Meet Nate Schneider | Wedding DJ, Music Maker, & High School Teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nate Schneider and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nate, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I started working in the wedding industry it was for the largest wedding DJ company in the US. At first I loved working for them, it game me tons of invaluable experience as a DJ but more importantly it taught me what to improve on to help make each and every wedding meet the couple’s dream expectations when I started my own business.

Through repetition I grew but I also began to notice the disassociation that gets lost in hiring a company versus independent DJ. With a company you get the assurance that will have a DJ at your wedding but very often you don’t get to meet them until the day of the wedding and (even worse) you have no idea of the quality of DJ you will get. Ultimately this is why we started Diamond DJs, to give both a reassurance that you will have someone at your wedding but also the reassurance that the DJ has years of experience and training.

When I left the largest wedding DJ company in the US I was there number 1 ranked DJ based on customer satisfaction surveys; as well as a branch manager, here in Denver. It would break my heart when I would hear the horror stories from the company CONNECTing its clients with DJs that aren’t ready.

Fun fact: Most DJ companies require customers to sign an NDA which stops them form reviewing them online to get refunds for poor performances. To date, Diamond DJs have never dropped an event or had a couple even hint at wanting anything close to a refund.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Outside of weddings and the classroom I try to dedicate as much of my time as possible to making music. As a DJ, I have reached pretty great achievements – opening up for some of my personal favorite artists like Warren G and Alison Wonderland, performing at Ball Arena in Denver, DJing national competitions to name a few. That being said, about the time we started Diamond DJs I had an epiphany that the next level for me would be to make music, not just play others’. Since then I have been on the grind trying to elevate this new artform to a professional level. I am getting closer every day.

I’m about to have my first non-self published remix drop this summer and can’t express how motivating that is to keep working even harder.

What I love about music, is that it taught me about life. When I started DJing I was bad. Really bad. Like, I didn’t even want to listen to what I was doing. It didn’t matter though. I was a junior in college and in the grandest slump of my life, I was struggling to be happy. DJing was what I did when I was sad to listen to songs that made me feel better. DJing was what I did when I had a great day and I wanted to express myself. DJing was what I did when I had a neutral day and just wanted some continuity. Five plus days a week, two plus hours a day I played. I never thought – never wanted to play for others, I did it to find my own happiness. Well after eighteen months of this journey and only my closest friends and coworkers had ever heard anything, I was given the chance to play at work when the DJ called in sick and my so called friends were telling the manager to give me a shot. After that night, per request of management, I was DJing professionally.

What I learned was that if you love something you have to do it a bunch to be good at it. I also think the things we’re naturally gifted with we grow bored of the quickest. I became a good DJ because I put in the time, did the events, and I’m still hungry for more.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was coming to visit me I would want to spend equal time inside and outside of Denver. Nature is so important for us as individuals and as a whole and that’s some of the best this beautiful state has to offer.

A show at Red Rocks would be a must.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Diamond DJs wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for my partner and best friend, Sean. We both bring so much to the table and can work so well without stepping on each other’s toes.

As an English teacher I am very much into books and would love to shoutout Alex Hormozi and Marcus Aurelius for their contributions to literacy that motivate me in business and all walks of life.

I would also like to thank all the educators out there who give their apprentices insight into becoming better versions of themselves. I don’t know where I would be if it wasn’t for a few select teachers (in and out of the classroom) throughout my life showing me something new.

Lastly, to the musicians who dedicate their voice to helping the world find happiness and progress.

Website: https://www.thediamonddjs.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djvalentaylor/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/vaytay

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ValenTaylor