Since 2009, Mike Pope has been the resident DJ for the popular Joining Hearts party and HIV fundraiser. This year’s event is set for Saturday, July 23, at the Piedmont Park pool, with Pope and DJ Seth Cooper providing the beats. Pope, 39, also spins at numerous other dance parties, including at the Heretic, where he is the rotating resident DJ, and at Mixx.
Born near Baltimore, Md., and raised in Columbia, Md., Pope moved to Atlanta 14 years ago where the boys love him and his disco house, tribal house and vocal house beats. He took a few moments out of his busy schedule to discuss his swimsuit selection for the Joining Hearts party as well as who gets his top vote in a match between Lady Gaga and Madonna.
Do you have a day job? What is it?
Yep, I'm not a jet-setting international DJ quite yet (but hopefully someday). I am the Media Services Analyst at The Art Institute of Atlanta. I manage the audio and video equipment and recording studios for the Audio & Digital Film-making Programs at the college. I've been doing that for the last eight years.
DJ Mike Pope keeps rooms filled with hundreds of gyrating dancers moving to the beats thumping from his booth, but he likes the attention focused on his music, not himself.