There’s nothing like hearing a DJ give your favorite song a spin. But when you’re in the hospital, the serendipitous joy of a dance party can be hard to find.

Enter DJ Mad Mardigan, official DJ of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx—and now, M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital. In 2023, Mad Mardigan started spinning records once a month at the hospital, giving patients and families a chance to move and groove amid treatment.

This isn’t just another gig for Mad Mardigan, whose real name is Nick Dircz. A few years ago, Dircz’s daughter Flora spent time in Masonic Children’s Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, and the exemplary care left a lasting impression.

“That’s when I really just fell in love with the hospital and all the programs and amenities that they offer,” Dircz says. “This is just the coolest hospital in the world.”

Dircz teamed up with Masonic Children’s Hospital patient Braxton Battaglia and her TB1 Fund to power a monthly experience that is half education, half dance party. Using song requests gathered in advance, Dircz broadcasts lessons on beat-matching and scratching to patients and families in their rooms. Afterward, Dircz mixes a high-energy mash-up of hits—everything from Disney jams to the “Top Gun” soundtrack—and of course, Taylor Swift.

“A lot of the time when patients and families come here, kids lose the option of making as many choices as they’re used to due to the requirements of their care,” says Theresa Bunkers, a certified child life specialist. “Putting in music requests is a great way to give patients back a little bit of that control.”

She remembers sitting in the studio with an older teen who was feeling down in the midst of a lengthy hospital stay. Bunkers asked the teen if they’d like to make a request, and they came up with an unexpected answer: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana.

In short order, DJ Mad Mardigan fired up the classic grunge hit.

“It was so cool to see that teen sitting there watching this happen in front of them and being like, ‘Oh my gosh, they actually played my song!’” says Bunkers, smiling at the memory. “They had a choice, they had control, and their musical tastes were reflected in the show.”