My DJ Says...

Weddingwire.com Honors My Life Media!

2012-01-23T12:26:00.000-05:00

{North Olmsted, OH} – January 23, 2012 – WeddingWire, the nation's leading wedding Marketplace, is excited to announce My Life Media DJ Services has been selected to receive the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2012 for DJ!

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization, My Life Media DJ Services was selected based on its stellar reviews from past newlywed clients.

My Life Media DJ Services is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride’s Choice Award recognizes the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is thrilled to honor the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Since the launch of the Bride’s Choice Awards™ program four years ago, thousands of outstanding wedding professionals have been recognized by the bridal community for their supreme service and dedication to the wedding industry. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate My Life Media DJ Services for their continued professionalism and commitment to enriching the wedding planning experience for engaged couples.”

We are happy to announce that My Life Media DJ Services is one of the very best DJs within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback we were able to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ for 2012.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/my-life-media-dj-services-lakewood/0d200ac634b4807b.html.

To learn more about the Bride's Choice Awards™, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire™, the nation's leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), Brides.com and Weddingbee.com.
###

I've Found Glee in Napoleon Ohio

2011-04-06T18:38:00.001-04:00

I can always tell how popular a TV show is by the number of song requests I receive that originates from the show. Creative types in the entertainment industry discovered that they could combine TV or movie scripts with popular music and have a hit in multiple media outlets, generating more profit. The TV show Glee is a perfect example of this strategy. Glee is not only drawing a strong TV audience but it is also successful at pumping out popular music. Not unusual is that young audiences are pushing the popularity of both the show as well as the music.

Glee is high school drama mixed with a heavy dose of the love of music and theater. Students precariously navigate their desire to participate on the school stage without jeopardizing their popularity. At the very least, they are trying not to get beat up in the school yard because they have a lead in the school play. Along the way, everyone discovers just how fragile life can be, even at seventeen. What makes it all the more magical is that jocks, nerds and other cliques sometimes come to the realization that, hey, everyone’s got something of value to offer!

Set in Ohio, it is the shared story of just about any school in America. I am delighted, however, that it has a distinctive Midwestern feel about it. I believe I’ve found the real life high school that the TV show must have used as its model. Napoleon, Ohio is a small town located in northwest, Ohio just south of Toledo. Like other small rural towns, Napoleon loves its barbecues, parades and of course football. But in striking fashion, it also loves the arts, particularly the performing arts offered by its local high school.

Now, admittedly, I am biased as I have two nephews and a niece who attend the school. But much to my amazement the public performances put on by their bands, choir and theater group are noteworthy. As a professional, I can’t help but observe such things as stage presence, vocal training, choreography, etc. And, there is no doubt in my mind that the kids who participate are getting above average mentoring there. In fact, after several years of driving 150 miles one way to see numerous performances, I have identified several students who have impressive talent, the kind that makes me wonder if someday I’ll be purchasing music of theirs when preparing for a gig.

I’ll be making the drive again from Cleveland this weekend to enjoy The High School Theater Department’s Spring musical, The Wizard of Oz. Performances will be held at the John L. Johnson Auditorium located 303 W. Main Street. Show dates are April 8 and 9 at 7:30 PM and April 10 at 2:00 PM. Tickets are only $10.

So, to the educators, parents and students in Napoleon, Ohio and the many other schools across our country that stress the arts, I encourage them to continue their efforts. Their students are gaining valuable skills and ever so important confidence with each show they perform. Not all of them will become stars on the big stage but they’ll all benefit in numerous other ways from their time on stage at school.

The Importance of Celebration

2011-02-28T13:39:00.000-05:00

For most of my adult life I’ve been involved in the activities of helping people in crisis and paradoxically of helping others celebrate their good fortunes. During my 22 years of work in a large charity organization, I worked with children and adults with disabilities and their families. I also worked with the poor, homeless, persons with mental illness, at-risk teens, victims of abuse, you name it and I’ve probably seen it. And although I am no longer employed in the social service sector, I am still very much involved with charities in an advisory capacity or as a volunteer. Occasionally, I am asked to speak to groups about the effort of serving those in our society who are vulnerable or otherwise disconnected from the “mainstream” and I am happy to do it.

