The pulse within any fraternity party on Grounds beats at the command of the DJ, and for many fraternities, this DJ is one of their very own. Every weekend, these brothers are tasked with filling the basement with much more than just background noise — rather the perfect mix that will keep students dancing well into the early hours of the morning. However, being a frat DJ is much more than just playing music — it also means being part of a community dedicated to creating lively atmospheres with immersive sets.
Unlike the playlist and aux cord method that some on-Grounds parties opt for, a DJ mixes and manipulates tracks to enhance the listening experience for party goers. According to Jack “Jacko” Reichert — seasoned frat DJ and fourth-year College student — this added technical element is what makes the atmosphere of a party with a DJ so dynamic and engaging.
“DJing at fraternities is awesome because it’s a really fun aspect of house music, and it’s just people in a sweaty basement dancing until the night ends,” Reichert said. “It’s kind of like having a live band and something you can interact with.”
Reichert said his interest in DJing began back when he was in middle school, but it was not until his sophomore year of high school that he was able to buy his own board — a piece of equipment with control and software that DJs use to mix tracks — and start developing his signature technique. This passion did not falter when he arrived at the University, where he has been able to show off his skills and make a name for himself by DJing at parties on Grounds.
“You get started smaller and play a few good parties, and then people are like, ‘this kid knows what he’s doing’, and start to notice,” Reichert said.
Now, Reichert DJs weekly for his fraternity, St. Elmo Hall. As an avid fan of house music and heavily inspired by dance and electronic music artists like Odd Mob, through DJing Reichert is able to share his love for the genre with the party scene on Grounds.
The feeling is mutual for Grey Holmen, DJ and fourth-year College student, who stepped behind the decks — the set of controls and mixers at the center of the DJ booth — for the first time just last fall before heading off to Spain to study abroad for a whole semester. Picking up the practice at an impressive pace, he now performs “all kinds of house” at parties for his fraternity Phi Kappa Psi week after week.
“I had been watching our house DJ play for a while. I finally thought it would be cool to know how to DJ before going abroad.” Holmen said. “That just grew and grew into me being able to play at Phi Psi now, which is awesome.”
Like Reichert, Holmen believes that the presence of a DJ elevates a party’s atmosphere to a much higher degree than the same handful of songs in a queue could.
“[Having a DJ] is part of what makes Phi Psi parties so enjoyable,” said Holmen. “The live music aspect gives it more of a unique sound. It becomes a much more unpredictable listening experience as opposed to individual songs in a queue.”
Reichert said that part of this unpredictability lies in catering to the crowd’s tastes while also playing the up-tempo house music he enjoys. He said that finding this perfect balance often demands clever and creative approaches to making this blend seamless.
For Reichert, the job is all about being attuned and open to the shifting energy of the party goers in the room. Reichert said that part of this means not being afraid to improvise mid-set, going off script in order to meet the needs of the crowd.
“There’s a huge thing about reading the crowd, you come in with a playlist, and in the middle of it you’re like, ‘I gotta switch it up’,” said Reichert. “I go a little bit in between a song that people like and know, and a version or remix that I can tweak to keep the energy I want.”
Holmen takes a different approach, explaining that he prefers to build momentum with a recognizable song before shifting back into a groove that fits his preferred set. Once his crowd is hooked, he can gradually raise the complexity of the mix to keep everyone on their feet.
“Sometimes all it takes is a generic sing-along aux song to get people going again. Sometimes all you really need is a ‘Party in the U.S.A.,’” Holmen said. “That energy spreads, and more people start to walk in.”
For Reichert, the art of DJing lies in the ability to blend a variety of genres together into one high-energy set. Whether he’s mixing house with top-40 pop for his own fraternity or fusing EDM with country for Zeta Psi, the objective is always to fuel the energy of the room.
“Zete is more southern music [for example], you know it depends on where kids are from,” Reichert said. “You always try to get the vibe of the room.”
While music preferences and DJ styles may vary from house to house, and brother to brother, one thing is constant in every setlist.
“There are different subgenres between frats, but in general, you just need to [play] songs that girls will know,” Reichert said.
While tailoring the music to the crowd is crucial, what truly keeps the beats flowing is the strong sense of camaraderie among the DJs themselves. Holmen said the frat DJs on Grounds are strongly connected through their passion for the craft. He said that the community of frat DJs at the University is an extremely supportive one where opportunities like gigs are shared and collaboration is highly encouraged.
This collaboration ranges from opening for one another at gigs, to coming together to perform joint sets — which can even happen spontaneously.
“I’ve DJ’d with [and] met a bunch of frat DJs,” Holmen said. “There’s definitely a sort of community. I’ll be DJing, and then Jacko or somebody at a different frat will come and get behind the stand with me. It’s really free-flowing and open for all the DJs that know each other.”
Holmen and Reichert were roommates while studying abroad in Madrid, and because of their DJ capabilities — and a connection gained through a Spanish exchange student — they got the opportunity to take what they’ve learned from DJing at the University to the European music scene. The two were able to book gigs at local clubs and bars, but also larger venues like the Rubikon — a nightclub in the center of the city.
“DJing at clubs is sweet because they have the best sound systems, and they trust you to play whatever you want,” said Reichert. “You can show off unique songs and remixes that you put a lot of effort into … I opened at Rubikon, which is a pretty big club in Madrid, and I did well, so I got chances at a few other clubs too. It was really fun.”
While in Spain, Holmen said he had to adapt his University party set for European crowds.
“The crowds in Europe are more into ‘straight house‘ music, and at U.Va. you do expect to hear ‘frat music,’” Holmen said. “People [in Madrid] don’t know the song ‘Mr. Brightside’.”
While DJing at clubs and bars — whether off-Grounds or across the ocean in Europe — can serve as a handy source of income, Reichert said that his ambition to spin is not currently about the money, but more about the music and memories.
“Some people I know play the bars more for money, but if you play for money, you play for who hires you,” Reichert said. “I’m only in college once, and I just kind of want to have fun here. I do it more so for the music and fun. I’ll take 50 bucks and some free beer.”
With Halloween right around the corner, Reichert and Holmen are excitedly preparing their own themed music. Performing remixes of songs like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” with the Ghostbusters theme, Holmen said they will be sure to please the countless costumed partygoers on Grounds.
“The Halloween remixes are coming soon, for sure,” said Holmen. “They can be gimmicky, but it’s so much fun to hear … when people come in costume for something, it’s cool to have similar songs.”
Through crowd-moving sets, Reichert, Holmen and the wider frat DJ community are electrifying parties across Grounds. United by their shared passion for music and their brotherhoods, their ingenuity behind the boards keeps partygoers on their feet all night long. Regardless of the genre or room, their mission remains the same — to bring the crowd an unforgettable night.
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