Inspired by her musical family, Sophia Kennedy aka Dj Jem began her musical journey at the age of 5 when she took up piano lessons. Her knack for rhythm came with ease; she quickly took up other musical instruments including violin, trumpet, cello, guitar, and baritone. She became a member of the Santa Rosa Youth Symphony and participated in her school’s orchestra from grades 7 to 12.

Sophia spent her summers surrounded by melody at Cazadero Music Camp nestled deep in the redwoods of Northern California. She spent ten summers at music camp and it was there that she expanded her knowledge of music and gained a deeper understanding of music theory. She moved to Oahu in 2009 to attend the Shidler College of Business at University of Hawaii at Manoa, she quickly found a new way to channel her musical ability by joining the on-campus radio station KTUH. It was there that she learned the ins and outs of broadcasting, sound engineering, and dj-ing. She hosted her own radio show “The Treasure Chest w/ Dj Jem” for three years and soon began dj-ing live at small events.

After a four years of dj-ing live, Sophia has now been a resident dj at over ten different venues and is known for her tropical euro-electro taste in music. Her mentor is the very loved dj Supercw who discovered her through KTUH and has taken her under her wing, teaching her about the fundamentals of dj-ing live. They have performed multiple tag team sets and Sophia has been her stand in for many events while Supercw was on medical leave. If you are looking to see her spin live she frequents Rumfire, Honolulu Museum of Art, Corepower Yoga, SKY, The Surfjack, Lululemon, Neiman Marcus and Louis Vuitton.