Bio
Composer, DJ, and Spatial Sound Designer Erica “Twelve45” Blunt is a rising force in the music industry. Erica has established herself as a sought-after DJ, performing at prominent events like Essence's Street Style Block Party and venues such as Lincoln Center, The Highline Ballroom, Baby’s All Right, and the Brooklyn Museum. She has brought her unique style to events for Google, Spotify, LinkedIn, and The Shed. She started her video mix series "Day by Day" to bring peace and introspection through music and nature visuals. Using music as her medium, Erica cherishes creating a body of work that is both entertaining and edifying.
Her dynamic career spans various music genres and artistic mediums, showcasing her versatility and creativity. Most notably, she served as composer and sound designer for Dance Theatre of Harlem’s ballet "Sounds of Hazel," based on American pianist and activist Hazel Scott. "Sounds of Hazel" had its New York premiere at City Center in April 2023.
In 2023, Erica was chosen as a Toulmin Fellow by The Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University and National Sawdust, with support from the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. This fellowship promotes equity in the fields of choreography and musical composition by supporting women and other artists who are traditionally underrepresented in both fields. She used the time and resources provided to explore spatial sound technologies and create immersive experiences. In May 2024, she showcased her project "Transitions & Turntables," designed for the Meyer Sound Constellations Space Map at National Sawdust. As transitions are key to the art of the DJ, Erica’s showcase focused on this transitional time in her work and life, presenting an immersive storytelling experience featuring original music, spatial sound mapping, and a live audiovisual DJ performance. As part of her fellowship, Erica worked with her mentor Alastair McMillan, an Emmy nominee and U2 sound engineer and spatial sound designer.
In 2022, she was awarded the John Brown Lives! Fellowship for Artists, Activists, and Scholars and held an artistic residency at Craigardan in Elizabethtown, NY, where she gave an audiovisual presentation of original compositions using recorded sounds and video from Craigardan’s farm and surrounding areas. Later that year, Erica joined John Brown Lives! as a Board Member, where she now serves as Vice President and contributes as a member of the arts community to connect the lessons of the past to the present, bending the moral arc of history towards justice and equity.
From 2017 to 2024, Erica was the Resident Composer and Music Coordinator for the Harlem-based modern dance company EMERGE125. She collaborated on several works, including "After Dark," "Emerged Nation," and the dance films "Rights of Renaissance" and "Geography of Grace." In April 2023, Erica premiered a full evening-length work, "The Path," as a composer and audiovisual designer. Additionally, she performed with the company for their three-story takeover of the National Gallery of Art (D.C) in 2018, including a performance by Chris Brubeck, a night that set the record for highest event attendance. Returning with them in 2019, she performed alongside a classical ensemble commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, designing a soundscape that was out of this world while feeling right at home. In 2021, her composition for "Emerged Nation" was featured as E125 kicked off the NYC Mayor’s Open Culture Program, which opened up city streets for outdoor cultural performances and events throughout the five boroughs.
Erica got her start in Scratch DJ Academy’s Certification program in March 2014, blazing through the curriculum and finishing top of her class in October 2014. Not wasting any time, she quickly followed up that achievement by receiving certification in Scratch’s Music Production program in January 2015. From playing the drums in high school to now programming them in Ableton, Erica has personally benefited from music education and aims to share her knowledge with future generations of musicians. A former mathematics teacher with a Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration, she enjoyed relating to students through their passion for music. Through her work with the non-profit program Building Beats, she was able to support students throughout New York City, building their creative confidence and furthering their skills both in music and life.
