done by 300,000 partiers.

In purple tees or tanks, and overloaded with backpacks full of water and other basic necessities, Ground Control groups of three wander designated hot spot areas (also internally known as “cuddle puddles”) in search of attendees — called "headliners" in Insomniac parlance — who might be in need of medical, emotional or directional help. They scour corners (“For some reason that’s where people like to throw up,” explains Brian), knock on the doors of long-occupied porta-potties, and look for people sitting down who might be unconscious rather than just tired. In short, they’re a big reason why the dark corners of EDC aren’t littered with people having a bad time, for whatever reason. And they do it all with an unshakeable smile.

“You have to be able to help someone having a seizure and then turn around and be just as enthusiastic as you were before,” Brian explains. Clearly, this job isn’t for everyone.

And it is a job — Ground Control members are seasonal employees of Insomniac, under the umbrella of guest services, making minimum wage (plus, of course, free festival entrance) throughout their 14-hour shifts. The interview process is amiable but effective; basically, a 15- to 30-minute Skype conversation with a senior member, who’s judging applicants on how positive, friendly and resilient they are.

“You have to be able to listen and stay friendly. Yesterday a headliner yelled at me for, like, 10 minutes. But I couldn’t yell back or get angry. I just kept smiling and stayed friendly,” says Brian.

“I’ve also learned that sometimes making someone’s night better is as simple as hearing them out. I met a guy once who was so angry — over a ticket or something — that he wanted to punch another guy out,” Brian says. “I sat there and listened to his story for literally five minutes. I was sympathetic, of course, and by the end he seemed like a totally different person: relaxed, no longer angry, and ready to move forward.”

Most of their nights, though, are spent just checking in. Ground Control crews roam around and ask, “Are you having fun?” more than anything else. But they’re a big reason why most of the people you run into at the festival are having fun. In our entire time on the grounds, the number of people who looked as if they’d had a little too much of whatever — drugs, alcohol, dancing, heat — was severely and surprisingly limited. For both the reputation of EDC and for the safety of the people attending it, that's a good thing.

[trapqueenheath-blog]

Raver Spotlight!

H: Alright, so how old are you?

L: I am 23

H: And when did you start listening to electronic dance music?

L: When I was 14

H: and was there a specific artist / concert that got you into electronic dance music?

L: Uhh the first couple guys were Flux Pavillion, Skrillex, umm Swedish House Mafia, Avicii.. .those are the pretty big ones that got me into it

H: Did your friends or family listen to it?

L: I actually had one friend and his parents were from Argentina & everyone in his family listened to EDM so he got exposed to it through them and he showed it to me

H: Who is your favorite artist?

L: Above & Beyond

H: And why are they your favorite?

L: I just have an emotional connection to them that I don’t have with anyone else. They’ve always helped me get through a lot of the struggles I’ve had in my life and always helped me to decipher what I was feeling and stuff like that and, there’s not an easy way to describe it, I just connect to them better than I have ever connected to anybody else.

H: So, how many times have you seen them live?

L: I’ve only seen them 4 times live, unfortunately

H: How many shows / festivals have you been to?

L: Oh god, I have no many because there’s too many to count- is that an answer?

H: Have you attended any big festivals?

L: I went to EDCNY, uhh Camp Bisco, Moonrise, and I’ve been to Made in America every year for the last 4 years and that’s pretty much it but I have a big festival round up this year.

H: And do you prefer a show or a festival more?

L: They both have their own pros and cons. I definitely think festivals are more fun because you’re around other people and you’re camping and everyone is just camping out. At a show you get to get away from reality for 4 to 5 hours but at a festival you get to really immerse yourself into the whole culture and get to meet a lot of new people- definitely festivals are more fun but money wise, it’s a lot easier to go to a show. But I prefer festivals.

H: The electronic dance music is stigmatized in the media with drug use. Can you share your perception or observation of this phenomenon as it relates to the EDM community?

L: I think that EDM is so new and so young in the mainstream and if you look at what happened with rock and roll and when r&r first became mainstream in the United States, the same thing is happening. The media just immediately goes towards drugs because they don’t understand it because they haven’t really given it time to be understood by the general public. People don’t know about all of the different aspects of the culture- they don’t know about everything that goes on so they immediately try to find a way to understand it and they think, you know, it’s easy to understand it if you but drugs with it. But I think, what we’ll see what’s happened, that as it stays mainstream that it becomes more a part of the culture- I think the drug use will become less played down like the same way how it was with rock and roll. It’s not like people were using less drugs in the 70s and 80s than they were using in the 60s but you heard drugs get talked about a lot less in rock and roll and those times. So I think that, in reality it’s really just a way of people trying to understand what goes on before they really give it a chance to let it explain itself by going to a show or trying to listen to some of the music on iTunes or whatever it is.

