Bass echoed through the bottom floor of the Dining Hall as students crowded around a folding table turned DJ booth, watching classmates cue tracks and adjust knobs. As the beat shifted, Nico Khoury-Levy ‘26 stepped in, headphones pressed tight against his ears and tested a transition while friends looked on from the floor.

Scenes like this have become more common as a growing group of students have begun DJing independently, buying their own equipment and practicing during free periods and after school.

Several students were introduced to DJing through the WinterMission course “Spinning Culture: A Dive into the World of the DJ,” and have shared that their interest has intensified since the program ended. Budding DJers are now investing in DJ boards and learning new genres to perform for peers. Many are reaching out to classmates and friends to offer their services for upcoming parties and student-run events. 

Senior Nico Khoury-Levy said his interest in DJing began before WinterMission when he started independently mixing music on his computer. After receiving a DJ board, he started practicing more seriously. 

“Once I got my board, I was really able to dive deep and start learning techniques. A central part of the process has been learning how to respond to a crowd,” Khoury-Levy said.

Under the guidance of Upper School Math Teacher Michele Dennis and Upper School History and Religion Teacher Nyasha Chiundiza, students like Khoury-Levy were pushed out of their comfort zones in the WinterMission course. 

“The hardest part [of the WinterMission] was probably learning about different music genres, yet now I have more confidence in the range of my DJ abilities,” Khoury-Levy said.

DJing has also become a new way for students to engage with music they already loved. Leon Samuels ‘29 said mixing tracks made his interest in music more active and personal. 

“By mixing music, it can connect my passion with listening to music even more,” Samuels said.

Allat Yussapova ‘26, who also took the Wintermission course, discussed how DJing has become a creative outlet. 

“I love listening to music and before the class, I had never touched a DJ board, but now I definitely want to keep practicing,” she said. “It’s cool to see something we learned in a week actually turn into something real.”

As more students continue DJing beyond their initial exposure, some are beginning to look outside of school for opportunities to learn and perform. Khoury-Levy plans to continue developing his skills this summer by learning from professional DJ Simon Benali in Brussels.

What started as a weeklong WinterMission course is evolving into a student-led effort to bring music and each other to the center of the room.