From DJing in her living room in her pajamas, to playing at a Detroit Pistons game and finally performing at Campbell Hall homecoming, 12-year-old Lily Clay ‘32 has done it all. Clay, whose stage name is ‘LC Danger’, showcased her talents at homecoming, demonstrating courage.
Clay DJed at homecoming before and during the volleyball game. She started DJing when she was seven years old and played for a crowd of 20,000 at the Detroit Pistons game when she was only eight years old. Clay got offered the opportunity to DJ at Homecoming and jumped at the chance.
“I love DJing for my school,” Clay said. “I would always be open to DJing for my friends and classmates at school events.”
Faith Marshall, the constituent events manager, and Daphne Carr, the interim director of advancement, organized homecoming together, and wanted this year’s event to feel both exciting and fresh. Homecoming is a collaboration between the athletics department and all the events that take place on the field, including cheer and volleyball. Carr had previously worked with Clay’s mom, Sarah Clay. Together, they facilitated a basketball camp that was a partnership between a non-profit, Los Angeles Better Educated Students for Tomorrow (BEST), and the Detroit Pistons. Carr had heard of L. Clay’s talents when the Advancement team decided to include a DJ. They asked Dr. Toya Holiday, the director of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, to ask Clay if this could be a possibility.
“I was so grateful that we could have this amazing, young talent, actually part of this huge community event,” Carr said. “Sarah was equally so happy and grateful that she could share this with [her daughter’s] school.”
While the spotlight on L. Clay might seem unusual for someone her age, Carr sees it as a perfect example of what Campbell Hall embodies.
“At Campbell hall, there are so many students [who] excel at whatever they’re passionate about,” Carr said. “One thing I love about this school is, no matter [the students] age, they are given an opportunity to share those passions and expertise.”
Elizabeth Langston ‘27 attended Homecoming and saw L. Clay DJ. Langston was glad to see more young students involved in high school and middle school events. She believes being involved in these events lets younger students figure out what their interests are and the experiences they want to be involved in for the future. As she saw L. Clay DJ, she noted her showcase of interests to the older students and Langston is excited to see more younger students involved in these events.
“I honestly would like to see more younger students be a part of these things because I feel like it’s a really good experience for the future,” Langston said. “It can help them find out what they’re interested in for middle school and high school.”
Clay has been the DJ at a variety of events, ranging from sports games to private performances for her friends and family. Each event and performance, Clay plays different genres of music depending on the crowd, and homecoming was no different. DJing at homecoming brought a lot of firsts for L. Clay and her DJ career.
“Playing Homecoming was really fun,” Clay said. “I really like DJing sporting events. This was different from all the other venues I have played at since it was outside. This was my first time playing at a volleyball game. It was a very special experience.”