Conversations with Ashley “DJ Desire” Cavasino

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley “DJ Desire” Cavasino.

Hi Ashley, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I was born with music in my DNA. Growing up in the greater Los Angeles area, I was exposed to my father’s DJ Service company and was heavily influenced by his ability to cater to the crowd and command a dance floor. With a background in hip hop dancing and undying love for pop culture and music, I began teaching myself how to DJ using my father’s turntables (Technics SL-1200s).

I learned that commanding crowds and directing dance floors with my music selections and crafty mixing skills was what I desired most in life, defining myself as DJ Desire in 2010. I began providing DJ services at the age of sixteen, focusing on private and corporate parties. I began DJ’ing my first of countless weddings at only seventeen while also working my mixes into the nightclub scene a year later.

I then gained an on-air DJ residency with the 805’s #1 Hit Music Station 103.3 The Vibe and received a featured spot years later for the 805’s Hip Hop and R&B station Q95.9. I have also performed at several nightclubs in the Ventura Country and Los Angeles area including Bogies Nightclub, Avalon Hollywood, Exchange LA, True Hollywood, Project LA, OHM Nightclub, Tonic Nightclub, and Wildcat Santa Barbara, and more!

By my 22nd birthday, I took my MC skills to a new level by DJ’ing and working as an entertainment host on board two cruise ships with Carnival Cruise Lines, DJ’ing in the Bahamas & Caribbean. I returned home a year later getting the corporate attention of the Walt Disney Company becoming a resident DJ for Disney’s movie release parties where I have DJ’d for the stars of Disney films such as Captain America: Winter Solder, Need for Speed, McFarland, The Finest Hour, and The Jungle Book to name a few.

I have also DJ’d within the professional sports realm, landing a residency DJ’ing massive tailgate parties for the LA Rams mega fan group, World Tour Rams every year since 2017, bringing home a super bow win for the latest 2021 season. I have also performed for the US Women’s Soccer team at the Nissan Stadium in Nashville for the She Believes Cup in 2019.

In 2019, I experienced a touring residency DJ’ing for the 1000 Lights Water Lantern Festival where I helped spread their mission of unity and respect across the US. I also spent 2019 living in Memphis, TN where I gained a residency DJ’ing on the world-famous Beale St. at Tin Roof and at several other college nightlife venues such as The Bluff and The Levee in Oxford, MS. I also branched out into the fitness world DJ’ing for brands like F45 Training and Lululemon.

Today, I continue to DJ mobile events but come most alive when performing live on the radio, in nightclubs, and at festivals. I also have experience DJing for silent disco events, and now remotely manage a fleet of DJs booking talent for a wireless headphone service company called Sound Off. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ where I continue to DJ mobile events with my own complete DJ system.

I am currently partnered with Scottsdale Bachelorette as their premier Bachelorette Party DJ and have a residency DJ’ing at Maple & Ash Scottsdale and Hash Kitchen for their weekend brunch events. Other upcoming residencies this year include Skysill and ADERO – local lounges open to the public for rooftop pool parties and bar experiences.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road. Most recently, I think of how 2020 was a year of challenges for the world, and those working in the events industry got hit hard. I had just moved to San Diego earlier that year and began booking up local gigs for April when the nation shut down. All of my bookings got canceled due to the pandemic, putting me in a financial position that was extremely challenging.

On top of this, my mother was diagnosed with cancer, to which I knew I needed to travel back home as often as I could to help with my parent’s business and her health. That summer was extremely trying for me. by early 2021, my mom was in much better shape, but my drive to want to DJ again was questionable. This struggle helped to push me toward the idea of relocating again. I needed s change to grow into my DJ business again.

That’s when I discovered how many opportunities there still were in Scottsdale, despite the pandemic. Having moved to Scottsdale in May 2021, I was quickly booked through the rest of the year in the Valley. Had I not made that move, I’m not so sure I would have been able to save myself as a DJ. Upon moving here, I initially took a server job at a fancy steakhouse just in case events didn’t pan out the way I hoped.

I was reluctant to quit that server job after only a couple of days, realizing that the greater Phoenix area didn’t need any more servers, but they did need more DJs. I suppose the timing of this was on my side, but reflecting back to 2020, that was the year that really tested my will and my commitment to my life as a DJ.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As an artist, my music style is considered by other DJs as “open format” – meaning that I play songs from a variety of genres and eras. Personally, though, I love mixing old-school songs with the new sound of today’s music. Some of my favorite Pop influences musically are Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, and Rihanna.

When looking at Hip-Hop influences, my favorites include Drake, Notorious BIG, Nicki Minaj, and Kanye West. Other influences stem from Classic Rock artists like Journey and Queen. I also love Electronic Dance music and enjoy mixing artists like Meduza, Skrillex, Avicii, and Deadmau5.

Putting all these different artists and music styles together in a DJ set is what I am known for. When I perform, I can stick to one style if need be but prefer to play a little bit of everything, including Latin music by artists like Bad Bunny, J Balvin, and Don Omar.

I am most proud of my diverse music library. I think being a wedding DJ has inspired the need to be so diverse, but growing up the youngest of 4, I was exposed to several different styles of music that I enjoy mixing into my sets. Whether that be country music, punk rock music, or hits from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, I always seem to surprise my audience with the variety of music I am actually familiar with.

Besides my DJ style musically, I think the fact that I am female also sets me apart from other DJs. Amongst the female DJs in my industry, I stand out again when I mix music. I like to work the mic, dance, and make sure that the timing of each song is spot on every time. I never just slap a set together.

I am rehearsed and calculated all while reading the crowd and flipping the script in an instant if I need to, and I do it in a seamless way.

What matters most to you?
In a general sense, family matters the most to me. They are my biggest support system and the ones I love most in the world. In relation to my life as a DJ, my music is king!

It sounds so obvious, I know, but without my music – all of which is kept on external hard drives – my DJ career would be over. Back in the day, a DJ may have said that their Vinyl Collection mattered the most, but today, that has all gone digital.

Without my external hard drives and the ability to manipulate the music that is on them, I wouldn’t be DJ Desire. My music collection is the key to my toolbox of skills, DJ tricks, and equipment that I use at every event.

Pricing:

• My DJ rates vary depending on the type of event and how much equipment and planning are necessary. Most events start at $300 for the first hour, then it’s $200 every hour after that.

Contact Info:

• Email: therealdjdesire@gmail.com
• Website: www.TheRealDJdesire.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealdjdesire/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealdjdesire
• Other: www.mixcloud.com/therealdjdesire

Image Credits
Michael Astorga Photography @astorga_photography and Valeria – @loveandlacephoto