Interview with Austrian DJ Max Wanderer | Behind the TikTok Project “Tiny Hands, Big Tunes”

We had the pleasure of speaking with Austrian DJ and creator of the heartwarming TikTok project “Tiny Hands, Big Tunes” – Max Wanderer – and his daughter Emma / @maxwanderer_ /. Their sweet and stylish father-daughter tradition is a perfect reflection of the Wigiwama spirit: creative, intentional, and full of love.

Hi Max! For those who may not know you yet, could you tell our Wigi-Family a bit about yourself, your music journey, and, finally, the inspiration behind your TikTok page with Emma, “Tiny Hands, Big Tunes”?

Hey Wigi-Fam! First of all, thank you for having us - we’re super excited to be part of your journey!

I’m a musical curator, DJ, producer and most importantly, the father of a 1.5-year-old daughter. For the past 15 years I’ve tried my best to contribute something meaningful to Vienna’s nightlife culture. I’m in the very privileged position of being able to do a big part of my work from home, and since the birth of our daughter, I’ve pretty much ditched working at night to spend as much time as possible with my family.

Of course, music plays a huge role in our lives. There’s always music playing when we’re at home, and ever since Emma started moving on her own, she’s been incredibly interested in my records. She pulled them out of the shelf, looked at them and even seemed very calm and curious while watching me play. Soon, I let her push some buttons and twist knobs on the mixer while holding her in my arms. For her first birthday, she got a learning tower and was able to reach the DJ equipment on her own.

I’ve had a TikTok account for about a year but never really intended to post anything – until my fiancée insisted I give it a try. So I started with a video from our Dog Barbara. The second video I posted showed Emma standing behind the turntables and already got a few hundred likes. Since she really enjoyed playing records and touching everything like a busy-board, I thought: why not edit the next videos a little and use them as a fun way to introduce people to new music?  It caught on really quickly, and people loved it – so it became a little ritual for us.

We only do it if Emma wants to. Sometimes she asks once or twice a week if we can make a video - sometimes she doesn’t ask for two weeks or more, so we don’t post on a regular basis. Above all, it’s about having fun and listening to music.

You’ve integrated the Wigiwama Matcha Beanbag and Guava Square Ottoman into Emma’s space. What inspired your choice of colours and styles, and what’s Emma’s favourite way to enjoy her little setup?

Both the beanbag and the ottoman caught our eye by looking incredibly comfortable. We’ve always wanted our home to feel cosy first and foremost, but also to reflect our personal aesthetic. Since my fiancée and I both work in creative fields, we believe that the things you look at every day should have the potential to inspire.

Both pieces look great in every room of our apartment – especially when our daughter drags them around and they end up in a different spot every few days. The colors Macha and Guava perfectly match our vibe and even our pets love to take naps on them.

Right now, we’ve built a little kid’s cave for Emma to hang out in. It was her idea to put the beanbag and the ottoman inside so she could lay on them while we read her books.

At Wigiwama, our mission is to cultivate good taste in children from a young age – through interiors, creative play, and exploration. What does this mean to you personally, and how do you bring it to life with Emma?

For me, the things I discover on my own are always the ones that I remember the most. To fully dive into a topic you’re interested in, you need enough space to explore it at your own pace. With Emma, we try our best to show her as much of the world as possible, so she can decide for herself whether she likes something or not. Our job as her parents is to support her on her journey, to help when needed and to nurture all the creative sparks children experience in their everyday lives. The moments when you discover something new and exciting are often the ones that turn into lasting, positive core memories.That’s what we hope to encourage.

In your videos, we see little Emma playing with vinyl turntables and DJ setups – which aren’t exactly toddler-proof! How do you feel about letting her explore your professional equipment? Is there a method behind the trust?

That’s a really good point, especially since it’s something that comes up regularly among TikTok users.

Since Emma came into our lives, my fiancée and I have been constantly amazed by how much more our toddler is capable of than we ever would have imagined. We truly believe that children can do so much more than most people expect. You just have to show them (and sometimes remind them - annoyingly often) how to use the tools they want to use. When it comes to DJ equipment you have to remind yourself that these things were built to be club-proof.

I’ve organised and taken part at over a thousand parties, and honestly, most adults I’ve seen using turntables, players and mixers treated them way rougher than you’d expect - and they still worked perfectly for years. Even if something gets broken, it’s easy to replace. But nothing can replace the look on a child’s face when you let them touch something they know matters to you.

Many of us were raised by parents who projected their unfulfilled dreams onto their children. What’s your perspective on that, and how do you strike the balance between sharing your world and letting Emma discover her own?

I’m super lucky that my parents always supported me in pursuing my own dreams - no matter how short-lived they were.

Personally, I find it fascinating to watch this little human grow into an independent person with their own taste and preferences. Sure, it feels great when I see my daughter excited about - let’s say - a record I really love. But it’s just as exciting when she tells me she prefers listening to something else.

What I’m trying to say is: of course our kids are heavily influenced by their parents’ personalities. What really matters is how we act as parents when they want to expand their horizons - even if it takes us out of our own comfort zone. 

What does sharing your love of music with Emma means to you, and how has it shaped your connection as she grows?

Music is - and always has been - one of the best ways to connect with each other. Not a single day goes by without us listening to music and it definitely affects our everyday mood.

For me, it’s always been a kind of safe space - a way to take a break from the busy pace of the day. I’m really happy that Emma embraces the joy of listening to music as much as I do, and I’m especially curious to see how her taste will evolve as she gets older. I mean, it was 1.5 years ago that I first shook that tiny person’s hand - and now we’re listening to vinyl records together for fun. That’s just crazy cool.

What’s one piece of friendly advice you’d pass on to parents guiding their little ones through this big, wild world?

With Emma being our first child, we’re definitely no experts – but there’s one sentence I personally try to keep in mind when it comes to staying patient – which I think is key when communicating with a toddler: Remember that it’s their first time living, too. Let them experience the beauty of life – with all the emotions that come with it. Some phases might be more difficult than others, but they’ll be over sooner than you think – and then you’ll miss them everyday. 

Max, what was your favourite song growing up – and what’s Emma’s favourite tune these days? Has she picked a favourite from the vinyls she plays with?

That’s an easy one for Emma. No matter what she’s doing – when Doechii’s Denial is a River comes on, she goes quiet and starts bopping her head to the beat. This has been happening on a daily basis since the album was released. It’s super hard for me to pick just one song, because I grew up listening to so much music that I truly love – so I’ll go with the first one that comes to mind and still brings back a ton of memories. Starlight by The Supermen Lovers – a masterclass in French house music and a track my dad used to play a lot. To this day I still love including it in my sets.

Finally, what’s a wild dream you have as a DJ dad? Could we one day see a Tiny Hands x Max Wanderer back-to-back set?

Actually, that’s something I haven’t thought about yet.To be honest, it already feels like I’m living in a wild dream.I’ve played back-to-back with my dad - so maybe a B3B with granddad would be something we’ll see in the future :)