Today we’d like to introduce you to Anupi Chandiramani.
Hi Anupi, please kick things off for us with an introduction of yourself and your story.
I started my journey as a DJ in high school at the age of 16. Mixing music from different parts of the world, finding similarities, and finding songs that mesh well together from completely different genres & cultures always fascinated me. My family is from India therefore Bollywood music was always in the picture and I loved it. I loved it even more when I started finding different genres of music to mix with some Bollywood songs, such as hip-hop and rap. I learned what a DJ exactly was after my family hired one for a party we were having, I loved the idea of making people have a good time, bringing people together through music and of course mixing & matching beats and songs. I started asking around about DJ-ing for any high school events that my high school was hosting. I also asked the DJ my family hired if he would be willing to teach me what he knew. I learned a lot about DJ-ing throughout High School, and after high school I went to Texas State and studied Business Management and Entrepreneurship, really wanting to combine my love for the art of DJ-ing and how I could turn it into a business. I went on and played in downtown Austin at some of the local bars for a couple of years on the weekends regularly, or college parties while still learning about the private events scene such as weddings, corporate gigs, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. I really started enjoying that once I was noticing how much I was really forced to mix different types of music, people want to listen to a little bit of everything and it was my job to make it sound good and make it memorable for them! Fast forward to now almost 10 years later I continue to DJ for many different events, many of them including intercultural weddings, corporate parties, galas, shows, and so much more. Now I am a full-time private events DJ focusing on all things sound and music for special events!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
No, haha choosing to be an artist and entrepreneur has never been a smooth road, especially when you come from a tough background. I come from a traditional Indian family of doctors, engineers and business owners who migrated here from India. Though we do have some business owners in the family none of them are females and no one is a DJ or owns an events company (lol). Some of the struggles that came with this process of choosing to take a different path than the rest of my family, was then also wanting to prove that I made the right choice not only to myself, but to my family as well. Being an entrepreneur also means being ok with a non-steady paycheck, figuring out how to make more, and the hardships that come with running a business. I always had 1 or 2 part-time jobs until I could fully trust being able to do business full-time, just two years ago. Social pressures of being a female DJ sometimes came with people’s preconceived notions of what a “typical” business owner looks like. Trial and error is crucial in a business, learning what works and what doesn’t are all a part of the growing pains of running a business.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Ananya Creations LLC (DJ Anupi)?
After learning how to DJ and solidifying that skill over the years I also learned so much about the wedding & private events industry. I learned that makeup is usually done early in the morning or late morning depending on the type of wedding it is. Really leaning in on the idea of making peoples special day the best it can be, I started practicing makeup on my friends for their events. I realized that I could start doing something like a wedding package, offer hair and makeup and stick around to DJ later. This ended up working perfectly! I started doing hair and makeup at weddings that I was already booked to DJ, this made it easier for the client to have one vendor for 2 things, client – business owner trust was built after getting to work with each couple so much, it helped me understand what kind of music they might like. I think this is what sets me apart, I offer more than one service and now am building a team of people to start helping me. I really enjoy going above and beyond to make sure my clients have an event they’ll remember for a lifetime!
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
First and foremost my parents, Anita and Nitin, for working as hard as they did to come here and then to be patient enough to watch the plan I have unfold. I know it’s not easy and they weren’t always for it but they came around! My little sister, Simran, who told me to keep going regardless of what mom & dad say (haha). Of course, my mentor, yes! The DJ I spoke about earlier whom my family hired and whom I asked if he would teach me the ropes, DJ Nish, a HUGE mentor, taught me so much about the industry. My friends have been here for me from day one, supporting the vision I had and even now helping me with my events when I need extra coverage.
Contact Info:
- Email: anupichandiramani@
gmail.com - Website: www.anupic.com
- Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/anupi.c/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/anupi. chandiramani
Image Credits
@daniiiiquiroz (green top with disks) @_kimon (purple looking club pics) @photo.jay (the rest)
