Cassidy Bednark aka DJ BedzWho says I’m not cutting edge?  In today’s world, DJs are sometimes as famous as the people whose music they play.  In the case of Sports Presentation the DJ is a huge part of creating that fan experience.

My newest DJ pal is Cassidy Bednark from Denver, Colorado whom I met recently during my stay in Doha.  You may remember him as the chivalrous young man who walked me and Pregnant Peggy back to the hotel when our bus couldn’t get any further in the traffic tangle of National Day.

In his professional life he is in his 9th season as the DJ for the Denver Nuggets pro Basketball team which means 45 – 50 home games a year. He is also DJing in Denver clubs 2 – 3 times a week as well as working at two radio stations: 95.7FM The Party in Denver and 98.9 Magic FM in Colorado Springs.

He is a hip hop guy and remembers the Christmas of 1994 “My mom got me turntables as a Christmas present and I spent a lot of time in the basement of our house learning how to use them.”

What sets him apart professionally in my mind, is an amazing collection of Motown music and a great knack for mixing tunes from different eras and cross cultural lines.  This is no surprise given the fact that he holds a degree in musical composition from Occidental College in Los Angeles, California. In other words, Cassidy doesn’t just feel the music, he also really understands how it’s put together.

What sets Cassidy apart as a terrific human being is his involvement with SafeHouse Denver. (www.safehouse-denver.org)

SafeHouse Denver

Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter, Intervention, Counseling and Education

We serve victims of domestic violence and their children through both an emergency shelter and a non-residential Counseling and Advocacy Center. All of the women, children and youth who come to SafeHouse Denver have access to a full range of bilingual programming, including individual counseling, group sessions, advocacy and safety planning.

Cassidy says he was raised by a feminist mother and was taught to believe that any kind of egregious abuse is worth fighting. He sells his own mix Party 2 Go CDs in the Denver area for $6 and 100% of the proceeds, after very minimal expenses, go to support this charity. He has been involved for three years and is delighted to report that his initiative has already generated $11,000.

“I was finally in a position to be able to give back. I reached out to them (SafeHouse Denver) and told them I wanted to help. I am also a spokesman. ”

For more on what it takes to be a DJ here’s what Cassidy had to say:

 

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