On Feb 9th, the Dining Hall was filled with masses of students as The Him began their first set. The Him, a two-person music group, had been invited by the Student Planning Committee to Deerfield Academy for a concert. The dynamic duo, Joeren Kerstens and Steven Berghuijs, specialize in electronic music, producing remixes as well as their own songs. Some of their songs include “Nothing On Us” and “Always”, both of which were played at the concert.
The two officially met around four years ago at a techno festival in Amsterdam, where they bonded through a shared love for music. “We started getting into the studio just for fun and trying out some remixes,” they said. “Eventually, we brought out ‘Feels Like Home’ and that was really the start of everything.” The name “The Him”, in fact, was inspired by one of their favorite tracks.
However, their musical journey together wasn’t always easy. But, as they weathered such challenges, it was their musical inspirations that propelled them forward. When asked about their biggest source of inspiration, they responded, “We actually really listen to everything; we like a variety of music.”
Thus, despite the popular belief that they only specialize in electronic or dance music, their music is not limited to one genre. According to the Him, they try to create “a blend of house and pop music” that draw from “a lot of sources of inspiration.”As well as officially releasing their songs, they also continue performing at different venues.
“Our concerts really mean a lot to us, since we believe mu- sic is meant to connect people.” The Him remarked. In fact, one of their best memories was playing “Nothing On Us” and listening to everyone sing along.
Many students who attended the concert also seemed to have felt the special connection that can only be established through music. When asked about their experience, they expressed great enthusiasm, including Abby Fernald ‘22.
“I thought it was really impressive and they played a lot of songs that the audience would like,” she said. Lily Zeng ‘22 added, “That feeling of recognition would wash over the crowd and everyone would start jumping and get hyped up.” However, a fair number of people also suggested possible areas of improvement. Jean Jin ‘22 commented: “I think if they played more of their songs, the concert would have been more unique and fun.” In short, The Him feature concert was an opportunity for the students to have fun and also to feel a connection as a community. Although the concert is over, the Him has left us with not only their music but also a reminder of the most important thing: to express ourselves and “get your style and sound out there.”