Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Alamat.
Hi Jordan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hello, hello! Things got started in 2012 – that’s when I DJed my first wedding. I’d never considered DJing, but in hindsight, it was the natural fit. I’d been the playlist/CD maker for my group of friends and, at the time, was making beats for local artists, so music was always something I cared about, pursued, and studied. I attended college at Bethel University, and everyone there’s getting engaged at like 19 years old, so once word got out that I was DJing weddings, my schedule booked up fast.
As all that was happening, I was pursuing a radio career at 101.3 KDWB, where I was an Intern and eventually Assistant Producer of the Dave Ryan in the Morning Show. I don’t like acknowledging this cuz it feels gross and show-offy, but it is one of the biggest morning shows in the state and the nation, so my presence on the show (paired with the mentorship of Dave Ryan, Falen Gotlier, and Steve LaTart), raised my profile in the local media scene.
I took what I learned from KDWB and took it over to Go 95.3 and Go 96.3, two small, start up radio stations in town that focused on my two favorite genres – hip hop and alternative. I was very impressed with their digital brand work and their personality-first approach to radio, something that’s been lost to the medium since before I was born. Under the wings of Miles Anzaldo (now at the World Famous KROQ) and Christy Taylor (now at 107.7 the End, in Seattle), They taught me how to schedule a station’s playlist, and since we were small and independently-owned, I was able to schedule a playlist of music that was much broader and, frankly, more interesting, than our competitors. Their insights and mentorship made me a better DJ, and as the radio stations grew, so did my DJing career. I DJed at many of our Go Shows and had the chance to open up for Run the Jewels, Bleachers, AWOLNation, and more. For my five years at Go, three of them were spent on the air seven days a week in some capacity, whether it was on the hip hop channel or alternative channel, which is not a sentence a lot of folks get to say, and I’m very grateful for Christy and Miles, as well as the legendary Mr. Peter Parker for allowing me the chance to grace the airwaves we worked so hard to make as dope as possible.
As incredibly awesome as this was, working at a local radio station start up is not the financial windfall folks make it out to be (lol). Money was a smidge tight, so I had to continue to water and grow my DJ business in order to do things I wanted to do (i.e. buy a house, maintain a vehicle, invest, take my girlfriend on a vacation so I could propose to her, eat more than ramen, etc). A “by the books” person would’ve tried to run commercials on their own radio station, but I didn’t want to spend the money, so I would work in wedding DJ stories into my show, so it was both free advertising for myself, but also interesting content on the air, a win/win for all parties involved.
I started to have my doubts about the longevity of my time at the radio station in summer 2018 after a traumatic brain injury, but stayed in order to see out my time with my Program Director, Christy Taylor. We made a great team – I found her leadership to be inspiring and we worked well together, and when we put our minds together we did some very, very dope things and I’m very proud of the work we did together. Unfortunately, the pandemic stopped us in our tracks and we were sold and laid off in December 2020. Thankfully, my little DJ strategy worked and I had gigs booked for two years in advance, so being laid off turned out to be a blessing, as the burden of “trying to save a radio station” was lifted off of me, and I was able to focus fully on myself and my business, which led to another growth spurt for my DJ career – I had the time and mental capacity to practice DJing, so I got much better at the craft, and all the weddings that had been delayed to COVID started to find out that I DJed weddings, so the calendar was filling up quick (www.jordan-alamat.com/wedding-dj book today baybeee).
When I’m not DJing, I’m working a phenomenal day job at Fallon, a storied and legendary ad agency here in Minneapolis, or watching various TV shows with my wife, dog, and cat. Or I’m tweeting about the Timberwolves.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I mean, it’s all relative right? I struggled being the youngest person at a radio station while being in a leadership position – it’s different than what I experienced in college, when nearly everyone is the same age as you. I also didn’t know how to advocate for myself, so there were times where I felt as though my ideas or time weren’t as valued because of my age, and I didn’t push back and share my perspective. Had I known how to do that, I firmly believe my radio stations would still be around, but it’s probably the biggest lesson I’ve had to learn in my adult life.
Also, interacting socially was a bit of a struggle. I worked nights at Go, and there was a period of time where my hours were 5 – 12. I was lucky to interact with a couple people per week, and I was living at my dad’s house at the time, but he spent a lot of time out of town, so I was generally alone, up until I adopted my cat, Ford. I didn’t get to see my friends much either since I’d be DJing on weekends, and I missed a few family vacations and moments I wish I hadn’t. Nowadays, I do my best to check in on my folks, see my friends FaceTime my family, go to lunch with my grandparents, and be present with my wife in ways I fell short of while establishing my professional career.
Long story short – work hard, but don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself as a young professional. Also, there’s nothing noble in not taking your PTO. Take every last drop of it. Go see your family and friends. As Dave Ryan says, the best inspiration comes from life, so go and do something (I butchered that quote, Dave. I’m sorry. I got the sentiment right tho!).
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in weddings where the couples actually want a real DJ. Far too many DJs just throw on a playlist of “Twist and Shout” into the Cha Cha slide and it’s generic, boring, and unreflective of the couple. My ideology when it comes to wedding DJing is that the couple’s taste should be reflected in the night’s playlist, and I have the DJ skills, both on the turntables and in preparation, to bring that to life. I’ve had countless vendors over my 10 years of djing come up to me and say “wow, thank you for actually playing different music and mixing, I haven’t heard that in forever,” which is weird because DJing the biggest night of someone’s wedding without having the confidence in your craft to do it right is WILD to me.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My best friend Joey Damerow was also my neighbor, so my favorite memories come from all the hours we spent playing pick up baseball together at local parks. We had a group of twelve kids that were always ready to play. Baseball can also be a very social sport, so being able to have conversations with those guys while playing, and then going to a bonfire afterwords, were my favorite nights.
Pricing:
- Basic Package – $1600 (Ceremony + Reception Coverage)
- Tier 2 – $2500 (Basic + Giant Light Rig)
- Tier 3 – $3500 (Tier 2 + Giant Speakers)
Contact Info:
- Email: jordan.alamat@gmail.com
- Website: jordan-alamat.com/wedding-dj
- Instagram: @tornadojally
- Facebook: Facebook.com/tornadojally
- Twitter: twitter.com/tornadojally
Image Credits
@KCOFilms
@MyaPhotography
