That is Not The Professional DJ We Booked!

Posted on October 29, 2012 by DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island Wedding DJ

It is your wedding day and you have been getting ready for this day since you first met each other. Everything is perfect; flowers, ceremony, photographer, table-setting, dress, tux, family arrived safe, just the way you planned it! It is time to enter the reception hall for the first time as husband and wife with all your friends and family waiting excitedly. You enter the room to cheers and glasses tapping and you see some guy standing behind the professional DJ equipment wearing a t-shirt and jeans that you have never met before pronouncing your name incorrectly. Who is this guy and what is he doing at our wedding? Where is the professional Wedding DJ we booked?

Funny scene right? Well, this happens more than you think. It has become a sad but somewhat common practice for professional Wedding DJ companies to sell you on one Wedding DJ and have another show up. The professional Wedding DJ that you picked was one you felt comfortable with and shared several phone conversations and emails. You discussed the music, your favorite songs and the ones you didn’t want to hear, order of events, dress code, pronunciation of family members names and all the professional Wedding MC duties till all three of you felt you were on the same page. Now some other guy is here who you have never met before DJing your wedding.

Hint #1: When signing your contract with your professional Wedding DJ, make certain it states which Wedding DJ will be the one providing services at your event. Do not let them choose for you, unless you get to make the final decision. They can pick one out for you but make sure you are comfortable with the one they choose. It is your event, you get to choose. Chances are that a good professional agency will pick out the right Wedding DJ for you but it is still in your best interest to have the final say.

Hint #2: Have direct communication with your Wedding DJ before the event to make sure they have your playlist, special songs, order of events, names of those being announced, proper clothing (don’t laugh) and understand how you want the event to transpire. This is crucial. Even the best professional DJ wants to know before showing up what is expected and needed to perform their work effectively. Sure, we can improvise and do when necessary, but having a plan is helpful for all involved and limits misunderstandings at your event.

Hint #3: It is your event! You may have as much or as little input into your professional DJ service as you wish. Again, it is your event!

Remember, it is your event! This is your mantra: It is MY event!

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

What to Look for in A Professional Wedding DJ

Posted on October 29, 2012 by DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island Wedding DJ

Experience. Experience is the most important aspect of choosing a quality professional Wedding DJ for your wedding. A professional Wedding DJ needs to have experience with DJing many kinds of events, and most importantly; weddings. Weddings have a certain rhythm and flow to them that can be overwhelming when you are new at providing professional DJ services for weddings.

Let’s face it, the intention is to do this only once and it has to be something that you and your guests walk away feeling like having experienced a slice of heaven for a day. One of the least thought about but often key decisions is choosing a professional Wedding DJ. Your music and Wedding MC go along way towards making this a memorable and fun event for all. An experienced professional Wedding DJ has the skills and confidence to make certain that the bride and groom, and all their guests can appreciate the honoring of tradition and this moment at the same time. The right music can do this. There is a large gap between knowing music, spinning music and being able to meet the needs of those attending your wedding.

An experienced professional Wedding DJ will have very high quality equipment that is well taken care-of and looks appealing for your guests and photos. Do you want your wedding photos to look like a concert hall? Of course not. Does your Wedding DJ look like a guy off the street or someone who respects you and their profession?

At the end of the day, it is YOUR wedding! Make certain your wedding DJ realizes how important this is to you and your guests. It is your music, your photos, your celebration. An experienced wedding DJ knows this and is ready to honor and embrace your needs and can do so seamlessly while having fun participating in this unique event.

Experience is the key to finding the right professional Wedding DJ for your wedding.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Professional DJs Moving Music Beyond Borders

Posted on October 29, 2012 by DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island Wedding DJ

There was a young man named Chris recording some of his most recent piano compositions in our studio this morning. I was and still am blown away by his force and grace at the keyboard. He reminded me in some ways of George Winston in his ability to transition from and to forceful, very intense and soft, gentle caresses of the keys seamlessly. An exceptional Professional DJ can create bridges between cultures through music. This is what a Multicultural DJ does.

