Four years ago, Bienen senior Lucy Rubinstein had no experience DJing. Now, she has played some of Chicago’s biggest venues, like Radius and Spybar, and produces original music.
Rubinstein, who performs under the stage name r00bies4ever, learned to DJ through an apprenticeship at Northwestern radio station WNUR. She joined its electronic and hip-hop music program, Streetbeat, her freshman year.
“The nature of dance music makes it so easy to fall in love with, and it’s just so infectious,” Rubinstein said.
Like Rubinstein, many student DJs have used Streetbeat as an opportunity to polish their skills or connect with other DJs. While some stick with the program throughout their DJ careers, others have taken advantage of other opportunities on campus and beyond.
From A&O to Dillo Day: More than just a party
While Rubinstein has performed in Chicago, she’s also played closer to home.
Rubinstein opened for A&O Productions’ Icebox Benefit concert at Evanston SPACE during Winter Quarter, something she said she’s wanted to do since her freshman year. Rubinstein said that she especially enjoyed seeing people enjoy her set in an alcohol-free environment; she felt that people showed up for the music, not solely to party.
“That made me really, really excited because it showed me that there definitely is a community for dance music on campus,” Rubinstein said.
Rubinstein is not the only DJ who’s found opportunities with A&O. Medill freshman Jared Perlmutter, who performs genres such as R&B and melodic house under the stage name Perl, performed at A&O Productions’ Blowout concert in October.
Now, Perlmutter has his sights set on Dillo Day. He said he plans to compete for a spot in the lineup at the Battle of the Artists this Thursday.
Chicago: home of house music
Along with remixes of songs he enjoys, Perlmutter — a music technology minor — said he hopes to play original music. He’s been producing since he was eight years old.
“This is something that was from my head, to the laptop, to the software, to the sounds that I thought of, and being able to play that live in a DJ set is my favorite thing ever,” Perlmutter said.
While Rubinstein and Perlmutter create their own music, they both acknowledge the roots of one the genres they engage with: house music.
House music originated in Chicago in the 1970s in primarily gay nightclubs like Warehouse, according to an article by NPR. The genre was pioneered by DJs like Frankie Knuckles, whose unique sound filled a space left by the decline of disco and inspired other DJs to contribute to house music as it thrived in the ’80s.
The roots of house music are predominantly queer and Black (Knuckles claimed both identities), but the scene looks much different today — a development that has not gone unnoticed by Rubinstein.
“A lot of parties initially were for queer people, for people of color, and now, when you think of dance music, when you think of EDM, those people are outnumbered,” she said.
Streetbeat producer and self-proclaimed “bedroom DJ” Weinberg junior Nicolas Reyes wants to change that.
Reyes, who said he experienced a more diverse DJ scene at Chicago raves, wants to create an environment at NU that’s more reflective of the greater community, which he says includes Black and LGBTQ artists.
“It’s the most awesome scene ever, and I do think that is lacking a little bit of representation on campus. I’d love to bring some of those artists on for Streetbeat or just an event in Evanston,” Reyes said.
Streetbeat’s past, present and future
Streetbeat airs from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. every weeknight on WNUR’s radio station 89.3 FM. While other WNUR programs focus on sports or news, Streetbeat focuses specifically on electronic music, hip-hop and other genres its DJs play. It allows student DJs to host their own shows and learn more about DJing through apprenticeships with more experienced members.
However, Reyes admits that the program has become more “fragmented” in recent years, something Rubinstein agreed with. According to Reyes, this dispersion could be attributed to either the pandemic or a general decline in interest, something he hopes is changing.
“There’s really no sense of community. I’d love to bring that back because it’s really awesome when a lot of people who are passionate about music can get together and put on some cool events,” Reyes said.
Joseph Greenbaum (SPS ’17) joined Streetbeat as a freshman in 2010. Now, he sends in his show, “Cooking with Jo,” remotely.
Greenbaum remembers a more connected Streetbeat community during his time at NU. He recalls throwing parties in a series of connected basements near campus.
“We would clear up the space, prepare it for a party, bring my turntables down from my apartment a block over, and then just transform what was basically a bike parking space into a space for a bunch of people to dance,” Greenbaum said.
While the community may not be as vibrant as Greenbaum remembers it, individual commitment remains.
McCormick senior Nathan Pruyne has held his slot on Streetbeat — every other Thursday at 11 p.m. — for three years.
“I started creating a playlist my freshman year for songs I’d love to play on WNUR, and it’s now 31 hours long,” Pruyne said.
While Streetbeat continues to change, Reyes hopes to collaborate with other student groups to host events and build back the community that he, Pruyne, Greenbaum and Reyes have benefited from.
Rubinstein is also looking beyond opportunities on campus. Excited about the future of dance music, she said she hopes to become a touring DJ and work with music labels to produce original songs.
“Whether it’s Streetbeat or some other organization, I really hope that there can be a go-to community on campus for new DJs or people who want to learn more about dance music,” Rubinstein said. “If I had one parting wish as a senior, it would be that there’s some community or organization on campus for DJs to go to.”
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Related Stories:
— A&O Productions keeps it cool with The Icebox benefit concert
— Rico Nasty, Grouptherapy and freshman artist Perl perform at A&O 2024 Blowout
— Student DJs share their journeys in the Northwestern music scene