H: Do you have a twitter?

L: I do not

H: Do you have an Instagram and all that?

L: I do

H: And do you follow DJ’s on social media?

L: Not too many because I try not to clog up my news feed and all that. And normally from just being in the scene and knowing a lot of people who listen to this music as well, I get my news pretty quickly but I do follow some DJ’s

H: So how do you usually find out about upcoming shows then?

L: Umm well most of the time, I used to work in the Philadelphia Music Industry and now I work with EDM blogging and I’ve just kind of built up an online persona I guess that is friends with so many people that as soon as something gets announced, you know 1 person shares it and give it 5 minutes later and everybody on facebook already knows about it- I don’t know it’s pretty much stuff like that or the occasional notification or you hear it through the grape vine.

H: When you’re at a show, are you on your phone?

L: No I used to a lot. There was a time where I would take a lot of photos and videos but I stopped doing that over the summer because I felt like I was losing out on the experience. When I go to festival, the only time I take out my phone is if I lose a friend and I’m trying to find them but other than that, I pretty much stopped taking videos in general.

H: And how do you feel about the people who are constantly on their phones at a show?

L: I mean I can’t really say anything bad at it because I was one of those people at one point. I think when you first really immerse yourself into it; it’s so exciting and so new that you want to share it with everyone. Once you are in it for a while, you become more reserved and you kind of realize that with doing that, you miss a lot of the show. So I feel bad for the people that are still in that stage because I feel they are missing out on a lot parts of the show that they really could get into. But at the same time, I think it is a part of every person’s evolution in being a music fan. I think, you know when you first hear something or first see an artist.. for example Bassnectar. When I first saw Bassnectar I was in love with him and I didn’t even know what I just saw. But now, I’ve seen him 11 times now and I still get just as excited now but I am not listening to him in 3 weeks in advance and making sure that I know every single song before I go to a show- it’s just that I can appreciate it in a different manner now because I’m almost desensitized to it.

H: Do you belong to a rave family?

L: Not exactly sure that I belong to one necessarily but I have a lot of friends in the scene and I always see countless people that I know and I say hi. I consider the whole industry as one family and I think that it doesn’t really matter if you know somebody or not if you can get down to the same thing then you can become great friends. At camp bisco last year I saw Big Gigantic and I was waiting for my friends during the show and I met 6 guys who loved Big G as much as I did and I met them because I was dancing around them and we ended up all becoming friends for the night and I hung out with them until sun the next morning. It’s not the friendships that you know, it’s not like you become friends with somebody and then you both listen to EDM and go to shows together and become that close- it’s the music that brings people together first and then the friendships develop.

H: Last thing, what do you love most about the culture and community?

L: One thing I really love is people’s ability to let go. It’s people’s ability to have regular lives outside of it and have things distress them and things that are really debilitating and hard on somebody and still find the energy to go out for a night and lose yourself in the music for a couple hours or for a couple of days at a festival and you know, when you meet somebody at a show, you can become best friends for the night and then you can never see them again. I think that is something that is really special and unique to EDM culture because you know its so brand new and exciting and the people that truly listen to it stay together. You have the people that play main stage acts like Hardwell, who plays at Ultra. You get 50,000 people for his set and I would guess maybe 5,000 of them know more than 2 of those songs and the 3 songs they know are the ones on the radio. And the people who are really deep into the culture and are really big fans, we kind of have to stand together against that because the mainstreaming culture of edm is becoming & can turn into a really big money based industry and process and I think that we do stick together because we do understand what a genuine artist actually is and we actually want to support that.

[trapqueenheath-blog]

Raver Spotlight!

H: Okay, how old are you?

R: I am 23 years old

H: And when did you first start listening to EDM?

R: I first started listening to EDM back in high school, but I didn’t really start to get into it until the summer going into sophomore year of college.

H: Was there a specific artist that got you into it?

