This post was updated March 4 at 8:24 p.m.

With newfound internet fame, the Whistling Club at UCLA is blowing away the student club scene.

Formed during the 2023-2024 school year by president Jean Pierre “JP” Etcheverry, the Whistling Club has garnered recent attention because of Etcheverry’s efforts to make Instagram reels of the club’s performances. The third-year political science student said the club serves as a fun, casual space for people who enjoy whistling, where members of any level of experience can tune in.

“We have a motto: no whistle, no problem,” Etcheverry said. “Beginners are welcome to Whistling Club. People who can whistle well are welcome. All are welcome to just come and listen if they want.”

Etcheverry said he could not always whistle. Starting off loving music and band, he said he eventually started humming and then whistling tunes after lots of practicing. He said he founded the club to mimic the whistling club he created at his small high school, with hopes of reaching a larger audience at UCLA.

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Maintaining attendance from a group was not always easy, Etcheverry said, and the club started off small. However, he said attendance has exploded this quarter, which spurred him to make a reel with the new members. Etcheverry said he posted a video of the club whistling to “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. To the group’s surprise, the reel went viral overnight. The video now has nearly 1 million views, and the club’s next meeting had more than 30 attendees, he added.

“People not just from UCLA, all over the country, they started DMing us,” Etcheverry said. “And now we have … close to 1,700 followers. We’ve been growing ever since.”

Following this virality, the Whistling Club collaborated with second-year business economics student Charlie Kratus of the Instagram account @goodmorningucla in a reel that has gained more than 700,000 views. This newfound attention has been rewarding for longtime members such as second-year physiological science student Nathan Dang, who said he feels fulfilled seeing more members joining the club.

After losing his passion for playing instruments in high school, Dang said he found himself whistling more often. When joining the club, Dang said he only knew how to whistle by sucking in air, but after substantial practice and experimentation, he has since been able to whistle a wide range of notes. Dang said whistling allows people to express their passion for music in an easy and accessible way without needing to have an instrument. However, he added that he has interacted with many people who do not take the club seriously.

“I don’t blame anyone if their first initial reaction is to laugh, because I still do laugh at our videos too,” Dang said. “It’s meant to be fun, engaging and silly. It’s not meant to be something taken seriously.”

Dang joined the club with his roommate, Jashan Mahajan, who said they both thought participating would be a good way to de-stress. Mahajan, a second-year neuroscience student, said the club consists of passionate whistlers, but the community is not as competitive compared to other clubs and professional groups at UCLA. Meetings consist of discussing new songs to perform and practicing melodies and harmonies, Mahajan said. Following the club’s recent growth, there are discussions of what songs will be popular within Instagram’s algorithm, he added.

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Fourth-year film and television student Angela Kim is another club member and said she loves how the club is a motley of every kind of student at UCLA. A few members are in the marching band, Kim said, and brass players have experience moving the embouchure, so it is easier for them to whistle different pitches and tunes. Kim said the marching band members can help teach other students what parts to perform depending on their range.

“Whistling is often a solitary activity,” Kim said. “The fact that we can have a group where everyone can whistle feels much like a choir. It’s such a silly, niche group that I am so happy to be a part of in my last year.”

As the president of the organization, Etcheverry said he acts as a one-man board for the club, running the meetings and setting the agenda, but he is always including members in decision-making. He added that he is looking forward to tentative plans for a performance at the Skirball Cultural Center and at a foundation for childhood cancer research in the coming weeks, as well as a winter quarter concert for the general student body.

“I want it to, maybe in some way, be my lasting legacy here at UCLA,” Etcheverry said. “It gives people a sense of community and belonging in a very unique activity. I’m very proud of it, and I hope and I think that it will continue into the future.”