During this time, I also pursued a career path in entertainment as a professional DJ and emcee. At first, when I was in my early twenties, the DJ thing was mainly to help pay for college tuition – which it did. I am grateful to my friend and mentor, Dennis McNulty, for offering to train me and bring me into the industry. The added income allowed me to stay working in charity, which was exhausting, paid very little, yet was very rewarding.

There were many times in my life when in the course of just one day I (and my co-workers) would assist a homeless individual or family with their search for shelter, help them obtain food and clothing – the basic necessities - and then later that evening DJ an event for 300 people where food, drink and all around good cheer and merriment would flow well into the night. I have many examples of such days and weeks where I witnessed both great need and luxurious abundance.

For me, my dual career paths were a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde lifestyle. I was deeply involved with both ends of our lifestyle spectrum in the U.S. It was also a shock to me early in my Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde experience that I could occasionally make more money on a weekend entertaining at parties than I did all week helping our community’s most needy, but that is a topic for another article. I must admit, however, that participating in both career paths was probably very cathartic and healthy for me. It often forced me to step out of the emotional quagmire that people (and those who help them) experience when in crises and into the healthier emotional experience that comes with celebration.

For the longest time I thought that the depression, frustration and sadness of human struggle was far removed from the happiness, cheer and joy that comes with celebrating a significant milestone or achievement. A change in my thinking happened when I worked with the homeless in Lorain, Ohio. One afternoon before a community meal for about 170 people, I addressed the crowd and – almost as an act of desperation - asked anyone in the room if they had any good news to share. No one answered. Silence. People looked at each other wondering what in the world might possess me to believe that they had anything to celebrate. I said, in a second attempt, that it didn’t have to be big good news but even something small is worth mentioning. As if on queue, a little boy raised his hand and shared that he had received an A on a recent spelling test at school. The room erupted in cheers and applause. The boy was ecstatic to receive the recognition. Another person shared that he had an interview the next day in hopes of finally getting a job. More cheer! From that point, I was convinced that celebrating life’s significant moments, big or small, was just as important as responding to need. These experiences are opposite sides of the same coin and to be fully human, we need to make space for both.

Suddenly, my dual career path seemed to make more sense than ever and not so much an ironic paradox. Both endeavors reinforced my personal mission to “help people get to a better place in life”. Sometimes that mission involves helping people when they’re in great need and sometimes it involves helping people celebrate their significant moments.

I have over time, asked my friends who are counselors or otherwise in the field of psychology, sociology, etc. whether it is possible for whole communities to be continually depressed, unable to find even the smallest reason to celebrate. They answered with a resounding yes and I’ve witnessed this myself in a variety of settings. It is possible for families, communities, organizations to be stuck in a self-fulfilling group depression and one of the truest characteristics of this is an inability to celebrate. Vibrant groups celebrate frequently. Vibrant, healthy groups are vigilant, consciously looking for significant milestones and achievements to celebrate. Celebrations are noticed and remembered by members, especially the young and they eventually become the foundation for traditions that help individuals and groups stay strong and prosper well into the future.

Helping people celebrate life’s most significant moments is the purpose of the company I run, My Life Media. It is as much an honor to conduct this work as it is for me to be involved in charity. Both pursuits have their unique challenges and rewards, of course. I am not suggesting that helping an organization plan a holiday staff appreciation or a newly engaged couple plan their wedding reception is more important than running a homeless shelter but I do suggest that both efforts have their necessary place in a healthy society.

DJ'ing the Holiday Party

2010-12-02T16:40:00.003-05:00

Here's what we've learned over the years about DJ'ing a company holiday party!

1) "Respectable but fun" is the order of the day. Companies typically want to highlight a successful year with their holiday event, a celebration that allows employees to relax and know they are appreciated. The event is a company sponsored activity and should reflect the values that the company holds dear. Music should be fun and full of energy but not offensive or otherwise damage the sensibilities of the group. Usually, a variety of music is best so that everyone feels they've heard something they enjoy and can dance to. Unless otherwise directed by planners, the DJ should shy away from playing just one type of music all evening. Requests from guests before the event via an online planning tool helps the DJ to prepare, making him or her an effective DJ on the day of the event.

