Today we’d like to introduce you to Chad Sahinkaya.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Chad. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As we grow up, we all have to find ourselves and what our interests and passions are and what we want out of life by a little bit of trial and error. Growing up, my dream was to become a professional soccer player. My whole life was dedicated to this sport and it taught me a lot about myself and others. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to England, Spain, and all over the United States playing competitive soccer. Additionally, I always had a passion for music from a young age and will never forget the first time I took piano lessons and was the only one in the class that was able to play the piano without reading the sheet music and my teacher insisted that I was a natural. Nonetheless, soccer was getting too time-consuming for me to continue practicing the piano. Music always played a big role in my life as a kid and as I grew older, I started to appreciate it more and more.
I was always the type of person who wanted to try as many things as I could and experience as much of the world as possible. I not only wanted to discover what I was best at, but I wanted to find what made me the happiest. When I discovered music and decided to pursue becoming a DJ, I gave it my all and concentrated on learning and perfecting it so that I could be the best I could be. I didn’t care about what anyone else thought, I was my authentic self and I knew in my heart this was something I wanted to work towards. As with all DJ’s starting out, I knew I might be criticized and knocked down along the way, but I kept teaching myself and trying and booking new gigs. I always worked hard and I have always thought that you should never give up until you achieve your goals. I continually stayed positive and motivated. I believe that good energy and positive thinking is a powerful force and that it attracts success.
It has also been a personal achievement of mine to graduate from college. I just graduated with my business degree and two majors in a period of four years. I even managed to have some fun along the way. It wasn’t always easy and there were times I was overwhelmed and I didn’t know if I could do it, but I stuck it out. Getting my college degree was something I promised myself I would do for my dad and I worked very hard to attain this goal of mine! Although I won’t be allowed to walk the stage because of the pandemic, I will still have that diploma in my hand and a big smile on my face.
My advice to others who might be looking into becoming a DJ is to always stay humble and enjoy the ride and continue to grow and get better. Don’t ever let someone tell you that you can’t. Keep working and creating and being you, have fun, and don’t take one moment of it for granted!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
When I was two, I lost my dad to cancer and that affected my life in so many ways. He loved sports and music just like me and was a very talented piano player. I am often told that we have similar personalities. He was the most positive person you will ever meet and you couldn’t find one person on the planet to say a bad word about him. He would walk into a room and get the attention of everyone with his outgoing personality and optimistic demeanor. My mom became both parents in a sense and we have a very special and close relationship to this day. This loss has motivated me continuously throughout my music career and college education.
Another struggle would be that I financially supported myself through college working multiple jobs at once. Nonetheless, this forced me to learn a tremendous amount of knowledge on budgeting, time management and positive financial habits along the way. Becoming a DJ and learning music production is not cheap, so that has been one of the main struggles with my job. I have managed to work with what I have and this has allowed me an ample amount of valuable results.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I didn’t know much about the music or DJ business and I never had any formal training or expensive equipment. However, it was always something I believed I could excel in and I always had a passion for it. I just tried to learn as much as I could myself and teamed up with other people in the industry so that I could see how it all worked. I spent a lot of time listening to and attending live mixes. So, I would say I am most proud of being a self-taught DJ.
I believe that my professionalism sets me apart as a DJ. I always come very well prepared and organized for all of my events. I arrive early to make sure things are set up properly and try to anticipate any problems in advance. I don’t promise anything I cannot deliver. It is fun for me to try to experiment with new effects and I like to keep the energy high.
It takes more than years of experience and great equipment to set you apart from the others. I pay close attention to all of the details to make sure I can perform optimally and do my best set without any unforeseen issues. The feedback I have received from all of my shows is that I am professional, detailed, reliable, and consistent. I am always open to constructive criticism and always looking to improve in any way I can. I work my hardest to portray my unique style to the audience and make sure my guests have a great time and leave wanting more.
What were you like growing up?
As a child, I was easy going, friendly, and always active and on the go. I had a keyboard, guitar, and many musical instruments but with all boys in our house, nothing lasted very long before being broken. I have one little brother and two other older brothers that are close in age to me so when we weren’t fighting over things, we were mostly just happy being together and hanging out. I always loved sports and played football, basketball, baseball, and soccer – all at the same time! I played soccer most of my life and when I was not on the road traveling to games, tournaments or practices, I would be hanging out with friends and family. I was a very social child and had many friends from all types of backgrounds. I enjoyed being a part of the public education system in the DFW area and always had good grades throughout school. Other interests I had included reading, traveling, playing piano, and watching sports.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 6825614120
- Email: mynameischedmusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mynameisched
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mynameisched
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mynameisched_
Image Credit:
Diable Sale, Scott Womack, Thomas Massaquoi, Addiel G
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