User:Djwikkid

Daniel Thomas Heaton (Dj Wikkid, born November 8th, 1974)

This unique human being from the age of 5. He had a keen affinity to music and technical production for live stage acts and other venues he experienced where sound systems and stage/club lighting amazed him, yearning to know how and why it all worked. His first arena concert was Jimmy Buffett. Not to extravagant of a show, but still soaked it all up. One time when his aunt Rayma, Rayma Store, till him to Disney on Ice. They sat on the end of the bleacher section the audio and lighting technicians ran the show from. The whole time he looked in the basement and watched as they worked infused through the show his aunt next him and tried to get him to watch the show several times but his show was behind the scenes in front of them right there.

It wasn't very long after that show that his cousin brought him to a skating rink in Largo, Florida. He loved it and got good very fast. Around and around he went always being told to slow down by the floor guard. He was asked if he would like to try out for the speed team and be did and was added to the roster. Being part of that team made him a bit of an insider getting to meet and befriend the kids that are always at the rink. Every weekend, Friday and Saturday nights were where he was from 5:30pm speed practice started, until midnight when session ended. Weekend nights was when things were making funky music of Billboards Hot 100, Rock & Roll to Miami Bass Music which is what he was drawn to like a moth to a flame. He wanted to know what songs they were and who did them. Time and again he would skate up to the booth to ask the Dj what new records he for this week. It began a kind of friendship between them even though their ages were so different, it was the music that brought them together. One night when he was up asking about songs, the Dj, Ed Davis, asked him if he would stay to hear the next song. When Ed began to cue and beat match the next record, Lil Danny watched and wondered what he was doing but heard nothing different with the song that he already knew. As soon as Ed threw the first beat an on count one, he could now see and hear the difference and on it went. Ed slowly pulled the fader to the left side and finished by removing the record, selecting a new one and stopped there took off the headphones. Danny didn't wanna leave because he was so enthralled on what just happened. So this became their thing. In the summer of 1983, Danny's love for music grew at an exponential rate. One random night, he remembers when he didn't know better, or have permission, while Ed was mid-mix, he zeroed the pitch control on a Technics SL1600 which was a left-right dial which later learned the range was only six percent. But once he interrupted Ed's mix he got an angry look from him. He slipped out of the booth enuff went onto the skating floor. Little did he know then, it was the first of many familiar looks to come over the next decade. When he calmed down, Ed called Danny to the booth. Ed sat him down and explained how that messed him up. Then, Danny didn't know it yet, but Ed explained what a beat matched mix was so that next time he would have a basis of understanding what was going on. He wss given the keys to a special kind of performance. It was the long mix. Something he still does to this day and his last day, the day he does. It wasn't long before this kid was standing at the entirely too high deck. So Ed got a milk crate so him to see over the decks and operate the switches that controlled the lights. That was a unexpected bonus as cuz he was making the lighting go to the beat of the music. Something he did with 8 on and off relay switches, four buttons and a large toggle switch that made the mirror ball and pin spots that made it light up. There was not a single night session that he missed for years that he can remember. Eventually he was allowed to cue records and checkout songs in the headphones. He learned what songs went better together than others and hense his rhythm and vibe was born.

As he continued to practice Dj'ing, he got involved with more music in the seventh grade by taking introduction to percussion. From grade to grade he takes more musical classes from drumming to music theory. In high school he was a part of drumline all four years. In his senior year the band went to nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana. They placed 13th overall, just one spot from going to finals. First two high school years on top bass drum. And last two years on snare drum. Add concert band percussion in the mix and Daniel really enjoyed banging on things to create structured music and do his part.

While in marching band it was very challenging for him to attend all the football games, competitions and hold his spot at the skating rink. Luckily everyone understood and made adjustments as needed since most of the appearances for band were in fall and early winter. He took his role with pride and responsibility that could be seen. As his Senior year began to wrap up, he was scheduled to graduate on time, never once repeating a grade or made to take summer school to move up to the next grade.

( to be continued soon )