African American Affairs host Silent Party Turn Up

On April 21, Minnesota State University, Mankato’s African American Affairs held the Silent Party Turn Up, a silent disco hosted by local DJ, DJ Ones.

Silent discos have become more and more prevalent in recent years with events utilizing them to minimize disturbances and create a space where attendees can control what they are listening to and how loud it is. For this event, African American Affairs Director Kenneth Reid explained how the organization partnered with a headphone vendor to create the best experience they could.

“You aren’t in the know without the headphones,” said Reid. “They allow you to appreciate three different varieties of music.”

For AAA, the Silent Party Turn Up was all about having people enjoy music they may not have heard much of before such as R&B, Raggaetone and afro-beats. 

“We want to showcase the richness that is African and Pan-African arts and music,” shared Reid. “We want to show what our Pan-African folks have contributed to the world of music.”

African American Affairs Graduate Student Daniel Audi had never heard of a silent disco before and was shocked. However, Audi quickly came to enjoy the idea. 

“The first time I had heard of the concept, I was really surprised. I thought, ‘why would someone want to do that,’” said Audi. “Because the headphones are color coded, you can get together with different kinds of people and experience different kinds of music [at the same time.]”

While two of the channels on the headphones played curated playlists, DJ Ones held the third, creating mixes and keeping the crowd entertained. Well known throughout Minnesota and much of the country, DJ Ones has performed for a number of celebrities and was able to create an upbeat and enjoyable time for students.

“This is a repeat of an event we hosted in 2019 which was an amazing time,” noted Reid. “DJ Ones mixed it up.”

The event hosted a crowd of over 40 people, with many large groups in attendance. African American Affairs also gave away snacks, t-shirts and bracelets. A bunch of students had never been to a silent disco, but had a great time. 

“I wanted to come to have fun with my friends and hang out,” said MSU student Shannon Roman, who came with a group of friends.

“I’d never been to one of these, but I’ve seen lots of videos and they seemed fun,” said attendee Abby Dittbenner.

Roommate pair Mariana Jordan and Chaleiah Henderson greatly enjoyed the event. While it was Jordan’s first time, Henderson had attended in the past and was intrigued to come again. Henderson encourages students to attend in the future.

“I was interested in coming tonight because my roommate told me about it, and when I came last year it was a lot of fun,” said Henderson. “I wanted to come because I’ve been to two other silent parties and they were super fun, and it’s just a way to get involved and dance.”

Write to: Syd Berggren at sydney.berggren@mnsu.edu