Meet Teacher Shannon

There are endless opportunities in China to pursue your dreams outside of teaching. So we thought, why not interview teachers for at least the next month who have awesome hobbies and side gigs?

First off, we spoke to Shannon!

We found teacher Shannon from South Africa. You’ve gotta know her, she’s a super cool DJ in Shanghai alongside her daytime teaching job. Between these two passions, she is seriously making the most of her time here and living her best life – so we decided to interview her!

Our interview with Shannon

Us: Besides from being a teacher, what do you do in your spare time?
Shannon: In my spare time I’m usually going for walks or cycling around the city, hanging out with friends or DJ’ing.

Us: Where did you do your DJing course?
Shannon: I did my DJ course in 2017 with a company called Ctrl Sound Academy, based in Shanghai.

Us: What made you want to DJ and how did it all begin?
Shannon: For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a DJ. I wanted to make an impact and give people a piece of home through music. When I was at school, I used to play music using Winamp and a crossfader for my mom’s friends for their events, and that’s when I knew I was good at it and wanted to pursue my passion.

Us: How did you get your first gig?
Shannon: I got my first gig through the school I did my course with, it was the final task for the course.

Us: Where do you play now?
Shannon: Right now, I mainly DJ for Pop Up Afrika which is a platform that creates events to celebrate and support African businesses. I also play for other events here and there when I am being asked.

Us: What makes you keep doing it?
Shannon: I love the excitement it brings and the build up from when I am preparing to when I play. With everyone being away from South Africa, especially during this time, bringing people together through music and hearing their feedback gives me the motivation to keep going.

Thanks Shannon for taking the time to speak to us – now get back to DJing!