2) Make the sound system available to presenters. Usually, representatives from the company desire to welcome their guests, discuss successes of the year and/or present awards. For this reason, we always have a wireless microphone system set-up and available to company leaders. Occasionally, company leaders prefer it if the DJ assists with announcements, prize giveaways, etc. No problem! We are trained as MC's as well as DJ's. The DJ is flexible and is happy to work with the agenda of the company.

3) This should go without saying but.... A DJ who drinks alcohol with guests is likely to become ineffective and worse, do something to jeopardize the reputation of the company. We typically do not drink alcohol when we are working an event.

Other important considerations go into creating a fun-filled company celebration. These are just few. Please know that we are experienced and proud of our track record as professional entertainers! We hope to be working with you this holiday season to give your employees a celebration they'll truly appreciate.

Updating Christmas

2009-12-02T20:06:00.004-05:00

Most of the people I know enjoy their measured dose of holiday music during this time of year. Recently, I was booked for a string of holiday parties and wanted to be sure I had an abundant amount of music for these occasions.

Now, having been a DJ for many years, you can imagine that I’ve collected many song titles. But the thing about holiday music is that each song has been sung and rearranged many times over. So, while I might have eight versions of “Jingle Bells” (which I do) it doesn’t necessarily mean that I have the version that is most widely known or would prefer to play. So it was with childish excitement that I decided to go through all of my holiday music to be sure 1) that I at least had the 25 most popular titles and 2) I had the versions that are most widely requested and heard on the radio.

So I happened upon a list published by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) of the 25 most performed holiday songs. As I thought, I already had most of the songs listed. But to my surprise I didn’t have some of the most popular cuts of those titles. This gave me cause to buy more music, one of my favorite things to do! The list is as follows. There is one song not mentioned that you would think should be listed. Can you identify the song?

1. The Christmas Song

2. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

4. Winter Wonderland

5. White Christmas

6. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

7. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

8. Jingle Bell Rock

9. I’ll Be Home For Christmas

10. Little Drummer Boy

11. Sleigh Ride

12. It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

13. Silver Bells

14. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree

15. Feliz Navidad

16. Blue Christmas

17. Frosty The Snowman

18. A Holly Jolly Christmas

19. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

20. Here Comes Santa Clause (Right Down Santa Clause Lane)

21. It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

22. (There’s No Place Like) Home For The Holidays

23. Carol Of The Bells

24. Santa Baby

25. Wonderful Christmastime

What? No “Jingle Bells”? Are you shocked, outraged, and otherwise beside yourself? My guess is that Jingle Bells was written so long ago, that it does not fall under the watchful eye of ASCAP.

A minister named James Pierpont originally wrote “Jingle Bells” in 1857. He wrote it as a Thanksgiving Day song for the children in his Sunday school class. James Pierpont was a relative of the notoriously wealthy JP Morgan. The song became so popular it was repeated at Christmas and quickly became an American holiday classic.

According to ASCAP, the author of the most top holiday songs is Johnny Marks with three – “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer”, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” and “A Holly Jolly Christmas”.

Some holiday music tips from your DJ: Everyone should own a copy of Vince Guaraldi’s “Charlie Brown Christmas”. If you don’t have this CD, I shall have to shun you forever and take you off of my Christmas card mailing list. If you enjoy instrumental jazz along the lines of Vince Guaraldi’s music, check out the CD by Wynton Marsalis entitled “Christmas Jazz Jam”. Good stuff! Some contemporary versions of old classics that I like include – “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” sung by James Taylor and “White Christmas” sung by Taylor Swift.

Oh, by the way, my computer tells me that I have over 11 hours of holiday music. Still not enough! Have a great, happy and safe holiday season and remember – enjoy the music!

You Bring The Message, We'll Bring The Microphone

2009-11-18T21:13:00.005-05:00

I can’t count the number of times I’ve been an audience member at a meeting, public forum, press conference, new product kick-off, business opening or some other group event where it was difficult, if not impossible, to hear the presenters. As a professional DJ, public speaker and sound consultant, I can’t see the sense in spending a lot of time, energy and money to prepare a message and set the stage for a public event, only in the end not to be heard by your audience. I am often saddened by the significance of the message that was lost because event organizers didn’t think to provide a PA system. In many instances, renting a PA system from a company such as My Life Media, costs only a few hundred bucks. Imagine spending thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars to hold an event to deliver a message, only not to be heard in the end. What a waste of resources and effort!

