DJ Tay

When you’re a young deejay who is making a name for yourself on the turntables and the world shuts down, what do you do? For New Jersey-based DJ Tay, the advent of the COVID-9 global pandemic taught her the importance of being able to pivot in uncertain times, press on through difficulties, and continue to praise God despite the circumstances.

DJ Tay is a gifted percussionist, guitarist, beat maker and producer. She switched gears to survive the emotional strains of the pandemic. After a European tour on drums with a renowned artist crumbled and clubs and other venues shuttered due to the virus, the diminutive deejay was isolated at home like other non-essential workers in March of 2020. Music is essential to DJ Tay, who holds a Bachelor’s in music performance and production from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Known as the Princess of Percussion, her drum-ming skills went viral in a video with 20 million views, taking her passion for music to a new level. “Before the pandemic, I toured as a drummer on the road and I was deejaying in nightclubs, host-ing Karaoke events, doing private parties and wedding receptions in New York and New Jersey,” she recalled. When the pandemic struck, it came to an abrupt halt, ending her livelihood. But DJ Tay was concerned with helping people stay connected So, she made a plan to keep the music and music lovers on one accord via social media.

“How do I take my deejaying online to maintain a sense of community and togetherness while isolated and alone,” she pondered. This innovative impresario took her love of music, mixing skills, and gift of gab to Instagram before settling on Facebook Live. She cranked up R&B, house, hip hop, jazz, neo soul, and gospel music.

“It has been a great experience,” she said, flashing that trademark smile. “For all of those who joined in, it felt like a night out on the town, even though we are at home,” she said.

The Chicago native gained a legion of loyal followers as DJ Tay’s Party Train picked up steam. Music devotees from coast to coast, Brazil, Paris, and the UK joined in for the weekly music mashup. DJ Tay burned up the turntables as she lip-synched and danced to fan favorites. She urged listeners to “drop dance emojis in the chat, post the cities they were in, and share what they were doing.”

In no time, online partygoers were chatting with each other and tagging friends to get on the Party Train.

“It’s a real vibe,” DJ Tay enthused about the online community, “and it’s something I never dreamed of when I played deejay as a child!”

Connecting with music fans around the world is a far cry from the eight-year-old on the South Side, scratching her mother’s 45s with the record player needle, while emulating radio disc jockeys. Her ability to pivot, during those dark days, had perks that forced the tiny powerhouse to level up.

“People sent messages in my DM to book me for special online events, like birthdays, anniversaries, church affairs, fund raisers, family reunions, business meetings, college homecoming festivities and even memorial services,” she said without taking a breath.

“What started as a fun pastime connecting music and people turned into an unexpected blessing!” she said.

This faithful young woman said, “It worked out because, by the grace of God, I was willing to shift and press forward to follow the Holy Spirit!”

As doors opened for her, DJ Tay remembered her favorite scripture, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, from Philippians 3:14.”

She has pressed her way through, all of her life, as an inspirational speaker at nine years old, and an award-winning host of a cable television show in the Windy City at 13. Besides her success from deejaying on line, DJ Tay does clean standup comedy. She took to Zoom to host an hour-long comedy show, in its second year, airing the second Saturday each month through May 2022, at 9 pm EST.

“I launched DJ Tay’s Zoom Room Comedy Club with over 40 comedians because people needed to laugh and comics wanted to keep up their chops,” she said beaming.

“This gave comedians an opportunity to perform before a live audience, even if they were the size of postage stamps, and people got a chance to kick back and have fun,” she said with a chuckle. “One comic told me he was ready to quit the comedy game, when I invited him to be on the show. Viewers said it was nice to see other smiling faces.” And, she is proud that “It’s free!”

DJ Tay launched an online store at www.MsTaylorMoore.com where fans can purchase her mu-sic, videos, and merchandise. The latest musical offering is a techno-house version of the jazz standard Good Morning Heartache. She teamed up with a Chicago graphic artist for a line of throw pillows, called Jazzy: The Marcus Alleyne Collection. Hers is one of four pillows featured in the artist’s renderings of jazz musicians in black and white drawings.

Admittedly, juggling her deejay duties, drum gigs, and online business, is daunting and draining. But DJ Tay enjoys the challenges. Her strength derives from the power of praise. “All that I do is tied to my praise and my spiritual beliefs,” she avowed. Many failed to follow their dreams for fear of failure but DJ Tay insisted that, “Praising God and trusting Him adds a layer of assurance and support when taking a leap of faith!”

She has faced rejection and disappointment but DJ Tay is a firstrate musician who takes it all in stride. “I realized that every “No!” or closed door isn’t bad. A closed door is for my protection and my growth!”

But how does she juggle everything and not break a sweat? She said, “The Lord is my strength and my refuge. When I’m tired, feeling rejected, or frustrated, and want to give up, that’s where the power of praise comes in!”

A highly sought-after deejay and drummer, Taylor Moore saw her career sidelined, when the Co-rona virus took the world by storm, in 2020. In spite of the global epidemic, this black girl who rocks maintained a soaring entrepreneurial spirit and faith beyond her years. During this season of suffering and loss, she learned to pivot with her musical talents, press forward to achieve goals in the face of insurmountable odds, and praise God every step of the way. DJ Tay concluded, “It feels good to know that, in the midst of a pandemic, God is blessing me and working things out for my good!”