Article by Millie Gamarra, Staff
Isabella Berrios is a second-year student at Tallahassee Community College. She found herself in the music production world by surprise. Now she is known as DJ Izzy B.
Before moving to Tallahassee Berrios worked tightly with Girls Make Beats, a nonprofit based in Miami.
“(A few of) The girls’ stage names were DJ Kit Kat or M&M. GMB’s goal was to create a safer environment for girls to express themselves,” she said.
Berrios highlights how rare it is to find women in music production. She said women are likely to find themselves in uncomfortable situations. She said they are not taken seriously in the industry.
“I want to be able to bring the female presence. People say I DJ because I want to be one of the few female DJs. It is very competitive. Women work better as a unit,” she said.
When moving to Tallahassee Izzy B had to establish her own presence. She said it is a humbling experience.
“You have to do your homework. You got to go out and listen to other DJs and how the crowd reacts.”
Berrios believes her versatility and openness aided her in morphing into a chameleon DJ. She said her broad music taste allows her to accomplish her main goal of connecting with people.
“I want to be the girl you can call for all types of events regardless of who is there. Being a DJ is about creating the atmosphere for people to have a good time,” she said.
Berrios said the music is not about her.
I used to stress out about finding my personal sound. What I’ve learned is that my sound is the people’s sound. It’s not for me.”
Featured Photo courtesy of Isabella Berrios.
