Peter Parker is coming to homecoming. No, not to save any helpless damsels from maniacal villains in spandex, but to unite Georgia State students under the universal spirit of music.
Senior Davaughn Canterbury, aka DJ Peter Parker, has spent the last four years at Georgia State pursuing his major in history and honing his love for DJ’ing.
Canterbury has worked his way up the ranks of Atlanta’s turntable circuit and has become a regular performer at DJ showcase Beer and Tacos.
The Signal recently spoke with Canterbury about his upcoming performances at homecoming and A3C, and his love for teaching younger students his trade.
TS: What inspired you to become a DJ and why did you choose the name DJ Peter Parker?
Canterbury: Most of my childhood I spent a lot of time with my uncle who was a DJ in the 80s and 90s. When I was younger I always went by his house and played with records and turntables all day and I just tried to figure stuff out. I didn’t really have any idea what I was playing with. When I was 15 I had my first lesson with the Scratch Academy in NYC which was founded by Jam Master Jay and I learned how to scratch and turntablism.
As far as my DJ name, I stuck with Peter Parker because of the actual character. As a little kid I could relate, because if you were to see me in person you wouldn’t think that I’m a DJ. So I worked on that and chose that as a metaphor for what I do with DJ’ing. I’m a little bit of a nerd too so that coincides perfectly.
TS: Does DJ’ing make you feel like a superhero in a way?
Yeah, for the most part because I feel like I’m most powerful when I can express myself. I feel like I have a kind of power playing music however I want to while I’m helping people when I do it. I guess that’s a power in itself.
TS: You’re performing next week at the homecoming gala. How do you tailor your mixes to hype up the crowd and what feeling do you try and get from the audience?
Well, it’s gonna be a number of age groups and ethnicities all in that one space. That challenge in itself is keeping people involved in interacting throughout the whole night. That’s my ultimate goal.
Basically I just want to get off a good vibe where everyone is just enjoying the music, and no one’s sitting down. That’s what I want to do. I just want everyone to have a good time and not have that dull, awkward moment of the party.
I will be playing a little bit of everything: hip hop, pop, house, EDM, dubstep, old school hip-hip, R&B;, most definitely some rock. I want to keep people’s attention for the most part. I think an array of music will portray that, so that’s gonna be my goal.
TS: How do you tailor your sets differently from a homecoming gala as opposed to your upcoming set at A3C?
A3C is more hip-hip based, gritty and underground. The people who plan it and promote for it expect me to not to play what’s being heard on the radio and what’s mainstream. I’m just gonna keep a hip-hop vibe the whole time, I’ll blend in some new stuff but nothing too crazy.
Beer and Tacos is one of my staple events because that’s where I get free range to play whatever I want to as far as hip hop so I’ll play an old school set of Wu-Tang, Jay Z, Mos Def, stuff like that. Hip hop is my foundation as far as music goes.
TS: You’re starting to teach turntablism at middle schools, how did that come about?
I started at my mother’s middle school, which is Young Middle School. I would do it at the end of the semester, I would come in and give a few workshops. I’ve been doing it for a year and a half and I’m looking to expand on that, I was offered a job as an instructor for this non-profit this past spring where I would teach kids once a week. But there was a conflict with my classes so I didn’t do it. But that’s definitely a field that I want to explore.
TS: How does it feel to extend that shared passion to younger students?
It’s a dope feeling because especially with DJ’ing it’s one of the aspects of hip-hop that’s not recognized to the highest extent because people think you’re just playing music. I see it as an art form. As far as hip hop goes, people hop on [music software] Virtual DJ and say “now I’m a DJ,” and that’s not how it is.
TS: In the future do you see yourself more as a history graduate or as a DJ?
More than likely a DJ. I want to travel and DJ where I’m appreciated; I’m already working on that now as far as booking for international things. I want to DJ in different places in different countries and just have fun. I do want to settle in one place and start teaching kids full time how to DJ.
