Lizzie Hawkins – Betti
My role in the music industry?
I am a DJ and have been playing local and national gigs and festivals for over 10 years now. I also have experience in pitching for, running and stage managing festival venues and club nights. I am the Civic and Mayoral Officer for Northampton Town Council, my job involves organising large scale Civic events and working closely with community groups and charities on behalf of the Northampton Mayor and Council.
About my journey in the music industry, And what inspired me to pursue a career in music?
Music and DJing runs alongside and compliments my career, to me it is a passion and a hobby as well as an occasional earner.
The biggest value I get from DJing and being involved in the scene is the networking and the opportunities. I was empowered by a close friend (and successful DJ) to jump on the decks back in 2010, since then DJing has provided me with so many skillsets and connections in the industry and for community and charity work, which I also love.
I started running club nights and festival venues with a crew of friends, from there more gig opportunities arose the more I networked. These days I am focussed on my career at the Council but always make sure I have time to put the energy in to music – even if its just supporting other artists.
I have worked hard to find a way that music compliments both my career and social life. I am really passionate about paying forward the opportunities I had, especially being mentored, and am also always pushing for everything to be less discriminatory and more enabling – not just the music industry but our town and preferably (because I aim high) the planet!
The skills that I can help you with..
DJing, Event Management, Marketing, Playlist Curation
What inspires me to help next generation of budding music professionals.
When I started on my journey I had people I could check in with, people who knew the ropes better than I did and people with experience.
I want to pay these privileges forward firstly. Secondly its all about confidence – and I know for a fact that stuff doesn’t grow on trees.
If I can help just one person feel 5% more confident after a chat then to me that’s a win.
It’s not just about pep talks though, its about sharing knowledge and building connections – there are likely more things that I could learn from a budding professional. Again, I am all about enabling, sadly there are still huge inequalities in the music industry and I can help support especially from the aspect of being a “female DJ” (a term I do have issues with) Ultimately I am a big sister – so anything that comes under that remit I have a lifetime of experience with – from checking spellings in dissertations and pitches to motivational chats and inclusive of having a decent knowledge of the wiring of a sound system.
My preferred selection of music?
House, Bass House, Night Bass, Tropical House, Old Skool, Garage, 4×4, Bassline, Hip Hop UK and Old Skool
An interesting fact about me.
I used to play in a brass band