R: Uhh not really. I saw Bassnectar the end of my senior year in high school but didn’t go to another EDM show until the end of my freshman year, which was Excision. But it wasn’t until I went to the Hudson Project that I found my love for electronic dance music.

H: Did your friends influence you to listening to it? Did they listen to it?

R: My friends didn’t really listen to it, especially when I was at school. It wasn’t really the music you would typically hear when you went to a frat party or the bars or stuff, which is why I started to like it.

H: Why do you love it?

R: I just love it because no matter what is going in your life, music is always there. And to me, it’s just.. whenever I hear songs, they bring me back to a specific memory or a specific time in my life. And still to this day, there are songs that if I hear it, it will bring me right back to that moment where I first heard it. There are also songs that will bring me back to where I first saw the DJ perform it and to me, the whole community as a whole, is why I love it.

H: What kind of EDM do you listen to?

R: I started listening to housey music, but then I really started getting in to trap and bass music more. I kinda grew out of the house music because I always hear it on the radio.

H: Who’s your favorite artist at the moment?

R: At the moment, I would say Jauz, just because he’s been taking off recently and is getting SO big SO fast.

H: How many times have you seen Jauz?

R: I’ve seen him 3 times this year, hopefully catching him at EDCLV

H: And what’s the best set you’ve heard live?

R: Damn the best? I would say, best set live… I thought Kaskade at TomorrowWorld was unreal, unreal.

H: How many shows and festivals have you been to?

R: I’ve been to probably 6 festivals and over 30 shows, but I have 4 festivals lined up for the summer already

H: Have you attended any of the big festivals?

R: I’ve been to EDCNY, EDCLV and TomorrowWorld. I attended EDCLV last year for the first time and it was there where I realized that my love for live music, and music in general, was what I wanted to pursue a career in

H: The electronic dance music is stigmatized in the media with drug use. Can you share your perception or observation of this phenomenon as it relates to the EDM community?

R: EDM and the media, with drugs… EDM gets a horrible reputation for drugs. I know if I was to go to a show or something, especially when I first was getting into the scene- whoever I told, whether it was friends, coworkers, I know they picture me picture dressed in crazy outfits, on drugs, looking insane. It’s horrible. I don’t do drugs, I go to a majority of my shows sober- maybe I’ll drink a bit but I hate how the media has given EDM- the culture and the community- such a bad rep because it isn’t different than any other genre. If you go to a country concert- you’re going to have hundreds of people intoxicated to the point where they are being reckless. If you go to a rap concert, you’re going to have the same thing; you’re going to have drunken assholes. It’s just that EDM is such a louder and new community to the media will take any chance they can and turn the situation bad and I think that’s horrible.

H: On Twitter, do you follow EDM DJ’s?

R: Yeah I follow a lot

H: Do you only follow the “popular ones”?

R: Not necessarily. I follow big name DJ’s but also the smaller ones that I love that aren’t that big yet. I follow whoever I’m currently obsessed with.

H: What about other social media- Instagram, Snapchat, Soundcloud, Facebook?

R: All the above. I don’t really use Snapchat or Facebook all that much, but I definitely do use Soundcloud and Twitter the most.

H: Who is your favorite DJ that you follow?

R: Def Dillon Francis & Getter because they both are hilarious

H: How do you usually find out about upcoming shows?

R: All through social media. Whether I’m getting the tweets sent to my phone, or even my friends tagging me in shows on Instagram, that’s where I normally find out about it. Since festival season is coming up, new events are constantly being posted online.

H: While you’re at a show, are you normally on your phone? And if you are- what are you doing (taking videos, snapchatting, texting, etc?)

R: I normally take a video of the first song that’s being played and then depending on if I really like the DJ, I’ll get a couple more videos, but just of the songs that I really really love. But, I don’t really Snapchat at shows. Maybe I’ll send one if I feel like it but normally no.

H: How do you feel about the people who are constantly on their phones at shows?

R: I hate it. if you look around at a show, you see people seeing the show through the screens of their iPhones. I get if you want to take a couple videos or pictures, but I can’t stand it when people are on their phones the entire time.

H: What about after the show- do you post about it on social media?

R: I’ll typically post 1 or 2 videos on Twitter and tag the DJ’s. I won’t Instagram it unless I really like it

H: Why do you post it on social media?

