Today we’d like to introduce you to Ard Orpilla.
Hi Ard, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It was 2022 and I was at a friend’s post-covid wedding reception. At the time I knew next to nothing about DJ’ing, but I knew that to the basic public, it was one of those things that you only really noticed if it was bad or that something was just not right. Call me basic because what I noticed was definitely bad and not only not right but left us all wondering if being tone deaf was contagious. I believe in showing grace and understanding, but after talking with my newly-wed friends, those limits were tested. Not only did they hear complaints from their guests, the DJ also ruined their first dances and claimed that everyone had a good time and refused to give any partial refund. I hope to never reach the level of arrogance where the definition of “a good time” was that dance floor. I was inspired, and the next weekend I bought my first DJ controller, vowing that none of my friends would ever have to experience a bad DJ.
I grew up loving music. I played violin and guitar as a child. I’m pretty sure I developed tinnitus due to loud and excessive listening to punk rock and hip-hop for hours on end off of my iPod nano. Did those all of those lyrics directly resonate with me as a 2nd generation Filipino-American Missionary’s Kid growing up in the suburbs of Dallas, TX? Absolutely not, but I felt so connected to the music and the musicians because I felt like I was experiencing their experiences and feeling their emotions through their musical expression. And it drew me closer and closer to loving how music has that power to connect people through lived human experiences and emotions.
It really wasn’t until the beginnings of YouTube where I found Asian-Americans that were not like what the media had created — they were unashamedly themselves. There were rappers, comedians, and film makers that I would religiously watch and daydream wanting to be like them. And then it wasn’t just YouTube, but also America’s Best Dance Crew where Asian Americans dominated the competition for years. And just witnessing and consuming these media, it planted seeds and dreams of creating good things and not being afraid to share them with the world. I was also an extremely shy and awkward kid, but after YouTube and ABDC, I began learning how to dance, joined a dance crew, and started having crushes on girls. And one of these girls signed up for a film class in high school, and naturally, I also signed up for that film class.
She ended up dropping it after the very first week, but I stayed in that program for four years, because I discovered the power that films have. The ability to convey and express emotion through all the facets of a film’s production — screenplay, cinematography, editing, directing, acting — it drew me close to loving how storytelling & film have the power to connect people through lived human experiences and emotions. And it was around this time I discovered Dance Concept Videos and noticed how powerfully music and dance intersected to tell deep and provoking stories as a way to connect others, paired with intentional and good film production to capture the stories, I felt like I understood what I really wanted to pursue in my life.
However, as a good 2nd gen Asian American, I decided to honor my parent’s wishes to pursue physical therapy in college and to let go of my dreams. I wasn’t so sad about that, though. I got the opportunity to found and direct a dance team at my alma mater for the years I was there, falling deeper in love with connecting people together through any kind of avenue.
It was also in college that I made my faith my own. I grew up in the church, but really didn’t own it as my own. I went because my family went. I believed because my family believed. But at a mission’s conference, I felt the deepest sense of connection that I’ve ever had. I had desires that weren’t bad — I wanted to honor my parents, make good money, and be able to provide for and sustain my family. What I never wanted to admit was that I felt like me pursuing those desires were honestly not my truest and deepest desires, and that I was living a lie driving me to deep anxiety. But God knew before I could even process that, and I can only describe that as so supernaturally visceral, to experience being so seen and heard and known… it felt like freedom. And I felt called to do the same to others. To see and to hear and to know others as God does to me. And I truly believe that is the deepest form of connection.
So much so that I gave up my parents’s dream for me to do physical therapy and to pursue full-time ministry. I have been working as a Campus Staff Minister for the past 6 years at the University of Texas at Austin to love and to serve and to connect with students the same way I was loved, served, and connected with. Specifically, intentionally reaching Asian American, Latino, and Black students on campus. I have been blessed with opportunities to connect with so many people from different walks of life, including students, co-workers, and co-workers who become friends that invite me to their post-covid wedding with a comically bad DJ.
As a lover of connecting people, music is so important and such a powerful tool to use, and so now I’ve gone from being the dancer to being the one to create the moments and vibes to have others dance. To have people connect and have a good and intentional experience. I’ve really only seriously started pursuing DJ’ing in February of 2024 due to being severely underfunded in my ministry and I needed something that could help sustain me. And since then, I’ve grown a lot, and want to continue to grow. I’ve gotten opportunities that I would not have imagined possible. It’s re-ignited my passions and desires to create good things and to share them with the world while unashamedly being myself. To create moments and to also capture them. To tell stories and to connect with others.
It’s funny — throughout my life I’ve felt like I always had to give up dreams. But I feel like through all my circumstances, God knew me so deeply that I would only truly pursue them after all I’ve been through, and re-introduced my passions and desire to create, and this time I’m not going to give it up. I’m not just a minister or an amateur DJ/Videographer/Photographer/Editor. I am a dreamer. I am a creator. I am who I am becoming.
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?
Definitely not a smooth road. I’ve had cultural barriers as an eldest son, choosing to live away from family, have multiple pay and budget cuts, and depression and anxiety about what I was pursuing.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a DJ and Content Creator
As a DJ, I specialize in creating the vibe and atmosphere for whatever I DJ for. Events such as weddings and corporate parties/events or playing and setting vibes at venues like barbershops or local cultural gatherings, I’m really proud of myself for understanding how to curate and tailor the music to the crowd. I’m known for my creative transitions, clean mixes, and song selection.
As a Content Creator, I currently run my DJ page where I post mixes and moments captured from events that I DJ’d at. I’m mostly known on Instagram for my transitions and I like to believe my editing and videography has helped myself and my skills be known more. I am soon launching another page focusing more on storytelling through cinematic vlogs and photography.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I feel like the ability to listen and receive is most important to my success. I listen to and receive feedback very intentionally, whether it’s from clients or the audience or the comments and even what type of content gets more views than others and the types of audiences that each content attracts. I feel like the ability to do that intentionally while finding the intersection of that and who I am and who I want to be — that’s what drives me forward to succeed as a creator.
Pricing:
- Weddings: $1200-$2000
- Corporate Events: $200-$250 per hour
- Businesses/Venues: $100-$150 per hour
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/djard
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/djardorpilla
- Youtube: http://youtube.com/@djardorpilla
- Other: http://instagram.com/himynameisard
