From radio broadcasts to live performances, music has acted as a universal language and a connecting factor among many.

For Brazilian exchange student John Victor, playing music for others is one of his newfound passions.

“It has been about 1 year since I started. I’ve always liked electronic music and had some friends who were DJs. I asked them to teach me, and I enjoyed it so I bought a controller and got started.”

Victor’s love for music has led him to playing parties in his hometown back in Brazil.

“Usually in an outdoor environment, people like to dance and are very friendly. I like the freedom you have and you can mix the way you want. It’s very cool because you can do a lot of fun things with the music. I have played some parties in Brazil that were pretty big, around 500 people.”

However, playing in front of crowds doesn’t come without its challenges.

“It’s difficult to know the timing of the songs, and you need to pay attention to them. Because when you do transitions, you need to be aware of the timing. It’s one of the most difficult parts.”