Meet Benjamin Cabral of DJBenzMcRae in Smyrna

Today we’d like to introduce you to Benjamin Cabral.

Benjamin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Music is my passion. Music transcends. It brings people together. People with different backgrounds and experiences. It helps people work through situations. It gets people through troubling times. Those are some of the reasons why I love music so much.

My mom often tells the story of how I entered the world. She was determined to “get me out” because she’d had enough of pregnancy. She stood in the living room, put on her favorite track and began dancing. She felt something. A push here and a poke there, a trip to the hospital and I was here. She’s sure that it’s because I followed the sound of music into the world.

I started to play piano when I was just three years old. Set in the back of the room was a drum kit. At the end of each lesson, I would constantly look back at the drums. One day I asked to play, and my teacher instantly recommended I give them a try. Ever since then, I have been fascinated with percussion instruments. After a few more piano lessons, my teacher pulled my mother aside and told her that she should switch me to the drum and the rest is history! I am now the first chair percussionist in the Griffin Middle School band. I was also fascinated with the trumpet and got one this past Christmas after begging my parents! I started teaching myself to play with YouTube videos. For my birthday my mother bought me turntables. That was in January 2019. After 12 weeks of lessons, I had my first gig at Russel Elementary School for their Spring Picnic, and it was paid job! The Principal was so impressed, she asked if she could forward my card to all school administrators in Cobb County so they could hire me, too. Since then, I have played gigs across Atlanta: Macy’s Lenox Square “Back to School” events multiple times, Field Day Events at schools across Cobb County, The main stage DJ of the Atlanta ice cream festival at Piedmont Park, a Watch Party for the cast of Creepshow and, just recently, an album release party. I run the business with a formula for saving, reinvesting and “fun money.” I manage the relationships with my clients, and it doesn’t even feel like work. If someone had told me a year ago that I would be doing this, I would not have believed it. It’s an example of what we can accomplish when we combine passion with energy and effort.

Has it been a smooth road?
Being a DJ is not always a smooth road. One challenge to take on when becoming a DJ is learning about different genres of music. A DJ’s job is to keep the crowd entertained and keep the audience energetic. That is why you need to know all types of music so you are able to please your crowd. It is not necessarily a struggle but an obstacle. One other obstacle you have to take on as a DJ is to learn how to take action when there isn’t anyone else around to help. Every gig that I have mixed for hasn’t been organized. That’s when I had to step up and be the leader in the situation, guiding myself through what had to be done to get myself ready to DJ for the gig.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I personally run my own professional teen turntablist business, providing disc jockey services across Atlanta. This includes managing client relationships, performances, and finances. I specialize in many different things. I am an open format DJ which means I am open to all genres of music and all groups of ages. The thing that I am most proud and passionate about in my company is the endless list of things that being a disc jockey has taught me. I have learned how to create relationships with clients, save money, invest, and most of all, manage my time wisely. Even though there are other young DJ’s everywhere, the thing that sets me apart from the rest is my ability to connect with the crowd. This ability allows me to keep the crowd hype during a gig, contributing to each person in the audience with different genres and styles of music.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Atlanta is continuously growing and expanding in the entertainment business, creating opportunities for its citizens and visitors. People of all ages are flocking and migrating to Atlanta for job opportunities in the business field. For this reason, I feel that Atlanta is an excellent place for a business like mine. Music is apart of culture, which means someone will always be in need of a disc jockey service around the city. I would recommend someone to start a business in Atlanta. Atlanta is a diverse city with people of all races in cultures, which means there are plenty of business opportunities that can cater to all people.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/djbenzmcrae?igshid=140rsgom72fbj

Image Credit:
Atlanta Ice Cream Festival photo taken by Leek Street Photos.

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