Teen DJ Everett Anker dives into party music before high school!
Everett Anker has high hopes at the pool this summer, but, unlike his fellow teens, he hopes to make a splash on the side instead of in the water. The 14-year-old sees pool parties as a great way to propel his DJ business.
“When I find a new passion, I really take off with it, and DJing was definitely one of them,” says Anker, who is finishing eighth grade at Ridgeview Charter Middle School in Sandy Springs. “I think that when starting a business, it’s really just finding a passion of yours to take off.”
The son of Jonathan and Dara Anker and brother of Elias, who is 3 years older, Anker says DJing developed from his love of music. He taught himself to play the piano about five years ago then tried other instruments. He’s first-chair saxophone in the school orchestra.
About two years ago, he noticed the DJs at parties. “It was just cool how they would be influencing the vibe of the party,” Anker says, and he thought it would be “really cool if it was me.”
Famous DJs such as David Guetta, Martin Garrix and James Hype inspire him. “I really like their style and the transitions that they do and their music,” he says. Although he likes many genres, Anker prefers to play dance pop. But he matches the vibe of clients’ parties while mixing songs based on factors such as beats per minute, key and genre. “You have to read the crowd.”
Anker learned to DJ through YouTube. He started with phone apps, then bought some basic equipment, including a $300 mixer and speakers.
He doesn’t see DJing as a career— sports medicine is more likely— but as a fun way to earn cash through high school and college and perhaps as a side gig later.
His stage name, Vice Cube, is a tribute to his father’s hometown, Miami. He loves the city where he regularly visits his grandparents, and is a fan of the Dolphins and Heat. His bar mitzvah at Temple Sinai featured a “Miami Vice”- inspired tropical color scheme.
“I knew I wanted to incorporate that some way into my name,” he says. Besides, Vice Cube “kind of sounded cool.”
Since drifting from hobby to business last year, Anker has focused on promotion and exposure, prioritizing opportunities to show and sharpen his skills over profits. One early, free gig was Hannah’s Bake Sale, an annual Cerebral Palsy Foundation fundraiser held by the Alexander family, who are close friends to the Ankers. He has a couple of graduation parties lined up and hopes to entertain at pool parties this summer, although he will spend most of July at Camp Barney Medintz in North Georgia.
He recognizes that an inexperienced 14-year-old DJ dependent on his parents for transportation is a tough sell. He emphasizes a diverse taste in music that helps him accommodate any requests and the knowledge of what’s hot among teens from being one of them.
Plus, “I’m pretty affordable compared to some of the higherend DJs because I really know my place in the industry,” Anker says. “People won’t pay me as much as they will for obviously an older and more experienced DJ.”
