Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Jefferson.
Hi Eric, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My focus hasn’t always been music. I’m actually a visual artist. (Graphic Designer and Oil Painter) When I was younger, I used to draw comic book characters and cartoons, but the music was always there. Either playing in the background while drawing, or it may have been on the TV when reading comics and playing with my Transformers. There are two memories I remember shaping my love for music, 1. My mom always played Anita Baker and Kenny G. around the house and on our way to visit my grandmother in Detroit 2. My mother’s record player. I remember watching an episode of “Yo! MTV Raps” and saw a DJ in one of the videos. I was amazed by what he was doing. He was scratching a record with the music. So, I tried scratch records like that DJ but It didn’t go well. I ruined three of my mom’s records, and she was furious! However, I knew I had found something I loved besides visual arts.
Years later, I met my wife (Renee Dion), an incredible singer/songwriter, in Columbus, OH. She had just moved back to the city and was performing everywhere. If Sade, Jill Scott, and Erykah Badu were combined into one person, that’s the vibe. Our relationship sparked into something beautiful, I knew she was the one, and we became a creative duo. She made the music, and I did the art. We’d throw events that would highlight both art and music. We also did a web series called “Date Night” that’s on YouTube. We make magic together.
My wife would always visit Guitar Center to get new musical equipment. And this is where my DJ journey began. Every time we went into Guitar Center, I would tell my wife, “I’m about to go save the world,” before making a b-line to the DJ section running like a big kid in a playground. Even though I didn’t know what I was doing and messing around pressing buttons on the DJ controller, I was in bliss and had that same feeling of being a little kid playing with my mom’s record player and having fun.
In 2017, my wife bought me a DJ controller for Christmas. She saw how much I loved running over to that section of the Guitar Center and playing with the DJ equipment. We both began to realize DJ’ing was becoming more than a hobby, March 2018, I decided it was time to perform. I knew of a local grocery store in downtown Columbus called “The Hills Market.” The Hills would always have events and wine tastings. The people are always friendly, and when Renee and I would attend events, I would see DJs playing there from time to time.
Once I knew I was 100 percent ready, I walked into the store, asked to speak to the manager, and was directed to Amanda Anderson. Amanda is truly a blessing. She is the person who gave me my start as a DJ. She gave me a chance and helped me get to where I am today.
Ever since that day, I’ve been playing a little bit of everywhere. I’m still learning as a DJ, but I love every moment. I can honestly say I still get that same feeling as I did when I was a kid, just playing around on his mom’s record player and having fun.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This journey has been pretty smooth. For me, the only real struggle I’ve had was getting back into the music scene after the pandemic. The pandemic really made things hard on us all. Since then, things picked right back up so I have no complaints.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Well like I said before, besides DJ’ing, I’m a visual artist. (Graphic Designer and Oil Painter) This is what I’m really known for. A lot of people are caught off guard when they see I’m DJ’ing an event. I always tell everyone; this is another way I’m creating. I create through blending music together.
I will say one thing I’m most proud of is the fact that I’m still pushing myself to be as creative as possible. I’m in my 40’s and I’m a DJ, a Graphic Designer, an Oil Painter, etc. Who knows what’s next.
I will say the thing that sets me apart is my ear for music and blends. The music I play, may not be what you are use to hearing on the radio. It could be a remix or edit of that song. I’m always looking to surprise the crowd by playing something a little different but will still have people dancing and having a good time.
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I believe you have to be financially prepared when taking any risk. If not, the results can be horrible. For us, the biggest risk was me, my wife (Renee Dion), Sidney Haney (AKA DJ Sid Deluxx) and Nathan Parker (AKA Nate Pocket) going on tour for 4 months. We traveled in a mini-van across the US (East Coast to West Coast) and played in over 40+ cities. This was a major risk that if we hadn’t been prepare for, who knows what would have happened.
Contact Info:
- Website: emarblez.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/emarblez
- Facebook: facebook.com/emarblez
Image Credits
Marshall Shorts
Carl McKinney
