Being the youngest child usually has some pretty nice perks. Getting more attention while having less responsibility is a pretty sweet deal, for starters. Plus, even as the youngest you still seem to get the same amount of dessert it took your siblings years to earn.
For Michael Diaz, usually the stereotypical fun-loving and outgoing youngest child, life gave him a dilemma that forced him to get serious and look inward at a very young age. How was he going to live up to the expectations set by an older brother and older sister who were equally gifted, ambitious, and impressive? Michael saw them both consistently at the top of their classes and dominating the academic world, and, while their success certainly motivated him, he knew he had to find his own way of standing out and making his mark on the world.
So he looked to another family member for inspiration. “My dad always had this special quality,” Michael explains, “where he could walk into a room and smile or make a funny comment and people would just light up. He knew how to lift people up with his energy.”
That ability to light up a room with his presence and personality really resonated with Michael, so he took his dad’s playbook and put his own unique spin on it. Learning how to make people laugh was just the start.
Michael even carried his mission of uplifting others into the sports world, where he took his role as a teammate seriously. Finding ways to bring the team together, even in moments of adversity, became just as important as developing his skills and discipline through practice. He found that his seemingly endless energy, the hallmark of any youngest sibling, could be harnessed into making a positive impact on the people around him.
Michael even credits his being the youngest child to his success in the music world. “I was always around people older than me, so I learned how to hold my own and not be afraid to talk to anyone,” he shares with an infectious smile. So when Michael and his friends were messing around one day and playing music, he stood up and started freestyling to the beat. It began as a joke, but quickly turned into a hobby and now something he is passionate about. He beams with pride when describing his basement-turned-space-themed music studio–affectionately dubbed “The Spacement”–that he and his friends spend much of their free time in these days.
As a MC/DJ, Michael brings that same confidence, creativity, and connection to all his events. He’s a firm believer that music is about emotion, not just sound, and his goal is simple: to make sure every person at his event leaves with a story to tell and a song stuck in their head. He knows that DJing isn’t just about playing music; it’s about setting the right mood, making memories, and getting everyone involved in the fun–from the eldest relatives to the shyest guests, all the way down to the youngest child in the room.