One of the great things that music can offer us is a means to break and go beyond borders and limitations that are created individually or socially. I think about when I was a kid. My family was not the most culturally aware or respectful but when it came to music, there were no barriers or prejudices. At night my parents could be listening to Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Beethoven, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Fiddler on the Roof, Rossini’s William Tell Overture (which I thought was The Lone Ranger theme), Santana and Hugh Masekela.

For me, it was The Beatles, Motown, Carole King, Cat Stevens, Beach Boys, Santana, Steppenwolf, Simon and Garfunkel, Elton John, Sly and The Family Stone, Bill Withers, Jimi Hendrix and The Byrds. I am sure there were others but those were the ones that owned my turntable during my early childhood. Of course, that all changed when I reached my teens.

Today music from Brooklyn, Jersey, LA, Texas, Mali, Mexico, Cuba, Turkey, Spain, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Indonesia, India, Philly, Detroit, UK, Italia, The Middle East, Africa in general, Jamaica, Hawaii, Ireland are all regular guests in my bedroom these days with other ‘friends’ visiting from time to time.

Music can do this. It is amazing to me how easy and painlessly music can expand our vision of what is possible between people, cultures and sound. Turn on your radio and briefly flip through several different stations that you do not regularly listen to and enjoy the diversity and creativity that you will experience. Music can do that and more.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Class Reunion Parties Professional DJ

Posted on October 29, 2012 by DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island Wedding DJ

One of my favorite event forms to DJ have always been class reunions. I enjoy the opportunity to provide music to facilitate memories for people that have shared some part of their past together.

I started doing class reunions back in the early 80’s, by accident really. There was a group of Police Officers in Morris County who were all big motorcyclists. They belonged to an organization named The Blue Angels. They hired me once as a professional DJ for an Oldies (50’s & 60’s) gig, and from there I ended up doing many class reunions because I got a reputation as a good professional Oldies DJ. This was funny to me since I was not born during a large chunk of the music I played and was a little boy during the rest. In took time for me to build a solid collection of this music on vinyl (all there was back then) and more importantly know the music. Eventually, I had what I considered enough knowledge and library to do this on a regular basis. This is where all the reunions started coming from.

Class reunions are fun times. The professional DJ has a real clear direction of what selections to play, leaving some room for those who want music from other periods than high school or college. This tight playlist offers the opportunity to really dive into this period and play both what was on the top of the charts but also to play stuff that was not as popular. We can do this since we know that if you were in high school or college at the time the music was out, chances are you had some knowledge of the whole music scene. This is unique because usually we cannot play the lesser known, music from the past, people just do not know it except those who were in their teens and twenties at the time.

So if you are a professional DJ who really has an affection for music from a certain period, I encourage you to market yourself for class reunions during that period. They are such fun events and you get to jump back in time for the night along with the guests. Trust me, these are such fun events and you will want to do them all the time!

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Professional DJ On Fire!

Posted on October 29, 2012 by DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island Wedding DJ

I was DJ an event at Barefoot Boogie in NYC after the special dance and movement class lead by Heidi McClure. Everybody appreciated Heidi’s class and were ready when I cranked up the volume with Stevie Wonder to get things rockin’. It was a matter of minutes before everybody was totally into the music and shouting and singing while shaking and moving on the dance floor. This is what I live for as a professional DJ. It is when I know the time spent preparing and making sure I have the right music for the occasion was worth it without question.

In fact, on this night everybody was having so much fun with the old R&B, Soul and dance music that I was not able to shift the music to some of the more creative and interesting music I had selected that I only get to play at somewhere like an event of this nature where diversity and eclectic music are held in high esteem. After such an intense class as Heidi’s, dancers wanted to release energy and just have fun, I was able to honor that and we had a great time. It was hard getting people to stop at the end of the night. I even went over the allotted time by 30 minutes and people were still not ready to stop; not because they were drunk or wanted to stay out later, they were just having fun.

I have noticed that lately this is happening more and more for me. Apparently, the experiences I had as a professional DJ full-time when I was younger, the times off and on since then and now with my new perspective and use of MacBook with iTunes have been good for me. I feel like I have tuned into some form of understanding of music and people that I did not have previously.

