Today we’d like to introduce you to Cameron Rogers.
Hi Cameron, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born in Amarillo, Texas and have three older sisters. My Dad was a guitarist and lead singer in country bands. He shared the stage with artists like Willie Nelson, Bob Wills, Charley Pride, Hank Thompson, and Ray Price. I grew up going to see him play all the time. He never pressured me to become a musician. He did buy me a snare drum and a bass and bass amp at one point. But it didn’t stick. I was more interested in playing golf at the time. That’s what my friends and I loved. I played on the golf team all the way through high school. I went to college at Texas Tech and my love of music was truly ignited when my best friend, Chris Howard and I picked up instruments and started jamming. I played drums and Chris played bass. We basically wanted to be the Beastie Boys. We became obsessed and after a weekend trip to Austin, we quickly realized that Austin was where we should be if we wanted to do music seriously. We moved to Austin on July 1st, 1995. We put a band together and called ourselves Big Breakfast. We were a mostly instrumental band that played funky, jazzy, hip hop kind of stuff. After cutting our teeth at bars up and down 6th Street, like The Mercury and Empanada Parlor, we linked up with an old high school buddy, Will Rhodes, and started another band called SpaceTruck. We were fortunate to play the first two Austin City Limits Music Festivals in 2002 & 2003. Fun fact: we were the first band on the first day of the first ACL Fest. SpaceTruck put out a couple albums, opened up for some big bands and went on several tours until the wheels came off around 2006. Towards the end of those band days, I started collecting vinyl. I bought a couple turntables and a mixer and taught myself how to DJ. It was mostly just for fun. Although I did throw some parties and would open up for other bands occasionally. Being a drummer, DJing just felt like a natural fit. In 2007, I decided to go back to school to learn sound engineering and the business of music. I thought I wanted to do sound engineering for sports, specifically golf. I attended MediaTech Institute which was located at Arlyn Studios at the time. Before graduating, the school asked me to become the admissions representative, so I jumped at the opportunity to go to work everyday in a world class studio surrounded by students and teachers who were all as passionate about music as I was. Then in 2012, I got a DJ residency at the W Hotel. That really sparked something in me. I made myself a business card and a one-sheet and started hustling as many DJ gigs around town as I could. One of my big ideas was something I called Austin Centric. It was a set where I played only Austin artists and paired the music with a slideshow of visuals that were all Austin related. I got hired by Dell and several Austin-based companies to do that regularly and it really set me apart. From there I was able to expand and refine my style over the years. I still love to put local artists in the mix. We have so many incredible musicians, bands and DJ’s in this city and it’s really fulfilling to be part of this vibrant music scene.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Before the pandemic I played around 180 gigs per year. Since then, business has been hard to predict, especially with the ever-shifting economy. But I have amazing repeat clients that keep me busy. Being a professional DJ means you work mostly nights and weekends so it does make it tough on relationships because that’s when all your friends want to make plans. Working for yourself means the hustle never stops. You can be crushing it right now, but you have to always be focused on what your schedule looks like 2-4 months out. Entrepreneurs have to wear all the hats: marketing, advertising, social media, scheduling, booking, accounting, finding new clients, reconnecting with old clients, and then of course, searching for new music, building crates for every possible scenario, keeping your gear clean and healthy and staying up on the new technology. And then there’s the gear hauling. Load in, set up, break down, and load out can sometimes take more time than the actual fun part which is playing the music and connecting with the people in front of you. In many instances, you also become the de facto sound engineer or A/V troubleshooter for the venues. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes, but I love music so much and all these “troubles” are nothing compared to the joy I get from doing this job. I am very lucky and grateful.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a DJ. I’ve been spinning good music in Austin for 25 years, professionally for 13. I was honored to be nominated twice for Best DJ in the 2019 and 2024 Austin Music Awards. I’m an open format DJ and a Selector, which is someone who blends all genres and is more focused on the overall vibe and the specific songs chosen rather than the tricks of turntablism. Being a musician first, I come at this art form in a unique way. People often comment on the musicality of my sets. On top of blending the tracks in tempo and in key, I am very intentional with the songs I choose. Lyrically, they are always going to be meaningful within the context of the event. Late night in a cozy dark club is a completely different vibe than daytime by the pool. A college bar filled with twenty somethings calls for a different set than a corporate event for professionals. Festivals, breweries, award shows, museums, house parties, milestone celebrations…I love doing them all and I know how to navigate all sorts of situations. Wherever people gather, good music is key. On top of DJing, I’ve also been fortunate to be hired by several restaurants to help with their sonic branding and identity. I pride myself on adapting to each venue specifically and pleasing all different types of audiences. My style blends the classic and the current. I spin lots of old soul, funk, rock, reggae and latin music, often putting a little twist on it to make it more modern and then blend it with songs that are popular right now, be it pop, EDM, hip-hop or house. I play lots of remixes, edits and mashups and I especially like the ones that keep the integrity of the original songs but bring a creative fresh perspective at the same time. I love all kinds of music and have been so fortunate to build a career using it to elevate people’s experience.
Any big plans?
I have a dream to write a book some day about music and the unique power of the DJ.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mixerrogers.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mixerrogers
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mixerrogers
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mixer-rogers-austin-2
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mixerrogers
Image Credits
primary image by Mollie Burpo
first 2 in “additional” by Nicola Gell
the rest are selfies and ones taken by my wife
