Meet Nick Proof | Music Producer and DJ

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nick Proof and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nick, what role has risk played in your life or career?
From a young age I’ve always been a risk taker. Starting in my early teens I got into parkour which was a challenging and dangerous sport which to progress in or be a successful competitor in, required taking a lot of calculated risks. As I became an adult I started my own business which was also very financially risky but I believe that progress, growth and the greatest rewards all require taking risks. With music production and DJing, I’m investing a lot of time and money into developing it into a career which is risky as it may never turn into anything but I think the potential payoff of being able to do it full time and travel the world is worth it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m an EDM and House Music producer from Calgary Alberta. I learned to DJ at the beginning of Covid and then started producing music a year later as it seemed like the next logical progression.

I think from being a field where everyone wants to be able to DJ and produce music with significantly less demand than supply, it comes with an array of challenges. For me the biggest challenges have been building relationships with self-important gate-keepers in the industry who tend to support their friends or people that suck up to them the most. Generating income in a saturated industry has also been challenging and required constant creativity. The required practice and constant behind the scenes work producing and finding music takes enormous amounts of self discipline even when motivation is lacking. I personally believe that the discipline to work on the craft on a very regular basis is the most important factor to success because you don’t have anyone there telling you what you need to do.

For myself I’m surprised and grateful I’ve been able to go from learning just a couple years ago to playing most of the clubs in the city, several music festivals and having songs picked up by notable international labels such as Blanco Y Negro in Spain. A lot of artists are slowed down by fear of rejection and aiming for perfection in their work but I’ve always been of the mind that it is better to finish a project and put it out there then to have it sit unfinished and unseen. I think people will understand that your original works won’t be perfect and people like to see growth curves and watch and artist evolve and improve.

My next biggest challenge will be getting my art in front of bigger decision makes and hopefully playing more shows outside of Calgary.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Calgary in the summer is an amazing place with lots to do and see. I would recommend checking out the Patio of National on 8th as it overlooks the city and always has amazing DJS and a great fun vibe. In the winter the speak easy known as a the Bourbon Room has an intimate party vibe with a well mannered more adult crowd and always promises a fun night.

Calgary is also known for its annual stampede where we have a huge number of the top musical artists in the world perform as well as an endless number of other events, activities and parties.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to shoutout Sky Millz, the DJ who originally introduced me to music and helped me get started.

Website: www.djnickproof.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djnickproof/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DJNickProof

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1cFOVkSIXej2ndDMhKholO?si=OU0mzfcxQl68cIBhCUiIcQ

Image Credits
Liam Dunning Riley Miller Chane Neveling