DJ Ron Slomowicz: Where were you first exposed to house music?
Alyson Calagna: In Aberdeen , Scotland, I heard "Ride On Time" by Black Box.
RS: Did you start DJing in Scotland?
Alyson: No , I didn't start DJ'ng until I lived in Louisiana.
RS: How did you end up in Lafayette, Louisiana?
Alyson: My stepfather worked in the Oil Industry and we got transferred .
RS: What inspired you to start DJing?
Alyson: The Music; I have always loved music. I went to teen clubs and my friends spun, so I asked them to teach me.
RS: How did you get your first club gig?
Alyson: It was at a teen club and my friend went to Cancun for the weekend, so I had to fill in for him - it rocked!
RS: What musical formats were you playing?
Alyson: Dance, hip-hop, and old school.
RS: Were you able to play the music you loved?
Alyson: Yeah , I loved all of that stuff - it was awesome.
RS: How did you find music? Were you buying records at a specific record store?
Alyson: Back then I bought music at Tunez, it was THE DJ store in Lafayette .
RS: Who were your DJ influences?
Alyson: All of my friends were; I was surrounded by wonderful DJs - SuperDave, Cage, Stan - they were all awesome and I learned something from each of them .
RS: Your mixing skills have won you several awards, what was your reaction to winning the Dixie Dance Kings spin off?
Alyson: I was quite shocked . No girl had ever placed in that contest - so it was such a huge win for me . I have never been more nervous in my life - talk about pressure!
RS: Why did you decide to leave Louisiana and go to Florida?
Alyson: The Beats! I needed to be in a place where the drums were the main focus of the music: the tribal vibe - that is what brought me there .
RS: How did you get involved with WPOW-FM?
Alyson: I entered a spinoff and the prize was a mixshow on the radio - I got lucky and won!
RS: How is spinning on the radio different than spinning in clubs?
Alyson: Totally different. You have a format and a certain amount of songs that have to be played. You can incorporate some things, but you have to stick to the list for the most part.
