Episode 21: When Life’s Record Gets Scratched: How to Keep Dancing with DJ Amani Roberts
“DJs are kind of essential workers. Music is helping people get through this quarantine in so many ways that have not been talked about.” - Amani Roberts, The Amani Experience.
Hey Failed it! Fam. Has music helped you get through these tough times? Whether your answer is yes or no, this weeks’ episode will show you how music can help get you out of any funk (and it’s cheaper than therapy)! Host Erin Diehl chats with Amani Roberts, DJ and founder and CEO of The Amani Experience, which specializes in providing music for corporate/social events and team-building experiences, creating original music for commercials or videos, and teaching students of all ages how to DJ. Amani’s career is very unique and his failures and life lessons are sure to inspire you both creatively and professionally. So put on those headphones, and get ready to take a lyrical journey that will show you how to dance through the “record scratches” thrown your way.
Links from show discussions:
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About Amani: Amani Roberts is a Washington DC born and bred creative, graduate of Howard University, who has been a DJ since 2008. Amani’s hospitality career has spanned over 25-years holding jobs such as Hotel General Manager, Director of Sales & Marketing and Regional Director of Sales & Marketing with Marriott International. Amani currently lives in Los Angeles, California and is the Chief Musical Curator for his company, The Amani Experience. This company specializes in providing music for corporate events, social events, team-building experiences, creating original music for commercials or videos, and teaching students of all ages how to DJ.
Amani has produced remixes of artists such as Niia, Kehlani, Ellie Goulding, Camila Cabello, Little Big Town, Alessia Cara, and Hoodboi for his music collective known as A Starter Jacket. DJ AmRo hosts a weekly podcast called “The Amani Experience Podcast” where he interviews creative professionals from all over the world about why they took the leap from corporate life to the creative life.
Amani is an adjunct professor at Cal State University - Fullerton (CSUF), teaching Entertainment Money Management in the Mihaylo School of Business & Economics as well as the Co-Director for the Center for Entertainment & Hospitality Management. He has been active on the board of Meeting Professionals International - Southern California for over five years and is currently the Vice President of Education for the chapter.
Amani’s first book, “DJs Mean Business: One Night Behind The Turntables Can Spin Your Company’s Success” was released in April of 2020. Twitter | Instagram | Facebook - @amaniexperience
Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the failed it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award.
This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre.
When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running by the lake and patio dinners with her husband and son, and their eight pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl.
You can follow the failed it! Podcast on Instagram and facebook, and you can follow Erin here on Instagram. We can’t wait to connect with you online!