Oct. 25, the fall Student DJ Showcase went above and beyond expectations. Hosted by the Music Technology Program at Moorpark College, the second showcase of the year featured over fifteen acts between two shows. DJs, producers and live performers filled the lineup as they shared their talent with the community.
The eagerly anticipated event was held in the Blackbox Theater, a smaller theater within the Performing Arts Center. Seats were almost full when the evening program began at 7:30 p.m.
Lysander Hernandez, also known as DJ Lysander, 26, started off the evening lineup with groovy beats and a great attitude. His “Jenny From the Block” remix got the crowd off their feet and dancing.
Morpheus Kostromin, 21, dance major, swing danced with her partner and matched their steps to the electronic music playing.
Each set lasted about fifteen minutes and featured two screens. One played visuals both chosen by the performer and Video Jockey, and the other promoted the DJ’s screen name.
Video Jockey and DJ Dean Kyle were up next on the performance set list. Kyle played live video game inspired beats with accompanying animal and meme visuals.
Although Kyle was deterred by several sound malfunctions, the Music Technology team kept the audience distracted and entertained until his performance was back on track.
The Associated Students of Moorpark College sponsored the event and provided audience members with the chance to win raffle prizes. Prizes included $25 and $30 iTunes and Spotify gift cards and the Music Technology program gave away several shirts promoting the program.
“ASMC is so kind to support us and it’s fun for us to get out our logo,” said Nathan Bowen, 41, director of music technology.
Returning DJ Osali, 21, had quite an entrance as he sprung up from behind the table and hyped the crowd up.
“What’s up guys, I’m loving the energy right now,” Osali stated as he began his hardstyle EDM set.
The different sets featured various sounds reflecting both the DJ’s personality and style.
DJ Cripto, 18, and artist Emily Carson worked together to showcase a unique performance. As Cripto played, one of the two screens focused a camera on Carson’s hand and surprised the audience with what transpired.
Cripto introduced his lo-fi and hip hop set with a “Destroy All Humans 2” soundbite and psychedelic visuals. Carson entered part way through and began an original ink drawing. Inspired by Cripto’s music, Carson started with a blank piece of paper and finished with a mind-blowing art piece.
“It was pretty sweet,” stated Cripto. “It took me a couple of weeks to get my set together but I had a couple of beats already.”
Several of the performers used Ableton, a digital audio workstation, to put together their music. Other tools used included a launchpad or Roland SP-404, which allowed the DJs to sample and pre-load music.
Lark Detweiler, 19, is an award winning deaf dancer who brought the electronic music to life with her elegant dance performance. Detweiler enthralled the crowd with a contemporary and jazz funk fusion display.
Trevor Schultz, 19, also known as DJ Feverdrache had his first performance on the night of the showcase.
“It was a real culture shock. It’s electronic music but a lot of it was jersey club and psytrance and all sorts,” said Schultz. “I feel [the performance] went well. Overall it sounded well I’m guessing because everyone kept dancing.”
The show was closed out by two multi-faceted performers, giving the crowd a closing surge of energy.
Preston Teel, 23, was the second to last DJ and jumped right into his set. The crowd immediately reacted to his head banging music and partied in the pit as the music played.
Completely unfazed, Teel displayed his best while performing. Teel was sure of his set and kept the music going as it transitioned to the last DJ of the night.
Andy Soto, 19, also known as Dreamix, closed out the show with his stellar production of hardstyle and headbanging. Soto had nearly thirty audience members in the pit dancing and applauding as his set finished off the night.
“I felt more confident [than the noon show]. The first set I completely winged it. This time I tried to go for a stage presence,” stated Soto. “I’m just happy we did this and it’s interesting to see how music can bring people together.”
At the end each show, ASMC donated two Novation Launchpad Mini’s to the performers that received the largest applause.
Preston Teel was the winner of the first launchpad mini for the matinee show and Soto won the second launchpad mini for the evening show.
“It’s overall been a great day,” said Bowen. “A lot of the students are pretty self motivated and organized. It’s really fun when we can see what they’re doing and how it influences the sounds.”
The next DJ Showcase will be held Jan. 31, 2020. For more information on the Student DJ Showcase, or the DJs themselves, follow the Music Technology Program on Instagram.
