Virginia Highland’s Premier DJ Truck/ Music House, kicking off VaHi Porchfest Rock n Run 5k at John C Howell Park on Saturday, May 8th from 9-11am, owners Alfredo & Simone Issac are local residents too. Here is an interview with Alfredo himself!
What was the impetus for starting your business? Please share some background as to how you started or got interested in this type of business.
After a career in music production and marketing, working with big brands and big artists, Simone and I took a leap of faith and started Knock Music House to solve a family problem- We have 3 amazing kids who are growing up fast and we wanted a business that we could enjoy together! A place where we could share our love of hip hop culture, dance parties and music without sacrificing who we are as parents.
And we found that there were other families looking for the same thing!
What do you enjoy most about it?
We love sharing our passion for how hip hop music and a dance floor can bring people together. And we’ve formed a talented crew of people just as passionate as we are.
We know we are fortunate that Knock Music House gets to be a part of our guests’ important celebrations. Birthday parties, mitzvahs, weddings, retirement parties- we take that responsibility seriously, and pour our heart into each event.
And because we are a full service private venue, we have the luxury that other event spaces don’t have- we can give each event our personal attention. It’s so fulfilling!
Our absolute favorite events are when we get everyone on the dance floor together- watching the smiles as multi-generations dance together. When a grandmother learns to “Whip A Nae Nae” with her grandson. And when a dad shows his daughter “The Running Man” (and his daughter usually laughs before she tries it herself!). When the dance floor becomes common ground, there’s nothing better!
If there is a secret to Knock Music House’s success, it’s that. We are proud that we know how to create an atmosphere where everyone comes together to have an unforgettable time.
Tell us about your business. What type of products or services do you offer?
Knock Music House has 3 parts, 2 unique event spaces and a mobile option:
- Knock Music House, our original loft in VAHI (behind Atkins Park)
- 1789 The Bridge, our new banquet hall in Lenox Park
- The Knock Music House Mobile Party Crew and Truck
Our website is a great resource to learn more about us, including video and photos of our past parties. Or schedule a tour- we’d love to show you around!
What is your business philosophy / mission?
We believe that every person should be able to have a VIP rock star party experience, complete with a red carpet walk and “fans”! Truly, we want our guests to leave their Knock Music House event feeling celebrated and stress free.
What made Virginia-Highland an appealing location for your business?
VAHI is our community. It’s where we are raising our kids and living our life.
Our VAHI event venue is a special, hidden gem (right behind Atkins Park!) with all the charm and character of a Virginia Highland historic loft.
VAHI’s location is accessible for more than just intown families. We take pride in referring our suburban Atlanta guests to restaurants and shops in the neighborhood.
How does your business enhance or fill a void in the neighborhood? In other words, what do you bring to the community?
Knock Music House serves families. There are plenty of night clubs, bars and spaces for individuals in the community, but we didn’t see a neighborhood place for families to hang out, listen to music and party TOGETHER. That’s important to us! That’s what Knock Music House is all about. We are passionate about bringing people together.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned that you carry with you today in your business?
To be your genuine self, as hard as you can be. Dance as hard as you can, sing as hard as you can, and believe that you are worthy of the space that you’re in.
We try to express that in our events and encourage the people that come through our doors to let down their guard and enjoy the moment.
The past year has challenged businesses like none other. How have you been able to innovate, and how does that speak to the constant need for reinvention? How have you still been able to stay true to your business?
We are party people at heart, and when Covid forced us to shut our doors for a year (the Monday after our grand opening party for our new Lenox Park location), we were devastated.
After spending some time as a family, we came up with a business game plan and pivoted, using the time to invest in our Covid safety and hygiene practices, beautifying our facilities and updating our party technology.
And we also took a risk- we purchased a mobile party truck so we can bring the Knock Music House experience on the road to backyard events, block parties, and festivals! (Look for us at Porchfest!)
What COVID-19 precautions is your business taking?
We take the safety of our staff and our guests seriously. So using industry best practices as our guide, we made improvements to our facilities, created cleaning protocols, implemented staff policies and produced guest safety recommendations. Our website has more details about each improvement.
How do you hope to give back to the community?
We are grateful to be a part of the VAHI community and we look forward to offering our services during upcoming VAHI events. Come visit us as at Porchfest- request a song and maybe we can get the whole crowd to Wobble!
