People express their love for music in different ways. Some join school bands, others play recreationally. Jacob Bloom (‘20), however, shares his passion through DJing. He began DJing and making video montages when he was ten years old in 2013.

“I wanted a way to make money and be able to make something of my own for other people. I always enjoyed being creative and working with technology from a very young age,” said Bloom.

He never expected a flourishing career out of it, though. For Bloom, DJing brings so much joy. He is given the opportunity to interact with people from different backgrounds every weekend while creating fun and memorable experiences for families. He has had the opportunity to DJ in Philadelphia, Central Pennsylvania, North Jersey and the Jersey Shore, which gave him new experiences. Typically before an event, Bloom meets with his boss at Rock It Entertainment, Andrew Bor, to get to know a little more about the event. He finds out who he is DJing for, the purpose of the event, the cultural backgrounds of the family, the preferred genre of music and the overall details of their event.

“For school dances, I like to download any new songs in the Top 40 and have that ready to go. It is important to realize that DJing [is not] just playing music. It is mixing and creating exciting music, watching the crowd for what they like and dislike,” he said.

The events he has been asked to DJ at have ranged from Bar and Bat Mitzvahs
to weddings. He finds it exhilarating to learn about the different milestones that he gets to be a part of. Bloom enjoys feeding off of the energy in the crowds at these events. He learns and arranges the music to fit the occasion.

“In general, I spend time making different categories of music. I have ‘80s,‘90s/2000s, 2020, Disco, EDM, Latin, Motown [and other] folders. “These are especially helpful when, for example, the bride’s side of the family is from Colombia, because that tells me that I should focus and work on some Latin mixes,” Bloom said. “I also like to try to put any songs that the clients requested in their folder for easy access.”

In addition to DJing, Bloom also creates video montages of the events he covers for his company, Jacob Bloom Montages. For these, he is inspired by the reactions of the families while watching.

Additionally, the video montage is shareable and allows Bloom to grow his business when satisfied customers show their friends and family.

“I think it is a unique and exciting platform to be able to cultivate everything I love into making others feel happy and joyful. Not to mention, people would probably pay a lot of money to book something like that,” he said while talking about his desire to one day both play the saxophone and DJ at the same event.

The best way for Bloom to get booked is through Rock It Entertainment, which does band and DJ combos for entertainment. Overall, Bloom’s DJing has served as a stepping stone for his career, as he plans to continue to DJ and create his video montages after high school and beyond.