Welcome to this week's Indie Artist Music Hustle with Blonde Intelligence. I am your host Ms. Roni and I always seek to give you exquisite cranial repertoire. Growing up as a drummer in Houston's diverse music scene, John Lacey's path to becoming an innovative producer and MPC DJ reflects the evolution many musicians must navigate in today's digital landscape.

From his early resistance to technology ("I don't like things crashing on me, I like just hitting just drums") to his current mastery of the MPC, John shares candid insights about the different skillsets required for acoustic versus digital music-making. "It takes more natural skill to play a drum set, but it's a different kind of skill," he explains, noting how traditional drumming depends on muscle memory while the MPC functions as "its own little brain" with infinite creative possibilities.

What truly sets John apart is his revolutionary approach to DJing. Rather than using conventional turntables or controllers, he maps MPC buttons to control DJ software while performing live drum patterns on a second MPC simultaneously. "I'm just a performer," he says, describing how this dual-device setup creates "a performance within a performance" that audiences rarely experience from typical DJs. This innovative technique has helped him carve out a lucrative niche performing at weddings and events.

Perhaps most refreshing is John's honesty about how fatherhood transformed his relationship with music. "Family is completely and utterly first for me," he emphasizes, candidly sharing that while many claim to create purely for artistic expression, his primary motivation is providing for his young sons. This perspective grounds his involvement with the Houston Bass Runners and National Beat Battle Association, where he showcases his finger drumming talents in online competitions. Check out his performances on YouTube to witness firsthand what happens when traditional percussion training meets digital innovation in the hands of a family man with serious skills.

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