R: Mainly as a way for my friends that don’t go to these shows to see what they actually are because I know that when I wasn’t into EDM a couple years ago, I had my assumptions of these shows and I was actually scared to go to some when I was first getting into the scene. So I post the videos to show people what it actually is like, not like how the media puts it out there sometimes.

H: Do you meet new friends at a show / festival, do you follow them on social media? R: Yeah I’ll follow them. That’s how we interact most of the time. I feel like Facebook is the social media that’s easy to give to people because if you want to reach out, you can message them and I know that with me, I post my Instagram photos to Facebook so it’s like the common ground.

H: Do you belong to a rave family?

R: Yes I do.

H: Do you guys interact on social media?

R: We have a FB group that we talk about the shows or concerts we’re going to. I met my rave fam back at the Hudson Project two summers ago and I’ve traveled with them to Maryland, Georgia, and Vegas with them too

H: Do you think artists take advantage of their social media presence? R: I definitely do. If you are an upcoming DJ, you want to be active and reach out to make your fans want to see you more. Cause when you’re competing against these big name DJ’s like Tiesto and David Guetta, you are fighting for the attention. So if you only have 10,000 or 20,000 followers on Twitter, it’s smart for them to go out of their way and respond. Cause I know if I got a response from this DJ, I’d tell my friends about it and it’s all through word of mouth, it’s how you get known. H: Overall, how do you feel about the EDM community & culture as a whole? R: The reason why I love it so much is that no matter where you come from or how you grew up, how you identity with yourself, what your occupation is, the sole purpose is the music. When I was at EDLV, I was surrounded by people from all over the world- I met people from England, from Egypt, Australia, France… and it’s just, it’s absolutely insane how music and how EDM has made its way across the globe where you have EDC Orlando, EDC Vegas, EDC Mexico, EDC Brasil… it’s just spreading out and to me, I find it such a universal love. It’s not about the lyrics- it’s about the sounds, the rhythm, the bass, and all that. And at that moment when you’re at a huge festival and you look around and there’s 100,000 fucking people around you singing the same song, being connected for the love of the music- it is that feeling why I love EDM. And if I could live in that moment at EDCLV last year where I was surrounded by tens of thousands of people, singing the same song, jumping up and down, yelling on the top of their lungs- I would. I hope that people will start to realize that it isn’t all about drugs and getting fucked up and shit because it is a beautiful community where everyone is genuine.

[trapqueenheath-blog]

Raver Spotlight!

H: So first off, how old are you?

K: I am 28

H: And when did you start listening to EDM?

K: When I was in college, so 8 years ago? When I was 20

H: And was there a specific artist or concert that got you into EDM?

K: Not that I know of. I feel like such an old lady, I don’t think so. I was just experimenting with a lot of things at that time and trying to find music that actually spoke to me. So when I came across EDM, especially at that time, it just like grabbed me.

H: And did your friends or family listen to it?

K: No, not at all

H: And why do you love electronic dance music?

K: I think the biggest thing with electronic dance music is that; I don’t even know if I would say it’s the music that gets people the most. It’s very positive and just fun and uplifting. I think it honestly, the other types of music that I like are typically classical or music soundtrack variety. I think that it’s music that almost people can live their life like they are in a movie, which is nice. But it’s very uplifting and has a beat that you can dance to, and you can almost dance to any EDM song. But I think that really keeps the music together is the community that they have. Because it’s not, and I’m sure you know, not all EDM artists or DJ’s are very good, but I will go to a festival full of potentially of 3rd grade DJ’s if I know I’m going to be a part of that community and have a good time.

H: What type of EDM do you listen to? Like what’s your favorite artist?

K: Favorite artist right now? Uhh so I love Galantis a ton. Marshmello is also very very fun. I like the Headhunterz and the Chainsmokers and all that so I definitely like some trance in there, as well as some trap. I want it to be fun and festive or I want to get down and boogie.

H: What do you think the best set is that you heard live?

K: Best set ever live? I appreciate, at EDCLV last year; I appreciated Ookay’s set. He’s kind of a newer artist but I have heard him multiple times and something that you realize when you go to these festivals sometimes is that they don’t tailor their playlists and what they’re doing, their setlists, to their event. They just use the same one over and over again. I appreciate Ookay and Steve Aoki and people like that that will change it every single time. You’re not going to see the same show twice from the same people.

H: Mhmmm, and how many shows and festivals have you been to?

K: Over 100. I’ve got 20 something festivals scheduled for this year already.

