John "Ben Dragon"'s Open Road

JOHN "BEN DRAGON" PUANGIO

DJ & Music Producer

LEADER INFO:

INTERESTS:

Music Technology

THEMES DISCUSSED:

Success Family Confidence Passion Experience Failure

FOUNDATION:

Being Creative

BIOGRAPHY:

• He was born in Chicago, IL—says the first music he remembers listening to is house music, a genre of electronic dance music created by club DJs and music producers in Chicago.
• His parents immigrated from very poor provinces in the Philippines and put a lot of pressure on him to become either a doctor, lawyer, or engineer.
• Attended the University of California, Irvine (UCI), where he received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, but felt his skills would never be good enough to translate into a career.
• After graduation, he committed himself to becoming self-sufficient so that he could pursue his love of music without his parents doubting him.
• His electrical engineering degree landed him a job as a software programmer, which enabled him to become financially independent and move out of his parents’ house.
• Through a connection from UCI, his music career started to take off as he got more opportunities to produce commercial music for artists in Los Angeles.
• In 2015, he decided to found his own label, “Fire To My Ears,” which enabled him to release and promote his own music on his terms.
• He debuted his trademark tech-house style at the famous house club, FOCUS, and has since gone on to play the Amsterdam Dance Street Festival, KAABOO Festival, and shows all over the world.