Today we’d like to introduce you to Deon Claiborne.
Hi Deon , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was a club kid in the late 70s and early 80s. I would dance all night starting on Thursday night and then Friday and Saturday all night too in a big gay disco called the “Monastery” in Seattle. On Sundays, we would go to “Tea Dances,”– late afternoon or early evening instead of all night. One last chance to dance before we had to clean up and show up for the work week. I would be transported by the music and the collective energy of the people around me. Most importantly, I noticed how the DJs could keep you glued to the dance floor. I was tired, hungry, thirsty, had to pee and still I couldn’t leave the dance floor because the DJ just played one of my favorite songs. The power of the DJ was fully cemented for me when I was in the club before it opened and overheard the DJ and the lighting guy talk about how the night would go and how they would work in tandem to create moments for all of us.
Fast forward to the pandemic and lockdown. I had purchased a Pioneer DDJ-SB2 in 2018 and was just kind of noodling around with it, but I had joined Digital DJ Tips’ Global Facebook group and someone posted about looking for DJs for an online internet radio station called “Sound Lab Radio UK.” I responded asking what type of skills were needed. “Can you beat match,” I was asked. “80% of the time. No, maybe 75%.” I started playing every Sunday for 2 hours and I was green, green, green. But I DJed for two more internet radio stations, “Ruff Start Radio (UK)” and “Groove Radio Detroit (Detroit) each week. To keep things interesting for anyone listening and for myself, I learned more than 40 different genres. I livestreamed for 3.5 years and I owe any skill I have to those livestreams. My DJ name is tongue in cheek. DJ Auld. Auld is Olde English for Old.
Today, at 67 years old, I identify as a club and festival DJ. I tried private events, but I quickly realized that private gigs are jobs and music, dancing, and DJing are my passions and I don’t want them to become “work” and suck that passion away from me. I call myself a 67 year old club kid. I love to go support my DJ friends and having them support me. One of the highlights of the summer is that I got to spontaneously fill in for a DJ that dropped out and play for 2.5 hours at “Old Miami” for a party on Sunday of Movement weekend. I’m still riding high on that moment.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it hasn’t always been a smooth road. I worked fulltime until January 2026 and that really bit into my energy levels a lot. I live an hour away from Detroit, so it takes a minute to get there and that can also affect my energy. And, as mentioned before, I don’t enjoy private gigs. Most of my struggles came from private gigs and the non-stop requestions to the point that I couldn’t finish one song before a new song was requested . I admire those who can do private gigs but that is not where my interest lays. I will do one on occasion if a friend asks or I do a few free events for causes I am invested in.
The big turning point was joining a group that holds a weekly event in Ypsilanti, MI called Fallout Shelter. They gave my real first club opportunities and still do. There is a nexus of DJs in and around Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Ypsilanti within which I have great relationships. The groups include the Wax Kings, Detroit Techno Militia, Halo Detroit, a bar that hosts a diverse set of DJs from around Detroit and Michigan. I’ve been fortunate to meet the founders of Techno and other OG DJs in Detroit. Since retirement I have been putting a lot of effort into continuing to build relationships and be ready to accept offers to play.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Since retirement I have focused on several creative endeavors. I want to continue to improve as a DJ and play more in Detroit. My goal this year is to get even a tiny residency at a club.
I’ve started writing lyrics and so I am in the very beginning stages of learning to produce music. I want to produce my own dance music and also learn different genres for some of my lyrics.
I collect vinyl. It’s an addiction, I admit it and I’m not ready to stop. I have almost 1700 records. Some are beloved classics from earlier in my life and some are new artists. Still some are just quirky and weird and look interesting so I buy them. I say that there isn’t a single musical genre that I can’t find at least one song I’ll like.
I am a cultural anthropologist by training and I had to step away from academia for a while in 2021, but when I retired I rejoined our professional organization, the American Anthropological Association, submitted a proposal for our annual conference in November 2026. I consider academic writing to also be creative so I add it here. I’ve looking forward to writing more journal articles and public commentary about culture, health (Masters of Public Health), and music.
Finally, I have been working on and off on a crime/pulp novel series and have other ideas for creative non-fiction, poetry, and other novels. I know it seems like a lot and it is a lot. I am still figuring out a work flow that allows me to touch all my interests each week.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Even if you are just learning, respect the craft and respect the music and the people who put certain genres like Detroit Techno, Chicago House, Listen to the classics of a genre. Practice mixing them. You don’t have to learn how to mix vinyl necessarily, but don’t half step the skills. That said, there are different types of tools available in current DJ software and on the controllers or CDJs for a reason.
Play on as many different types of DJ equipment as you can. I rented a DJ room in a studio that has CDJs and a mixer. I spent four hours pushing buttons and twisting knobs so that my first open decks would not be a total flop. When I get in front of equipment I haven’t played on, my mantra is “Just mix. Just mix.” People in the club truly don’t care how you get the music to them as long as you get it to them. They are the people you need to please because that’s how you build a following. Learn as many other genres as you can. Listen to genres outside your comfort zone and not just different kinds of electronica. There is a joy to discovering that, for example, This jazz record fits perfectly with this House record. One example I’ll share: I was playing a Halloween gig and I like to do something out of the ordinary for holiday gigs. So I opened the set with about 10 minutes of horror movie themes. Films like “Jaws,” “Psycho,” “The Omen,” “Saw,” and more. Then I moved into Goa Trance. It was a fun creative challenge to meld that set together.
I cannot say this enough. Be professional, respectful, pleasant, and timely. People enjoy working with people who enjoy working with people. This is life advice. It takes years to build a reputation and seconds to destroy it. I have built a network of friends who have history in the cities I want to play in and just being a decent person will count much more than skills. Of course bring the skills but a mistake during a set will more likely be overlooked if the folks running the event like you. Be nice to the people who work there.
Pricing:
- Club: $100/hr
- Festival: $100/hr
- Private Gigs: $100/hr plus gas or travel time
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mixcloud.com/DJAuld
- Instagram: @djauld_dmc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DJAuld/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dmcmdr
