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. My philosophy of DJing is simple and clean cut. Let me tell you a little secret: I have never been to an event where all of the attendees were there to see the DJ. All of the guests at a wedding are there to see the couple get married...All of the guests at a reunion are there to reunite with whoever...All of the high schoolers at a prom are there to prom it up with their friends...Right? I mean, I'd love to think that everyone loves me, but I'm just NOT the main attraction. With that in mind, I make efforts all through every event that I DJ to sort of highlight the guests of honor, rather than steal the show and make a jerk out of myself.
My
whole shtick is that my # 1
mission is to provide tasteful and appropriate music and MC services that
constantly reflects the personalities of the event hosts. I am proud
of my ability to play songs that don't get overplayed at those cookie
cutter-style weddings, but instead are eclectic, nostalgic and custom-tailored
to each event's unique conditions. I am proud of my ability to create a quality mix of musical and
vocal elements that is artistic, spontaneous, funny at times and absolutely unforgettable.
I love to constantly tweak tiny things (lighting, volumes, music styles, etc) -
things that almost nobody notices, but will subtly encourage them to dance ...
or laugh ... or applaud...
Dinner Timessss. I like to keep music super soft during dinner times so that people don't have to yell at each other and can stay relaxed (ridiculously loud dinner music remains one of MY biggest problems that I have with DJs). When I play dinner music, it isn't for entertainment, but it's more of an insurance policy to avoid those strange times when the whole room full of people will become silent for no reason at all. Music that I play during dinner times also varies depending on the event. I like to talk to the event hosts to see what they have in mind (this is a great time for Brides and Grooms to sneak their favorite un-danceable songs into the event).
So let's say that everyone eats and starts to get a little more rowdy...Woohoo! Sure, I'll feed into their energy and play music that they can dance to! Some things that I won't do, though, includes running up to any of your guests (unless I know them REALLY well) and tear them out of their chair to make them dance, or lead the crowd into a goofy dance instruction. It's just not me...If they want to dance, I'll play whatever they'll dance to, but if they don't want to, that's fine. I'm really, really good at 'reading the crowd' and playing with music to get certain reactions out of people, BUT I'm not the DJ that's determined to get every single person dancing! Besides, do you really want your 93 year old Aunt Jane mauled by your entertainer? Uh...yeaah...no...
I'm one of those guys who's in the
middle...I'm old and dedicated enough to know the music popular before my time,
which is important for weddings, but I'm also young enough to know the current
top 40 VERY well. I feel as though school dance functions are also a strong
point for me simply because after DJing a handful of weddings, it's fun to crank
up the volume and watch a room full of youth react to it. Again, I feel
confident that I have enough musical tricks up my sleeve to impress almost any
crowd...
My Music- I used to have a list of every song that I own here on my website ... but I surf the net while I DJ, making my play list unlimited.
My collection of music is an evolution that will never stop changing. As soon as someone requests a song that I don't have, I get it. - by the way, I always encourage people to make appropriate requests -Whenever somebody asks me a question about a song that I don't have, I find it. For all of my new music, I am subscribed to a service that provides me with 20 or so of the newest songs in a variety of genres each week. This is the same service that most radio stations all around the world subscribe to and it is often that I'll have a song before it's released or played on the radio much...making me as prepared as can be. I have thousands of songs in hundreds of genres to choose from that are organized well enough to pull up in seconds. Also keep in mind that I can hook up to the Internet almost everywhere that I go to DJ, so my music library is often unlimited.
I'm not one of those techno-geek DJs that obsesses over their equipment. I've always been more worried about my skills as a DJ. What I do have, though, is a PA (or sound system) that is basic, but professional and reliable. I use the same exact system at an event with 20 quiet people as I do at the events with 350+ loud high schoolers, so it's versatile and I know how it works VERY well. When performing, I play MP3s from custom-made laptops with software that is designed specifically for mobile DJs. I like to update with new components from time to time to keep everything sounding great, but I keep the old units as backups. I usually set up on a table between 6 and 8 feet long with my speakers set on stands or the floor on either end...it's not a lot of stuff, so I don't take up much space at all. I always bring at least one wireless microphone as well as several with cords. I also have a TON of lighting toys...call me for more info if you'd like some at your event.
I do carry an insurance policy specifically created for mobile DJs. I breathe much easier knowing that I'm insured against theft, fire, as well as liability issues while DJing at venues, and I hope that my customers also feel safer knowing this as well.
On The Day Of Your Event First off, I want to promise you right now that I will never book myself for two events in one day. In fact, I won't even make plans to do anything before or after an event (just in case I have to go early or stay late). What I will do, though, is sleep in a little, pamper myself, pack up early, go over event info. and directions, read something, listen to music, and keep the blood pressure as low as I can. I'll do whatever I can to make sure that I don't get hurt and that I'm in the best mood possible for the event that I'm scheduled to DJ. I'm sure that you'd want a DJ that's 100% on the ball.
413-387-7390 Dana@ThisisDana.com
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