Often the weekend of Halloween is referred to as “Halloweekend,” a time allowing students across campus to change into costumes and attend parties at Lawrence University. This year is special, as Lawrence’s Annual Blue & White Homecoming Weekend is happening this Nov. 1–2 during the weekend of Halloween, possibly shaping a whole new atmosphere for nightlife here. Parties have become a relief from academics for students who are drawn by the charisma of leaving their dorm to participate. The important questions regarding the party scene are often, “will I want to go?” and, more importantly, “if I do, what music will be played?” This is when DJ Marcus enters the scene.
Marcus Jackson, currently a junior at Lawrence University, grew up in Chicago listening to Mary J Blige, The Ilsley Brothers, Lauryn Hill and Marvin Gaye. DJ Marcus thanks his mother for his musical background, stating, “I used to take piano lessons. She also put me in cello, guitar and a lot of choirs,” which in turn shaped him musically. Marcus Jackson, or “DJ Marcus” as he’s come to be known, has become synonymous with his role as an on-campus DJ, though he emphasized that just the name “Marcus” is fine, as he does not have an official DJ name.
For Marcus, the introduction to the world of DJing began in his home city of Chicago during his freshman year of high school. He states he was simply “looking for a summer job,” saying, “I signed up for this program in Chicago where they would give kids summer jobs; I didn’t really care what it was at the time.” One of the options available was to be “taught how to be a DJ.” The first moments of DJing weren’t easy; as he states, “I entered a DJ competition that I really wanted to win, so badly, but there was just another person that was better at mixing.” During this time, Marcus would continue his endeavor of pursuing DJing in Chicago by playing small venues.
Marcus cites his first year at Lawrence University as a pivotal year for taking on DJing while in college. To his knowledge, there were no other students DJing on campus. He noticed that Lawrence University’s party scene was somewhat stagnant and sparse musically.
“Everyone was playing the same type of music; it was often one person playing music from their phone on a JBL speaker,” Marcus recalls. He adds that because of this, “there was not much thought of what other people wanted to hear.” The necessity of a DJ is they act as a proctor — someone to create relevancy. Marcus tries to reflect off of his audience; as he tries to “switch things up,” there is a level of going toe-to-toe with his audience, switching between standard Pop music, Bachata, Hip-hop, Reggaeton and Afrobeats. To be a DJ, you must be eclectic in taste and continually react to your audience; there is a level of transcendence of one’s own music. His playlists in preparation span over “200 songs long” as he works on mixing before an event. The synthesized beats and eclectic taste allow for parties to be dynamic and exuberant. Marcus has played here at Lawrence from SANKOFA, BETA, Delta house and Lawrence University’s President’s Ball of 2024. This coming weekend, DJ Marcus will be DJing for Homecoming at Lawrence University.
Though with this, there is a level of humility that Marcus hopes to have, for without humbleness he cannot learn, he contends. When asked about the name “DJ Marcus,” there is some avoidance, with a statement of, “we will see what God has in store for me,” though he adds that his first DJ name was “DJ Spontaneous,” and he hopes to find a title for his DJ persona other than “Marcus.” The spontaneity of DJ Marcus is something of the “spur of the moment,” comprised of decisions that may seem spontaneous but that work to integrate himself into the mix.
Marcus hopes to have a gig in Fox Commons, stating the acoustics of the lobby and empty space would be “fun” sonically. A manifestation and imbuement of himself in each performance is what he hopes to convey, whether that be religion, video games, sports or his own keen ear to what the audience hopes to hear, his spontaneity encompassing the atmosphere of the party.