Maia Edmond is senior at St. John’s who’s passionate about creating and performing music.  Originally, from Los Angeles, CA, Edmond, 21, is pursuing a major in communications with a minor in fine arts. When she isn’t a full time student or working on her own radio show, “The Palace” for WSJU radio, you can see her spinning some tracks transitioning to an aspiring DJ.

In honor of Women’s History Month, Edmond talked to the Torch about what it means to her to empower fellow females.

Being a woman of a diverse background she is still learning what it means to empower women. “It’s something that I’m currently trying to strengthen, to build a support system,” Edmond said. “It’s a category that I’d like to dismiss sometimes, like I dismiss race because I feel like acknowledging that being a female means struggling will solidify the struggle, but, when females are underrepresented I am frustrated. It’s becoming more and more important to me as I grow older, as I am forming an identity for myself.”

She now lives in Bushwick and has met many other female artists and DJs whom she looks up to.

“I live with and am surrounded by the most amazing female artists in Bushwick,” Edmond said.  “My friends from L.A. are the most rad female artists.”

Edmond picked the name “DJ Lady Shadow” because she wanted something “mystical.” She can be found making music with an MIDI keyboard, guitar, electronic drums or by learning to be ambidextrous.

“I had been making playlists for house parties that my friends and I hosted throughout high school and early college,” she said. “My first professional gig I was the ‘music selector’ for an artist talk at Papillon Gallery in Los Angeles a few years ago.”

Growing up she took guitar lessons and really enjoyed playing on the piano. This led to her love for instrumental and electronic music.

She didn’t see herself as a DJ until her friend Rowan Katz asked her to DJ at her going away party last summer. From there, her current roommate asked her to DJ happy hour at an art bar called Flowers for all Occasions in Brooklyn. Now, she hopes to create music and DJ for as long as she is able to.

Now she performs as much as two to three times per month at multiple venues and listens to some other talented female artists like Bjork, which she loves mixing from also for her setlists.

Edmond feels she has a lot to learn, but really enjoys taking on new tasks. Upon graduation she hopes to travel by volunteering where people are asking help the most.

“I hope to learn as much as I can about the ‘hidden figures’ of our world,” Edmond said.