One industry that knows the importance of being heard is the theater. A recent article in the October 23, 2009 Wall Street Journal written by Ellen Gamerman entitled “Broadway Turns Up The Volume” speaks to the impact of the sound system in the theater industry. Yes, actors are trained to speak loudly and clearly, to project their voice, but in a theater environment that seats a thousand people or more, a little help from a microphone makes all the difference in the world. Complaints from some theatergoers, especially the elderly, suggested that actors were not being heard from the rear of the room. Now, most professional theater performances include strategically placed microphones on stage or even on actors themselves to be sure dialog is heard by all.

Advances in sound equipment make the use of a sound system and microphone easier and more affordable for most people to procure. One of our fastest growing service offerings is our sound system rental. The service includes the delivery of a sound system, set-up and sound check before the event begins. We’ll also speak to the presenters and guide them through the proper use of a microphone before the event. We’ll even stay during the event to adjust the sound as necessary for each speaker. Essentially, our sound system rental service includes a personal sound technician to make sure each presenter sounds great and is heard by everyone. Isn’t it worth a few hundred bucks, after all of your hard work preparing the message and planning the event, to be sure everyone in attendance actually hears you? Our clients never regret their decision to ask for our help with sound amplification at such important events. In fact, we are often told, their events wouldn’t have come off so well without us!

For more information about this service, please visit our website and click on the “Sound System Rental” page or simply contact us by phone or email.

My Motown Experience

2009-08-11T11:36:00.003-04:00

This past summer, I took the opportunity to delve into the history of Motown music. As a professional disc jockey, I am always intrigued by the history and evolution of different genres of music. I can confidently say, that in almost every one of the hundreds of events I’ve DJ’d over the years I was asked to play some Motown music. And almost always, a Motown set will get people dancing. So, I have no doubt that many people still love the Motown sound.

Admittedly, it was a recent episode of American Idol, that piqued my deeper curiosity of Motown. The show transported their finalists to Detroit to see where it all began and to meet Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records and Smoky Robinson, one of its longtime stars. Since I have family members who live in a Detroit suburb, I vowed to visit Hitsville U.S.A. the next time I drove through the city.

What I discovered immediately was that the story of Motown is not only an amazing accomplishment in music but it was also an entrepreneurial triumph. In fact, before personal computing made the home-based business model a profitable option, Berry Gordy tested the waters in the late 1950’s and early ‘60s. Hitsville U.S.A., the name that Gordy gave to the modest two-story home on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, is now the Motown Museum.

Gordy, who had always been musically curious as a child, wandered from one interest to another as a young man holding a variety of jobs from amateur boxer to factory worker. It was at a Detroit automobile factory that he first considered applying the efficiencies of the assembly line to the pursuit of song writing and recording. What if, he wondered, a process could be designed that would integrate all of the efforts necessary to produce a hit song. What would that look like? Then, what if we could duplicate that process and produce hit after hit the likes of cars coming off an assembly line. He would need a factory of sorts, a place where creative people could congregate and man the assembly line of hit songs, writers, musicians, vocalists, recording engineers, salespeople, etc. With loans from family members he began to piece together his dream at his West Grand Boulevard home.

For ten bucks one can take a brief tour of Hitsville U.S.A. College students from Wayne State University lead small groups of visitors through the original home of Motown. I couldn’t help but feel the presence of so many stars who worked the assembly line of music – Smoky Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross. I sat at the piano that was blessed by Marvin Gaye and others. Very cool stuff. At one point, Berry Gordy owned eight homes on the street and used each of them for a different purpose, song writing, recording, accounting, marketing, distribution etc. Employees would walk from one house to the other in the neighborhood during the course of a workday or week. Eventually, the whole effort required a larger space and was moved to a multi-level commercial building in the city much like Henry Ford needed to move from a small garage to a factory. In the end, Motown Records would eventually move to L.A. where Berry Gordy could work his magic on an even larger scale.

