We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michael Khoury a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Michael, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
Thank you for the opportunity to interview with you! I feel that self esteem and confidence are gained through discipline and building evidence both to the world and to one’s self of your capabilities and accomplishments. There is no substitute for continually doing the work, keeping a track record, and looking for new ways to improve. That in my opinion causes us to grow and develop a healthy confidence.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
One of the most important factors I learned growing up is that you can be the most skilled musician and performer, yet connecting with those you are serving is the ultimate priority. You need to connect with and understand your clients and their guests and build up everything from that point.
My mission is that I create percussive high energy DJ Performances for those who value the entertainment as the highest priority of their event. Having the opportunity to create the musical landscape at weddings, festivals and corporate events all around the U.S. has been my greatest joy in my professional life. My passion led me in the very early days to learning Western Drumset and honing in on several types of Latin and Middle Eastern percussions that were played regularly on stage. I had 5 to be exact that were not accessories, but core parts of my routines and work. Eventually I craved so badly to be able to play and enjoy captivating melodies that I began studying Oriental Arabic Keyboard and learned the Quartertone scales and Middle Eastern party hits by ear. This really opened up so many opportunities as a creative in having both live Rhythm and Melody in my toolkit for Eastern and Western Music. This would one day truly help me in the world of DJing, as the foundation of mixing two songs together in all music seamlessly means keeping and working in time as the foundation, and then blending everything above that in harmony as well.
As years passed, I evolved into an Event Host both in the Corporate and Wedding space out of the excitement derived from tactfully leading a crowd of guests, and directing the flow of the day. I was mesmerized by the impact it had on the room and the event as a whole, as there was no substitute for an engaging Emcee taking charge. The voice wakes people up on the inside, and the beat causes them to dance. Emceeing is also the greatest adrenaline rush for me and had me hooked from the beginning. I transformed into a DJ out of my passion to blend music together just as if I were playing in a band. Mixing on the decks allows me to really tweak with the material and focus on what I love most in that particular song or medley. Keeping the crowd dancing and the action going is what I thrive on and the energy of the guests is what makes me play my best.
In the beginning of my DJ career, I used to hide the Bongos under my DJ table at Western Events and bring them out once I had the crowd hooked. Once I saw how much the guests loved and requested that I drum with the music time after time as word spread, it became a staple. Percussion pairs wonderfully with Disco, Funk, and Mainstream EDM. My favorite part about this journey is that I am never satisfied with the status quo in the way my performance speaks to others and am always looking at new ways to build that bridge to give a more immersive experience to clients and guests. Most importantly, what is created must be and feel organic.
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?
The three most important qualities in my opinion would be Organization, Laser Focus, and Grit, but it goes much deeper than that.
It means asking very specific questions, practicing and drilling what matters most to the clients well ahead of time, and drawing from and applying meaningful experience to the future. These are the most important key drivers in putting my all into every event I have the privilege to perform for. I will say again that the most important quality to me individually is the hunger to always be learning and growing. The master is the eternal student.
My best advice to those who are early in their journey is to surround themselves with those who are in a position they would like to be in and model their best attributes. I had the blessing to grow up around mentors who poured into me and I credit much of my success to putting their philosophies into action.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
My ideal clients are those who value the entertainment at the top of the priority list for their event and who want a touch of musicianship that speaks to all of the generations in attendance. I value working with those who are communicative and high energy, yet leave me enough room to be creative and unique in performing as that is often where the most beautiful ideas are born.
Most importantly, my ideal client values musical expressiveness and how partnering with the right talent to lead their day can make all the difference in the success of their event!
Contact Info:
- Website: DJMichaelKhoury.com
- Instagram: M.C.Khoury
- Facebook: Facebook.com/DJMichaelKhoury
- Youtube: @DJMichaelKhoury
Image Credits
Weatherbee Photography AlexisBanderaPhoto KellypatriciaPhoto HoneyedPhoto Kate Jeanne photography Eikonimagery
