A Perfect DJ Blog

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2012-02-18T17:19:00.000-08:00

I had a great surprise today: My good friend, “brother from another mother” and bass player Jason Atenza came through town and gave me a call to have lunch. It was fun and it was as if we just stepped off the stage years back. Great time!

Grammy Blunders

2012-02-12T20:58:00.000-08:00

OK. I am watching the Grammys and thinking about how this is truly the "cream of the crop" of the recording and entertainment industry. Still, I cringe every few minutes asking myself if the engineer has fallen asleep or if someone didn't put a new battery in that wireless device.

That brings up a good point: Why do I get so many people DEMANDING the use of wireless microphones when they can present problems? Just take a look at how FEW wireless microphones are used at the Grammys. There's just too much room for error and that equation is exponentially complicated when you use multiple wireless devices.

Still, when dealing with a "live" performance there are so many things that can and will go wrong including digital anomalies. I try to convey this concept to my customers all of the time and try to stress that there is no substitute for experience and being able to "roll with the punches."

It boggles my mind that so many people will look for the cheapest DJ for an event where they are spending from $50 to $500 per person. You absolutely MUST have a successful event and to do so you must do your research and hire qualified vendors including your DJ. If just 4 guests leave early because the entertainment was not up to par, how much did that just cost you?

Long after your guests forget what vegetable you had with dinner, the colors of your flowers or when a waiter dropped a glass, your guests (and the bride) will forever remember how successful the dancing was as a result of your DJ.

Thanks!

2012-01-29T16:00:00.000-08:00

Lately, I have heard from many people online and met new clients who have been very appreciative for the information that my website contains.

Many have even said that that everything should be left upon the website permanently.

It's good to know that this information is appreciated and that i am acknowledged within the industry and by consumers.

Thanks!

Having To Postpone A Wedding

2012-01-24T14:58:00.001-08:00

I received a call from a customer today who had to postpone their wedding.

After lots of consideration they had interviewed several DJs and ultimately decided that I was the person for the job.

However, it ended up being scary for the bride since she learned that, according to her doctor, the stress of planning a wedding was just too great for her unborn child. The bride decided that it would be best to wait until after the baby is born to have their wedding.

In my opinion you definitely made the right choice, K******! You must think of your baby before all else.

I’ll still be here and look forward to working with you in the near future.

Occupy Wall Street

2012-01-12T18:30:00.000-08:00

Occupy Wall Street (OWS) is a protest movement which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district, initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters. The protests are against social and economic inequality, high unemployment, greed, as well as corruption, and the undue influence of corporations—particularly from the financial services sector—on government. The protesters' slogan We are the 99%refers to the growing income and wealth inequality in the U.S. between the wealthiest 1% and the rest of the population. The protests in New York City have sparked similar Occupy protests and movements around the world.

http://occupywallst.org/

The Holidays!

2011-12-16T17:28:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is the 2011 holiday season and I have pro audio purchases to make!

I have to resist buying until the "after-Christmas" sales hit when the serious discounts are applied and as retailers liquidate their year-end inventory.

Bring it on, boys!

Humbled, Grateful, Flattered

2011-12-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

It is such a great feeling to know that you are appreciated in the industry.

I had the privilege of performing for a local "Riding Club" last night at Bear Creek Country Club.

Prior to the job, their representative told me that all of my references raved about how, "I was the best DJ that they had ever hired." This included private parties, businesses and Hollywood insiders. They went on to say how excited they were for the night.

Even the caterer came up to me in the middle of the event and said, "I have been to three events that you have done lately and I am convinced that I want to hire you!" Being recognized by vendors that I work with is always a compliment.

Well, things went great and everyone danced all night long. the had told me that the night was more successful than any other event with dancing that they have ever had and that the would definitely hire me again in the future.

It's just a great feeling to be recognized and appreciated. I feel humbled, grateful and flattered.

Condescending!

2011-11-25T16:36:00.000-08:00

Recently on a job I had setup my sound system and lighting where I thought it would be most advantageous. This because when I had arrived I had no instruction or direction from anyone to do otherwise. Later, the coordinator arrived (I arrive at least 2 hours in advance, why don't coordinators?) and wanted me to teardown the sound system and re-setup somewhere else leaving the lighting where it was already positioned. My reply was that, "The lighting had to accompany the sound system since the intelligent dance floor lighting takes electronic cues form the music."