To enrich my experience, I decided to read the book Berry Gordy himself wrote entitled, To Be Loved: The Music, The Magic, The Memories of Motown. It is his account of how it all began, grew for 25 years and changed music as we knew it. It is also, in many ways, a chronicle of the black community’s struggle to achieve in a repressive society. It is a story of the appreciation of talent no matter its color, the seed of diversity before diversity was popular. In a word, my tour of hitsville U.S.A. and reading the book in tandem was “moving”.

Compounding my Motown experience was the death of Michael Jackson shortly after my visit. It was only a week or two prior to his death that I was peering through a glass case at the museum that contains his famous sequined glove. The only other glove on display, by the way, is at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, my hometown.

Gordy describes in his book the first time Michael Jackson and his brothers auditioned for him. Michael, the youngest was only nine years old. “He sang his songs with such feeling, inspiration and pain – like he had experienced everything he was singing about…. The other boys seemed nervous, but not Michael. He knew I loved them.”

The entrepreneur in me wishes that somehow the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the Motown Museum in Detroit could find a way to collaborate in an effort to magnify this great success story. I’m guessing that with today’s technology a group in Cleveland could virtually tour Hitsville U.S.A. and a group at the Motown Museum could virtually tour the Rock Hall of Fame. In fact, perhaps together the two entities could find a way to make all of the stories housed at both sites accessible to anyone on the planet wherever they are. But, I digress. For me, my part in all of this continues to be to share the magic of Motown with the many people I am honored to entertain throughout the year, playing those classic hits that helped move our American music scene and our culture to better days.

Tips for Booking a DJ in Today's Economy

2009-06-12T09:07:00.003-04:00

We are noticing that couples are waiting longer to book their DJ than in the past. Many couples tell us that they are paying for much, if not all, of their wedding/reception themselves and that they need more time to save for the deposits necessary for vendors. Surprisingly, we are still getting inquiries for this July, August and September. It's a difficult message for us to deliver to a hopeful bride that we're already booked for her wedding date. While the need to wait longer to book is understandable, couples may risk missing out on their first choice of DJ. Experienced pro's are booked 6 months to a year in advance of the event date.

Instead of waiting longer to book, consider these options -

1) Ask for a lower than typical deposit, perhaps one quarter the total price rather than one half. Also, ask if the vendor is willing to set-up a payment plan that works best for you.

2) Ask if your vendor would consider a custom package just for you instead of their standard rates. You may choose fewer hours of play time, 5 instead of 6 for example. Opt not to have extras such as large light systems, fog machine, etc.

3) If the bride or groom is serving in the military, ask the vendor if they would consider a "military discount". We have incorporated such a discount this past year and it is proving to be a great idea. Couples get a small break in the price and we feel good about giving back to military families that serve us so well.

Instead of waiting to book your DJ, call now to see if the vendor will respect your budget with a little flexibility. We hope, of course, that your call comes to us - but whomever you choose as your DJ service, we wish you a fun and memorable time on your special day.

Best wishes!

What To Expect From Your DJ

2009-03-26T15:42:00.002-04:00

Your DJ is an integral part of your event. An experienced, professional DJ will play several roles before and during the event to ensure that it will be a fun and memorable celebration.

Sound Technician

First, your DJ is responsible for delivering a sound system to the site of your event. He or she will assemble the sound system, conduct a sound check of the area and make sure everything is working and sounding great before your first guest arrives. This represents a lot of time, energy and work on the part of your DJ that very few people will see during the course of your event. In fact, this process may take several hours depending on travel time and the physical layout of the venue. In this sense, you have hired your DJ to be a delivery person and a sound technician.

Only through experience can one really understand the challenges and nuances of setting up electrical sound equipment in a safe manner that is out of the way of your guests, and making adjustments to provide the clearest possible sound. An experienced DJ will be able to do this in rooms of various shapes and sizes, inside or outside, making necessary adjustments throughout the event as people come and go (people in the room coming and going can change the way sound will travel). Your DJ will continually adjust the sound throughout the event so that your guests won’t be made uncomfortable by feedback, sound that is too high pitched or that may have too much bass, or is simply not well balanced. This is what many in the industry have traditionally called “sound mixing”, although the term now has several different interpretations.

