Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to CANDL. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
CANDL, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
I believe that the growth of my optimism started at a very young age. Since I was a kid I’ve had it hard in life being in and out of the juvenile system which led me to being surrounded by so much negativity but also a lot of positivity. It was being curious about everyone around me especially the people that could remain positive despite numerous hardships. I can’t remember who, but there was someone who said to me that life is what we make it. which I know is an old quote or something. but it made the most sense to me. hearing different stories and seeing for myself people overcome adversity if they wanted to. I didn’t like the idea of fate. not being in control of my own destiny. that seeded into my mind and what started to develop was a mentality that guided me and the driving words were “There are no closed doors. because ill always find a window to break in”
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Walter and professionally I go by the aka CANDL as a DJ/Producer of electronic music. My name came from a background in graffiti and was given to me by a friend of mine He explained that I had a vibe and energy that was like a beacon of light, so to him I was like a bearer of light, and that’s where the name CANDL was born. My Story of how I got here starts with me coming home after being separated from my family for almost 8 years. Before now I was a skateboarder, and an artist barely getting into the electronic music scene after being heavy into hip hop. There was a night I got robbed at gun point and everything I had on me was taken including my composition book with everything I ever wrote. that’s when hip hop stopped and shortly after electronic music began to come into my life. I was inspired by trance music and how it made me feel and inspired by how I saw it made others feel. I didn’t want to produce music at that time but I definitely wanted to start to learn how to DJ. fast forwarding to now after coming back home is when my journey officially began as a DJ. I Had no idea how to start and even asked the one friend I knew who was Djing to help me out. He didn’t have time for me, but me being the optimist and window breaker that I am didn’t let that stop me. I went on to YouTube and learned what I could after having bought the cheapest 2 channel controller I could find. I began to teach myself until I got to the point where I thought I was ready for a show. And when that came I crushed it and at that moment CANDL the DJ was born. After that first show more shows came. The most exciting thing was seeing how people were affected and how they were inspired like I was. And for me for the first time in awhile I was more surrounded by positivity and actually making a difference. I always thought that if I could take someone out of a potentially horrible day for just a bit getting them lost in dance then I did my part. throughout it all I knew I eventually wanted to get into producing music. I was so full of inspiration and ideas and with all the shows I would what moves the crowd. I really felt in my heart I could make a huge difference and that was important to me after having gone through my worst in life for so long. I wanted to make a change, be a change and help anyone with whatever if I could because I didn’t have any of that. My focus turned towards music production and I was able to enroll in a school, but only for a very short time because with my luck I got screwed out of it. but I learned enough to navigate the programs I needed to succeed and the rest I learned on YouTube . I stayed hungry and patient while I learned enough to finally start releasing music.
My Music became about feeling, and movement. I wanted people to feel with melodies and bass, and also want to dance and get lost.
Today I’ve been able to play my music on some of the biggest stages at the biggest festivals and most popular shows around and all over Los Angeles, and have had music releases from here to different parts of the world working with the producers that have inspired me. Every year has been a progression from the last and in this time I’ve also been able to create my own record label giving me the ability to spread more music out to the world.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, the best skills that have helped me tremendously have been my people skills. and that came from being surrounded by all walks of life. Another would be patience. I can’t stress how important it is to have patience but with that you have to keep optimistic. And last is communication. To understand, comprehend, be able to have a clear understanding of everything. all these all interchange within each other and will help a lot. For people starting off I notice a lot of the times that people want it now. they want the overnight success. what they don’t realize is that the majority of people up at the high places have been putting in the work for years before they finally became visible to everyone else. Always stay hungry and really want what you’re after. listen, and learn everything you can, and try your best to keep [ositiver people around. it really helps.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
The number one obstacle I face now is time. Having enough time for regular work to earn a living so I don’t end up on the streets and finding the hours I need to focus on music. its tough and I still haven’t mastered it quite yet, but I know I need to find a balance which I feel I’m getting pretty good at. Maintaining proper health helps immensely and also time to yourself to meditate and refocus.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candl01/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CANDLOFFICIAL
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CANDL_OFFICIAL
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/candl1
Image Credits
personal photo: I.G. @photosbyduches all other photos by: I.G. @juansolophoto
