DJs are the backbone of any college party scene. DJ Soph (Sophie Varela ’28) is an energetic new voice on campus, bringing pop and reggaeton-infused soundtracks to Vassar’s nightlife. I sat down with Varela for a conversation on the world of Vassar DJing, the importance of community-building and the work that goes into making an event fun and worthwhile. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
We’ll start simple: how did you get into DJing?
“I’ve always had an interest in DJing. I thought it would be cool; if there’s ever a time to do it, why not college? So I’ve always had it in the back of my head, but it really started when I went to the first VCSS [Vassar College Sound System] meeting, which is our DJing club on campus. I went to their first meeting [my] freshman year… and I was so scared to touch the decks… When I was first playing with the controller, I couldn’t get it out of my head. I was researching, Googling, trying to figure out how much a beginner board costs. I found one for $150 on Amazon, and I bought it in Oct. 2025. I started playing around with it…and I guess the rest is history.”
What has your progression looked like here at Vassar, in terms of playing gigs?
“My first real gig was Valentine’s Day of last year… I did this first event with LSU [Latine Student Union]. I told them I wanted to DJ for Latin Night, and they told me I could do the first hour and we’d see how it goes. So I reached out to DJ Delahoz [Derek De La Hoz ’28], because he had played Latin Night before, and asked him for advice. I also reached out to another campus DJ, The Rezalution [Reza Hall ’27], and he helped me a lot with the behind-the-scenes stuff. I opened at that event for DJ EZ [Ezequiel Castellanos], and we became good friends. He told me if I was ever interested in checking out the other DJs in Poughkeepsie and widening my network, that I could talk to him about that… I think that’s one of the secrets of becoming a DJ: You really can’t do it without a community. If I hadn’t had these relationships, I wouldn’t have done half the events I’ve done.
Lots of the events I’ve done are thanks to VCSS. I signed up to play Pink Noizes, which we did in partnership with WVKR [Vassar’s radio]. It was with two Brooklyn DJs, and it was really cool to be able to talk to them about what the experience is like being a female DJ. I played 50 Nights at The Academy in Poughkeepsie, but there wasn’t a huge crowd. I think that’s something important about DJing: when you start, and even when you make it big, you’re not guaranteed a crowd. I feel like those moments, while frustrating, are a good chance to try and figure things out, getting your practice in. Even if I don’t get a crowd, I like to play as if I do.
My first event, where I was headlining, was the Latin Night last semester. That event has been my biggest hit so far. I knew what I was doing at that point, I felt so much more comfortable. It’s Latin music. I grew up in Costa Rica, I lived there for six years, and that’s where I learned most of my Spanish music and Caribbean music. It’s just cool to be able to share that part of me with everyone. It’s cool to see what lands and what doesn’t. Sometimes I think a song is going to hit and then no one knows it, where back in my country everyone knows it. At every event, I want people to have fun, I want people to learn something and I want to be able to transport them.”
What’s your process like pre-event? How much work goes in beforehand, and how do you plan your sets?
“It depends on the event. The first time I was prepping for Latin Night, it took me hours. I was a beginner; I didn’t have a lot of music in my repertoire. I like to try and do a sample set before, so I can see what it’s going to sound like. I’m always trying to find new songs—I never want someone to come to one of my events and feel bored. I like to make Spotify playlists for my sets, and then I listen to it the whole week beforehand. Then, the day of, I don’t listen to any music related to the event, so I can come in fresh.”
To you, what makes a song worth including in a set? Where do you find new musical inspiration?
“I have one really big playlist, where if I’m just listening to songs, I add them to my playlist. It’s called ‘The Ultimate DJ Mix.’ I look at what I already have, and if I need more songs, I go into Spotify and look through already-curated playlists. I also watch a lot of DJ reels and TikToks and get inspiration from there. I download songs through a Spotify to MP3 converter. A lot of other people buy their music using platforms like Beatport, but it’s expensive. The economic side of DJing isn’t really talked about enough. I’m not doing this for the money; I’m doing it for the love of the game. At the same time, my equipment costs money, and I don’t even think I’ve made half of it back. I’m Vassar’s VSA [Vassar Student Association] student DJ, so I get paid through Workday, but it’s minimum wage and only for the time of the event. I do everything myself. I don’t have a team, and as of right now, I don’t need one, but it’s hard. I really want to branch out and go into the community of Poughkeepsie, but money is an obstacle. I’ve talked to people in the community, and I think there’s this sense that Vassar students stick to their bubble, and local businesses suffer for it… People used to go out into the community to local bars more, and that doesn’t really happen now. I really want to be a part of changing that, of bringing Vassar people back to local businesses, and I want to figure out how to do it in spite of the obstacles.”
You are one of a few working female DJs on campus. Has that fact affected your experience as a performer here?
“I think we get taken less seriously. People tend to say, ‘the music you play has to be catered to the girls, because where the girls are, the guys are.’ So if it’s gonna be like that, who better to do that than a female DJ? I tend to see online that the guy DJs are always playing the same stuff, and it’s good stuff, but there needs to be more diversity. I know at least what I want to hear and what my friends want to hear. I’m always collecting thoughts, and I always love to learn from requests. It’s hard as a female DJ, and since I understand that, I also want to help other female DJs and anybody who’s interested in getting into the game. For example, my friend Ayami opened for me last Latin Night; I was able to give her that spot and I had so much fun listening to her play. I think it’s so important to support one another.”