Announcements and Coordination

Second, your DJ is responsible for making all necessary announcements throughout the event so that your guests and other vendors know what is going to happen. Photographers, for example, don’t appreciate when a DJ goes ahead with an unannounced portion of the event that might cause them to miss meaningful photos. Your DJ acts as the emcee of your party making sure that everything you want to happen, happens in an orderly way. Often your DJ will be playing and mixing pre-selected music while at the same time making announcements or facilitating festivities. This means that your DJ needs to be comfortable multi-tasking while coming off smooth, calm and collected. A DJ who effectively fulfills the role of coordinator and announcer will create a flow to the celebration and avoid a choppy, haphazard feel to the event.

A professional DJ will be prepared. Preparation is the key to making announcements at the appropriate time and ensuring that all that you want to happen, happens in smooth order. Preparation time is time well spent. Your DJ should communicate with you before your event to get from you the information necessary to act as emcee. There are various ways to go about planning. Some DJ services have online planning tools, many have planning documents that are completed by the client and returned to the DJ. Often a DJ will meet personally with their client to go over the details of the event. Your DJ will also be communicating with other vendors during the event to be sure everyone is on the same page for each planned festivity.

Music Selection and Engaging the Crowd

The third role is what most people think of when they imagine their DJ at work. He or she will be selecting music that reflects your musical tastes and will produce a fun and active celebration. Your DJ also needs to gauge the extent to which your guests need to be engaged and encouraged to get up and dance! Your DJ should be first and foremost concerned with the type of music you and your guests want to hear and dance to. Too many DJ’s show up with their own prescribed notion of what will be a fun time without consulting their clients. A professional DJ knows how to engage guests and encourage an active dance floor but without being obnoxious or too overwhelming. A pro will always remember that the celebration is not about the DJ but about you, your family and guests and will be more than willing to respect your choice of music.

Your DJ will, with your guidance, create the musical atmosphere you wish to have at your event. An experienced DJ knows that music has a powerful affect on the psychology of the group and therefore can influence the flow of the celebration. He or she needs to be able to “read the crowd” as quickly as possible and gain insight into what motivates guests to have fun. Your DJ will constantly monitor the energy level in the room and speed things up or slow things down when necessary. A pro will be sensitive to the diversity represented in the crowd (age differences, ethnic differences, etc.) and be sure to play music during the event that will be enjoyed by everyone. Be sure to ask your DJ how he or she prepares for the music selection of the event. Ask about the process that allows you to give input, song selections and how your DJ will incorporate requests from your guests. Be sure to mention, too, which types of music or specific song selections are NOT to be played.

A professionally operated DJ service will enable (and encourage) you to get to know your DJ and how he or she operates before the event. Don’t hesitate to communicate with your DJ by phone, website planning tools, email or a personal meeting. Your DJ will be glad to answer all of your questions because this type of communication leads to the effective fulfillment of the three roles discussed in this article. Remember, your DJ is your partner in planning and wants, more than anything, to give you a celebration that you will fondly remember forever.

Billboard's Moneymakers

2009-03-24T14:02:00.011-04:00

All DJ’s must love music in order for them to be effective. A good DJ should be humble enough to understand that without songwriters, artists, and everyone involved in producing music, we would be without the stuff that enables us to make a living. So keeping tabs on the dynamics of the music industry comes second nature for a serious pro.

I found an article in the March 5, 2009 Wall Street Journal that listed the highest revenue generating artists of 2008. Just thought my clients and readers might be interested in the results. Keep in mind that most artists spend gobs of money on business expenses such as agents, promoters, event planners, set-up staff, technicians, drivers, etc. But the numbers show that for these superstars – the music industry is still a pretty good gig if you can get it. For almost all of the artists, touring generated the most revenue.