Maybe time, practice and experience really are the keys to success!

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Professional DJ Training

Posted on October 29, 2012 by DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island Wedding DJ

I had the opportunity this morning to give some basic DJ training to a young man who is filling in for someone tomorrow night at a family function as DJ for the first time. It was fun to share with him the simple yet often failed process of blending styles and tempo together seamlessly. He seemed to ‘get it’ fairly easily, it is not rocket science.

Learning the art of transitioning musical styles and tempos is one of the most important skills a good professional DJ has. They have to be able to make Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Miley Cyrus, Michael Buble, The Police, Beyonce, Bon Jovi, RUN DMC, U2, Cotton-Eyed Joe and Frank Sinatra all fit together without taking the energy of one from the other. They have to actually fit together, not just be part of the same night.

The equally important art is that of shifting tempos from fast to slow and back again without losing the energy and dancers on the floor.

Example: You have the dance floor rockin’ with a set of Stevie Wonder, Prince, Akon, Empire State of Mind, Sly and the Family Stone and Aretha, and now you have the person who booked the event requesting some slow songs, a good thing but not what follows Respect real well nor Dance To The Music. What to do? Slow it down over a few songs. How about Lionel Ritchie or Smokey Robinson to move towards a true slow dance tune? How do you get it back up to a fast tempo after a few slow songs? How about Marvin Gaye, Barry White, Leona Lewis or one of my favorites; 4 The Cause “Stand By Me”? Then it is easy to crank out something faster like Beyonce, Yaz or Billy Idol.

All of this keeps the event flowing naturally and does not force dancers to shift gears to quickly. Let them enjoy the gentle transitions of style, genre and tempo to support their ability to move and groove to the music without feeling lost or out of sync.

I am interested to hear about how his gig goes tomorrow night. He will be in New Jersey doing his thing while I will be in NYC doing mine!

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Dinner Music for Professional DJs

Posted on October 29, 2012 by DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island Wedding DJ

When playing music for a group as a professional DJ, dinner music can be either one of the easiest or most challenging aspects of a gig. How can dinner music be challenging you ask? Good question.

There are the ‘guest wars’ over volume and musical styles. Uncle Joe wants “Some nice old Italian music, you know, Jerry Vale and Frank Sinatra” and the Groom is concerned that “My Polish family will go crazy without any Polkas at a wedding” then the Bride, who booked the event to begin with wants “Slow, Soulful music” and the original playlist you discussed called for Western Classical music during dinner with some Smooth Jazz. You can see how this can be confusing. So what does a professional Wedding DJ do to satisfy all these contrasting tastes and requests?

Play them all! Since the dinner potion of an event, especially a wedding, will last about an hour; this is when you can spread your wings and let them all get some airtime. Maybe start with some Smooth Jazz and segue into some Slow, Soulful music. When that has run its course, a Polish Polka or two will make the Groom and his family happy knowing that a couple more Smooth Jazz tunes will be needed to transition to the Italian favorites Uncle Joe demanded. As dinner hits the main course, relaxing Classical Music is always a positive choice being mindful that many of these pieces will have slow gentle beginnings but full-bodied upbeat middles that may not be suitable for dinner music. It is important to always pre-cue your selections and take a quick listen to make certain it is good dinner music for this event.

Dinner music is a time for letting people enjoy food, conversation, connecting, maybe even introductions and getting in the mood for whatever will follow. The middle of dinner should be the mellowest of music with the coffee and desert portion moving a little bit more upbeat to segue into the danceable music to follow. Be warned though, if your music is too good, you may have people leaving their full plates and heading to the dance floor. I have experienced this several times as a professional Wedding DJ and am sure if it is a sign of doing a good job or taking from the event itself. You be the judge.

I encourage all new professional DJs to not fall into the habit that many professional DJs do of running dinner solely on Auto-Mix and not paying any attention to what is going on. Remember, dinner sets the mood for the event and you want to be sure everybody is being prepared for a great night! Watch and feel what is working with the guests even though they are not dancing. Feel the vibe and energy and choose your selections accordingly. We are the entertainment and entertainers do not go on auto-pilot. Bring the same energy and focus to dinner as you do to the rest of the gig and it will provide the foundation for a successful event for everybody!