H: So I know you said you went to EDCLV, have you gone to any other big festivals?

K: Yeah I was just at Beyond Wonderland SoCal last weekend, I was working that. I was just at EDC Orlando umm, I’m trying to think of other ones I’ve been to. I’m very new to the festival scene, I can say that. It was something that I didn’t get into until last year because I didn’t know if I could handle that many people in one location. But ever since I gone, I plan on going to a whole bunch this year, even if that is outside the country.

H: And do you prefer shows or festivals more?

K: Ahhh man, I think I prefer a festival because it’s more of an experience.

H: I agree. So with EDM, the community is seen in the media with heavy drug use. Can you share your opinions on that and how you feel about the negative media comments?

K: Absolutely. This is something, unfortunately, that I have to talk about every time I request off work to go and work events because they automatically assume that I am going to go out to this festival and take molly and have a crazy time, but it really is not that. I think that the larger issue at hand that nobody wants to talk about is that people in the age groups that are going to these festivals, typically between 21, 22 and early 30s, is that these people don’t necessarily have difficult lives. But when I graduated college with x amount of money in debt, no potential job employment other than waitressing or going into retail, that life is depressing. You know what I mean? People need to find a healthy escape and a community where they feel like they belong and the EDM crowd does that. And there are people who are going to want to do drugs, but there are people who are going to want to do drugs everywhere. I don’t think that has anything to do with these specific festivals. There’s plenty of people who go to these completely sober and they have almost a better time because they remember it. But I think you’ll notice even if you go to other music festivals like Bonnaroo, if you go to other conventions for whatever it is, you are going to find the same amount of drug use, if not more. It’s just that they aren’t as loud as a community as the EDM community. So they are taking this group of people and chastising them over something that is ramping across our age range. I think it is a little ridiculous in my mind, but people really need to focus on mental health instead of focusing on one group of people saying that they are the only group of people that do drugs at festivals, that’s just unrealistic.

H: I agree with you… so now with social media, do you have a Twitter?

K: Yes

H: Do you follow EDM DJ’s on Twitter?

K: I do but I don’t use Twitter as much as Instagram. Instagram seems to be my social media of choice.

H: And do you follow DJ’s on Instagram?

K: Mhm

H: And how often do you check to see what they post?

K: I mean I wake up and go on Instagram; I get into bed and go on Instagram. I might go on it a couple times during the day but that’s about it… so maybe 3 times a day?

H: What about following DJ’s on Facebook and Soundcloud?

K: Soundcloud yes… Facebook no. I think that most of the time it’s on Instagram. Facebook is too overloaded with stuff and I don’t feel like dealing with it

H: When you look at the stuff that DJ’s post on Instagram, do you look to see how they post it to interact with their fans or how they target their posts?

K: Yeah I see that. I also see, other DJ’s, who specifically speak out against this whole drug use problem with festivals and whatever else that may be, which is awesome. But then sometimes it is very difficult you’ll see random posts that are meant for everyone, because EDM is one of those types of music that everyone on the planet can enjoy, you know what I mean? It’s not catered to just an American demographic, it’s not catered to just you know, the whole Asian K-Pop Japanese scene, or anything like that it’s everywhere. So, if they do make something very specific it usually relates to that area that they are going to be in the soonest, if that makes sense.

H: How do you usually find out about upcoming shows?

K: So I use the Internet to look for upcoming shows. I’m subscribed to Live Nation, Ticketmaster, StubHub, BandsInTown, all of these automated services that will tell you who is coming to the area. Or I just search, if there’s a DJ that I really want to see I’ll just go straight to their website and see if they are coming anywhere near me.

H: So when you’re at a show / festival, are you usually on your phone?

K: No

H: Do you take videos or pictures?

K: Over the course of the weekend at Beyond Wonderland, and I was there for camping Thursday, Friday, and all day Saturday, I took 22 photos and videos combined.

H: How do you feel about people that are always on their phones, snapchatting or recording the show?

K: I feel like they are missing out on the true experience of it. I mean you go these festivals and you don’t have cell phone service anyway, what is the point of you recording 19 things to sit in your queue on Snapchat to have you send out later, you know what I mean? If you are going to these events will all of your friends, you can wait until you get home to post things. There is nothing worse, especially being 5 foot tall and trying to see the stage, then being surrounded by an army of phones in the air.

H: So after the shows that you go to, do you normally post about it online?

