Have you heard?

"God in the Building" by Killer Mike

"Closer" by Kings of Leon

"I Refuse Limitation" by Goodie Mob

"Desert Song" by Alice Smith

"Hold On" by Tom Waits

"Hot for Teacher" by Van Halen

"The Ancient Sahore" by Witchdoctor

"I Was in the House When the House Burned Down" by Warren Zevon

"D.I.R.T." by Heltah Skeltah

"High Powered" by Scarface

Q: When did you first become involved with music and have you done anything to pursue your musical interests?

A: I've been involved with music ever since I was born. When I was a baby the only way my mom could get me to go to sleep if I woke up at night was to bring me downstairs and put on MTV. Ever since, I've pursued every avenue possible to find new music, whether it's through my friends, the media or the Internet.

Q: How were you chosen to make the playlists for Kappa Sigma lodges?

A: The person who previously had made the mix didn't want to do it anymore. I had helped the previous mix makers and had just been elected social chair so I sort of fell into the role.

Q: How do you come up with a playlist for the lodges that satisfies everyone's tastes?

A: I pay attention to the top 40 charts and the iTunes top 100 most downloaded songs to make sure that I'm keeping current hits on the lodge. I try to maintain a classic rock and rap presence to keep people who don't just want to hear pop all night happy. Then I throw in a couple of techno and lesser-known songs to make sure that the lodge doesn't sound generic. People tend to have less patience for songs they don't really know, but as long as you space them out and protect them with hits behind them they can work. I do wish people were a little more accepting of unfamiliar songs at lodges, but unfortunately that's not the case.

Q: Does the playlist differ a lot depending on the lodge theme or weekend, or does it stay relatively the same?

A: Certain lodge themes require personalized lodge mixes, for example Middle School Dance and Decades. Usually I'll maintain a standard format and just attempt to slot in three or four lodge specific songs, for example putting in "Thriller," "Monster Mash" and songs like that on the Halloween lodge.

Q: What are some of the bands you listen to now that you do not think others know about, and why would you recommend them?

A: If someone likes rap, I'd heavily recommend Killer Mike. His respect for the art and intelligent lyrics helped make his latest album, "I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind II," the best CD of 2008 so far. I'd also recommend Alice Smith, an English R&B singer who got overshadowed by Corinne Bailey Rae and whose debut album is incredible.

Contact staff writer Jesse Murray at jessica.murray@richmond.edu