Maria Matarelli is an International Profile DJ that performs across the world with locations including Fiji, New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore, Dubai, France, Germany, India, the Caribbean, and throughout the U.S. As an open-format DJ, Maria provides customized sets for a variety of different environments as she has learned to adapt her style to fit cultures across the world and brings the energy to create an unforgettable experience for audiences of all types.
Maria Matarelli has always had an interest in putting together playlists and mixing music. Growing up, she used to make custom mix tapes on cassettes. Now, she creates custom mixes for luxury limo companies and provides the right ambiance with music for private events and global conferences. She performs live at nightclubs and day clubs around the world as well.
When asked about what made her get into music, she said, “About seven years ago, I was speaking at a conference in Philly that didn’t have any music entertainment, and I was asked to DJ with a friend who used to own a creative event space in Chicago.” She said that this experience led her to DJing all around the world with locations including Australia, Portugal, Paris, and Caribbean cruise ships. It also led her to DJing for the Super Bowl Pre-Game, NHL Playoffs, and the Formula 1 Grand Prix!
Matarelli has had the opportunity to travel the world and connect with people across the globe, and she is amazed to see how music connects people and brings us together across different cultures and demographics. She says, “We have common challenges, aspirations, dreams, and most people really want the connection, to feel valued, appreciated, and loved.” She aims to inspire people to believe in themselves, believe in what they can achieve, and create a life they love living through her music.
Interestingly enough, her creative process for creating music includes an Agile approach. She has a vision, and she communicates this with other artists and welcomes any ideas and critiques. She likes to create a positive and creative space where people feel comfortable while working and the music and ideas just flow.
In the future, Maria Matarelli wants to help artists successfully launch in the market, overcoming roadblocks and leveraging an Agile approach to releasing their music. She wants to provide them with a one-of-a-kind platform – StarStake – dedicated to building decentralized creator economies for rising stars and mega brands. This allows artists to take back control of their music and connect more with their audience. She emphasizes that “Leveraging NFT infrastructure on this platform will allow artists to create advanced NFTs that allow collective staking in projects with built-in smart contracts and no code to showcase their work in a marketplace while sharing rewards and royalties with their fan base and community.”
One piece of advice Matarelli has for artists who may not be experiencing the results they want is not to give up even when they’re stuck and believe they have nothing to write about. She says it is important to take time and relax and enjoy the process rather than stressing yourself out. She continues by saying, “Agile is an iterative approach where you make small incremental steps toward your goal. Make the next steps visible on what needs done and schedule the time box to create. If you aren’t making progress, try something different: iterate. Keep moving forward, and don’t overthink when something is done.”
When asked about her inspiration, she says, ” she is inspired by other brilliant artists.” She enjoys listening to Deep House, Chill House, Tropical Remixes, Hip Hop, and anything with a dirty beat.
