Swing Pittsburgh - DJ's - SWING PITTSBURGH

Regional DJs

Toni Carroll, Powell, Ohio
Toni met her husband 20 years ago while dancing, and together they fell in love with West Coast Swing. A few years later, the president of her local swing club asked Toni to DJ and, with his mentoring, she fell in love with playing music. Today, she DJs for two local West Coast Swing clubs in Columbus, Ohio, and plays for numerous events, including competitive events in the Midwest. “My goal as a DJ is to play music for all dancers,” she says. “There is such a wide variety of musical tastes and I want to make sure that everyone is enjoying themselves, whether it is in a social setting or a competitive setting.” Toni is a member of the Global Swing DJ’s, All Swing Dj’s and World Swing Dj’s.

Ron Reese
Columbus, Ohio
Ron began playing music as a hobby in high school, playing for parties and social events. He continued his hobby of playing music and developing DJ sound systems through to adulthood. Ron has danced all of his life from freestyle to disco to swing dancing. He joined his local swing/bop club in 1999 and started playing music for swing dancers in 2001 in Columbus, Ohio. In 2002, Ron was asked by his local swing dance club to be the music director where he scheduled the club DJ’s, maintained the sound equipment, obtained music for the club and surveyed the members to ensure that the music being played by the DJ’s was what the membership wanted. In 2003 he founded the Columbus Swing Dance Club and has been the featured DJ at all of the club's events including the annual "Jammin In July" weekend event that attracts approximately 400 dancers from all around the USA who gather for West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing, Bop and Ballroom.

Ron has been one of the featured DJ’s for several national swing events including the Indy Swing Bash, Summer Swing Chaos, Atlanta Swing Classics, Jammin In July, and Sweet Home Chicago. He has played music for the Columbus Singles Dance private swing dance parties, local fund raisers, weddings and local corporate dance parties. Ron enjoys the challenge of playing music for swing dancers and determining the correct music to play for the various different groups of dancers. He knows that each dance group is a different challenge. Ron is proud to be one of the DJ’s for this year’s Swing Pittsburgh event.

Jon Austin, Columbus, OH
Jon is a well known DJ and competitive dancer who has been playing music at several events for over 20 years. He is probably best known for his humor while serving as MC at the annual "Jammin in July Dance" in Columbus Ohio. Jon enjoys all genres of music, and strives to provide a good mixture of music for all guests.

Fred Testa, Columbus, Ohio
Fred is a DJ for the Columbus Swing Dance Club and is a member of the National Association of Rhythm & Blues DJs. He has been dancing for about 30 years. He started with Fred Astaire and an independent dance studio where he developed a passion for rhythm dance. That passion led Fred to the Hustle and West Coast Swing styles of dance. Fred began teaching 22 years ago and has competed as an amateur with his partner for several years, placing 1st & 2nd in Hustle and West Coast Swing. He is a swing dance DJ for local clubs and out-of-town events. Fred loves DJing, and dancing and teaching to great music.

Local DJs

Jerry Kovach
Pittsburgh, PA
During a fateful trip to North Myrtle Beach in 1995, Jerry fell in love with Beach Music and the Carolina Shag. He came home and founded the Steel City Boogie Club and has been studying and teaching Shag Dance ever since.

A professional DJ for 16 years, Jerry plays Blues, R&B, Oldies, Beach, Ballads and more...great music for all types of swing including East & West Coast, Shag, Jitterbug, and Cha Cha. Jerry was the creator and director of BOOGIE IN THE BURGH for 15 years. He is also the founder and director of SwingPittsburgh, now in it's 8th year. He is president of the Greater Pittsburgh Dance Club (GPDC), and he plays at other regular dance venues and for private parties throughout the Pittsburgh area.

John Siefken, Pittsburgh, PA
John has been playing music for Ballroom dancers in the Pittsburgh area for more than 10 years. An avid Ballroom dancer himself, John has played for many local social dances as well as for ballroom dance competitions. His goal is to play songs that are so good that you just must dance to them! His collection includes music from the 50's and right up to today's Top 10 hits. So find a partner and dance to DJ Jivin' Johnny's greatest songs!

Rookie Rick" Kohler, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Rick has been a professional DJ and sound man for many years playing many different venues around the country, and even hosting his own radio show for three years in the 80’s and 90’s.

Rick has distinguished himself as being very skilled in playing an eclectic mix of Rhythm & Blues, Blues, Beach, Oldies, Bop, Contemporary, etc., especially for Hustle, West Coast Swing, Cha-Cha and Shag dancing. He was previously the sound man and DJ for “Boogie in the Burgh” and “SWING PITTSBURGH”.

DJ Bugger, Pittsburgh, PA
Playing swing and beach music in the Pittsburgh area since 1980, DJ Bugger plays a variety of music at various sites around town including the iconic Linden Grove Night Club every Thursday night. He is a DJ for two of Pittsburgh’s swing dance clubs—the Greater Pittsburgh Dance Club (formerly the Pittsburgh Area Jitterbug Club) and the Steel City Boogie Club, and he plays at two annual weekend dance events: Swing Pittsburgh and Boogie in the Burgh. Bugger also played beach music for many years at the annual SOS Fall Migration in North Myrtle Beach at the Avista Resort, and at Fat Harold’s and Duck’s nightclubs. Music is his passion, and he is an avid fan of all things black and gold: Steelers, Penguins and Pirates.