K: Normally not Instagram, but I will post to Facebook.

H: And then why do you post it? is it for you, to just show people that you went, to get the DJ’s attention, etc?

K: Umm it’s very rarely for the DJ’s. It’s more for my community, for my close-minded friends, like hey look at what I did this weekend completely sober and we all had a good time. I think it is more, “hey look I was here, this is what I did, this is what I saw- these are my highlights.” I do a little brag reel, maybe 4 videos will get posted and 10 photos- that’s it. Here’s the best of the best, you didn’t go but here’s my take on it.

H: And then, do you meet new friends at a show/festival, and if you do, do you get their social media accounts?

K: I feel like an old lady for this answer, but at this past festival at Beyond, the only time I ever (and I think this is a generation thing, maybe I’m crazy), but it was the first time that everyone that I was working with, or people that I would run into, was like ‘OMG this is my Instagram name’, like that’s what your known by. For me, I’m more ‘this is me, the person that I am here’ not my virtual identity, so it was very very strange. People didn’t want to exchange phone numbers, they wanted to exchange Instagrams and private message on that. It’s weird. I don’t know how to explain it. I give people my phone number and I think that’s very strange to people, I’d rather have people text me. I’m not going to message someone on Instagram that’s ridiculous, that’s why phones were created like what are we doing right now.

H: Do you belong to a rave community?

K: No I don’t. I created a meet up group in my area for people that are interested in EDM and festivals and everything like that but I have yet to establish a rave family that I feel comfortable with.

[trapqueenheath-blog]

So I’ve always loved Timeflies... fell in love with them freshmen year. I went on YouTube today and this video popped up in my recommended feed so I thought “why not I’ll listen to it”.... and it’s actually REALLY GOOD. 

Timeflies mixes Mike Posner’s new song with one of his older hits & it just sounds magical. Way to go, I fell back in love with you two.

[trapqueenheath-blog]

#TRACKONREPEAT

The track that is on this repeat this week? Valentino Khan’s Ultra set! I’m slowly making my way around all the live sets and although I absolutely LOVE The Chainsmokers, Jauz’s, and DJ Snake’s... I have overplayed those for weeks and came across this one today and LET ME TELL YOU IT’S AMAZING & will most definitely be track on repeat for the next two weeks, whoops ;)

[trapqueenheath-blog]

I HAVE REACHED THE FINISH LINE

Have you ever worked on a homework assignment for 7 months straight? Well I can finally say that the longest, most stressful, academic assignment I have ever had to curate in my entire collegiate life is finally complete.

After spending seven long months of research, observing concertgoers at The Middle East, and interviewing fans on this single topic, my senior thesis is finally finished. Happy to have handed this sixty page baby in this week and although it was hell, I couldn’t be happier with not only how it turned out- but with what I have learned and taken from the entire experience.

Cheers to myself for this one because I survived (oh & you should really check this out it’s an amazing case study, let me know if you want to read it)

[trapqueenheath-blog]

Raver Spotlight!

H: Alright first off, how old are you?

T: I am 22 years old

H: And when did you start listening to EDM?

T: I started listening about, truly listening to all different genres, about 2013. But my first like, probably Tiesto track was in 2000

H: And then, was there a specific artist or concert that got you into EDM?

T: I hate to say it, but Life in Color actually got me into it. My first one was when it was called Day Glow and it was when Alesso was performing and it dragged me right in to the scene, I couldn’t believe the turnout of the event, the love from everyone, it was crazy

H: Did your friends listen to it as well?

T: I actually was one of the first people to start listening to EDM in my hometown. There was a lot of underground EDM listeners, like techno and everything, but at least in my high school I was one of the very first people to know DJ’s like Alesso and people like that.

H: And why do you love EDM- is it the people, the music, the community?

T: I honestly, I am just a music lover. And before I was into EDM, I started going to metal concerts and rock concerts, and the difference between the two are like night and day. With going to EDM events, it’s a lot more show based and more so, looking straight at the stage. With metal concerts, its like you’re there to have a good time with your friends, maybe drink a little bit, and if you see the show you see the show. EDM is completely different. There’s the people that are always, 100%, about the show, and then there’s the actual show which DJ’s will spend hours practicing and putting on the show, it’s just a true loving community and that’s what got me into it.

H: And right now, who is your favorite artist?

