Amani Roberts

I scored 318/400: A Conversation with Amani Roberts *Seth: What was your career path before you made the leap into DJing?* **Amani:** I worked for Marriott for almost twenty years. I started as a bellman in Washington, D.C., became a shift supervisor, and later joined the corporate team that rolled out email worldwide. I worked during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, moved into hotel operations, and became a general manager at twenty-three. I later moved through sales and marketing roles in Miami and Los Angeles. Eventually, I left that structure to pursue music full-time. Going out on my own was much harder because I had to build everything for myself. *Seth: What happened when you received the score 318 out of 400?* **Amani:** At Scratch Academy, the final exam was a live DJ performance. I needed 320 to pass, and I got 318. I missed it by two points. I was used to being a high achiever, so the result created serious self-doubt. Suddenly, I questioned every decision: what song to play, how to mix it, and what to say on the microphone. Before that, I had simply performed. After failing, everything felt uncertain. *Seth: How did you find the courage to try again?* **Amani:** I had to decide whether I was willing to return. I checked my ego at the door. I became open to feedback, asked for help, listened more carefully, and took the preparation more seriously. When I returned, I earned one of the highest scores ever. The difference was not only more practice. It was being humble enough to learn. *Seth: How has your life and work grown since then?* **Amani:** Since the photograph was taken in Toronto in 2019, I have released two books, one of which reached the USA Today bestseller list. I completed a master’s degree in music business at Berklee College of Music, moved from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and began speaking more seriously. I also created a music business course at Cal State Fullerton that helped lead to a music business minor. Today, I teach, DJ, speak, write, and help artists understand the business behind creativity. *Seth: What do you teach the artists and students you mentor?* **Amani:** Talent is only one part of a sustainable career. Artists need to understand royalties, marketing, direct relationships with fans, and the systems that allow their work to earn money. I also teach that progress takes time. The people who move forward are the ones willing to learn and keep working when results are not immediate. *Seth: What values do you associate with 318 out of 400?* **Amani:** Resilience, courage, and self-awareness. I had to return after disappointment, put myself in a position where I could fail again, recognize that I needed help, and be willing to ask for it. That score once felt like proof that I had fallen short. Now it reminds me that one result does not decide the rest of the story. Missing by two points forced me to become more teachable, more prepared, and more honest with myself. The lesson was not simply to try again. It was to return differently.