From chemistry teacher to DJ sensation

In the span of 2 years, Earl Barron(DJ BandCamp) went from playing music for a few hundred at his fraternity house parties to a crowd of thousands.

 “It actually started as a hobby on a program called virtual DJ. I would mess around with it at Alpha house parties and then I got asked to do a club. At that time I didn’t even have a name yet,” he said.

The Youngstown-native and Ursuline High School graduate has traveled on an international music tour as the official DJ of rap artist Stalley of Maybach Music Group (MMG), performed in front of packed audiences as the officially DJ for the Indiana Pacers NBA basketball team and is the DJ on BET's hit TV show 106 & Park.

When recounting his achievements Barron stumbles in search of the correct words to adequately explain the emotions he felt playing for the NBA team, the Indiana Pacers for the first time.

“I remember when I first was in arena. It’s Indescribable. You got to pinch yourself to see if it’s really a dream,” he said.

Though nowadays Barron appears to be headed in the right direction professionally, initially, his career path didn't appear so promising. According to Barron, making the decision to leave his career teaching chemistry at Value Learning and Teaching Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio to pursue his music career full time was a bit of a challenged, but ultimately was the best decision he could’ve made.

“(Pursuing my career as a DJ full-time) was like one of the biggest decisions I had to make. I was in prayer a lot. Once you become a DJ your on your own. Budgeting was different and it was definitely a change.  I had a great support system. I had my parents who really supported me 100 percent and I feel like everything happened for a reason,” he said.

At the age of 24, Barron has reached professional heights that many of his peers can only dream of, yet he remains on a constant pursuit to challenge himself and hone in on his talent.

“It’s always room for growth. I am proud of the progress that I’ve made in such a short amount of time, but I’m not content. I just know that there’s a lot of room for growth to be bigger in the industry,” he said.

Although Barron may be modest when it comes to his accomplishments, there are others, who are amazed at how far he’s come in such a short amount of time. He laughs as he describes getting use to having fans who are avid listeners of his work.

“I don’t feel like I’m doing a lot and it’s surreal to be honest. I’m the same old Earl. It’s crazy because a lot of the time they (people) don’t expect me to be how I am. I’m a real down to earth dude and I’m very humble and grateful for it. It makes me want to work harder.

When Barron isn’t on the turntables mixing new beats, he’s busy breaking through glass ceilings and redefining what it means to not only be be an African-American DJ, but a role model. With a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, a certificate of study in chemistry and a minor in business from the University of Cincinnati, he hopes to paint a better picture for his former students and other young African-American boys, who look up to him.

“A lot of people don’t know that I’m educated because as a DJ and an entertainer people automatically assume you dropped out of school and are from the hood. I’m educated and I was a chemistry high school teacher up until 2012. When I was doing all of that (pursuing a career as a DJ) my high school kids were very involved in it and as high school students they want to be in the entertainment business, but never had it tangible in front of them. For them to see me as a black male doing something other than selling drugs and earning my way to the top, it really inspires them to be better,” he said.

For others who want to follow in his footsteps, he encourages his predecessors to invest in themselves, find their individuality and motivate themselves.

“A lot of it is self investment and as a DJ that means practicing and investing in your craft. You have to have a non-stop passion (because) you never know whose around. You have to be able to put those blinders on and know what you want to do in life and go for it by any means necessary,” he said.

For more information or to listen to DJ BandCamp’s music visit DJBandCamp.com.