T: Ooh that is so tough! Umm, sorry are you talking about favorite producer or like, favorite live scene DJ?

H: Doesn’t matter, could be both

T: About like a year ago I discovered Eric Prydz and I can’t get enough of the guy.

H: And have you seen him live?

T: I’m hopefully seeing him at EDCLV, counting on it at least

H: Did you already get your Vegas tickets?

T: Ohhh yeah right when they went on sale

H: Umm, who’s the best artist that you’ve seen live?

T: The best artist I’ve seen live is Keys N Krates. They really blew my mind- I didn’t even know you could do that with electronic music.

H: So how many shows or festivals have you been to, if you had to put a number on it?

T: I’ve definitely lost track, I’d say about 50

H: And do you prefer a show or a festival?

T: Depending on the artist, I would more so be for the show then a festival

H: And have you attended any big festivals?

T: Yeah, I’ve attended Ultra Music Festival, Electric Zoo, EDC Orlando and EDCNY H: And what did you like about the festivals? Looking into the community part of it

T: I definitely saw a really big difference with the community with Ultra in Miami and EDC, both EDC Orlando and EDCNY actually. For Miami, kinda the community wasn’t really connected as a show at EDC more so, with EDC I feel like that brings out the actual ravers that believe in the “PLUR” acronym that is always getting said. They really really focus on trying to help people and making sure everybody is having a good time, rather than in Miami when I went to Ultra- I mean there’s people that will try to fight you just by touching them, so it definitely was night and day with the comparisons.

H: The EDM community is stigmatized in the media with drug use. How do you feel about the comments the media makes about ravers and drugs?

T: I, for one, I can’t stand it. You see, for example actually, I live in Rochester, NY and over the summer, it was the same venue, and they had Skrillex one month and Luke Bryan the other month. Skrillex had, I can’t spell the definite arrests, but they had way less arrests than the Luke Bryan concert. And I saw this, and I thought to myself, ‘Why isn’t this getting blown up? Why isn’t the Luke Bryan concert being like ‘there was so many arrests, there was so much public intoxication?’ But of course, with Skrillex’s, they would definitely highlight that if it was a huge number. And to me, it doesn’t make sense. It’s just like they are trying to put ravers into this little category of drug users and abusers who don’t know how to hang without using so many drugs, when in reality it’s any concert. It’s any festival. You can go to a hippie festival and see twice as many drugs as an EDM festival, guaranteed.

H: So, do you have a Twitter? T: I do H: And do you follow DJ’s?

T: It’s actually the only people I follow

H: And how often do you look at what they post?

T: I try to keep up to date with them. I’m probably on Twitter 4-5 times a day checking the DJ’s posts

H: Alright and do you follow them on other social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Soundcloud?

T: Yup

H: And then when you follow them, do you see how they interact with their fans and do you try to interact with them?

T: Oh yeah

H: And do they ever respond to you?

T: Yeah. Uhh I would say more, not responding to me than actually responding to me. But when they do, I make a big deal out of it.

H: And then, do you usually find out about upcoming shows through the DJ’s social media?

T: Yes

H: Do you tweet about the shows you are going to go to?

T: Yeah

H: While you’re at a show, are you typically on your phone? Are you snapchatting it, tweeting about it, taking vids?

T: No, I’d say a good quarter of the show I am taking some videos. But most of the show I can��t even have something in my hands or it will be thrown.

H: How do you feel about the people that are on the phone throughout the entire concert?

T: There is such a huge debate on that too. I don’t see a problem with it. If they want to pay $400 to go to a festival to just be on their phones, then go for it. It’s not bothering me. When it starts bothering me is when the person in front of me won’t put down their phone for the whole duration of the show. And that, I can see why people don’t like it, but then again, they paid the money, and if they want to do that then they can do that. Then I’ll move to where I can see better.

H: And after the show, do you post about it on social media?

T: Oh yeah

H: And do you tag the DJ’s in it?

T: More so about the hashtag then actually tagging them in it

H: And then why do you post it on social media? Is it more for you, is it more to show people that you went, is it more to get the DJ’s attention?

T: It’s more for me. I have an iPhone 4 still so I have no memory whatsoever. So I post a video on Instagram or Facebook, it’s more of a security measure for me. I know that it is always going to be there on the Internet somewhere than if my phone was to break down, then I’m okay. Cause then my videos are on the Internet, my pictures are on the internet, and I can just download them again.

