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Cassandra Shankman

@djcassandra_

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☆ composer - dj - producer
🪩 sound on, mood up
🤍 2025 Austin Music Awards Best DJ
+ 2025 Austin Monthly Mag Best DJ
🌵💌 [email protected]

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The cat is outttaaaaa the bag. Ya girl is playing @aclfestival 🥹 I am honestly speechless. I found out on my birthday when I was going to the restroom lololol 😭 I screamed. My best friend and twin sister were in the other room like “everything okay???” And I rushed out screaming “OMGOMGOMG IM PLAYING ACL.” This was right after I had a few days of self doubt with my life of course. Just a beautiful sign to KEEP GOING.

3rd video is of me my sis and my bestie in a tub in the bathroom right after I found out the news.

5th photo is the tea I was drinking after @iamvarju had pushed me to do something really hard music writing / producing wise and I was scared, nervous, and doubting everything. (Thank you Benji for believing in me and making me do hard things!!!)

6th is my best friend Lauren after I had a mini listening session for the record a few weeks ago with some individual peers for feedback 🥹🫶🏼

“Shadows echo all go all go” (a lyric line from one of my songs on my upcoming record). Everything is happening ✨

#aclfest #aclfestival by @djcassandra_

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3 months ago

GRAMMYs 2026… like WHAT A LIFE CHANGING WEEK !!! I truly don’t know what to say. I can’t believe I was in the same room, same conversation, or same row of seats as my idols.

I am definitely exhausted and inspired at the same time. Thursday was insane with b2b 8 parties that I attended, then Friday I grounded myself with the ocean and my best friend @bbx_atx and took some time hiking / hanging with my other dear friend @humanexperiencecreations… Saturday ramped back up with a A2IM Independent Breakfast at the Grammy House, followed by the Special Merit Awards (!!!) and the Nominees Reception (thank you Christee/Avi!), and then ended in some after parties dancing the night away. Then Sunday was Grammys Day and that was the most unreal day of all… from the red carpet (where my phone overheated because it was 100 degrees and where Margot Price and I took the same photos), to literally running into JONI MITCHELL (!!!) to witnessing the most powerful speeches from award winners (Bad Bunny, Laufey, Cher, Lady Gaga, Kendrick) to having an incredible conversation at the after party with Texas Chapter Trustee Taylor Hanson, to hanging out with so many friends and stuffing our faces with food because we were so hungry… and more because I can’t think right now because I’m so happy and still in shock and pinching myself 🥹

#grammys #grammyawards #grammys2026 #badbunny taken in Los Angeles, California by @djcassandra_

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6 months ago

Yalllll!!!!! I don’t even know where to begin! I am so honored to announce that I was elected to the Executive Committee as the newly elected chapter Secretary of the Texas Chapter Board!!! I love my Grammy family 🥹

They presented me this amazing certificate for my work as Governor for the 2023-2025 term, and now I’m going to serve my peers at the @RecordingAcademy as a Texas Chapter officer for the 2025-2027 term 🩷 I am incredibly humbled to get to follow in the footsteps of the most amazing mentor & friend @carenkelleher… thank you for all your support and guidance and genuine friendship 🩷

#RepresentingTheAcademy means advocating, supporting, and celebrating the many voices that makeup our diverse creative community year-round, and I look forward to joining leaders dedicated to driving music forward. To learn more about becoming a member, please shoot me a dm!!! 🪩🫶🏼🤠

photos by the talented @j.jackkk at my besties @jwin.stagram studio taken in Austin, Texas by @djcassandra_

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a year ago

Almost 2 weeks later and I’m still feeling the magic from commencement 🧡 What an absolute honor it was to share that moment through music with the Class of 2026! Meeting so many of you, hearing your dreams, watching you celebrate with your friends & family… it was everything! Can’t wait to see where you go next because, what starts here changes the world!!!

The most amazing photos by @j.jackkk & @bigcreativeproductions // shoutout to the most amazing event production team too (you know who you are and I love you) !!! taken in The University of Texas at Austin by @djcassandra_

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2 months ago

And just like that in the blink of an eye, this moment, this highlight of my career is completed. It’s funny how before a major show my anxiety is like “I just can’t wait for it to be over” and then the moment finally arrives and it’s gone in a flash and I wish for it again.

There’s something so magical about these moments where thousands of people come together and create one shared energy. That feeling between the crowd, the music, the production, the team, the excitement of what’s to come is something I will take with me forever! Esp as I enter a slower season this summer.

Thanks again to the team (Andy, Thierry, Erika, Debra, Courtney, Monica, Abby, Andrei, John, and so many more, the whole crew, the grads!!!)… what magic!!!

