Daily Inspiration: Meet Taylor Lively

Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Lively.  

Hi Taylor, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I would complain to my husband all the time about how bored I was. That’s when he recommended I start a new hobby. I’ve always wanted to learn how to Dj and produce but really never had the time, so it was the perfect time for me to dive deep into something I always wanted to do. 

I reached out to my friend Freddie Swinney, who had been DJing for 10-plus years at the time. He told me to buy some equipment, so I bought a DDJ-400. He came over and taught me the basics and said, “If you want to become a great Dj, you have to practice an hour a day.” So, you know what I did? I practiced 3 hours a day, diving deep into learning everything that I could and recording/live streaming myself so I could listen back to my mistakes and improve my skills. After getting the hang of it, Freddie asked me if I was interested in playing at a 4th of July party in Greensboro. I was so excited to finally show my skills to my friends, and it went off without any issues! The feeling that I got from sharing my favorite tunes and perfectly curating them to mix into each other was a feeling I cannot describe. Watching everyone dance and enjoy the mix that I spent time making was truly addicting, and so since then, I’ve been playing shows and music festivals and opening for big names such as; J Worra, Robbie Rivera, Moon Boots, and Golf Clap. About a year after learning how to DJ, I decided to dive into the world of producing and started using Ableton to make my own music, since then I have created two original tracks, “Get Busy” and “Generations,” which were signed by Dacusan Records and released on May 12. 

My love for electronic music didn’t just start in 2020, it goes back to when I was about 9 or 10 years old, with my earliest influences being; Deadmau5, Tiesto, and Kaskade. As I grew older, I started to attend shows and music festivals. My parents let me attend Ultra Music Festival in Miami when I was 14 (before they changed the age requirement). Going to that festival changed my life; I was instantly hooked on the scene and the music. I became obsessed with the artists, their styles, the way they moved on stage; it was infectious. Since then, I’ve been attending music festivals and shows, and it’s become a massive part of my life. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say learning a new skill and putting yourself out there will always have its challenges. 

Initially, I was just having fun, not putting pressure on myself to perfectly mix every track; but as I started to get more recognition and was getting booked for bigger gigs, I started to put a lot of pressure on myself, which kind of took the fun out of it. When you’re first starting out the challenge is learning the equipment being used at these clubs/bars because it’s different than what you had learned on. So, when I was asked to play my first big gigs I would internally freak out because I wasn’t used to the equipment and didn’t know all the new functions and features; so, on stage, I would just figure it out somehow, but it definitely wasn’t easy. Then, I started to overanalyze the crowd and overthink them noticing my minor mistakes, which really got to me. My first big show was opening for Golf Clap, and mistakes were made, it was my first time playing on that kind of equipment, and I really beat myself up for it for a long time. 

I think also for a while I felt imposter syndrome, which was also tough to overcome because in my mind I felt like I wasn’t good enough and wasn’t sure how I was getting booked for these larger gigs. I think after talking to a lot of artists and musicians, imposter syndrome is quite a common thing. 

I can honestly say it just took time for me to overcome all these issues, and I have indeed overcome them with experience, time, and believing in myself and my craft. I learned that most of the issues I was having were all in my head, and I just needed to change my thinking. Now, I still get nervous, but I’m prepared and confident in what I can do and how the equipment works and I just have so much fun. I learned as long as you’re having fun and enjoying yourself, the crowd pulls that energy from you and feels it too. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
When I DJ, I primarily play; Tech House, House, Bass House, and DnB. My friends always say my music style and preference is “sexy music for the girls with a lot of energy.” I think I’m known for 1. being a female Dj in an area and field where there isn’t many females and 2. the super energetic tiny girl on stage. Growing up I always called the “energizer bunny,” so I like to bring that kind of energy to every single performance. 

I’m most proud of how far I’ve come in such a short period of time. I just played at Breakaway Music Festival in Charlotte, NC on the silent disco stage, and it was surreal. I’ve never played in front of a crowd that large before, and it was so awesome. Also being on the lineup with Tiesto and Deadmau5 was super emotional for me because like I said, they are my earliest inspirations and what brought me to love electronic music in general. 

I think just being me sets me apart from others! There aren’t a lot of people that look like me in the scene. First off being. female DJ, you’re kind of like an unicorn because there aren’t many of us, and second I like to dress over the top girly to every show because I am proud to be a female in this space, and I want to show the world that you can be a girly girl and still be a really good DJ. 

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is happiness 100%! If you’re happy with what you’re doing and love every moment of it, that is success for me. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tayislively/?hl=en
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/tayislively

Image Credits
York Pimiento
Edwin Villanueva
JKE
Kevin