Tag Archives: Rhode Island Wedding

Class Reunion Parties Professional DJ

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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!

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DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Professional DJ On Fire!

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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!

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DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Professional DJ Training

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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

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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!

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DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

A Professional DJ’s Best Friend

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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

Professional BBQ DJ

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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?

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DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

What makes a Real Professional DJ, A Real Professional DJ?

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Yesterday I was reading an article in Skratchworx, a professional DJ magazine, titled “DJ? Who says so?” by Gizmo.

inMusic buys Stanton — some DJ industry analysis

 

It was an interesting to read the writer and the comments by the readers on the subject of what makes a professional DJ, a DJ versus just being someone playing songs. It is a topic I have reflected on many times. In some circles among the professional DJ community, a ‘DJ’ is only someone who works with turntables and scratches. In other segments of the community, a DJ is only a DJ if they know how to use the mic and MC. And still there are others that think a DJ is anyone who plays music and gets people to dance. The answers to these questions are not clear, nor perfect. Most of this is just opinion, and why is mine any more correct than yours?

 

I would like to take the opportunity to share my views on what makes a professional DJ, a professional DJ. I am certain if I wrote this again in a week or a month, my answers would be a little different. When I think of a professional DJ, I think of a man or woman who is using some kind of electronic equipment and playing somebody else’s recorded music through speakers for others to appreciate, dancing or just listening.  I have an image of them putting together a playlist of songs either in advance or preferably live to match the energy of the crowd. I feel them matching the beats and vibe of the music to keep the energy flowing and the audience lively. There seems to be a need for the DJ to have enough humility and respect for the people to honor their request when possible. But most of all, they need to be interested in music and its affect on people,; how people get energized, inspired, moved and pumped-up by music, sound, beats and rhythm. Music and people seem to be the keys to being a professional DJ.

 

I know there are folks out there that will disagree and say that DJing is about technical skills like scratching and beat-matching. I will not argue with them these are helpful skills to master on some level but professional DJs were professional DJs before both skills were invented and will continue to be DJs after the next set of skills are created.  I was a much better technical DJ with vinyl than I was with CDs. I never quite got the feel for CDs that I had with vinyl.  Since using a MacBook, I am less inclined to use those skills since some of them MacBook does for me, although I still do my own mixing of songs probably 95% of the time, if not more. Today I rely on my sense of what is working and what the person who booked the gig and the guests as my ‘ruler’ for what to do. Sometimes I will feel a crowd will enjoy some DJ ‘tricks’ to add some flair, others if it does not feel productive or desired I will stay away from that kind of stuff.

 

I stand by the idea that a professional DJ’s best ‘skill’ is their ability to read and respond to the crowd and the host(s) of an event. The technical skills are nice, but not the essence of what being a professional DJ is for me.

 

What do you think makes a professional DJ, a professional DJ? Is it their skills on the turntable or Vestex? How well and often they scratch? Their knowledge of music? Their willingness to honor hosts and guests? Their feel for the crowd? What makes a DJ a DJ?

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DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Why djay Software for Mac for Professionals DJs?

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When at a gig, almost without exception, someone comes up and asks which professional DJ software package I use. When I tell them djay, they look surprised, especially after I tell them it is only $49 for the whole package. I think they imagine making everything work as seamless and precise as it is, I would need to buy some fancy expensive software that has all kinds of bells and whistles.  I do not think they take into account that I have been doing this for 30 years and do not need to cheat to make it sound the way it does.

There are many features about djay that I like. the first and most important is its ease of use with my MacBook and iTunes. It lets you access your entire iTunes library directly form djay, no extra downloads and exporting/importing needed. Just open djay and start spinning your music. You can drag and drop a song right from the library to the ‘turntables’ for mixing, that simple.

I also appreciate the design simplicity of the package. I figured out most of the features within a couple of hours! Everything is labeled clearly and easy to understand for pro and novice alike.

Some of the fun features it comes with are looping, scratching, reverse play, built-in equalizer for each ‘turntable’, Beats per minute sync and ID and the ability to record your mixes in real time without anything additional.  Djay has an auto-mix function that allows you to choose a playlist and then push the auto-mix button to let djay mix your songs without you doing anything! It can also alter the tempo of a song to match the beats of the song that is playing if that is something you want to do.