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

A Professional DJ’s Best Friend

Posted on October 25, 2012 by DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island Wedding DJ

All experienced professional DJs have a best friend they bring with them to every gig. No, I am not talking about their buddy who helps lug in the gear and keeps an eye on things during a quick trip to the bathroom. I am speaking of the songs or artists that you know you can bring out when things need a boost to kick into high gear. It is kind-of like cheating with a stacked deck.

In different times and places, the songs and artists vary. For example; if you are the professional DJ at a Sweet Sixteen, your best friend as a professional DJ for that gig will typically be whatever the top dance songs are on the Billboard charts that week. This could be Akon, Myley Cyrus or Carrie Underwood or who knows who will top the charts next week. If you are the professional DJ at a high school reunion for the class of 1962, then it may be The Five Satins, Elvis Presley or The Everly Brothers, and if you’re lucky, maybe even Roy Orbison. This is nothing like what your ace in the hole would be for a college reunion from the class of 1983, which would mean Duran Duran, A Flock of Seagulls and maybe even Michael Jackson Thriller or The Clash depending on the group.

But what about a wedding? Weddings are somewhat different than other gigs because the guests can be very diverse including age, background and lifestyle. At a wedding, an experienced professional Wedding DJ takes the songs and artists that they were requested in advance by the Bride and Groom, the requests they receive at the wedding, look at the guests age and lifestyle and throw in a dose of common sense of what is working and what is barely shaking the Jello and discern what the ‘aces in the hole’ are for that wedding.

There are the usual songs and artists that rarely fail; Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, Old Motown, Soul and R&B, along with a few never fail slow dance songs like Always and Forever, Ribbon in the Sky, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and some Elvis. In certain circles you can also can count on the Slides, Cha Cha and Electric, Macarena, Thriller or any other group dances. But beyond that, you are successful on your ability to gauge what will work to meet the needs of the diverse guests who may not know each other well or at all.

There are tables that may have a single, middle-aged cousin, two best friends of the bride from high school, the bride’s boss and husband, his former secretary and her new boyfriend and an ex-boyfriend of the bride with his pretend girlfriend for the wedding all trying to make conversation and find a way to enjoy the reception together. They can be the ones you have to get up on the dance floor, the immediate family and friends are rarely hard to please, since they are so excited anyway. But the more distant folks are the ones that will make or break or wedding or any important event. These are the folks that every DJ needs to identify their ‘best friends’ for that event.

A little experimentation within the scope of what the couple have requested will often give you clues what and when to release the ‘aces’. Example; if the bride requested Barry White and Marvin Gaye and they both go over well, then it is probably safe to assume Diana Ross post-Supremes, Smokey Robinson and Earth, Wind and Fire will be effective in getting everybody up and rockin’, and of course MJ is always there when you do not know what else to do. Each time you have a success, you build on it and it produces more opportunities for expanding the playlist to meet the needs of more people while still keeping those enjoying what is going on happy.

Learning your ‘aces in the hole’ and “best friends’ are two of the ways that an experienced professional DJ adapts to the situation successfully without losing what they have already established.

What are your ‘aces in the hole’ and ‘best friends’ as a professional DJ in the NJ, MY & PA region?

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Freestyle Frolic

Posted on October 25, 2012 by DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island Wedding DJ

On Saturday night I was in Tilson, NY at an event called Freestyle Frolic. It is a bi-weekly event where it is free of smoking, drinking and drugs sponsored by Dance New England. I have been to, danced and DJ at their partner events in NYC Barefoot Boogie but this was the first time I participated in their outdoor, freestyle event in the New Paltz area.