Billboard’s Moneymakers List 2008
www.billboard.com

1) Madonna: $242,176,466
2) Bon Jovi: $157,177,766
3) Bruce Springsteen: $156,327,964
4) The Police: $109,976, 894
5) Celine Dion: $99,171,237
6) Kenny Chesney: $90,823,990
7) Neil Diamond: $82,174,000
8) Rascal Flatts: $63,522,160
9) Jonas Brothers: $62,638,814
10) Coldplay: $62,175,555
11) The Eagles: $61,132,213
12) Lil Wayne: $57,441,334
13) AC/DC: $56,505,296
14) Michael Buble: $50,257,364
15) Miley Cyrus: $48,920,806
16) Taylor Swift: $45,588,730
17) Journey: $44,787,328
18) Billy Joel: $44,581,010
19) Mary J. Blige: $43,472,850
20) Kanye West: $42,552,402

Working With Wedding Vendors

2008-12-22T14:24:00.005-05:00

A unique characteristic of the wedding industry is that it is primarily small business driven. Sure, there are some national companies or "chains" that provide service or product in this arena but to a significant degree the success of a wedding will depend on how effective the bride and groom are in selecting the right small businesses as their vendors.

In some instances, planning a wedding may be the very first time either the bride or the groom have ever entered into a contractual agreement with anyone (except perhaps their cell phone carrier or a landlord to rent an apartment). Now, with a wedding date set, the stress of interacting with multiple vendors to compare prices, negotiate contracts, plan for the festivities, etc. can be stressful and overwhelming.

Here are just a few tips on working with the small business community:

1) Learn as much as you can about the company and its history in the community. Is it family owned and operated or does it have a different structure? How long has it served the community? Can you have access to referrals from past customers? The more you know about the business the more secure you will feel about using it as a vendor.

2) If you can, arrange to meet with the owner or those who have a direct stake in the success of the business. Small business owners understand that your satisfaction is crucial to future business, especially service related industries such as photography, DJ services, or catering. Small businesses are often extensions of their owners and tend to take on the owner's characteristics. So getting to know the owner will help you determine the type of service you'll receive. It will also give you someone influential to call (other than a salesperson) if you should have a concern.

3) Ask many questions. A lot of couples are either too shy to ask questions of the vendor or they simply don't know how to go about the inquiry. A proud business owner or manager is always willing to explain their service. It gives small business people great joy to talk about their livelihood and special talents. If you feel that you are getting the "run-around" or not getting clear answers to your questions, this is a sign of confusion, or worse, reluctance to share all of the truth. At the very least, ask for a full explanation of all that the service promises to deliver.

4) Get it in writing. A reputable company will understand the importance of using a written contract. If you get resistance from a vendor to get details in writing, this should be a "red flag" to warn you away from using that particular vendor. Ask for an addendum to the contract if you want specific items included in the service you'll receive.

5) Use information technology to compare vendors. In today's business environment you can find a lot of information at the touch of a computer keyboard. Most small businesses who work in the wedding industry will indeed have some internet presence as the web has become a wonderful tool for brides and grooms looking for vendors. Use the internet to seek referrals and testimonials from past customers, get price quotes and learn about services.

6) Call or visit the vendor. While the internet is great for gathering information, as mentioned earlier, you'll still want to visit the vendors who made your top three or four choices. Did the vendor respond quickly to your call or did you wait days before receiving a reply? Was the vendor hesitant to meet with you in person? During the meeting, was the representative personable and professional? Did he or she seem to genuinely care about delivering a great service or did it seem that it was "just their job" to meet with you?

7) Does the vendor play nicely with the other vendors? Ask your photographer if he or she has ever worked with your choice of DJ service or band. Have the caterers ever heard of the florist that you are considering? The best vendors like working with their favorite associates. They've established a good working relationship over the years and know how to communicate with each other. There's nothing like a vendor who refuses to demonstrate some flexibility when things call for a change in plan. You might get some useful "inside" information about a vendor from others in the industry.

The good news is that most small businesses are dedicated to providing brides and grooms with exceptional product and service. Those who follow through with a little homework and communication will avoid the few "bad apple" vendors that are the source of wedding day nightmares and find their way to the great quality vendors who pride themselves on making wedding events fun, memorable experiences for everyone!

DJ's Who Assist With Wedding Ceremony

2008-11-06T11:27:00.005-05:00

I've been a professional wedding disc jockey for many years and have observed a number of trends. One significant trend has to do with couples deciding to plan a ceremony that is not held in a church but elsewhere, usually the site of their reception.

