DJ Earworm to play Ball

Renowned mash-up artist DJ Earworm will perform at the 87th Winter Carnival’s “Go Gold” Ball on Saturday, Feb. 27, at 10 p.m. in Nelson Arena.
Students can purchase tickets for the ball ahead of time for $12.  Admission will cost $15 at the door of the venue.  DJ Officer Chris will open for Earworm.

Earworm, who’s real name is Jordan Roseman, gained fame in 2007 for his “United States of Pop,” which combined the 25 most popular songs of the year (as ranked by Billboard magazine) into one finished track.  Two subsequent “United States of Pop” songs have also become viral video classics.

Born into a musical family in Iowa, Roseman majored in music theory and computer science at the University of Iowa.  He began to produce mash-ups in 2003 using the popular music-mixing software program ACID.

His name plays on the term for a song that you cannot get out of your head.  Roseman has earned praise for his style of composition, which layers songs on top of one another to create a new finished product.

Critics compare his style with that of past Middlebury performer Girl Talk, who offers a more deejay-oriented approach.  Artists ranging from Annie Lennox to Kanye West to Sean Kingston have approved or contacted Roseman to create mash-ups of their hits.

Roseman authored a book on the art of mash-up creation called “Audio Mashup Construction Kit” in 2006.  When deejaying parties, Roseman uses his laptop and creates his mixes from Ableton Live, another software platform.

MCAB’s Go Gold Ball will end a weekend of Winter Carnival activities.  Students can attend a concert by 1980s cover band Orange Crush on Feb. 25 in McCullough Social Space at 10 p.m.

Throughout the day of Feb. 26, ACTR buses will provide free transportation to see ski races at the Snow Bowl.   That evening, comedians Jay Black and Pete Holmes will offer a joint comedy show at 9 p.m. in the McCullough Social Space.

For more information about Winter Carnival activities see go/gold.