Arshdeep Singh Dhaliwal, a senior at Marquette University in Wisconsin, is currently double majoring in Finance and IT and is considering a minor in Biomedical Sciences. Upon graduation, he is planning on working full-time. As of the moment, he has a Finance based internship at Northwestern Mutual and has been offered a full-time position there. However, Arshdeep is looking to keep his options open, in order to explore opportunities where he can utilize his other degree.
Interview:
How did you come up with your DJ name “Yabo?”What does it mean?
DJ Yabo was created by the help of my friends. The meaning is something I would still like to keep a secret, but I want to let people know that it is not just a random word. It is something that will always remind me of those that helped propel me deeper into the world of mixing and DJing.
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment so far and what do you hope to accomplish in the future?
I consider my biggest accomplishment so far to be the contributions I have given to my team, for which I am a manager for, Marquette Mazaa. This year was the first time I ever made a pure team mix from scratch. After seeing my team execute the songs just as I had imagined, it gave me the greatest sense of satisfaction. I could see that they truly enjoyed dancing to the songs as well. Another little bit of accomplishment, leading from this, was winning best mix at Infusion 2018, which put the cherry on top at the end of an amazing season.
Why and how did you get into mixing?
I have always been into music and the idea of adding my own touches and transitions into play. I started with simple mixes, such as one for my University’s Cultural Show, and then I slowly inched closer into actually delving into the technical aspect of making true mashups. I was added to the DDN DJ group, which eventually was turned into DDN Sound, and started utilizing the help of people within that group. Since then, I have been working on my craft, trying to create my own style of sound so I can stand apart from others and so that people can begin to recognize my mix.
What is your favorite part of mixing and what do you think are the hardest and easiest parts of it?
My favorite part of mixing is the satisfaction of seeing people enjoy my vision/creation that I set out to make. I do not make mixes to become popular with a lot of likes and shares. I make what I enjoy listening to and then spread it. Luckily, a lot of people have similar tastes, so seeing people listen to what I put time and effort into is really satisfying.
The hardest part of mixing, for me personally, is mastering a mix to sound exactly like what I envision it to be in my head. Sometimes, I know a mix can work but I struggle with arranging it in a certain way because it is always easier said than done. Easiest parts for me are vision, thinking of combinations, testing, and trial and error. It seems like something that would annoy someone, but it is fun for me and actually gets me motivated to find the right combination.
What are your interests outside of mixing?
Outside of mixing, I am also into live DJ-ing. Sometimes people do not consider those to be different, but I do. They are completely different tasks and require an alternate spontaneous vision. Another interest I have is bhangra. I have been doing it since I was little. Unfortunately, I have never had the chance to join a competitive team, but I still find time to do, through creating choreography for our cultural show at Marquette.
Fun Facts & Social Media
I am 6’4.
I am also a DDN Ambassador.
I have seen all of The Office exactly 14 times.
Special Shoutout
Thank you Sajan (DJ Ruckiss) for helping me out tremendously along these past few months. Not only have you become a great mentor to me, but you have also become my best friend.