Team Brisk Streamer of the Week: FunkeNickie

This week, we are heading to Edmonton, Canada, and we pay a visit to a lover of all things funky fresh! Ladies and gentlemen, we bring you FunkeNickie. Read on and get to know…

Where are you from and where are you living now?

I hail from the cold and northern city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

How did you come up with your DJ name?

As a lover of all things funky, it was a moniker that I gave myself back in my teenage years and it has stayed with me ever since.

What’s your equipment list?

Controller: DDJ-FLX6-W

DJ Software: Rekordbox

Camera: 2xLogitech StreamCam 1080P & GoPro Hero10

Laptop: Macbook Air 2017 & ASUS 3050 GAMING PC

Headphones: Pioneer HDJ-X5

Microphone: Blue Yeti Microphone

Lights: Nanoleaf Shapes

Where did your musical journey begin?

For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with music and always had my radio or walkman on at all times. My Mom was the same way and also had the most eclectic taste in music so I was introduced to everything, from Country to R&B to Pop to whatever at a very young age. She understood how music made me feel and embraced it. I got to experience my first club atmosphere at a very young age at a local dance club that would hold monthly teen nights and I experienced my first Afterhours Club (aptly named Therapy) at 15 years old. The music, the dancing, the PLUR attitude, all of it blew my mind and my life as a raver began. While my sound progressed from Pop and R&B to Happy Hardcore to House, my love for Funky House and Disco House grew to what it is today but now also includes a love and appreciation for Garage, DNB and Breaks.

What made you decide to take up DJing?

When Twitch came into my life during the Pandemic, it was my partner who started pushing me into learning how to DJ after he had a dream in which he saw me DJing to thousands of people. He knows how obsessed I am when it comes to music as well as the passion I have when it specifically comes to House music or Disco so I took that as a sign and bought a DDJ-FLX6-W and started streaming my learning process at the end of January 2022.

What are some of your interests/hobbies/passions outside of streaming/DJing?

I love cooking and learning how to cook new dishes, especially if they’re gluten free as I do have Celiac Disease but also love food. One of my favourite things to do is attend music festivals and dance my heart out any chance I get. Reading and collecting books has always been a love of mine, as well as collecting plants to include in my jungle of over 100+ house plants.

When did you start streaming on Twitch?

My first stream was on January 26, 2022

Is there anything you really hope to accomplish in your life, whether it be related to music or not?

A dream of mine would be to play Shambhala Music Festival as this has been one of my favourite places in the world since 2006 but this is still very new to me, so I’m going to continue aiming for the stars with the hope that my DJ skills continue to evolve and progress while I try to learn everything I can.

Who are some of your favourite streamers? Why?

ADJcalledQuest – Was one of my first favourite streamers I found on Twitch as he plays my favourite tunes, whether they are R&B classics or BSB or even old TV Show intros, he can mix everything and anything. When he learned that I was going to start to stream, he not only raided me immediately, but he booked me for one of my very first Raid train events! His support has been incredible and he’s such a wicked streamer!

Etownjunglists – Seriously though, who doesn’t like this guy?! Not only is he hilarious or a great DJ but he is also a great pillar in this community and certainly is my biggest supporter. If it wasn’t him pushing me to do this, I would still be on the couch being the Hype Train Conductor instead of behind the decks so I owe him everything.

DJScene – Not only are his overlays award-winning but his scratching and music selection is incredible. Another talented DJ that I could spend countless hours watching him doing his craft and loving life at the same time.

DISCLAIMER: I really could go on for days about who my favourite streamers are and why as this platform is FULL of amazing and talented people …

What is your favourite genre to play? Why?

My soul sings when I play Funky House or really anything that has a funky beat but I love R&B and Breaks and DNB so I am learning these with the hope that they will one day also be my favourite genre to play.

What are some of the most memorable events you’ve participated in or streamed?

I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of some amazing raid train events such as ‘Funklectic Fridays’, ‘Battle of the Decades – Battle Against Breast Cancer’, ‘The Cultural Exchange Raid Train’ , ‘Moments of House’ and multiple charity fundraiser events such as ‘The Big Weekender., ‘To Write Love on Her Arms’, ‘We Beat As One’ and many others. These events have raised thousands of dollars and it has been an amazing experience raising money for these great causes.

What does Team Brisk mean to you?

Well, I’m not going to lie… being asked to be a part of this team was a really big deal for me as I have seen the Brisk Team events on Twitch as well as I have multiple streamer friends who are a part of the team so I already knew going in that this community is not only world-wide but also uplifting in that they are supportive of each other while also maintaining a playful attitude which is very important to me. I have seen other Teams not be supportive, whether it’s towards a streamer that’s on their team or not, and I don’t see any of the Team Brisk members portraying this attitude so I knew this would be a great fit with what I want to accomplish with building my stream and my community.

What’s your favourite thing about DJing on Twitch?

I love the freedom to do whatever I want whenever I want. I love that I can play for an hour or 7 hours if I wanted to. I LOVE interacting with my community and building relationships with all kinds of people from all over the world. I have met numerous people on this platform that share the same love for music that I do and now, some of these relationships have turned into life-long friendships. I look forward to building more friendships and connections all over this platform and all over the world.

What is a challenge you’ve faced as a DJ/streamer?

As being brand-spanking new to both DJing and streaming, it can be very daunting and stressful to think about all of the things I had to overcome to get where I am today. I am neurodivergent with a hint of OCD so my perfectionism usually will get the best of me and make me not want to put myself out there, unless it was perfect, so when I started streaming I had to let that all go and just get into the music. Now my only challenge is to not get in my own way.

Do you have any special projects, streams or events you would like to tell us about?

November 10^this the official release of my 4^thmix and is being released on Night Siren Radio. Otherwise, my stream schedule is Tuesday and Thursday at 5pm MST and Saturday at 11am MST.

Is there anyone you’d like to shout out and/or thank?

Etown deserves a HUGE thank you as I would never have jumped into this unless I was pushed and he knew that so I appreciate his kick in my ass. Liquidcleanse booked me the moment she heard I was DJing and has supported me from Day One. She’s not just a friend but she’s family now. Because of Liquidcleanse, we were also able to meet the one and only Diligentfingers this past summer, who is not only an incredible lyricist but also a phenomenal human being and we cannot wait to make more memories with that guy. Woogstown was one of my favourite DJ’s in the Afterhours so it’s amazing to me to be able to say that he is a mentor of mine and also an incredible streamer. Not forgetting DJMaculate, The_NextMen DJNewGirl, DJPDJP, Norbskiii, Bass Fanatik, tropicalsf, Strudds, Showgosee, Undergroundrescuechannel, Lawless_Child and many others as there’s not enough time or space to thank everyone that has made a difference in my life, as a person and as a streamer.