Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Gerke.
Scott, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
As the only boy surrounded by three sisters growing up in a conservative household, I always had a desire for freedom. Questioning everything, while getting full support from my family in all of my interests, I quickly learned that there was a rebellious side to me. In my hometown of Clearwater, Florida, Boy Scouts was my outlet for exploration and I learned that receiving my Eagle rank became more than a patch to me. It imparted the critical lesson that it is most fun and insightful to learn things with your own hands. While scouting had been such a big part of my life, being an entrepreneur had become just as exciting. There was this addiction to figuring everything out on my own and supporting what was right for me. I realized that all of this was preparing me for a life that my dreams could come true.
In my early 20s, my resume read off like someone always facing the prospect of underemployment, but who was really intent on trying everything: I moved to Asheville, North Carolina as an organic farmer, cook, river rafting guide, wilderness therapy counselor, but always a DJ at heart who desired connection. At 25, in 2010, I moved to Key West to pursue my next adventure as a fishing/sailing captain for the Seabase Boy Scout Camp and quickly learned I could ditch the boat gig and make a living throwing parties. Here, my personality as a connector and love for community would explode and also build my company into what it is today; I had no idea what was in store for me.
Since I was 13, I appointed myself chief organizer of music for all of my family’s events. After a few successful playlists, one of my aunt’s suggested I do this for a living. I knew this would take a good bit of equipment and there was no way I was going to convince my parents to fund my hairbrained scheme. After a few summers mowing lawns, I had all the gear I needed to see where music would take me. I targeted records at first, riding my bike to the nearest store digging through crates, then banishing myself to my room and scrutinizing all the major parts of music that make people move. I was hooked. What grew into a hobby, finally expanded to become my career in 2011. Key West was the perfect place to allow that to happen. This island celebrates everything – the start of visitor season, bicycle parades, professional pirates, costuming, and even Stanley Papio. Key Westers are all about having a good time and loving life. To continue this as a full-time profession and fund all my passions, I had to move from nightclubs to weddings, saving paychecks to work on my next project: event production.
In 2014, I launched Bayview Park Movie Series, an outdoor community event hosted by my first event production concept, Key West Outdoor Movies. Although it did not directly align with DJ’ing, it was a way for me to help bring the community together and was a market no one had tapped into. After a few failed attempts at asking for $15,000 from family members to help me kickstart this venture, I took out a line of credit. I had to make this work quickly. Having no clue on how to put on a large-scale event, permitting was a shot in the dark and getting sponsors was an exhausting experience, but I received approval from the city and collected enough money to host what attracted roughly 700 people on opening night. Bills were paid and went strong for four years. This started a mini-craze in town and became a household name, which my mother always told me was a valuable part of a successful business. I made incredible connections within the community, grinded the event hosting circuit, and gained the confidence needed to go bigger.
By 2017, the outdoor movie venture proved repetitive and creatively frustrating. During the February full moon that year, I invited a group of friends out to the beach for an idea I had been mulling over. We secretly slipped off to Higgs Beach – one of the more tucked away locales on the island – during a full moon for what was called an “experience”. I wanted to get feedback before the masses found out. It appeared as a simple celebration on the beach. Strategically, it was an opportunity to combine my outdoor movie screen for visuals, hang out with some friends, and give me a chance to be known as a DJ again.
Naturally, on a small island, the buzz got out. What started off as just friends dancing in the sand, quickly grew into a family that understood where this was going. New people showed up each month and lots of friendships were forged. The name, “Key West Full Moon Experience” was born.
That September, Hurricane Irma hit, putting an indefinite pause on everything. Luckily, Key West was spared the onslaught suffered by the Middle Keys. The residents of Key west put their lives on pause to help everyone in need. I was out there cutting trees off of houses and providing the emotional support that was desperately necessary. The aftermath of the hurricane cemented the idea that my earlier full moon beach “experience” needed to become an official celebration. One that included the entire community. It would provide a place for participation and self-expression, where art of any kind was to run freely. The music was eclectic. Everyone was encouraged to bring something to share. What went from 30-50 people exploded to over 600 in just a few months! That came with a steep learning curve, running out of money, and under the radar with no official permitting. Though, after meeting with the county, knowing this idea needed approval and support, they were by my side 100%. Happy to see people coming together on a beach that doesn’t get used much, they saw it as an asset and asked me what they could do to help. Thereafter, sponsors followed suit. We finished what became a nine-month season with a ton of support.
Summer of 2018, I decided to travel the country in search of all walks of life. This was to help me better understand what I was trying to build; community. 14,000 miles and three months later, sleeping in my van and driving deep through every culture along the perimeter of the United States, I shook hands and stopped random strangers to learn about them. It taught me that we all have one thing in common: a need for love and connection. My idea became more grounded. From that experience, I desired nothing more than to get back home and share with Key West what I learned from that trip.
Still working out all the kinks and almost two years later, the Key West Full Moon Experience is thriving and full of exactly what I had hoped for: self-expression and participation. I feel incredibly grateful that my love for interactive art, music, and connection has now become an organized festival. My summer plans are to create relationships with nationwide artists, build a solid sponsorship base, and bring an experience to Key West that inspires both locals and visitors alike. As I like to put it, “You have everything it takes to be the best version of yourself.”
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I combine visuals, interaction, and music to amass crowds of revelers and well-wishers for the most exciting and memorable moments. It helps feed my need to connect with members of the community and help them forge new relationships. What I hope they take away from all of this is the inspiration and courage to approach the stranger in the street, club, or beach and dare to build friendships.
What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
Identify a niche that will allow you to be miles away from the pack. Scrutinize the landscape for unmet demand. Aim to curate the best experiences that you have a creative hand in developing.
Contact Info:
- Website: kwfullmoon.com
- Phone: 305-791-4375
- Email: scott@visualize-entertainment.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/kwfullmoon
- Facebook: facebook.com/kwfullmoon
Image Credit:
Filda Konec Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition, please let us know here.
