With a steady hand on the mixer and a sharp ear for unexpected song pairings, Arashi Hunter ’25 has turned a summer hobby into a viral presence, amassing over 100,000 likes on his TikTok DJ account, @notrigby. From bedroom mixes to Andover dance floors, Hunter has started to build a name for himself, one beat drop at a time.
Hunter’s DJing journey started with borrowed equipment that was gathering dust in his home. He found himself increasingly drawn to the equipment and began experimenting with it out of curiosity. The equipment unofficially became his as he spent more time understanding the specifics of mixing. Over the course of almost two years, DJing has transformed from an occasional curiosity into a regular hobby and source of joy for Hunter.
“My sister got some of the equipment two summers ago that she was going to use herself. She got a mixer and some speakers. But I was the one [who] ended up using it. In turn, it kind of became mine. I’ve been DJing for almost two years now. It’s been a lot of fun. I thought it [would] be a good skill to have,” said Hunter.
Hunter’s approach to music is based on experimentation and an acute ear for musical detail. He invests time in trying out unusual combinations in an effort to discover unexpected harmonies. When discovering a mash-up that appeals to him, he records a brief video and posts it to TikTok, where he has amassed a specialized following interested in his approach.
“It’s a lot of trial and error. I just try to find two songs. They have to be in the same key and have a similar BPM that sounds good together in a mix. I’ll record myself DJing, a 30-second clip, and post that on TikTok. There’s this one guy, Nick Cheo, on TikTok who kind of posts similar content to what I do. You know, mixing two songs that you might not think go well together, so that’s what I’ve gotten into,” said Hunter.
Hunter has performed at Andover events like the Neon Dance and the Battle of the DJs, providing a meaningful artistic contribution to the campus community. Friends like Michael Williamson ’25 recognize how rare it is for a student at Andover to maintain a dedicated DJing TikTok account and continue to bring standout sets to campus events.
“The fact that he even has a DJing account is pretty unique for a student DJ here at Andover. He’s definitely able to kind of bring his own aesthetic to dances, whether it be through what he’s wearing or just the songs he’s playing. It adds to his own style and the mark that he’s making each performance. Being a DJ at Andover is very challenging because even getting a good show out at dances is pretty difficult in and of itself. Having the ability to go to a dance when you know, especially in the first 30 minutes or so, it’ll probably be pretty dead, and to be able to sit at the DJ table and put on good transitions and good music, that’s very admirable,” said Williamson.
For Hunter, the allure of DJing is its accessibility — all you need is a computer, a mixer, and the willingness to try new things. Without feeling obliged to define an exact objective, he concentrates on having fun, posting often, and following his musical interests.
“[Getting into DJing] is relatively accessible. I guess you just gotta have a computer and the mixer itself. I’m still on a pretty beginner setup. I did the neon dance, and I just did the battle of the DJs dance. I wouldn’t say [I have] necessarily a specific goal. I just continue to post when I can and keep it going wherever it takes me,” said Hunter.
