Friday night is party night, and this Friday is Ladies Night at Club 156. CU Boulder’s own Aviva plans to kick off the night with her tunes along with DJs Vader, AyeYo and Tim John iLL.
With only about a year of DJing under her belt,19-year-old Aviva Sonenreich is already playing gigs many DJs would love to have. Sonenreich has opened for acts at the Fox, Club 156 and The Church. This is Sonenreich’s first headlining gig.
“I’m really excited,” Sonenreich said. “I’m used to standing out, and this is another step to achieving my goal.”
Her beats are similar to the high energy, electro-house dance music of Savoy, J Flash and Avicii. After hours of hard work on her own music, Sonenreich said she is planning to throw her first song into her set.
“My own productions are a funky twist on electro-house music and I’m curious to see people’s reactions to my work,” Sonenreich said.
When she’s not attending shows and being a student, Sonenreich is creating her own music. Christopher Meeds, Aviva’s manager, said she is dedicated to her work.
“While most girls are going to the shows and pre-gaming, she is at her computer constantly, figuring out ways to make her sets, songs and show even better,” Meeds said.
Though Sonenreich is moving up in the industry, she said being a female DJ does have it’s challenges.
“I love being a female in this industry,” Sonenreich said. “People do a double take when they see me at shows. They see I’m a girl, doubt my abilities, and then love what I play.”
For many people, it takes years to figure out what they want to do with their lives. For Sonenreich, a simple realization made her path clear.
“I’ve always been big on live music,” Sonenreich said. “One day I realized, there’s nothing separating me from the people I was watching, and anyone can learn how to do something they’re passionate about.”
This semester Sonenreich discovered the joys of making her own music. In that she has found even more passion for creating music productions and has decided to withdraw from the business school. Instead, she is going to pursue a music production degree at CU Denver next semester.
“I don’t see myself doing anything else,” Sonenreich said. “My future is here [in music]; it’s what I want to do.”
Listen to DJ Aviva’s sounds here.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Crystal Anderson at Crystal.anderson@colorado.edu.