DJ creates song based on experience in Dayton
By: Katie Christoff – A&E Editor
Last year, DJ Marc Freccero quit his job at a major accounting firm to travel the country and pursue his true passion: music.
“I graduated college with a degree in accounting, got a job with one of the biggest accounting firms in the world, worked there for two months and hated my life,” he said. “I realized that life’s too short, and I needed to do something different and radical.”
On a whim, he decided to visit 10 cities in 10 months, live out of his car and produce a song reflecting each city after spending some time there. Freccero deemed this journey the Light Nearby Project.
“I wanted to inspire others to pursue what they love, so I decided to lead by example,” Freccero said.
During the end of his journey, Freccero spent a month in Dayton and Columbus, Ohio, both of which ended up being his favorite places.
“The people in Dayton and Columbus were the best people I met around the country. I’m not even joking,” Freccero said. “They were just more straightforward about things and very honest.”
During the month he spent in Ohio, Freccero spent some time at the University of Dayton.
“My first weekend here was my birthday weekend, and we went to this bar called Tim’s,” he said. He ended up talking with some students there who asked him to play at their house in the student neighborhood the following night.
“That’s pretty much what I’ve been doing,” Freccero said. “I’ve had so many random encounters that have turned out to be positive.”
The positive energy and friendly nature of the people he met here inspired a song that is a combination of upbeat and chill, he said.
“The vibe I got was very interesting,” Freccero said. “The song I produced in Dayton and Columbus is trap, kind of like ‘Harlem Shake’ but slowed down.”
“I made a chill hip-hop song that’s still upbeat to reflect the people in Dayton,” he said. “They’re laidback but still rage, and the song reflects that duality.” He said it would also encapsulate the college environment in Dayton.
Freccero began his tour in his hometown of Boston then travelled to Miami; Austin, Texas; Las Vegas; Boulder, Colorado; San Francisco; Portland, Oregon and Chicago, before heading to Columbus. He left Columbus for New York City, where he just ended his tour.
Freccero’s Light Nearby Project inspired a blog and YouTube channel, which allowed him to combine his passions of music, writing and inspiring others. These outlets also helped him gain enough notoriety to begin booking gigs regularly and make a living from being a DJ. He plans to release the full album with all the songs he created on his tour March 3, the one-year anniversary of when he began.
For more information on the Light Nearby Project or to listen to Freccero’s mixes, visit lightnearby.com.