“A real D.J. is part shaman, part tech-wizard, part crowd psychologist, all artist. Many people claim the title but far fewer embody it.”
Tag Archives: Party DJ
What Makes A Great Birthday Party DJ?
Great Music. Great People. Great Vibe. And a great Birthday Party DJ.
I get often asked, “DJ Michael, how do I make sure that the Birthday Party I am throwing will be totally fun?”
“Simple. You need three main ingredients sprinkled throughout your party, Great Music, Great People and a Great Vibe. The rest all falls into place.”
“That’s it? What about the food, venue and theme? Don’t they matter too?”
“Of course. Everything matters for an exceptional party. If you have the main ingredients of Great Music, People and Vibe, you will have a great party. The other components will add to the party but it will be great without them. You can just put sixty fun people in a room with great music and an excellent DJ and they will have a great time. The right Birthday Party DJ can create the vibe for you. That’s our job. People think the DJ’s skills are about mixing and scratching. Anyone who practices for a few hours can do this. The true NJ & NY Birthday Party DJ talents lie in our ability to create a fun vibe that makes everyone wants to enjoy themselves regardless of whether it is in a fancy place with expensive caterers and party favors or not.
Don’t get me wrong, the other components add flavor to the event and I am a total food connoisseur and love to eat good food but I can do that at home or at a restaurant and can buy myself party hats. What I want when I am a party is fun and a great atmosphere. This is what you pay your NJ or NY professional Birthday Party DJ to do for you.”
“I guess I never thought about it but makes sense. Why does everyone focus so much attention and energy on the other details and not the professional DJ?”
“Before we all started hiring professional Rhode Island DJs for our parties and events, we needed all the other stuff to create atmosphere otherwise it didn’t feel like a party. It is also easier to find good food than a good NJ or NY DJ and certainly much easier to know in advance which ones to choose. You can taste the food at a restaurant, venue or caterer but showing you a video or photos of our events doesn’t really let you know we will make your party great.”
“Exactly! So what do we do?”
“Get references! Ask your professional DJ before you sign your contract for references. Also view their reviews and see if they have the right ‘feel’ for your party. I am not the best DJ for every event, even though I have plenty of high quality experiences at all events. If a client contacts me about an event that I do not think I will perform well at, I will coordinate one of the professional DJs I sub-contract with to make sure they get what they need. That’s how we build trust with our clients. I said no to a client who wanted to hire me just this week. I wasn’t the right professional DJ for her party and gave her a referral to a Rhode Island DJ I knew would be perfect.”
“Thanks Michael. This is very helpful. At least now I know where to focus my energy to make sure we have a great party! Thanks!”
“It’s my job:)”
What Makes A Great Party?
This afternoon a recently married Groom called me after returning from their honeymoon, which he was beaming about. He wanted to thank me for the great time they all had at their wedding. The three of us became friends while planning and coordinating their wedding over the previous half year. We shared meals, laughs, stories and ideas while creatively making a great wedding for them. It worked thankfully!
During our conversation, it occurred to me that the music, the clothes, the food, the service and the venue all matter but none of them by themselves can make a great party. I think it is the people. Mark and Yomi have great friends and family. It was evident to me even while I was busy producing the soundtrack to their day as their Wedding DJ. Their friends and family genuinely wanted to be part of their celebration and were supportive of everything they chose. I am sure there were some disagreements along the way, but at the wedding itself it was about Mark and Yomi and having a great time.
I met with another couple later this afternoon who are in the beginning stages of planning their wedding. I still had fresh in my mind my conversation with Mark, his remarks and my thoughts on the people being the primary ingredient in a fantastic party. When speaking with them, I asked more questions then I typically do in a first meeting. I want to know about them and their guests to know how best to make certain they too have a great wedding. They are a nice couple who are taking their time to make this be what they want but recognize they need to let professionals do what they do best, trusting the experience we have. I took the time to learn more about them and their friends and family. I think I will do a better job of this from now. I look froward to the opportunity to work with them and do my part in creating a great party for them and their guests to share.
What do you think makes a great party?
What is the most essential ingredient?