#ut26 #utaustin #musicianlife taken in The University of Texas at Austin by @djcassandra_

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2 months ago

I graduated in 2013 in December (early) from UT’s Butler School of Music so I could save money and start working as soon as possible. Of course when I graduated I had dreams of becoming a film composer but reality hit me hard and I didn’t get to work in music. Instead I worked over 80 hours a week selling glasses outside in the dead of summer, teaching piano lessons for $15/a class, putting flyers around campus for a textbook store for $7/hr, doing marketing for a tech startup, and much more. I always still did music when I could, but my reality of making a living and working ft in music didn’t come true until recently.

Graduates, keep going if you can. I was DJing and performing covers of Raye, Zara Larsson, Phoebe Bridgers, Troye Sivan, Charli XCX, Olivia Dean, Chappell Roan, you name it way before they had their big breaks. They’ve been doing this for a long time. Longevity is the name of the game. I’ve been doing music my whole life, and only getting to work in it properly ft since 2016. But not as a full-time DJ. As a music coordinator, score preparer, assistant, music nonprofit coordinator, composer for a medical project, marketer for an artist manager, etc… AND DJing over 150 paid and not paid gigs. That wasn’t until 2019 when I quit it all and pursued DJing fulltime doing 256 gigs that year. Then Covid hit.

10 years working “in” music and I just now feel like I’m getting started on one of the biggest adventures of my life. You’ve got the world ahead of you and I can’t wait to see what y’all will do 🧡🫶🏼✨ Just remember to be kind and patient with yourself and your growth, you”ll be surprised where your life will take you, to dreams you could have never imagined and magical moments you’ll never forget.

(And yes that’s 2 dj setups because the RX3 was my backup in case something happened to my Rane Four or computer). You can never be too overly prepared with backups.

#graduation #utaustin #austinmusic taken in The University of Texas at Austin by @djcassandra_

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2 months ago

Little me had no idea I’d be DJing for a stadium full of my alma mater over a decade later. Thank you @utaustintx, graduates, and the whole team for having me back for year 2 of UT’s university wide commencement. I will never forget this moment.

#utaustin #ut26 #commencement #graduation #austintx taken in Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium - University of Texas by @djcassandra_

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2 months ago

DJing year 2 of UT Commencement last night was unreal. I absolutely loved meeting y’all and dancing and screaming our hearts out 🧡 congrats grads 🎓

More videos coming soon 🫶🏼

#UT26 #austintx #utaustin taken in The University of Texas at Austin by @djcassandra_

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2 months ago

The University of Texas at Austin 143rd Commencement year 2 loading… They brought me back! See yall tomorrow 🤘🩷

Here’s a little house tour BTS in the meantime from rehearsals today 😘

#utgrad26 #utaustin #commencement #universityoftexas #housetour taken in The University of Texas at Austin by @djcassandra_

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3 months ago

Pretty crazy waking up to finding out you’re on the official ACL music festival lineup (and also like pretty far up on the list next to Asleep At The Wheel and Cassandra Coleman!!!) and then the next minute having to keep my excitement together while on a Microsoft Teams call with production and event planners for an upcoming gig.

I love my life! Thank y’all. I love all the messages yall have been sending about having bought WKND 1 tickets and how it’ll be your first time going to ACL 🥹 Also like WKND 1 GA already sold out?!!!

See you in October, ACL Festival 🩷 tix on sale at aclfest.com

#aclfest #aclmusicfestival #9to5 #austinmusic by @djcassandra_

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3 months ago

Out West, it’s a feeling
and she’s been shaping what that feels like for us

@djcassandra_ didn’t just make a playlist
she’s been designing the sound of LONA from the start
something you can live inside, not just listen to

on repeat, always
for doing more with your time

Now on Spotify, link in bio taken in Austin, Texas by @djcassandra_

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3 months ago

Last Friday I did something I never thought I’d get to do. I was the MC on the main stage for the @kswelinstitute at @utaustintx Changemakers Summit!!! I had the privilege of introducing so many incredible speakers / panelists, our wonderful keynote Allison Ellsworth of Poppi, meeting so many talented students, and more.

I’ve been a DJ for Kendra Scott events for many years now (so grateful), been a guest panelist on the Innovation/ SHESpeaks Series and a podcast guest for Founding Fearless at KS WELI Institute at UT Austin, and have DJ’d numerous conferences (one of my favorite things to do), but never been an MC on a main stage!!! Thank you to everyone at KS, KS Foundation, and KS Weli for giving me this incredible opportunity and giving all the students this beautiful experience to learn and connect with so many changemakers! Such an inspiring day!!!

* Music on the third slide by me and Boy Sim (a remix of LP Giobbi/Bklava “Sinner”)

#kendrascott #ksweli #utaustin taken in The University of Texas at Austin by @djcassandra_

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3 months ago