It was fun dancing and observing the different DJs throughout the night. I took particular attention to when and how they changed the flow and energy of the music to meet the needs of those dancing. Since there was a big picnic first, the beginning DJ needed to slowly engage folks into dancing and getting them moving in a way that supported being outside, barefoot and taking in the beauty and tranquility of the environment. He did so with gentle coaxing through slow progressions of tempo and energy. I watched as each participant found their way to move and dance in way that felt right to them and helped them to feel comfortable with their body and atmosphere. As people were starting to demonstrate more energy and enthusiasm, the DJ livened things up a bit in a slow methodical manner. This is what I have found effective as a DJ as well. It is somewhat different for a wedding or major event where it is assumed in advance that guests will be ready to get and move from the beginning but there is still a ‘warm-up’ period to get them comfortable.

The second DJ from 10:30-12:30 had the advantage of taking over when the dancers were already warmed up and now it was dark outside with a sky filled with stars and star-gazers. We were ready for higher energy music and they delivered. They were a team of husband and wife and they alternated selections and mixes through the next two hours. It was a welcomed choice to slow down the music and add some layered, heavier textures to mix things up every now and then. This allowed dancers to sink into the music deeper and for a richer experience that is hard to find in faster rhythms and beats. They seemed to be truly having fun ,mixing and choosing their music, a good sign from a DJ.

The final DJ who was to spin from 12:30-2:30, came in with more melodic and electronic music. There was a dose of Trance for those who were still up and moving. This allowed the dancers to move in their own way without forcing a style or tempo on them. I noticed how more creatively the dancing became when the opportunity was given. This is something that many new and young DJs often exclude. New DJs and young DJs often choose what always works or what they like and do not create space for the dancers to make it their own, they force a tempo or style to suit their own needs or lack of experience.

After a night of dancing and music in the woods and mountains of New York State near The Catskills and Woodstock, I left with the feeling that I had learned or maybe been reminded of some simple concepts as a DJ.

1) Be creative but do not push your needs on the folks dancing.

2) Create space for people to get comfortable physically as well as socially on the dance floor.

3) Have fun as a DJ! No need to be cool or look like you are solving world issues or a cure for cancer. Enjoy the music, energy and dancing!

4) Be present and let go of what you thought you were going to play and pre-made playlists. The energy of the crowd will determine the best possible music for that moment and time. Listen and feel the energy and match it with your own gut feeling on what is needed for the dancers to enjoy the event most. It is their event and it should be for them- the music, the style and the beats. We just make it happen.

5) Dance is a social and community event even of it does not look or feel that way at the time. Help facilitate this process by being part of the event without ‘being’ the event.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Professional BBQ DJ

Posted on October 25, 2012 by DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island Wedding DJ

Over the years I have had the opportunity to be a professional DJ at some outdoor events. They are fun and simple. They have the benefit of typically being laid back parties with plenty of good food and atmosphere. It is also different for us as professional DJs to be at events that people are dressed so casually, as opposed to a wedding or corporate event where we are all dressed more formally. But a professional BBQ DJ?

Outdoor parties give us chance to spread our wings a bit more than usual since they are typically longer and less structured than indoor events. Besides, when do you get to smell freshly cooked BBQ at an indoor event? If you are the professional DJ at the right event, the professional DJ PA system is cranked up pretty loud and fills a backyard or park area with great music. Nothing like corn on the cob with Marvin Gaye or The Beatles!

Choosing which music to play at an outdoor event requires a bit of a different touch. Since generally the dancing won’t get into high gear till the sun is fading and the moon is making its appearance, guests will want to hear the music that they listen to at home and with friends. This often means a professional DJ needs to prepared to play Bob Seger, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Bobby Darin, Bob Geldoff, Bobby McFerrin, The Bobs and The Bobbettes! Or Michael or Donna or Rihanna. That can mean you may end up playing Eric Clapton, The Temptations, Sly and The Family Stone, Lauryn Hill and The Fugees, Lady GaGa, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, Barry White and India Arie all in the same afternoon before it gets dark and the dancin’ begins!

It’s July and the summer season is in full swing here in the NJ, NY & PA area. I am excited about the one time of year we get to play music for these types of events. Put on the charcoals and break out the baked beans because Summer and outdoor parties are here and we are ready to rock them out! Can you pass me the potato salad please?