Meet Devon Boyd

We were lucky to catch up with Devon Boyd recently and have shared our conversation below.

Devon, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
To say I had “imposter syndrome” may be an odd thing to express as a DJ, but it’s true. Before entering the DJ world, I did more music producing & audio engineering. Although, for me, an easy transition from music production to DJing, it came with many challenges since I knew so many other greats much better than I was. At one point, it seemed every set I was comparing myself to other DJ, thinking I was no where close to being as good as them. However, one day another fellow DJ that I highly respected, who is now a good friend booked my for one of her shows. I was super honored that she chose me and even showed me so new tips & tricks. As a result, it help me understand that it’s not that other DJ are necessarily better than me, but they just play different than I do. I think overcoming that imposter syndrome help build a new level of confidence which got me to where I am now. I’ll always be grateful to the amazing DJ Shani.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Cysum (pronounced sy-soom) is an electronica musician birthed from the boot but raised on a lone star. Cysum (AKA Devon Boyd), doesn’t make beats but composes audible art that will send you on a journey. His eclectic taste of music enables him to produce all genres with his own flavor on it….music from the universe for your soul! ​
Being a creator and producer of music, he started seeing the change in the music industry. He wanted to restore the movement of “putting people on” which use to be a huge part of the DJ culture. This change in the culture that he grew up on sparked his energy to become a DJ. Now as a DJ/producer he developed his mind to provide his audience with new music from himself & others around the world that you may not have heard of. In 2023, he was selected, for the first time to be an official SXSW artist. SXSW is a huge international music festival held in Austin, TX once a year. Being selected, helped to propel Cysum’s career even further. Let’s get Cysum to to curate your fun!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I would say do it because you love it, do it the way that you want to and always have fun. The reason I say that is because I feel people for get that DJing is an art as well. Essentially, I could say that being a DJ is almost like being a musician, except our instruments are our turn tables, CDJs and/or controller. Instead of playing notes, we play tunes. Like anyone can blow into a horn and make a sound just like anyone can press “play” to trigger some music. However, there is an art to DJing & creative elements. Same as a musician, there are basic elements and fundamentals. But once you learn that, put your own style to it and just have fun with it.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
A challenge that I face is being booked and/or being able to play what the people actually want to hear verses what the promoters/venues think they want to hear. Sometimes you can tell that the majority is wanting to move & groove to a particular vibe. However, I was hired to play certain genre(s). I recall times where people would confirm that feeling by making song request for music that I wasn’t “suppose” to play. Although like most DJs, I typically don’t take request. But there were a few times where I would test the waters a bit and as a result you see the majority of the crowd really turn up!

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Tia Boyd Photography

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