There Was a "Mixerman" In The House

A few months ago I helped chaperone a 14-year-old's birthday party. When I arrived at the party, I could hear the music pulsating through the house and then various sound checks going on. I was totally surprised to find a student deejay and an entire sound mixing station in the basement.

This was a party with a capital P. The music was incredible. Kids were actually dancing and not just sitting around in groups texting one another. During the few times I was “welcome” to check on the kids, I grabbed the business card of the deejay, Stevenson freshman Ross “Mixerman” Bessinger.

This kid has quite a gig going. He explained, “It was back when I was in third or fourth grade that I really got interested in the whole mixing music aspect of being a deejay. I started by deejaying my sister's birthday parties for a few years. I also started listening to other deejays from around the city.”

He was lucky enough to deejay at Stevenson’s Homecoming this past year and even better was that he got to deejay and emcee at Stevenson’s Project Dance this March. Ross says he’s always had a love for music. He’s played the piano since he was just four years old and also is a serious drum player.

His mom, Wendy Bessinger, is in total support of his hobby. She said he's had rhythm for as long as she can remember. In third grade, he got his first single turntable to begin mixing. He now has sophisticated, high-end equipment that he taught himself how to use on his own.

Wendy said, “Ross is always surrounded by beats, sounds and mixes. I think deejaying fits his personality. He is an average teenage kid, except when he gets behind his turntables. Then the mixing/deejaying takes over and he acts older than he is. Ross is a high-energy, professional, businessperson who sees his deejaying as a hobby, rather than work.

As for his future, Ross shares, “This is something I wish to continue with through out my life and hopefully become ‘big’ with my company, Rumble Entertainment, or become a well known Club DJ.

As always, email me with any news, topics or ideas that you want to read about. Remember, I’d like to be the first to know! I can be reached at laurenbgpatch@aol.com.