Life & Work with Gabrielle “DJ MIZZ G”

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabrielle “DJ MIZZ G”.

Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in a sports-loving family, my brother played basketball and football and was overall an amazing athlete, my family was also a true U of A basketball fans, so I was only destined to play a sport. The only sports team that I made growing up was my YMCA basketball team and when I tried out for my school’s cheerleading, and volleyball teams I’d never made it. I ended up making my school’s dance team in middle school and before you say anything about dance not being a sport, dancers put their blood, sweat, and tears into it, I know I did.

I also had other interests like music, not only because it drowned out the sports commentary that was always playing in the background in my house but because I always love dancing and connecting to music. I began training in dance when I was 14, I was a freestyle and hip-hop dancer but to be on my high school dance team I had to learn more than one style of choreography. When I was on my school’s dance team, I did jazz, contemporary, lyrical, and hip-hop. I would cut music for dance shows and make mixes for my dance pieces and for my peer’s.

When I graduated from high school, I wanted to be on a real competitive dance team, like the dance teams I’d see on YouTube and World of Dance, not the J-Lo TV World of Dance but the OG series on YouTube, my real dancers know it was an amazing time, this was even before Tik Tok dances. I joined the Jukebox Dance studio’s competitive dance team in 2018 and they not only taught me choreography, but they introduced me to street styles like vogue, krump, popping, and locking.

They were an amazing group of people that embraced my creative style but also taught me to be clean, competitive, and one with the team. We placed in many competitions like Boogie, Fusion, and World of Dance. When I was part of the team it was the funniest time of my life, traveling with friends, doing what I love, being in other cities, and meeting other dancers. When the pandemic hit, I got into a new hobby which was DJ-ing, which I found out could be a potential career, I got my first DJ controller in December 2019 (Serato Sb3), I took a Disc Jockey class at SCC (Scottsdale Community College).

When I first started learning how to use a DJ controller it looked like the hardest thing ever, like driving a spaceship of some sort but this was a whole new galaxy I was willing to explore. I learned the history and basic techniques behind DJ-ing and learning these skills became intriguing. Dj-ing kept me sane during the lockdown, it was hard to take any more in-person DJ classes, so I mostly learned from YouTube and figured out more as I would practice on my DJ controller.

When the world started to open back up again some of my friends would book me for their parties or birthday parties, a year later I got my first DJ residency at a hookah lounge which I got from reaching out to a fellow female DJ I knew through Instagram. At the beginning of 2022, I got my first club residency and at this time I was trying to balance school and DJ-ing, this was a stressful time, but it was one of the best summers I had, being in the club helped me read a crowd and learn how to maintain a vibe.

Later that summer I got an opportunity to DJ on a rooftop at a hotel, where I am still DJ currently, I’m so grateful for all the amazing female DJs I have met along my journey and appreciate all the helpful tips they have given me. I am truly looking forward to seeing what Dj’ing has in store for me.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of the challenges I ran into was when I got injured in 2019. Dance was a big part of my life at this time and school was never really for me and dance was the one outlet in my life that I could put all my emotions and passion into, I thought I could have a future in dance by becoming a choreographer or dance teacher.

The injury is something that still isn’t easy for me to talk about because it was such a hard thing to work through, but I was fortunate to find a form of therapy that helped me heal, I’m still not all the way myself but my back injury is easier to work with these days. The lesson I learned from my injury was that your mind can affect your physical state, so put love and care into both.

One of the lessons I learned from DJ-ing is it’s not only about music selection but your reaction and your body language during your set, now of days people chill and stand around at functions instead of dancing, so they are more likely to look at what you’re doing to see if you’re having a good time when people feel that good energy being put out, they are more likely to start vibing, it’s like a chain reaction. DJing is more than being a music presenter, it’s about being the light in the room.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am currently in my 3rd year of being a Disc Jockey “DJ”. I Have DJ’d in mostly club and restaurant atmospheres. Some of the places I have been fortunate to work in have been Paris Night Club (Scottsdale), Loyalty Lounge Restaurant (Scottsdale), Aura Night Club (Tempe), Glow Night Club (Tempe), The Rose Garden Cocktail Bar (Phoenix), Sip Coffee and Beer Garage (Phoenix) and “From The Rooftop” at the Cambria Hotel (Phoenix).

I am most proud of the progress I have made through the years with my DJ knowledge and skills. I’d say what sets me apart is the competitive nature that I have learned from dance but also listening and becoming a better student of the craft, staying open-minded to potential opportunities, and never staying stagnant.

My music taste also sets me apart with the genre fusions I listen to and my love for House, Hip Hop, and R&B music. Being a DJ is great because we all bring something different and new to the table, whether that be the style of the music we are playing or how we are presenting it with our technique.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://form.jotform.com/220514319055145
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/official.mizzg/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086126692257

Image Credits
@aandamanor and @7luckysins