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DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ
Tag Archives: Professional Wedding DJ
Grandma Smacks Wedding DJ With Cane!
I know better. It would be different if I was a twenty-one year-old Wedding DJ who thinks Dance Music started with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” or I only played Top 40, House or Hip Hop.
I know better. It would be different if I did not start my career as a Wedding DJ back in 1980 playing Oldies and current music.
I know better. It would be different if I have not been a professional Wedding DJ for countless young Brides and Grooms that often forget more than half their friends and family at their Reception will be from one or two generations before them, meaning, music needs to be diverse and meet the needs of everyone! Everyone wants to have a fantastic time at a wedding and that is what I am hired to do!
For one night, I forgot all of this and got whacked in the butt by the Bride’s Grandmother! It’s OK, I deserved it. She walked up to me while making her way slowly across the room to leave at the end of the night of fun and dancing, looked me in the eye and said without hesitation, “You didn’t play any of The Old Songs!” She followed that by promptly smacking me in the butt with her cane!
It is the first time I have never been hit by a Grandmother with a cane and definitely the first time for not playing enough of our old, classic tunes. I know better and the worst part is I love many of the old songs and play them regularly as Wedding DJ. I grew up with my parents playing old Vocal Classics, Jazz, Swing, Big Bands, Classical and occasionally Top 40. I had a very diverse ear as a young person that continued to expand through my teens and twenties. I have never stopped allowing new and ‘foreign’ music from entering my playlists and events. Some of the first gigs I was hired for as a Wedding DJ were exclusively Oldies parties.
Pocono Mountain Resort Wedding DJ Learns Lesson!
Outside of Grandma, it was a totally fun and celebratory night at Mountain Springs Lake Resort in Reeders, Pennsylvania, Pocono Mountains. There was actually not enough room on the dance floor for everyone to fit several times during the night. As I always do, I checked with both the Bride and Groom throughout the night to make sure I was performing the way they wanted and each time I received emphatic responses, “Yes! This is perfect” or “This is exactly we what we wanted!” Unfortunately, Grandma did not feel the same way about the Wedding DJ. Last weekend I had two weddings and made especially sure I did not forget to include enough old tunes to make everybody happy and of course, at the end of the night when the old folks were heading home, cranking-up the songs that the Bride and Groom requested for everybody to let loose.
One last time, I know better.
DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ
Ask about my Rhode Island Wedding DJ and Rhode Island Party DJ Guarantee!
Deb and Cory Wedding
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Mike and Sara Wedding
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Grant and Meng Wedding
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Andrew and Vincenza Wedding
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Caitlyn and Ryan Wedding
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Every Wedding is Unique For The Professional Wedding DJ
I keep thinking that one day I am going to show-up for a wedding and it will be like the others. It seems like the odds are in favor of at least two weddings to be the same as a Professional Wedding DJ, right?
Wrong.
No matter how similar they seem in the planning and coordination, each wedding is a unique and singular event. I guess that is the way it is supposed to be since it is such an important event. I guess weddings for this Professional Wedding DJ are like people; no two will ever be exactly the same.
On the outside, if you attend one or two a year they may seem to be similar since the basic components appear alike; Bridal Party Introductions, First Dance, Mother-Son Dance, Father-Daughter dance, Cake Cutting, Bouquet Toss and often a Garter Removal and Toss as well. There are typically friends and family and a shared meal. There is usually dancing and celebration, which can be dictated by family, religious and cultural traditions. These pieces may feel the same on the surface but they are not for any Professional Wedding DJ worth their salt. We work together to create something that expresses The Bride and Groom uniquely. Again, it may appear the same but is not for this Professional Wedding DJ.
An example last summer I think illustrates this perfectly. I had two weddings in a row where the Bridal Party was being introduced to Black Eyed Peas “I Gotta Feeling” and The Bouquet Toss was highlighted by Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”. The Brides had chosen these songs independently of each other but as often is the case, the songs were the same but believe me they had little else in common.
At the first wedding, The Bridal Party came out with the Groomsmen carrying the Bridesmaids in their arms as if crossing the threshold with new Brides themselves. The second wedding had them dancing as pairs that was choreographed earlier that day. Same song but completely different experiences for the Professional Wedding DJ.
