To any passerby, a mob of people jumping and moving around in silence may look like madness. To a person in the mob, they are dancing to music of their choice and having a good time. This is the Silent Disco, where people grab a pair of headphones and dance to the music of one of the DJ’s fighting for the crowd’s attention, according to the New York Times.
The key component to a silent disco is special headphones, which are distributed at the events. The music is clear and crisp from anywhere in the room or area, according to the Silent Storm Sound System website, so anyone can dance to the DJs’ music from wherever they are.
The generally quiet room also makes it easy to talk. Just take the headphones off and talk to your friend, said the website. For some students, the idea of a silent disco is an attractive one.
“I kind of like the idea,” said Lucas Schwalger, a freshman from Kahuku studying biology. “Honestly, because you don’t need to hear loud music playing from everywhere. You enjoy it yourself.”
Scott Cooper, a sophomore from California studying computer science, said, “I think it would be nice to listen to what you want. And if I don’t know this song, I can switch to something different. You can control what you’re dancing to.”
For others, wearing headphones would only get in the way and would take away from the dance and social activity itself.
Dona Maifala, a senior from American Samoa studying English, said, “I feel like dances are a social activity, and the purpose for social activities is to build unity amongst the audience and whoever is going to be there. Everyone is listening to something different and that takes away the social aspect of what the dance can be.”
Silent discos can also bring out those music listeners who are highly selective about their music, letting them bring their own and dance along with their friends. “It would be fun to see how everyone dances and that you have your own music you don’t have to worry about hating,” said Ashlin Watson, a sophomore studying marine biology from Nevada. “I’m kind of picky about my music and it would be nice to go to something that is specialized to you.”
Silent Discos are being held all over the United States, according to the Silent Disco website, silentevents.com. This unique way of sharing live music has also taken off at musical festivals, said the New York Times, though the only way to find them is to accidentally stumble across them, as there is no music to lead you. This avoids noise disturbances and other limitations such as curfews. The first silent disco happened in England in 2005.