- Low Key: I attended Berklee College of Music on a full ride scholarship! 🎓
- My Speciality: LGBTQ+ 🏳️🌈, Music of the African Diaspora 🇿🇦, Groovy and Smooth vibes 💃🕺
- Fun Fact: When not making music, Marilyn is a professional pet care provider for many dogs and cats across Brooklyn, NY. 🐶🐱
- Pronouns: They/Them
Marilyn “DJ mare” is a Brooklyn-based DJ and musician originally from Oakland, California,
whose relationship with music feels less like something they discovered and more like
something they’ve always known. They don’t remember a moment when they “started” loving
music—it has always felt as natural as breathing. Though they’re the only practicing musician in
their family, Marilyn grew up surrounded by people with an instinctive love for great music. Their parents weren’t musicians, but they had the taste of musicians, filling the home with Prince, Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Sade, Funkadelic, Sly and the Family Stone, and
countless other artists.
That early musical immersion, combined with growing up in Oakland, gave Marilyn a deep
appreciation for the musical traditions of the African diaspora and beyond. Today, their musical
vocabulary spans House, Jungle, Hip-Hop, R&B, Neo-Soul, Pop, ’80s Synthwave, Afro-Latin
music, and much more. They’re constantly keeping an ear out for what’s new while staying
connected to the music that came before them. Former clients and collaborators have described Marilyn as “wise beyond their years” when it comes to music—a combination of curiosity and musical history that gives them an unusually broad range, especially valuable for
multi-generational events.
Marilyn studied Professional Music at Berklee College of Music, concentrating in Electronic
Performance and minoring in Music Technology. Since beginning their DJ career, they’ve
performed everywhere from clubs and public celebrations to cafés, comedy showcases, and
private events. In Boston, they became a recurring guest DJ for KaffeBass, an independently
produced event series spanning Boston and New York, where they also helped promote events
and build community around the music. They’ve since performed at Boston Pride, Berklee’s
Five-Week Summer Program welcome celebration, and opened for acclaimed electronic
musician and producer Daedelus at Piccolo Listening Room in Providence, RI. Their
international DJ debut took place at OVEN in Valencia, Spain, and they now continue building
their DJ community in Brooklyn.
For weddings and private events, Marilyn brings a collaborative approach to the dance floor.
They take the time to understand what matters to each client while bringing their own musical
perspective to the celebration. They’re attentive to the little moments, intuitive about when to
build or shift the energy, and focused on creating an atmosphere where people feel comfortable, connected, and ready to celebrate. Whether the soundtrack calls for a timeless classic, a current favorite, or something unexpected, Marilyn’s goal is to make the music feel personal to the people in the room.