Everyone has a dream. And whether that dream is to become a movie star, a lawyer, a business owner or even a producer, it is up to the dreamer to turn those dreams into realities.

Dominic Del Bene said he has always dreamed of a career in music and following in his father's footsteps to become a radio disc jockey some day, and he did everything in his power to accomplish his goals starting at the age of 16.

But his dreams were crushed after an internship at a radio station made him realize being a DJ was not all it was cracked up to be.

“I hated it. It was corporate, generic, preprogrammed and insincere,” said Del Bene. “I was kind of burned by that, because whenever it was career day in school, it would always be radio for me.”

Trying to keep a positive attitude, Del Bene did not allow his fallen dream to let him lose focus. He merely shifted gears a little bit.

With an unyielding passion for music, Del Bene, 24, decided in January 2004 to launch his own independent music label titled Loud Minority Music, a name that he said represents the fact his label is not trying to appeal to the mass majority, which makes the label a minority.

Del Bene currently has five music artists signed to Loud Minority Music - four hip-hop artists and a jazz singer with strong hip-hop influences.

“My whole vision of this label is to let thousands of people hear what I, as one person, have heard and liked, thinking that they might like it,” said Del Bene. “I think I have the potential to be a taste maker.”
Del Bene said that music is his all-consuming passion.

Getting to this point was a bumpy road filled with disappointment, self-doubt, and emotional stresses for Del Bene.

If having his dream of being a DJ shattered wasn’t enough, the young hip-hop enthusiast said he began to question his craft as a rapper and music producer and what he could bring to the world of hip-hop, feeling that he just wasn’t good enough, which ultimately led to the start of Loud Minority Records.

“The catalyst for me starting my own label was realizing all the peers that I had were a little better at what they did than I was at what I did.”

Only time will tell if Del Bene made the right choice, but some of his friends said they believe he did.
“The funny thing is I think his label will make it,” said Jennifer Otter, one of Del Bene’s teachers in the music and recording industry program. “He has the follow-through work ethic and he’s so willing to learn.”

Gerald “Whiz” Ward II, a rap artist, SF State cinema graduate and friend of Del Bene’s, said Del Bene is very organized and he’s putting himself in a position to do what he wants with his life.

The white, red-haired urban and suburban male - as he refers to himself - transferred to SF State as a BECA major from Santa Rosa Junior College. He dropped that major to pursue the music and recording industry program through the College of Extended Learning, where he said he has learned a great deal.

“I wasn’t about to wait a year and a half to do something I felt I was qualified to do,” said Del Bene.
And Del Bene may have been qualified.

The San Francisco native grew up dreaming of music and watching shows like “WKRP in Cincinnati.” The ambitious teen started working as a DJ at house parties for his friends, which eventually led to him spinning for his own school, Maria Carillo High School in Santa Rosa, as well as others throughout his high school years.

Spinning records enabled Del Bene to make the kind of money many teens only dream of making. He’d rake in about $50 for house parties and anywhere from $600 to $800 for high school dances. The money he earned from his various gigs enabled him to build an extensive music collection and buy recording equipment and keyboards.

He went on to continuously improve his skills as a DJ and got an internship at the radio station KZST 100.l in Sonoma County. He also gained experience in television, working for AT&T Cable as an audio and graphics technician.

At the age of 24, Del Bene has tapped into the entertainment industry in many ways and has accomplished more than many people will in their lifetime. According to him, he’s just getting started.