Every one of us, at one point or another, has taken control of the music at a social gathering, whether it means changing CD’s or just managing what plays from an iPod. But how many of us would take that to the next level and do the same thing in front of people we don’t know?
Junior Krysten Bittner, graphic design major, is what you might like to call Cabrini’s own personal DJ. She has served as the disc jockey for several recent dances, including the Halloween BOO-B Dance held on Thursday, Oct. 27.
Bittner said she decided to attend Cabrini because it “looked like a scene from the ‘Harry Potter’ movies.” In landing the job of working Cabrini dances as a DJ, she said she “decided to show off one night in the downstairs lounge of my dorm.”
“That is when I met the lacrosse team and the guys there asked me if I would be willing to DJ for them,” Bittner said. “I said ‘of course.’ I was actually hoping to get into DJing here at the school anyway.”
Bittner first became interested in DJing at the age of 17.
“I was riding in a car with my parents when my mother mentioned something about being a DJ for a career as a high school and college student,” Bittner said. “I looked into the idea after that and my father decided I was looking into it enough that it would be beneficial for me to have all the equipment.”
Bittner got her first set of equipment, featuring speakers, a sound board and lights for her 18th birthday. Soon after, she started taking notice of other DJs at social gatherings around her.
“There was a homecoming dance where I kind of stalked the DJ,” Bittner said. “He turned to me and asked why I was so intent at looking at the equipment. I told him I was trying to become a DJ and he gave me his card. I set up an interview that week with his DJ company.”
Since then, Bittner has been working on perfecting her skills as a DJ and even though she said she is still learning, she has great visions for the future.
“I think DJing will always be something I will be trying to do mostly because I am a girl,” Bittner said. “How often do you see a girl DJ? I hope to one day get into some major clubs and be able to travel around for work. I love seeing new places. I wouldn’t even mind going over to Europe one day and DJing there.”
In working several different dances on Cabrini’s campus, Bittner treats them the same as any other event.
“I usually play what I want to hear as if I were attending a dance,” Bittner said. “If you come in the early hours of the dance you may hear my favorite songs.”
“I love some old and newer music,” Bittner said. “I truly think that is what makes it a better dance. If I am having fun, it means everyone else will have fun.”
Bittner described the recent Halloween dance she worked and how she managed to choose songs as the event progressed.
“At the Halloween dance, I made the playlist as I went,” Bittner said. “I don’t always have set music. I do have a lot of iTunes playlists to help me remember songs, but not a set one for each dance. If I did that, then life would just be boring; same songs every time. A playlist builds itself as the dance goes sometimes. I look for queues in the people and listen to the requests, though there are quite a few songs that I don’t always know.”
Bittner has recently been contacted by several clubs interested in hiring her. As she advances in her work as a DJ, she appreciates feedback on her music selections and being informed on what people want to hear.
People interested in Bittner’s work or song selection can check out DJ Sataira on Facebook. She thinks that being a better DJ would also mean “being prepared with everyone’s music.”
No matter where being a DJ takes her, Bittner’s main goal for the job is making sure those who attend have just as much fun as she does.
“Of course I enjoy doing it,” Bittner said. “It’s a time where I can dance too. Who doesn’t want to dance to all their favorite music?”