First wedding had close to twenty-five women ranging in age from late teens to late thirties vying for the Bouquet aggressively with almost a fight between two ladies in peach colored gowns. The second wedding was twelve young women all different shapes, sizes and colors respectfully allowing the oldest one to catch the bouquet and feel good about herself. They all hugged and kissed her as she held it high in the air beaming.
What was also the same at both of these amazing weddings was the simple, elegant and fun energy of the venue and event. That is what is my job – to make sure the wedding is simple, elegant and fun. As a professional Wedding DJ, I am responsible for creating a fantastic space for the Bride, Groom, friends and family. That is my job.
What was unique at yesterday’s wedding, as all of my weddings, are how the elegance, simplicity and fun manifest. It is not always what I define as fun or elegant, it is the Bride and Groom that are in charge and they decide what they want and I make certain it happens. Last night that meant the Groom’s parents, who are in their late sixties, specifically asked for the music to be soft enough to allow regular conversation. The Bride and Groom had already had their ‘fun’ wedding in Florida where they live in May and his parents wanted them to celebrate with their friends and family here in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania together. It was a simple, elegant and fun affair but not the way one typically thinks of when they plan their wedding. Everybody had great time, especially Michael and Maureen. I don’t think I saw her smile leave her face once during the whole day! That is what I took with me on my drive north on The Garden State Parkway leaving Manahawkin, next to Long Beach Island.
Like people, no two weddings are the same for this Professional Wedding DJ.
Professional DJs Can Have Fun Too!
As a professional DJ, I typically enjoy every gig I perform, some more than others. When I am hired for a wedding or event, I am focused on making sure I meet needs of the host, and all the guests are having a great time. That is what I am hired to do and my primary focus.
When I am offering my services for somewhere like The Barefoot Boogie, I can relax and enjoy myself even more. Last Saturday night was one of those nights. It was a night when I was really feeling the crowd and aligning with their rhythm and flow. I was able to sense when they needed the music to slow and become more lyrical and lush, and when they needed me to pick it up and reach 135 beats per minute. For me, that is fun since I appreciate when good dancers go deeper into music and embody the vibration and energy.
At professional functions I do not dance when performing as professional DJ and MC. I have to control myself sometimes since I like to dance and want to get out and move, but that is not what I am hired to do. At events like Barefoot Boogie I can jump out on the dance floor and join the group in movement.
We had an exceptional time collectively last Saturday night. I came home tired, sore and glowing. It could be worse…
A Rhode Island Professional DJ Needs To Stay Current
One of the challenges for a good Rhode Island professional DJ is to stay current with many genres of music. It is not enough to just keep up on the most popular songs on The Billboard Hot 100, we must go beyond Top 40 and be prepared for a last minute gig that requires music from other genre like Country, Rock, Latin, Hip Hop, House, Dance, Smooth Jazz and some less popular styles in The USA like Buddha Bar, Lounge and what has become named ‘World Music’, a name that does not make sense to me since all music is from somewhere in the world.
I have enjoyed and been a collector of music from around the world for years as a Rhode Island Professional DJ. I like to learn about music from places that I have not visited yet like from various countries in Africa, South America, India, Europe and The Middle East. I lived in Asia for a couple of years and am pretty familiar with many of their popular and traditional styles.
I know many Rhode Island Professional DJs today think that playing just one genre like House or Hip Hop or Dance are what people want most. My experience is that people want you to be ready for whatever they request live.
A Rhode Island Professional DJ Needs To Stay Current
I was speaking to a man who has hired me for a party later this month. He stated that at their annual Holiday Party every year many of the guests leave complaining that the Rhode Island professional DJ did not have most of the songs they requested since they have a very diverse crowd from ages twenty-one to late sixties. I felt bad they have experienced this several times. I offered him a guarantee that if they experience the same disappointment with my performance at their event this year, they do not have to pay me the balance owed. He laughed and said I do not have to do that.
I replied, “Yes I do! At some point professional DJs need to be held accountable for the quality we offer; if we do a bad job, you shouldn’t have to pay us.”
He laughed again and said, “You must be either real crazy or real good at what you do to make a statement like that.”
It was my turn to laugh, “Maybe a little bit of both.”
Nothing like giving yourself a challenge to raise your game as a Rhode Island Professional DJ!
DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ
Ask about my Rhode Island Wedding DJ & Rhode Island Party DJ Guarantee!