Between the buzz of the Learning Commons and the droning of casual chatter, a lively and energetic beat perks ears, directing attention to the edge of the elevated section of Latin’s cafeteria. Standing behind his DJ board and surrounded by three of his friends, DJ Germain, a.k.a. Michael Kotcher, bops his head to the beat of his house music remixes, watching as students and teachers alike come together under the spirit of his mashups.
Along with his performance in the LC, DJ Germain graced the Latin community’s ears with live music during the 2024 Homecoming varsity soccer and field hockey games, boosting student section morale and energy.
Michael, a senior at Latin, began his DJ career at the age of 16, utilizing Serato, a free mobile app, to employ his curiosity for house music and beats. “It all started at the end of my sophomore year, where I’d have this little app on my phone where I would mix [beats] with my fingers,” he said. “I kept practicing because I saw these Tiktoks, ‘Mashups that have to be illegal.’”
View this post on Instagram
At some point, Michael had expanded the abilities of the app and turned his focus toward the next step in his journey—a true DJ board. “I saved and bought this $80 DJ board, and I started mixing on that,” he said. “People thought it was really annoying because I kept showing my mixes to everyone and no one really cared, but I kept showing them because I was really excited about them, even though nobody cared.”
Michael’s passion for DJing is evident in all aspects of his life, and he often finds himself working on his craft in atypical ways. “Sometimes when I’m in the shower I pretend I’m live in front of a million people, heading a show, even though I’m just in the shower,” he said.
DJ Germain persisted with his journey, ignoring the reluctance and hesitance of his peers. “Eventually, I started getting more into [DJing] and got another board and I started DJing more, which led me down the slippery slope to electronic music,” Michael said. Almost two years after he began his DJ journey, Michael decided to display his talents to the entire Upper School community—in the Learning Commons.
The idea stemmed from Michael’s classmate, senior Michael Gray, who conceived the idea in an English class. “I wrote a speech in my class, talking about how we should have a rave in school,” Michael Gray said. “That led to a conversation about what’s stopping us from setting up Michael’s DJ board in the LC.”
Michael Gray’s idea eventually came to fruition, and the Latin community adored it.
“My favorite part of Michael Kotcher’s DJ set was definitely that it was during our lunch—it brought a certain aspect of joy to an otherwise boring and monotonous part of our day,” sophomore HJ Walberg said.
Michael’s music wasn’t only appreciated by students—faculty took to its liking, as well. “I loved being able to go up to Michael, and just be in front of him and spontaneously want to dance,” permanent substitute teacher Eleftheria Lialios said.
Not only was Michael’s music appreciated by listeners in the Learning Commons, but it also helped bring students together through a connection of shared energy and spontaneity. “I think the music was pretty exquisite—the choice [of music], there was definitely a lot of thought put into it,” HJ said.
View this post on Instagram
Ms. Lialios added, “I do think it’s important for our community to continue these types of events. I also think it’s important for people to get the community involved by dancing and bringing joy to everyone.”
After receiving positive feedback from his DJ debut at Latin, Michael said he looks forward to the future of his performances. “For me, right now, I’m trying to get my first paid gig,” he said. “My biggest goal is to be a touring DJ around the world.”
Michael is aware that this aspiration is quite a tall task, and yet, instead of shying away, he has embraced the challenge by identifying actionable steps to achieve his goals.
“Instead of looking at a huge goal, it’s more important to look at the small goals in front of you, and just accomplish those,” he said. “If you just look at the next day and the next day, getting things done each day, then eventually you’ll be able to accomplish a ton of goals, which amounts to one big thing.”
Along his journey, Michael has managed to inspire younger students to pursue their passions of music and DJing. “I’ve recently started a DJ career, only because [Michael] inspired me during Spanish class last year,” HJ said. “Listening to his absolutely insane remixes was pretty entertaining and inspired me to branch out to a different type of music and start DJing.”
As Michael continues improving his craft, it’s clear that his passion for DJing isn’t just about the music—it’s about creating something that resonates deeply with who he is.
“One serious goal that I genuinely have when I produce music is to make art that actually represents me,” he said. “With electronic music, you can easily fall into a track of making mainstream stuff and just copying other people, with all the sample[s] and vocals you can use. I really want to make music that truly speaks to me and that I’m happy about, without having a ton of influence from other people.”
