Silent Disco has been described as “a crazy sight to behold, even crazier to partake in” and I definitely agree! I had heard of them, but only had a vague idea of how it actually worked. I knew that people listened to music through headphones, and danced around – but wasn’t certain how the logistics worked with who attended as well as the songs played. This past weekend, however, my journey with Silent Discos began..

My friend had mentioned how much she loved them and what an avid participator she was last Summer, so I was tempted by the event on at the local park on Memorial Day. Nathan was very enthusiastic about joining as well because he danced with a group at a local fair and knew the fun that was to come. After a long walk around our neighborhood due to the gorgeous weather, we made a healthy pasta salad and made our way towards the park. Right when we arrived, there was a pretty big crowd of people dancing with headphones that glowed either blue or green – I was instantly in awe to get started on my dancing adventure! We paid the surprisingly cheap price of $5 each to rent our headphones and then picked which station we wanted to hear.

There was a DJ who was connected to the green channel, whereas the blue channel was a created playlist. I went back and forth throughout my experience to make sure I heard enough variety while dancing in the park. The G channel had a “party” vibe with remixed songs, and the B often played more atmospheric but with some fun beats as well. Based on how excited people looked on a certain channel, I felt like I wanted to bond with them and sing to a remixed well-known song. However, I was also driven by my individuality and need to hear the station that differed from the rest of my group. It was very interesting letting it all sink in –

the QUIET. the DANCING. the CROWD.

My dancing started as tame, but by the end, I had my SHOES OFF and felt much more comfortable with the joy of music. I am a shy person when it comes to an action that could be judged in public, but I wasn’t actively thinking about the other people around me while involved in the Silent Disco. The fact that everyone was in their own clumps (or by themselves) enjoying the music on a more personal level helped my social barrier slowly fall down. The headphones also blocked out the rest of the world in a sense, which made dancing around in the park much easier.

The Silent Disco scene is becoming part of mine and Nathan’s weekly routine. It is every Sunday or Monday evening in the park near our house (which makes it an even simpler decision!) I have written before about how music does wonders when it comes to altering my mood, so starting my weeks off with some dancing and great company will help keep me positive. Being able to switch back and forth between the peppier green channel and the more mellow blue made the overall experience more enjoyable – sometimes, dancing to music with similar beats can become dull after a while. I was never really against the experience, but I would still call myself a “Silent Disco convert.”