From DJing Undie Runs at UCLA to making headway in the scenes of club DJing, Iverson Mitchell has plenty of experience in the art of rocking the house.

The alumnus said he was determined to pursue his passion and become a professional DJ after graduating from UCLA in 2023. After switching from pursuing aerospace engineering, Mitchell said he hoped to remain engaged in the music community. He said his DJ sets reflect his conviction to uplift and engage his audience.

“I like more uplifting genres and music because music creates an energy,” Mitchell said.

As a child, Mitchell said his passion for music was enthusiastic, and his mother used to tell him stories about how he always danced as a baby. Whether it was dancehall, reggae or jazz, Mitchell said he would always move with the rhythm. Growing up, Mitchell said he sought out extracurricular activities to stimulate his musical interests and dabbled in multiple instruments throughout his childhood. He added that his passion for music was solidified in third grade when he joined a step team and learned that anything, even one’s own body, can be an instrument.

Although the threads of Mitchell’s love for music had been present throughout his childhood, he said it was not until his time at UCLA that he considered pursuing DJing. During the Freshman Summer Program, Mitchell said his roommate first showed him the basics of mixing tracks on his DJ controller, and within 15 minutes, it was evident that Mitchell was proficient in the craft. From then on, Mitchell said he gained experience by DJing parties and events at UCLA for groups such as the student organization Afro-Latinx Connection de UCLA and the fraternity Delta Sigma Phi – even playing his music at the quarterly Undie Run.

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Mitchell said his passion for music has also led him to believe in the power of song lyrics and messaging. As a DJ, Mitchell avoids songs with violent and vulgar subject matter. Mitchell added that he chooses to listen primarily to positive music in his personal playlists. As a result, Mitchell’s genre rotation consists mostly of the eclectic and upbeat genres of Afro house, Jersey club, Brazilian funk, and a South African genre of electronic music known as gqom, which he said can stimulate crowd engagement and positivity.

“I try to always play music that no one has heard. … That’s what the purpose of (a) DJ is for – to play music that people haven’t heard,” Mitchell said. “Music is supposed to help you find a different energy, and … then you see other people vibing around you, and that’s what creates the communities – putting yourself in uncomfortable or risky situations and coming out with a positive outcome.”

Mitchell said navigating competition and feelings of impostor syndrome in the music industry can be challenging. Some DJs measure their musical prowess by their social media following, Mitchell said. Industry juggernauts such as Steve Aoki and Mustard are among his artistic inspirations, Mitchell added. Mustard’s song “Another Summer” was especially resonant, Mitchell said, since he also grew up in South Los Angeles and related to Mustard’s aspirations for more.

Beyond the connection he feels to other DJs, Mitchell said music offered him a sense of community with audiences as well. Mitchell said the ability to read the audience and match their genre taste to his setlist is a crucial aspect of his work as a DJ. Mitchell said it can be difficult to find a middle ground when DJing to a crowd of varied tastes, but while it is important to know that not everyone will be pleased, pleasing a majority of the audience is always the goal. Mitchell said the act of creating community through music inspires him.

“It brings a sense of clarity, a sense of community, of what we’re all struggling with as a people,” Mitchell said. “At the end of the day, music is what brings people together.”

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Justin “Muzack” Flores is a talent buyer and said he has booked Mitchell for multiple live music events. Flores said Mitchell navigated the space with professionalism and that his understanding of music theory is what helps him stand out among other DJs.

“His sense of music and when to transition into songs and transition out, … it was very impressive,” Flores said. “There are a lot of DJs that are able to DJ, and they don’t understand music theory. You can still see and hear that they’re letting the song bleed over into the next verse, or it’s bleeding over into the chorus – it’s not perfect. Those are nuances that most crowds don’t catch, but musicians and DJs do.”

Mitchell’s former supervisor, Juliane Nguyen, said Mitchell is positive and passionate, and she remembered how emphatic he was when speaking about his desire to become a professional DJ. Nguyen added that a lot of people within the community knew Mitchell as a musician and a DJ.

Overall, Mitchell said music is still guiding him through life today. He said he is enthusiastic about contributing to DJing and hopes to continue to grow his connections within the worldwide community of DJs, with aspirations of DJing in Ibiza, Amsterdam or Brazil. Mitchell added that branching out into music production would elevate his craft. Altogether, Mitchell said he believes the enthusiasm and dedication he has for DJing will take him far.

“The passion just moves you to do the unthinkable and what you think is the impossible, and it creates a community,” Mitchell said.