7/21/07 Company Picnic

Company events are a good source of income. There are huge differences between these events and a wedding reception. First of all, the pressure is nonexistent compared to DJing/emceeing a wedding reception. There are no events that are once in a life time.
So what do you do for these company events? Tasks are pretty much the same, playing music and announcing events. You say well duh. The difference is at a company event things are on the fly much more than the structure of a wedding reception. Not to say that some company events are not coordinated down to the minute, but if the event is a summer company picnic, they probably have an idea of what they would like to do at the event, but not necessarily when they would like to do each event. So the key to a company event is being flexible.
I have done this summer event for this company the last two years. The gig was the same both times. Play music that a wide variety of people would like, announce events, and stay flexible. The one thing that you must remember is you are the employee at this event. Don't try to run the show and do things the way you want. Listen to your customer. If you do, you can never lose.

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7/7/07 Wedding reception for a friend

7/7/07, is there a more pefect day to get married? Some friends of mine were married on this day and chose me to be there DJ. I'm not sure if there is more pressure or less pressure to perform because they are friends. It seemed I was more aware of the things that could go wrong and gave my mitigation strategies for these problems a once over............maybe twice.
I got to the reception early, of course, you should always get to a reception early. There could be a problem with the layout of the room that requires some coordination, or a speaker test could reveal a speaker was going out, or you need a bulb for your DJ lights. If you get to the gig with just enough time to set-up and start the show you are asking for trouble. So, of course when I got there, there was a problem. The couple had selected a light show and there was no way the lights were going to reach the dance floor the way the tables were configured. Not a hard fix, I spoke to the reception hall coordinator and we were able to create more room and I got the lights to reach to the dance floor. The rest of the set-up was smooth sailing. I was prepared in plenty of time.
The reception started at 8:00pm. The guests arrived, of course, early. I don't believe there has every been a reception in mankinds entire existence that started on time. Always, always, always, and in case you are not getting the point, guests always arrive early. This isn't a problem, more of an observance. At this time the bride and groom wanted dinner music to be played. Not just Kenny G please. Keep in mind that everybody is used to hearing Kenny G at a wedding reception. Hey!!!, dare to be different. Play Dave Matthews Band, Michael Buble, Thellonius Monk, John Coletrane, anything other than Kenny G. The bride and groom instructed dinner to begin at 8:45. Well 8:45 came and the bride and groom were no where to be found. Sooooooooooo, all of the guests started on through the buffet line. The tables were brought to the buffet using a captain's call. This is where the DJ or workers at the reception hall release tables to the buffet so there is not a mob scene at the buffet.
9:15, the wedding party has arrived. Time for the announcements. The wedding party was announced to "Welcome to the Jungle", the bride and groom were announce to "Yeah" by Usher. Announcing the wedding party and bride in groom does not always have to be done by music, but this night is about celebration, so make it fun. We are now coming upon the most pressure packed protion of the evening. After the wedding party has eaten we've got: toasts, cake cutting, first dance of the bride and groom, father-daughter dance, mother-son dance, bouquet toss, garder toss. And all of this has to run smoothly and go off without a hitch. These are the moments people will remember for the rest of their lives.
Well, first let's talk about the hitch. I was serving the wedding party drinks, not a part of the DJ contract, but it is an extra that I throw in. I do all I can to make sure the bride and groom and their families have nothing to do but relax and have a good time, so I asked if they were almost ready for the toasts. They were. So I go and tell the reception captain that they are ready for the champagne toast. Well their response was that a champagne toast was not in the contract. Great, time to go contact a person in the family familiar with what is supposed to happen and ask them if they ordered a champagne toast. They said they did. At this point I will make sure that this is no longer a problem. So I go and talk to the captain again and explain that a champagne toast was a part of the contract and it must have been overlooked. Most times the reception hall will have champagne on site and this will not be a problem. In this case, it was not a problem, so on with the party. The remaining ceremonial dances went off with out a hitch. Finally, at 11:00pm, it was time to party.
This is the best part of the night. There is nothing left for the DJ to do but play good music and make sure the dance floor is filled with people having a good time. This particular reception was extra fun. The group of guys here have been hanging out for a very long time. They know all the same dance moves and plain and simple like to have a good time. Three songs in particular set off the night. First the YMCA is played, the groomsman go into a line dance of sorts. You can tell they have been doing this for awhile. Next, the Booty Call. There is a particular portion of this dance where you cha-cha. Well the fellas have come up with 15 or more varaiations of steps to this part of the dance. Each one makes the call, "Around the World", "Michael Jackson", "Primetime", the list is endless. The entire crowd is trying to follow their moves. Finally, I play "Billie Jean". It is at this time that the groom and one of the groomsman square off into some sort of Michael Jackson dance off. People surround the dance floor watching these two go at it. It is by far, hands down, one of the most funny things you will ever see. Finally, sadly, the end of the night has arrived. Everyone has had a good time and I am completely worn out. Another reception in the books and I can say with complete confidence, one of the most fun.

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How Did I Get Here?

I have had a connection with music my entire life. In my younger years I would listen to all types of music. My favorites were heard in the roller rink. There was something in the music played that made me and others want to move.

As I got older my love for music continued to grow. Purple Rain was popular in my High School years. I remember playing this album over and over and over until the tape was worn out. That's right I said tape. Does anyone remember those? As a matter of fact I had an actual LP of 1999.

It’s in college where I first became interested in learning to DJ. My friends and I would go to the same dance club every Saturday night. The DJ would start the night with some Top 40 hits that were just background music. Then to kick the night off it was always Boston - "Smokin". It was at this time you knew the club was going to start hoppin. Watching the DJ bring our energy level up, let us come down, and bring us up again was incredible. He controlled the energy of the entire night with the music he played. It wasn’t just the music, but it was the order of the songs that made the difference. I knew at that time I wanted to be a DJ.

I became friends with the DJ and told him I was interested in learning the trade. As luck would have it there was a need for another DJ, so my education started. I learned to DJ using vinyl, tapes, and CDs. The only music with pitch control were the LPs, so the challenge to learn to DJ while using three types of players, CD player, tape player, and the tide and true 1200s, made the job challenging. But like everything, if you love to do it, it isn’t a chore. I enjoyed every minute of it.

I ended up DJing in that club for about a year. Then I moved on to DJing a different club. That lasted about 9 months. Why? Oh yeah, graduation. It was time to get a real job. Unfortunately that real job landed me in a place where there was not a need for a DJ. So I was out of the game. When I finally got back to civilization I wanted to get back into music. But my next obstacle was family. How could I be a club DJ, husband, and father at the same time? Well for me the answer was I couldn't. This would be the end of me as a club DJ. Still wanting to get back into music in some fashion I started thinking of places that needed music, but would also not keep me out until 4 in the morning. Naturally DJing for wedding receptions was the answer. While DJing for a wedding reception is much different than DJing a club, it was enough for me.

The rest is history. I've been a wedding reception DJ/entertainer for 7 years now. How did I get here? I followed the music.

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