Do you have that one friend who you can always count on to play music? That friend just gets the song right every single time. You’re all tanning on the beach, and they play a little Father John Misty or Mac DeMarco. You are about to go to a rap concert, and they turn on Future and Travis Scott. Dare I say, I’ve become this friend. Most prepare for a sleepover or a birthday party by taking an “everything shower” meaning washing their hair, doing a scrub, followed by blow drying or picking out their outfit. The most pivotal thing I can do to prepare for any outing is creating a quick queue of music on Spotify to listen to. No one likes a designated DJ who takes too long to pick songs, and I’ve most definitely learned that the hard way. The majority of my sleepovers may have lacked a change of clothes or a toothbrush, but the playlist  I carefully curated is relied on to make our event fun and makes up for my forgetfulness. 

This year, I’ve really started to up my DJing from being on AUX in the car, to getting access to the JBL at parties (I know this sounds lame). In October, my friends and I hosted a small Halloween party to commence the infamous “Halloweekend.” My 2hr 30 minute playlist (note my rookie mistake of making it too short) included “Live Sheck Wes” by Sheck Wes, “MOSHPIT” by BabyKeem and a couple EDM-esque Halloween remixes that guaranteed a satisfied crowd. I had been successful. I completed my extremely important role in the party of providing “the vibe.” Our party was relatively small with around 60 people.But even if it had been the massive size of a notorious “@October28″ instagram party that had no music, they would have not even compared. 

After that, I appointed myself “DJ Jackie”  The significance of Jackie has no meaning other than that it has been the name that I’ve desired most since I can remember. Recently, I’ve continued with my DJing career at a St. Patty’s Day party this March. The playlist went over particularly well: all partygoers especially enjoyed the “Sea Shanty Remix” by Wellerman. You could say that I embodied a Gen Z, covered in four leaf clover tattoos, sporting a cheap green bead necklace version of our beloved Jackie O. 

However, what is Jackie O (DJ Jackie) to America (the party attendees) without President JFK? My JFK is a real, professional DJ Deck. Yes, I am currently an unprofessional girl with a Spotify playlist who calls herself a DJ. But not for long. I’ve begun looking into DJ Decks and the software I need to play it, so that by the summer I can fulfill my goal of becoming a self-made DJ. I’ll be able to loop songs, add beats, add reverb, and more. But at the end of the day, whether I’m DJing from my phone or on an expensive, high-tech deck, as long as I play the right songs to get the crowd going, DJ Jackie will have once again fulfilled her role.