For Kara Ford (M’12) — or, as she’s more commonly known, DJ Kara — music is the heartbeat of her life. Although she majored in management at Purdue, Ford’s lifelong creative passion led her to Los Angeles, California where she found her calling as a DJ. “Sharing music is something I’ve done naturally ever since I was young,” she says. When she wasn’t compiling playlists, she was producing rhythmic beats (the instrumental foundations of a song) that she would sell to musical artists. “It’s always been my thing — it was something that I loved and wanted to pursue, but I didn’t know if I was good enough.”
“Sharing music is something I’ve done naturally ever since I was young.”
—Kara Ford
It turns out Ford was good enough, and a keen ear for beatmatching (synchronizing smooth transitions between songs), uncanny ability to read a room, and her own catalog of bespoke beats keep her in demand as a DJ in a competitive city like LA. “I’m extremely fulfilled when I get a positive reaction from a crowd,” she says. “Being able to share my favorite songs and help create a special occasion is pretty amazing.” Her eclectic, urban style — she’ll mix classic 1960s and ’70s tracks, inveterate favorites by Michael Jackson and Lauryn Hill, and current hip-hop and house hits — authenticity, and ease as an emcee resonate with clients booking diverse events. Ford might go straight from a late-night club gig to an early morning fitness class to a corporate affair. “I love that it is unpredictable and different every day.”
When Ford moved to California, intent on breaking into the music industry, she completed several internships while searching for a position that would align with her skills. By chance, she discovered a company that was hiring DJs — no experience required. The company provided DJ and emcee training but didn’t focus as much on Ford’s area of expertise: music production. “I felt like this was a real opportunity for me to draw on my musical abilities,” she says. “I fell in love with it and knew it was what I wanted to do. I just decided to go hard and learn as much as I possibly could.”
A female in a predominately male field, Ford stands out as a unique talent; the vibrancy she brings to her sets and reputation for keeping a dance floor packed make her highly sought after. Ford’s future plans include launching her own company and collaborating with other DJs; she especially hopes to see more women enter the space. At the moment, she’s focused on perfecting her spinning to get partygoers hyped. “When it’s hard for me to leave, I know I’ve done a great job.”