DJ Armauni Allen

Jamesville-DeWitt High School sophomore Armauni Allen used his DJ skills to make his mark at the J-DHS Homecoming Dance. “I proposed to (Principal Paul) Gasparini late last year to DJ the dance, and Mr. Gasparini was very willing to give me the job. He was psyched by the idea,” said Armauni.

“I really think that it’s important for students to be involved in the planning and execution of plans for school activities,” Mr. Gasparini said. Mr. Gasparini confirmed Armauni asked him late last spring, just before school let out. But Armauni didn’t get the job that easily. “It took some negotiation. We had to work out some details with student government but it all worked out perfectly,” said Mr. Gasparini.

He came up with his song selection by going around J-DHS during lunches and study halls, asking people what type of music they preferred. He figures he talked to about 20 to 25 people. He also posted on the official Facebook Class of 2014 page, asking in general, what people preferred to listen to. He said he asked people what they preferred because “last year, the students didn’t get to pick what they wanted to listen to and it’s their dance so it’s only fair that they choose.”

Armauni has been DJing for just two years. “I’ve always had a love for music, but now I started mixing (music/tracks together) and getting into it” he said. Armauni can see himself becoming a DJ in the future. “Music is a very important part of my life, and having the ability to mix music and have my own style makes me happy,” he said. Armauni did, in fact, get paid to DJ the dance, and although the amount cannot be disclosed, he said the compensation was within three digits. However it wasn’t his first performance; he has also been asked to DJ Sweet Sixteen parties.

What did some of the J-DHS students think of Armauni’s DJing? Junior Josh Berube thought that Armauni did a good job. If there is another event that Armauni is Djing, Berube said he would go because he trusts his taste in rap music. Junior Kaalar Wynn would also go to another school event with Armauni DJing because “his music selection was on point. His DJing was tight and it was very danceable,” said junior Kaalar Wynn.

Juniors Callie Seigart and Chelsea Clark thought that his DJing was good because it was danceable, but the music he picked could have been better, because the rap was repetitive. Sophomores Molly Sterriker and Libby Weber also thought his DJing was good, but the songs were all similar and there was too much rap.

Senior Stephen Vallery thought that Armauni’s Djing was great. “You have to mix it up because our school is diverse, so he had to play what the black kids wanted and what the white kids wanted,” he said. “I feel that we should definitely have another school event with Armauni Djing,” said Vallery.

Freshman Joseph Morgan said he was “proud of Armauni because that’s really what he loves to do. Morgan said he liked how Armauni played skrillex (dubstep) because people don’t usually play it at dances and parties. Junior Natalie Glatter thought the music selection was good, and that everyone seemed to have fun, but it seemed like he played a lot of rap. “Some of the songs were really good, and so was the mixing, while some of them were alike. Like you didn’t know when a song starts and a song ends,” she said.