“I love my job; I love performing, playing music, feeling the energy of the crowd, curating playlists, and building my music collection.”
Things will always get better when you hear the whimsical and fantastic music of DJ Tom Higham, a British decent Disc Jockey who has been in Dubai for several years to set up his career and passion in creating the best beats and nicks of all time.
“The most satisfying thing for me is taking a crowd on a journey, and leading them through the music they have not heard and letting the energy of the music take them away, but you need the right crowd and setting to do this.”
DJ Tom’s exceptional musical talent has been nurtured since he was young. His dream of becoming a music producer someday is currently in its development. And the city that never sleeps-Dubai is an excellent platform for him to build a network, process his passion and make a seamless dream that will never stop him from aspiring for greater heights.
Aside from being one of the best performers in the town, DJ Tom studied Economics at a university in the United Kingdom. Although a diligent student, he still managed to balance his passion and academic life.
“I studied Economics at university, but I bought my own set of decks while studying. I entered and won a few DJ competitions, and by the time I finished university, I was already playing in three cities across the north of the UK, so the transition to full-time DJ was the natural next step,” he said.
First Downbeat
According to DJ Tom, his first gig was a complete disaster. It is a 60th birthday celebration in Newcastle, and the equipment at the venue was faulty, and he was not briefed for the music. That was also when he realized that every tim he sets his hand on his deck, he should always be prepared.
“My first residency came while I was at university, playing warm-up sets under a more experienced DJ headlining, and I learned a lot from these experiences. However, I am very fortunate to have bunches of career highlights from playing alongside Steve Angello at his Size Matters Festival, winning the Pukka Up DJ competition, and playing in the main room in Amnesia.”
Although a university graduate, DJ Tom chooses the best thing that will make him happy and fulfilled. According to his friends, Tom never had a real job- as a kid, he worked a paper round, a summer as a bar back at a sports bar, and a two-week stint at a pub. He never had any office experience.
How to Juggle?
DJ Tom spent most of his time living in Dubai in the Marina area, close enough to walk into JBR, and enjoy the beachfront, just outside of all the traffic.
He describes Dubai as a city with so much to offer. He is thankful for all the fantastic opportunities the city has given him and the connections he managed to build with people from all over the world.
Moreover, not all the time, he is at its cloud nine. According to him, “Covid has been the biggest struggle I have faced – being forced to stop working for almost a year due to lockdown, restrictions, entertainment bans were unbelievably difficult.”
“My next goal is to establish myself as a music producer, under a new alias, and then build a brand as an artist in a new musical direction. I have worked hard this season to catch up financially to where I was before Covid and after Ramadan. I will be reassessing my work-life balance to make more time for focusing on my productions in the studio,” he ended.
Did you enjoy reading the story?
This story has been featured in the 11th issue of Dubai Vibes Magazine. To get a copy, you may contact Ms. Elaine “Bella” Marbella at +971503196856. If you have an inspiring story or know someone with one, please send an email to us at eic@dubavibesmagazine.com
