(above) DU's third string goaltender is changing the pregame music scene in Magness ArenaWhen senior Josh Rosenholtz walked on to the University of Denver men's ice hockey team this season, he brought to the squad depth off the bench and a new playlist of warmup music. The team's No. 3 goaltender is also one of Denver's leading DJs in the progressive/electro house music scene.
Rosenholtz, who began playing hockey at the age of three, thought he had hung up his skates for good after enrolling at the University of Denver in 2007. The Ridgefield, Connecticut native dove into his studies and began pursuing other interests, like music.
"There's a fantastic electronic music scene in Denver," Rosenholtz said. "I have a passion for music and I felt like this genre was something that was cutting edge and new."
About a year ago Rosenholtz began experimenting with software that allowed him to remix and edit music, tinkering with beats and creating his own sound.
"I started sharing the stuff I was working on with my friends and they started passing it along to people they knew. It was nothing really formal at first, but then with Facebook and Twitter and other sites, the internet proved to be a really useful way to get connected. This has just really taken off within the last year," Rosenholtz said.
As word of his talent began to spread, Rosenholtz, who goes by the stage name Jashko (pronounced Yash-ko), began opening for larger acts in Denver, sometimes playing in front of crowds as large as several thousand. One of the highlights was opening for Shiny Toy Guns at the May Days Music Festival in Denver last May.
"I'm not playing anything live, no instruments, in other words. I'm playing my own music and other people's music that I've remixed," Rosenholtz explained. "I've been very fortunate to open for some bigger names that have a really big following, and that's given me some great exposure."
Before being called upon to join the Pioneers hockey team last summer, Rosenholtz was performing nearly every weekend. Now that hockey is in season, he is spending more time on the ice than on stage, but still finding time to enjoy both of the things he loves.
"Hockey is my first priority now, along with my academics, so I'm trying to find that balance. Now I'm playing about once every three weeks, which I like a lot, actually, because I'm able to change things up and play new stuff every time I'm up there," said Rosenholtz, who also hosts a podcast for fans on his Facebook page.
After listening to his music during workouts, Rosenholtz's Pioneer teammates have become faithful Jashko fans.
"My teammates have been so supportive, which was kind of a surprise because it's a pretty unique genre of music that not everyone is into," Rosenholtz said. "But we started listening to my music during workouts and the guys started getting into it, and then when I had one of my bigger shows recently the whole team came out to see it, which was great."
An international business major with a Spanish minor, Rosenholtz hopes to eventually use his degree to pursue a career in business overseas.
"I'm going to follow this [music] thing as far as it will go, but I'm not going to keep living the dream if this career hits a dead end," Rosenholtz said. "I've had a great few years here at Denver and I know my international business degree will serve me really well."
For more on Jashko's music, visit his
Facebook fan page.