Almost half of the weddings that I book now require my attention to both the ceremony and reception, something that was very rare even ten years ago. Couples who plan a non-traditional ceremony often forget to consider the need to amplify the proceedings. Most churches have a sound system that allows guests to hear the officiant, listen to vows and enjoy recorded or live music before, during and/or after the ceremony - a benefit not always found at other venues. Ceremonies held outside in parks, gazebos or at other non-church venues often lack a PA system.

If you are planning a small, intimate ceremony inviting less than 50 guests and do not desire music, you probably do not need a PA system. Ceremonies larger than 50 and/or for those that include music to create a special atmosphere definitely will need an experienced DJ who understands the dynamics of a wedding ceremony.

A ceremony DJ will:

1) deliver and set up a sound system at the site of the ceremony before guests arrive
2) provide a microphone for the officiant and the couple
3) play selected music before the ceremony begins while people are arriving
4) play selected music during the processional
5) play selected music during the ceremony itself if the couple so desires
6) play selected recessional music providing continuity leading to the reception

Unlike during the reception, a DJ who assists with the ceremony should not be seen as a prominent figure and will work in the background of the event. His efforts, however, will create a result that lasts in the memories of the couple and their guests for a long time.

Most DJ's are not trained or experienced to assist with the wedding ceremony. The skills necessary to help facilitate a successful ceremony are somewhat different that those needed to produce an energetic dance floor during the reception. For those searching for a DJ who will assist with the ceremony and the reception it is important to be sure your DJ has experience in both regards. Ask your DJ to detail how he or she can help make your ceremony a successful one. Ask for advice on how best to amplify the ceremony, select appropriate music and how the DJ interacts with the officiant to make it all happen. Also, be sure to ask about any additional rates for the added service.

The roles and responsibilities of the professional wedding DJ are expanding along with newer trends. Asking the right questions, including those pertaining to the ceremony, will help the couple feel at ease knowing their DJ is perfect for the job!

Holiday Rush

2008-10-29T17:56:00.005-04:00

Twelve percent of all wedding engagements in the U.S. happen in the month of December. That's why there's a rush of interest in booking wedding vendors in the following months - January, February and March.

My suggestion to couples who already have a wedding date set for next year is to have most, if not all, of your wedding vendors booked before the holidays. That way, you will avoid the additional competition for wedding vendors that comes from the "surge" of newly engaged couples. Waiting too long might mean losing your number one pick of banquet hall, DJ/band, photographer, etc. You may even end up paying more for your second or third pick of vendor.

Booking your wedding DJ 8 to 12 months in advance is recommended. That means signing a contract and sending in your deposit. Vendors will appreciate you for being well organized and you will have peace of mind that the major considerations for your special day are in place. If you know that you want a particular vendor but lack the money for the required deposit, contact the vendor and ask about alternative payment options.

A little time spent planning now will go a long way in avoiding unneccesary frustration after the holidays. Good luck and happy holidays!

Company Name

2008-10-15T14:55:00.004-04:00

Some people are curious to know how I came upon the name "My Life Media" for my company.

One answer is, that the music one uses to celebrate a significant moment, whether it be a wedding, graduation, anniversary, family reunion, etc. is an important type of media that reflects one's own tastes and personality. Music has a powerful affect on us and is as unique as those listening or dancing to it. Music has always been a basic component of one's very culture. When I "bring" music to an event, I am making available to my client a form of media that celebrates a special moment in their life - thus "My Life Media" - is the music media that one uses to celebrate life as considered through the perspective of those enjoying it.

Another answer to the question is a little more coincidental. I was listening to the radio on the day that I was considering what to name the company (I was debating several options). At the very moment I was about to decide - the Beatles song "In My Life" came on. I knew immediately that the name My Life Media would work. If you listen to the lyrics of the song, you'll hear a message that strongly supports the meaning behind my work - appreciating special people and significant moments in life. My company exists to help people celebrate life's most significant moments through music. More selfishly, the name gives me reason to play that classic Beatles song whenever someone asks how I decided to name the company!