If you are a professional DJ like me, you look forward to the process of co-creating the music for each event. It may look to the guests at the party or wedding that the DJ just shows up and follows what the crowd is enjoying. In many cases this is true. In most where it is an single event like a wedding or retirement party, we have had extensive contact and conversation with the event planner or host, especially The Bride and/or Groom when a Wedding DJ. Together we mutually determine the basic playlist.
As a professional DJ who began this process over thirty years ago, I am not short on experience or knowledge but I do not know your guests, you do. There is where the collaboration process developes. You begin by offering some broad strokes of genre(s) and even specific ‘must-have’ songs. The next step may include me recommending a few pieces that I think will compliment what you have shared with me. If I am correct, we add to the list from there. If I am incorrect that means we need to continue our conversation to make sure I have a clearer picture of the kind of music you have in mind.
Here is an example:
Recently I was gettig ready for a First Communion Celebration. Through several emails the mother and I were working on the music for the event. She had said on the phone that she wanted “Eighties music and some new stuff”. This is a normal response. You can see how this can lead to an incorrect description of what music they wanted at the party.
I answered, “Do you mean like Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince?”
“No. I mean like AC/DC and Meat Loaf and music like that.”
“Oh OK, I understand now. That is easy I have a ton of that kind of music. And for current music do you mean Rock also?”
“No. For current music I wold like dance stuff like Jennifer Lopez, Edward Maya, Usher and whoever does that that song ‘We No Speak Americano’.”
“That song is by an Australian group named Yolanda Be Cool & DCup. I have all the current hits and I will make sure I keep moving back from the older stuff to the newer stuff to keep everybody interested and dancing. What about music for the kids?”
“They want all Hip Hop.”
“You mean like Kanye West, A Tribe Called Quest, OutKast and Run-DMC?”
“NO! Nothing hard like that. I mean more like Rihanna and Kesha. And they also like Katy Perry too.”
“OK I got it now. You want me to play the most popular clean songs for the kids to dance to.”
“Exactly! Perfect!”
You can see how easily this can happen. If you want your professional DJ to play the right music, make sure they take the time to be clear about what kind of music it is you want. Please don’t assume that terms like ’80’s music’, ‘Hip Hop’ and ‘clean’ mean the same thing to everybody. If you want your event to be just the way you envisioned and even better, I invite you to have plenty of conversation with your professional DJ and if they tell you they have it covered, check and make certain you are both on the same page. Remember, it is your event and you are hiring us to make it fantastic, as professional DJs it is our job. But, it is your event.
