SERENA KIM, WHO has decades of experience playing music in dance halls, is teaching a Middlebury College J-term course on the craft of DJing. She is seen here playing tunes at Foodaroo in 2023.
Independent file photo/Steve James

MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury College students get to try some things that are a little different come January. At the end of one unusual courses offered this Winter Term, students will be required to dress the part of a disc jockey, work a working DJ rig, and get some bodies swaying to the music in a real dance party.

The course “Culture & Craft of DJing,” in which Swift House Inn co-owner Serena Kim brings decades of experience as a DJ to the classroom and shares it with a handful of Middlebury students.

A pioneering female DJ, Kim DJ’d at New York City nightclub Tunnel in the early 2000s, held residency at Manhattan nightclub Veruka, and DJ’d a Yankees’ World Series victory party. She’s also brought her skills to events around Addison County and currently plays sets at the Swift House Inn’s Fancy Fridays weekly lounge night.

This is Kim’s first time teaching a Winter Term course at the college. She said she was encouraged to submit a proposal for teaching a J-term course after meeting American Studies professor Rachael Joo at a Lunar New Year celebration at Town Hall Theater last February.

“As a former music journalist, I collect lots of music history and culture books and I bought even more to read and remind myself of the foundations,” Kim said of her work developing the course. “I watched tons of instructional YouTube videos as well as Questlove’s MasterClass on DJing.”

She said the most important texts that inspired her course development were “Last Night a DJ Saved My Life” by Frank Brewster, “Rock the Dancefloor” by Phil Morse, and “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” by Jeff Chang.

“Although I already knew how to DJ, these things helped me articulate a lesson plan and made me a better DJ,” Kim said.

Students in the course are diving into the biographies of influential DJs.

“The birth of hip hop is often credited to three influential DJs: Kool Herc, who brought the sound system from his native Jamaica to neighborhood parties in the Bronx; Afrika Bambaataa, whose vast record collection informed the song selection of this emerging genre; and Grandmaster Flash, who pioneered the use of two turntables and a mixer to isolate and repeat a rhythmic break for breakdancers to continue their dancing,” Kim said.

She pointed to other influential DJs in different genres, including King Tubby (dancehall), Larry Levan (disco) and Frankie Knuckles (house).

Students will also learn about the technical aspects of DJing.

“Dancing to the beat is an essential aspect of DJing, so students will concentrate on counting to four and learning how most songs are organized in groups of four beats,” Kim said. “They will be asked to practice mixing and DJ for the class every day while other students count. If all goes well, students will learn how to beat match, loop, scratch, and produce their own mashups.”

The course will also explore the psychology of the dance floor, including crowd dynamics and performance strategies.

“The dance floor is a bit like a living breathing organism,” Kim explained. “It’s sad when nobody dances even if the DJ is trying their best by spinning bangers. One enthusiastic and brave dancer can ignite movement on the dance floor.”

She noted that the energy of the dance floor can mount depending on the songs a DJ plays.

“When they don’t like your song choice, they stop dancing and go to the bar or take a bathroom break. The ideal for the DJ is if you can read their minds and predict what they want to listen to before they know it. Then they can’t resist leaving the dance floor,” Kim said. “If you make the transitions smooth and on beat, they’re already dancing to the next song before they know it. The great house and disco dancers used to communicate subtle messages to the dance floor through their music.”

The course will culminate with students organizing a party as a DJ event. Kim said the plan is to host the party from 1-4 p.m. at the Grille in McCullough Hall on Wednesday, Jan. 29, though details still need to be finalized.

“Another skill that students are learning in class is how to promote their events and how to generate fun,” she said. “We’ll be making flyers and spreading the word in both analog and digital ways.”

As the class gets underway, Kim said she’s excited by the idea of “giving 24 students the skills to become DJs and spreading this important culture.”

“Throughout history, dance scenes centered around DJs have been important forms of social resistance for marginalized groups. I like the idea of using dance culture as another arsenal in the fight for social justice,” she said. “I’m also looking forward to learning new songs and discovering new artists from the students themselves. I think learning goes both ways.”