By Tamas Mondovics
For 11-year-old FishHawk resident and Randall Middle School student Jake Dela Cruz, playing sports or spending time with friends is all well and good, but there’s nothing in the word he is more passionate about than music.
Upon discovering his dad’s own DJ past, Cruz decided to turn his own passion into something more.
“He begged me to teach him how to be a DJ,” Jake’s dad Jon said. “Jake then decided that he wanted to start a mobile DJ business.” With some persuasion and a whole lot of begging, they started Dela Cruz Productions of Florida, an interactive mobile DJ service that not only offers music, but also interacts with the guests.
Jon, now a booking agent, roadie, driver, and the full-time promoter of his son, admits that letting his son start his own business so young was not a quick “off-the-cuff decision.”
“At first, I did what any good father would have done and signed him up for Tae Kwon Do,” he said, but added, “After months of begging we made the investment and purchased Jake’s DJ equipment.”
While having a free reign learning the business, Jake is not without some rules.
“I will support him all the way but the deal is he has to continue to get good grades or he can’t DJ,” Jon said.
As the resident DJ at the Upstairs along with DJ appearances at the award winning Park Square Cellar this 11-year- old has been busy.
Jake’s last event was the grand opening for Sidekicks Family Martial Arts and Busciglio Smiles, where he mixed for students during their kickboxing class and did the Wobble with the Newsome High School Marching Band.
Upcoming events includes Park Square Pizza’s Fall Concert Series on Saturday, October 6, and the Bridgelawn Halloween Block Party, on Saturday, October 27.
For more information about Jake and to “like” his Facebook page, please visit
www.facebook.com/DjJakeDelaCruz or epicdj12@gmail.com
