High above the stomping masses and pounding music, a small group of students lord over the most powerful position at any dance: the DJ booth. However, the DJ Dawgs – seniors Bailey Vitek, Cason Reinhart, and sophomores Caleb Smith and Lilian Griffin – do so much more than just play killer beats. In fact, one of the most challenging parts of being a DJ is the setup and takedown.
“When we [set up in the commons], it will take us maybe three to four hours,” Vitek said. “But [Old Skool] is definitely one of the biggest event setups I’ve ever done. We have to do so much staging, run all of the fog machines and lighting, and it’s just crazy. That’s pretty much an all-day affair.”
After moving hundreds of pounds of staging, lights, and speakers, the DJ Dawgs get to begin the actual DJ work for the dance. Though a DJ’s work may look fun, it takes intense focus throughout the dance to create the fun and carefree vibe that school dances are known for.
“We don’t use a recorded set like some schools,” Reinhart said. “During the dance, I’m locked in and working on picking the next song. I’m already five songs ahead by the time we’re moving on. It’s kind of stressful at times because we’re not trained at all. We’ve taken this on all in our [free] time, so it’s a lot of screwing around, seeing what works and what doesn’t.”
A good DJ must be flexible, ready to adjust their music to the mood of the crowd. That’s why the DJ Dawgs use a program called Rekordbox, which allows them to select and load up songs from a created folder. However, this flexibility means that the ability to read the room becomes essential.
“We just think, ‘what would they dance to?’” Smith said. “Or ‘what kind of music are people gravitating towards right now?’”
However, as hard as they work, it’s impossible to please everyone. In fact, not every song they play is meant to please everyone.
“Sometimes, we do have to play those garbage songs because we need to get people off the floor for a second to remind you to go get water and go take a breather,” Vitek said. “Also, we have to be constantly pleasing the majority of people in the room. If you’re not the majority for part of the time, that’s okay. That is your opportunity to sit down, get some water, or check in with your date.”
With so many different elements to juggle, being a DJ can be very stressful. Luckily, the DJ Dawgs are always able to find ways to have fun, even though they are working.
“I love to just thump the music,” Smith said. “It’s awesome being able to make everyone super happy and light up a room.”
