What’s In Your … DJ Kit
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May Selby
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May Selby
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May Selby
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DJ Mayfly
Anna Stonehouse/The Aspen Times
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DJ Mayfly
Anna Stonehouse/The Aspen Times
If you’ve ever been to a Chair 9 opening party or Bonnie’s Bash on Aspen Mountain or really any happening après party around town, chances are you’ve danced to the beats of DJ Mayfly.
While she seems a natural at the helm of a party, orchestrating a good time behind the booth, how did DJ Mayfly, aka May Selby, become the well-loved DJ she is today and what does she have in her arsenal to make sure the party never stops?
“Back in 2009, a friend gifted me lessons from DJ Dylan and then my husband added a few more with DJ Naka G,” Selby said about how she got her start spinning records.
“After several sessions, Dylan suggested I play in public and ‘not just be a bedroom DJ’ since an essential part of the learning process is by playing to an audience. I played a few house parties, then joined him at the Sky (a former hotel and popular après-ski spot in Aspen, soon to be the new W Aspen hotel) for happy hour/après gigs then started playing pretty regularly at clubs and around town.”
And as far as how she got her musical pseudonym? “My husband came up with DJ Mayfly as a play on my name,” she said.
For a DJ, just as important as the name and ear for sound is the gear.
“Another set of insights from Dylan was to be able to set up/take down all of my equipment so I could load in/load out on my own if need be, always have back-up equipment and be capable of troubleshooting since issues can easily arise,” Selby said. “I’ve continued amassing equipment over time (and) my DJ kit contains a few essentials …”
In her DJ Backpack made by Mono, you can find:
Apple laptop
Collapsible laptop stand
Two microphones, one cordless and one wired
Pioneer Headphones: According to Selby, it’s important to “never skimp on quality when it comes to your hearing.”
Cables galore: RCA, XLR, USB
Duct tape: “Ideal for multiple uses including taping down cords,” she said.
Business card holder: always ready to get booked for a next gig
Table linen
Control records: “If I have my turntable, I need this to play mp3s through my deck.”
Additional gear that DJ Mayfly’s set-up includes:
Pioneer DDJ S1 controller
Collapsible table and stand
Two QSC K12 speakers and stands
QSC Subwoofer and stand
Portable LED lights
Stanton Direct Drive Turntable
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