H: And then if you meet new friends at a show or festival, do you follow them on social media?

T: Yeah I try to keep in touch with a lot of the people I meet at festivals. Most of the time they’re very genuine and unique people that I would love to keep in my life.

H: Do you belong to a rave family?

T: Kinda, yeah I would say so

H: So if you go to a show or a festival with your rave family do you take family photos?

T: Yes

H: To wrap it up, do you think artists take advantage of their social media presence? Do they take the time to respond to their fans?

T: There definitely are some DJ’s that are always responding to their fans, regardless of how busy they are. And then there are some DJ’s, who maybe will respond to a fan once every month.

H: And if a DJ responds to you, do you brag about it?

T: Uhh, well Deadmau5 retweeted me and tweeted to me so I definitely bragged about that but if I’m talking to someone who isn’t really known, but I’m borderline obsessed with them, I’m not gonna brag about it because people won’t know who it is. But if it is a big name DJ, I like to post about it somewhere else.

H: Why do you love the EDM community and culture as a whole?

T: Again, when I went to my first rave with Alesso, umm I still try to make it a priority to see him at every festival because he was my first DJ that I ever saw. Like I said, when I go to a metal concert people aren’t like really screaming the lyrics or anything. But when I was at Alesso, you could barely hear the music sometimes. People were screaming so loud, people were humming, umm that was when ‘Calling’ was just coming out. And that still has a special place in my heart because the amount of energy that was just coming out of the crowd and the overall love of music in general was amazing to me and it really just stuck me to this genre.

[trapqueenheath-blog]

#TRACKONREPEAT

I’m patiently waiting for Ape Drums to come to the east coast because I’ve loved him for YEARS... I’m actually surprised he hasn’t blown up yet because he has such a unique and dope sound to his tracks.

Listen to his latest mix on Beats 1 & fall in love like I did

Track List:

R3hab & Nervo & Ummet Ozcan - Revolution (Chocolate Puma Remix) 

LA Riots - The Drop w/ MAW - Work

Diplo & Ape Drums - Duttiest Wine

Jack U - Jungle Bae VIp

Boombox Cartel - Jamba 

Baewatch - Rave Level 9 (Herve Pagez Remix)

Robin S. - Show Me Love w/ ZHU - Faded

Herve Pagez - Yo Ready! (Ape Drums Edit)

Machel Montano Ft. Major Lazer - One Wine (Ape Drums VIP)

Baauer - DumDum

Diplo Ft. Nicky Da B - Express Yourself (Gent & Jawns Remix)

Ape Drums - Bring It Back

Ape Drums & Phat Deuce - Dude 

Choppa Dunks - Freakython

Diplo Ft. Faustix & Imanos and Kai - Revolution (Deejay Theory Edit)

Steven A. Clark - Can't Have (Ape Drums Remix)

Ape Drums - Bashment

Datsik - Firepower (Munchi Remix) w/ Diplo Ft. Nicky Da B - Express Yourself 

Godwonder - Ay Que Rico

Ape Drums Ft. Major Lazer & Busy Signal - The Way We Do This (Bookshelf)

Major Lazer - Watch Out For This (Ape Drums Edit)

DJ Snake - Propaganda (Dillon Francis Remix)

Missy Elliot - Pass That Dutch (Reid Stefan Bootleg)

ROUND2 - Dumm

CLB - Booty Bounce

Torro Torro - CA$HVILLE w/ Jack U Ft. Justin Bieber - Where Are U Now

Stoltenhoff - Tuddle McBuddle

Daft Punk - One More Time (Laidback Luke Remix) 

ID - ID 

Laidback Luke - Be 

Reid Stefan & Henry Fong - Come Around (JAXX Bootleg)

Eptic & Habstrakt vs Nom De Strip - On The Bad Thing (M3B8 Edit)

Kovalenco Gennadi - E.W. (Ape Drums Edit)

ASAP Ferg - New Level (Shelco Garcia & Teenwofl Bootleg)

Makla & M3B8 - Nazulu 

Reid Stefan Ft. (Awsumo & Ultra Cat)

LH4L Ft. DJ Funk - MDB

Rihanna - Work (Ape Drums TING)

Rell The Soundbender Ft. Sudden Beatz & Kafu Banton - Subela 

Valentino Khan & Wiwek - Tropicana (Noizekid Bootleg)