It’s the new trend sweeping the nation – silent discos, a quiet dance party where everyone can dance to the tune of their own drummer! While it may appear bizarre to those looking in from the outside, there’s nothing more fun than grabbing a pair of silent disco headphones, some friends, and holding a massive rave, all with no noise and no speakers.
What is a Silent Disco?
A silent disco is a dance party where, instead of massive speakers and a loud DJ, attendees are each given a set of headphones. This means that those dancing can select their own music, change channels, and control the volume of their individual headsets. The unique atmosphere of silent discos provides a space unlike any other to make friends, form connections, and have fun.
Silent discos got their start in the UK at the Glastonbury Festival in 1994 when organizers had to find a way to meet local noise ordinances while still putting on a memorable party. Their workaround, consisting of giving each dancer a set of headphones and the ability to choose their own music, was a hit and quickly became a global trend. While many haven’t heard of it, almost 100% of people who give it a shot decide that this new, fun way of partying is well worth appearing strange to those who aren’t wearing headphones.
Silent Disco Mistakes to Avoid
Like all parties or events, there are some general guidelines you will want to follow when putting on a silent disco or looking into renting silent disco headphones. While the cost is negligible compared to hiring a DJ and providing a full speaker setup, you’ll still want to make sure you get the most bang for your buck possible. The more fun everyone has, the better your night will go, so let’s look at some of the most common mistakes to avoid when renting silent disco headphones.
Mistake #1: Only providing one channel of music.
One of the main reasons so many people love silent discos is the ability to choose your own music and change the channel if you get tired of the songs. Unlike a traditional rave, where the crowd is subject to only the music the DJ plays, silent discos offer much greater flexibility and customization.
Usually, silent disco headphones come with the option of selecting from three different channels. While providing variety in genres can be fun, most silent disco experts recommend keeping the genres relatively similar, to facilitate more cohesive guest interactions and a more unified and fun experience for everyone.
Mistake #2: Not charging the headphones.
Another one of the main benefits that make silent discos so much fun is the ability to hold them at any time, any place, like a forest, on a beach, on a boat, or anywhere else you can imagine. However, this flexibility depends on the headphones being fully charged so you can dance all night, so don’t forget this important step when renting your silent disco headphones.
Mistake #3: Not practicing setting up the transmitter beforehand.
Silent discos require much less technology and setup than traditional DJ gear, but they still require some practice for a first-time user. Usually, they involve a hand-sized device called a transmitter, which will broadcast the music over FM channels due to their range and clear reception. Make sure you practice with the equipment before all the guests show up, in order to make sure your silent disco goes as smoothly as possible.
Mistake #4: Worrying about what others around you think.
In a 2015 article covering the silent disco phenomenon, the New York Times reports that “the silliness factor makes everyone more approachable”. Indeed, one of the main mistakes you can make at a silent disco is worrying too much about how you may appear, and forgetting to just let go and have fun!
Serendipitous Synchronization Within the Sounds of Silence
In many ways, technology has isolated us from one another. In other ways, it has brought us closer together. Silent discos are a paradox: could intentionally isolating partygoers from a unified, shared sound source, and placing them into their own little box of personalized music choices actually facilitate a closer connection, rather than pushing them further apart?
For those who attend silent discos, this is exactly what they experience. Rather than being more isolating, silent discos enable people to talk more and connect on a deeper level than ever before.
For example, most silent disco headphones will display a different color of LED lighting depending on which channel you are listening to. This means that you can pick out those who share the same taste as you and immediately have something to talk about with them. This is the true magic of silent discos – within the sound of silence, we find a greater ability to connect, talk, and share parts of our human experience with others that are similar to us.
