DJ Jon QPid
DJ
CLASS OF 2020
, AGE 40
For Jon Qpid, the art of being a disc jockey is something that he began to explore when he found that education was getting in his way of learning.
“I went to university down in Portland, Oregon. I landed an acting scholarship at Concordia University, but unfortunately, I found that I was unhappy with my growth at that time,” Jon shares. “I got bored with general studies and started collecting records.”
The rest, as he says, is history. With a mission to become a better performer on stage, and by pouring love into his new hobby as a DJ, Jon learned to produce and compose music, as well as a host of other technical skills.
“DJing has taken me all over the world and to rural areas of our amazing country. It’s also helped me grow in the passion of creating and sharing love through art and performance,” he says.
Becoming involved in the community is something that Jon loves, and it’s something he believes most artists in our community do. He’s facilitated after-school music programs, and has taught basic music theory at various schools in Fort McMurray.
Following the 2016 Wildfire, Jon took a Group Crisis Intervention course so that he could be of service to those in need, and who are dealing with pain.
Jon credits his time on the radio as being the reason he has stayed in town for as long as he has. “Mix 103.7 was a big contributing factor to my involvement in our community,” he says. “I truly enjoyed my time on the radio; it gave me another opportunity to grow here in Fort McMurray.”
In a year that has taught him perspective, Jon is intent on continuing to succeed over the next 12 months, and one breath at a time is how he defines that success.
