JiRiKi, a 2011 graduate of SAE Institute Miami’s Electronic Music Production (EMP) program, performed a DJ set of her original EDM productions at the Massive Ideas Masquerade – a music and art festival in Miami – on October 26. The event was presented in conjunction with the Moksha Family Arts Collective, which promotes “spiritual seeking through creative collaboration” by producing multimedia art performances and installations.
“It was an honor to be a part of the Massive Ideas Masquerade,” says JiRiKi. “The event’s energetic and eclectic vibe was right in line with the energetic and eclectic vibe of my performances and overall approach to music.”
Originally from Atlanta, JiRiKi grew up listening to classic rock and classical music. She took piano lessons, learned how to play the bass guitar, and also became an avid percussionist, joining the drum line in high school. After attending Georgia Southern University with a major in Communication Arts and a minor in Music Technology, JiRiKi completed her schooling at the Miami campus of SAE Institute, which was cited as being the world’s “best of the best” audio engineering school by Vibe Magazine, where she received certification for a five-month Electronic Music Production course. Since then, JiRiKi has steadily gained a following in the Southeast and across the U.S. as an innovative electronic music artist/producer and DJ at such festivals and parties associated with Electric Forrest, Gratifly, Impulse, South By South West (SXSW), Winter Music Conference, and Art Basel.
“SAE’s course was an affordable and straightforward introduction to the basic principles of audio technology, recording studio technology, and music production technology that I use today,” says JiRiKi. “It really helped me to achieve my goals a lot faster than I was able to do on my own, and allowed me to easily and effectively combine my musical knowledge with digital production techniques.”
JiRiKi’s interest in electronic music began in 2004 with her discovery of pioneering 90s techno and trance artists, such as Darude, Daft Punk, Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, and The Crystal Method. Also influential in the formation of her unique sound was her passion for American jam bands such as Widespread Panic, Grateful Dead, and The String Cheese Incident as well as such electronic jam bands as STS9, Lotus, and Particle. After seeing electronic music producer and DJ Bassnectar in 2007, JiRiKi became a devotee of the dubstep and drum and bass EDM genres, and soon began developing her own distinctive EDM approach, brand, and presentation in 2011.
“My SAE education truly accelerated my development and as an EDM artist, producer, engineer, and DJ,” says JiRiKi. “Anyone who studies at SAE should never stop learning once they’ve finished their courses or studies: they should use what they were taught in the classroom and studio and apply it to their own new projects, whether they’re for clients or as part of their own productions.”
