Today we’d like to introduce you to Emanuel Dominguez.
Hi Emanuel, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Waco, Texas, and I first discovered my passion for music in the middle school band. I started out playing the clarinet, and then went on to play the saxophone. When I entered high school, I began experimenting on my own with various musical instruments, beat-making, and poetry. As a freshman at Baylor University, I intermixed my hobbies and started recording songs, producing Hip-Hop/Pop music, and DJing at various venues across Waco. After I graduated in 2016, I made my first big move to Austin, Texas. I worked the regular 8-5 in my corporate job but chose to continue DJing on the weekends, now with the added challenge of bigger Austin venues. During the pandemic lockdown in mid-2020, I decided to dive into the EDM world and began teaching myself how to produce a new genre. Earlier this year, I realized I had gotten so deep into the DJ scene, I was regularly working 7 days a week. I was shortly faced with having to decide between the corporate world and pursuing music, in an effort to focus 100% on one. As scary as it was, in October 2022, I came to the conclusion it was time for me to leave the corporate world, and go all in on my dream of creating music full-time. It’s been a journey getting to where I am today, but I’m proud of my progress, and look forward to continuing learning and growing with music!
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?
Turning my passion into a real career was a challenge growing up. With music typically being seen as a hobby, many wouldn’t consider it a real career or a reliable source of income. As a first-generation college graduate, there was an overwhelming pressure for me to not only earn my degree, but to also land a good job. With school coming first, music always had to come second. Once I graduated and landed a good job, I was able to choose how I wanted to spend my free time, which allowed me to dive a little deeper into my passion for music. Although I was able to make music more of a priority at this point in my life, my corporate job now came first. While I was asked to DJ often, I frequently declined gigs to ensure I wasn’t overworking myself, and continued to keep music on the back burner. It wasn’t until the pandemic started that things really took a turn. With businesses closing down and everyone is required to stay at home, many jobs, including DJing, suddenly no longer existed. For a moment, I thought music would always remain a hobby and I was more thankful than ever to have my corporate job.
Although I didn’t see myself DJing again, I chose to take a bad situation and use it to my advantage. Just like everyone else, I was scared to see the world slowly shut down, but I thought what better time to learn something new since we couldn’t go anywhere anyways, right?
For the next few months, I spent every single night struggling as I tried to teach myself how to use a new music production software (Ableton Live). The first entire month I regretted having spent $750 to buy the program and wanted to give up every single night. I wish I could say I didn’t give up because I was motivated and knew it would get easier, but the truth was I knew I couldn’t get a refund and that I would basically be throwing away $750 if I decided to give up. Despite an embarrassing reason, I’m just glad I had one. I eventually learned how to do more than just play and pause a track (joking, but also not). Before I knew it, I was taking a stab at producing my first remix. After putting a few remixes out during the second half of 2020, I realized that not only was I having fun, but I was clearly making progress and getting significantly better, as I witnessed my views and subscribers build with each new remix I released.
As the world started to open back up, I was excited about being able to produce music now and decided to dive back into the DJ scene. Before I knew it, I was DJing 2-3 times a week, and music no longer felt like just a “hobby.” Finding time to work on my craft was probably the biggest challenge. Working a corporate job that required 40 – 50 hrs of my time every week, while DJing on the weekends, raising two crazy active pups, setting and sticking to a gym routine, maintaining/cleaning my house, and other daily activities that take up time from your day (i.e – cooking/eating, showering, etc.), AND THEN still trying to make studio time fit into my schedule— literally felt IMPOSSIBLE. Was it challenging? Yes. But impossible? No. At this point, the only challenge was between myself, and having to decide how far I wanted to take things with music.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
While DJing is my main source of income today, I am also a music producer, artist, and content creator. With 10+ years of experience, I have had the opportunity to DJ a variety of events/gigs, including clubs, bars, restaurants, weddings, fundraisers, parties, and much more. Some of the popular Austin venues/businesses I have had the opportunity to perform at include: Highland Lounge, Fourth & Co, The Venue, Cedar Street Courtyard, Mala Vida, Taquero Mucho, and many more.
Having only been producing music for a little over 2 years now, I am extremely proud of the progress I have made. Some of my recent personal accomplishments include hitting over 1,000 subscribers on YouTube, having two remixes surpass 100,000 plays, and my most popular remix hitting over half a million plays.
While talent matters, I truly believe the way you present yourself and treat others can really define your character and set you apart. Although a competitive mindset can push someone to work harder, I think it’s important to remember in music, there can be multiple “winners.” Today, we live in a society where networking is super important, and often even required in order for certain opportunities to present themselves. Staying humble and having an open mindset to continuously be learning and growing is essential. People want to work with like-minded individuals who uphold the same values as they do. I think it’s important to give before you ask, and always strive to build relationships with trust and respect. I believe this mentality sets me apart and has shaped me into the person I am today.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Earlier this year, in April 2022, I had the opportunity to meet and learn from an award-winning producer, Symbolyc One (S1), who has worked with various popular artists including Jay-Z, Beyonce, Kanye West, Eminem, Drake, and many more. After reading his book, “Pray. Focus. Plan. Execute: A Memoir by S1,” I came to discover he too was originally from Waco, TX, and even played saxophone in high school. It was inspiring to see someone with such a similar background achieve their goals, and encouraging to know it aligned with the path I am currently on. I was excited to take a class alongside a few other like-minded producers where we had the chance to learn and receive direct feedback from S1. In May 2022, I had the opportunity to fly out to Atlanta, GA and meet him in person. It’s moments like these that have motivated me to continue pushing forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/254eman
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/254eman
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/254eman
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/254eman
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/254eman
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/254eman
Image Credits
@wgantphotography