Truthfully, I do not use most of the features. I have known how to mix, blend, scratch and find the right beat for a long time. I do however like to use the loop feature. It is fun when the dance floor is crammed with people having fun to pick certain samples of the song playing and loop it for a few seconds to add some spice and personality to the vibe. Two of my favorite songs for this are Prince’s “Kiss’ and David Guetta’s “Sexy Chic” (clean version), especially the part where Akon sings “without being disrespectful”. I like to loop ‘disrespectful’ several times and then release it back to its natural rhythm. You can really play with this feature and shift the feel and energy of a song with little knowledge or experience.

If you are a new professional DJ or one that is switching from vinyl or CD to computer, I definitely recommend djay. You will be up and running in no time. I downloaded djay on a Wednesday night and was using live at a gig on the weekend with no screw-ups or embarrassing moments, as if I had been using it for years.

If you want to just create your own mixes and music for yourself or for a party, djay is perfect.  Have fun and enjoy learning how to be a professional DJ!

http://www.djay-software.com/

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DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ 

How Does A Professional DJ Know It Is Working?

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Sweat. Sweat is the easiest clue to knowing that what you are doing as a professional DJ is working. When the guests at an event have sweat dripping down their faces you know you are doing your job. Saturday night was one of those nights for me. Guest after guest approached about the music or requests or just to take a break and they had sweat all over the faces and clothes. It doesn’t look good but it sure lets me as a professional DJ feel good about we are doing.

Other signs are when the person(s) who coordinated and booked the event don’t come and talk to you much, meaning they are enjoying the event and there is nothing wrong.  They smile at you when they walk by and ask you if you had enough to to eat and drink.

It was fun for me to see everybody up playing and dancing on the dance floor. Since it was outdoors under a tent, as the night got darker, the LED Quest and Scorpion Storm lights seemed to sneak up on everybody without startling them. I got some decent photos that we added to our Photo Gallery. There were actually a bunch more but didn’t want to flood the page with every fun and goofy thing I saw.  The technical part of the photos were not good but I think they captured how much fun folks were having.

I felt good after breaking down, loading up my vehicle and heading home after this event, i usually do. I find being a professional DJ is very rewarding.  How many other jobs to you get to make people happy as your job function? I remember when there was a time when people doubted that we could actually be an alternative to a live band for making great events great!

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DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

A Professional DJ Prepping For A Gig

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A recent professional DJ gig, the Hoboken International Film Festival, required a bit more preparation than I am accustomed. For this particular event, I needed to create a playlist for the acceptance of awards at the Awards Gala. These songs were needing to be for when the winners would walk up to receive their awards and then return to their seats after an acceptance speech. Sounds easy?  Maybe not so much. For each award, I needed to have a different song that ‘matched’ the feel for the award and had a dynamic beginning and intro to create energy for the award recepients and the crowd. In all there were 21 awards/songs needed. Coming up with a playlist for this took about 4-5 hours of searching through my nearly 250GB library for songs that met the criteria needed. Fortunately, it came out OK:)

 

Today I will be preparing a playlist for a HS graduation party on Saturday night.  This special young lady has very diverse taste for a teenager. Most teenagers when they say they have diverse taste, they usually mean they like several different forms of the same genre of pop music; dance/Top 40/club.  This particular young lady wants Grunge, Pop, Top 40, Country, Rock, Classic Rock, Sinatra, Chuck Berry, Elvis, Billy Idol and of course, Michael to go with Slides (Electric and Cha Cha), and current popular dance songs like Akon and PitBull. When I was her age my musical tastes were also diverse. Back then, this was not acceptable because music defined social groups more and there was little opportunity for stepping over social borders as there is today. I am excited about getting the opportunity to share in her big event. She has even let me know what songs she wants to dance with her Dad, boyfriend, best friend and a dedication to her Uncle who recently passed.

 

All this fun and I haven’t even gotten to the gig yet! Can’t wait to see what surprises the party itself will present.  Time to get back to putting some stuff together for Saturday night.

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DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