DJ Micky Hopkins
A 14 YEAR OLD Enniskillen schoolboy who has a passion for music is making a name for himself on the internet – as a DJ.
Micky Hopkins, a Year 10 pupil at Erne Integrated College also goes by the name of DJ Arcade and the young music fanatic is a now regular fixture on internet radio station Groovebox radio – where he DJs a few nights each week.
Micky’s step-dad Lee Simpson explains that Micky has had an interest in music for some time and this led to his parents buying him a set of decks for Christmas.
As part of his Christmas present Micky’s parents were also able to arrange for him to do a slot on an internet radio station, and it was through this that Tony Martin, owner of Groovebox radio, heard Micky and poached the talented young music fan for his station.
Micky now plays three one hour slots during the week (6-7pm) and two hours on a Sunday playing ‘house’ dance music.
Talking about how a 14 year old can DJ an internet radio station from his Enniskillen bedroom, Micky’s dad Lee explains.
“His laptop has DJ software and he connects this to his decks, which are connected to speakers and an amp. A second computer has an encoder which sends the music Micky is playing to the radio station in England which then broadcasts it ‘live’ onto the internet.”
He then uploads his music to ‘soundcloud’ and his mum Joanne said they can tell his music is being listened to as far away as Argentina, Columbia and Singapore.
So does this interfere with his studies?
“That was one of the major concerns of Tony Martin, the station’s owner,: continues Lee.
“School must come first, so that’s why his slot during the week is 6-7pm – after he has his homework done.
Owner of Groovebox radio Tony Martin said Micky is a great young talent and is delighted he is part of his station line-up.
“I offered him a slot on the station. There are a lot of internet radio stations out there but not too many talented youngsters.”
Tony explained that Groovebox broadcasts primarily dance music 12 hours a day (12 – 12) seven days a week with DJs broadcasting from their own homes or from venues where they are performing.
“They link in to our servers and sign on and we broadcast from here.
“Micky is very god at what he does, and I’ve invited him over to our roadshow in Hastings later this year to perform.
“He has a great ear for music for such a young lad. He knows how to keep the momentum going and keep a crowd going and he knows what music goes together.”
Dad Lee said it gets pretty loud in their house when Micky is playing. “Things have fallen off the shelves in our bedroom when his amps are going.”
This is surely one of the few cases where a schoolboy is allowed to make as much noise in his bedroom as he likes.
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