Michigan DJ goes viral on TikTok with one-note challenge

(CBS DETROIT) — An Ann Arbor-based DJ has gone viral in several TikTok videos by asking people, "Can you name this song in one note?"

Derrick Castenholz says the idea came to him in the basement of his southeast Michigan home during the pandemic lockdowns.

At the time, he was doing virtual gigs as well as creating content on the side to pass the time. Little did he know, his ideas evolved into debates in the comment section on videos he would post leaving the viewer with one question.

"At one point, I played 'Shook Me All Night Long,' and in the comment section, people were like, 'Oh, I knew that song instantly when you played it. I can recognize that song right away.' And that's when it triggered in my brain, the name that tune type ordeal but with people just naming it in one note. What other songs are that recognizable that it can trigger your brain instantly to know what it is?" Castenholz says.

Following the lifting of COVID restrictions, Castenholz now visits Michigan's campus, where he asks college students or anyone willing to participate.

CBS News Detroit tagged along with Castenholz during one of his trips to campus. The full story is in the video above.