The coordinator then made a very insulting comment that I hear occasionally, "Well, my husband is a DJ (or, my brother-in-law, best friend, etc.) and I know that it can be done!" My immediate response was, "Oh, so then you know that the DJ industry is an unregulated business where the vast majority of DJs are clueless and uneducated in pro audio, the music industry and business then?" She then proceeded to give me a dirty look as if her insult was supposed to be overlooked with a smile.

Sorry but this is always such an insult to me and my background especially since she is reinforcing my belief that her husband doesn't know what he is doing, invests in the bare minimum in equipment and doesn't care enough to make the effort to do his job properly.

Again, this is the assumption that I am "just a mere DJ!" Condescending to say the least.

Needless to say, a new paragraph was added into my contract regarding relocating of equipment when no direction is given in advance.

Reverend Christopher Tuttle

2011-11-19T18:07:00.000-08:00

Tonight I referred out (as a vendor) my good friend an colleague Reverend Christopher Tuttle for a wedding in July of next year. http://temeculaweddingofficiant.com/

I had to give him a quick call tonight just to say hello and it was refreshing that during our conversation we agreed on the concept of: "If we won the lottery tomorrow, would we still be in business?" Both of us wholeheartedly agreed, yes.

Live Musicians

2011-11-17T20:52:00.000-08:00

Music is a wonderful art that is too often overlooked in society today. It can help relax, increase concentration, improve math skills and create overall euphoria.

That being said, after being a professional musician myself for most of my life I had always noticed that about 95% of musicians are "wannabes." There is absolutely nothing wrong with that! If it brings you joy to sing in the car or shower or you get off on the sound of your Marshall cranked to eleven, God bless you! Keep it up and encourage your family and friends to do the same. However, all of you musicians please record and listen to yourselves or have the recordings or your live performance analyzed and criticized by qualified professionals.

I think that I have heard one too many musical acts perform who are like participating in audible root canal. Please, spare the public from less than mediocre music performances. It could be that your mother was just being kind by saying how talented you were.

Beat Matching?

2011-11-17T20:45:00.000-08:00

A local DJ has been currently advertising that he is offering classes in "The Art of Beat Matching." He goes on to state that you can keep your audience dancing all night by doing it.

Really? Why not just invest in popular music or do your research to play music that your guests can relate to instead of taking advandage of drunks on "X" who don't know any better? Many DJ computer programs will "beat match" for you. It is hardly an art form. And what is with most DJ programs adding in effects? Recording Engineers and producer use them sparingly with restraint to create an artistic "virtual space" in the mix. Most club DJs just over-use them thinking thet they are being "artful" when, in reality, they are just creating uneducated noise aimed at irritating drunken, drug induced dance clubbers.

This same DJ even goes into talking about understanding tempo. Are you kidding me? Anyone who doesn't already understand the most simplistic of music theory concepts like "tempo" has no right abusing the art that others have created already on record, CD or digital format.

For that matter since I am on my soap box "scratching" is not an "art form" either! Scratching is the electronic equivalent to beating on pots and pans. Professional musicians invest lots of money, time and resources to learn and perfect their art. From there, engineers, producers and labels work their extensive and talented magic of fine-tuning the track for the public.

Scratching is a dying fad from the 90's. For someone to say that scratching is difficult, an art form or takes talent is absolutely ludicrous!

Cover Songs

2011-11-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine was expressing his thoughts on "true artistic" value of music on Facebook the other day. This issue has been haunting me and I decide to chime in on it.

When all is said and done I, personally, think that some songs should never, EVER be covered. To do so is blasphemous!

This came to mind when I heard a version of the holiday song "Hark How The Bells" by Destiny's Child. What the hell were they thinking? This is an old "a cappella" masterpiece that should hardly if ever be deviated from.

Some examples:

At Last by Etta James
What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
Ain't That a Kick In The Head by Dean Martin
Georgia On My Mind by Ray Charles
I Can't Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley
Girl From Ipanema by Astrud Gilberto
Imagine by John Lennon
Maggie Mae by Rod Stewart
My Generation by The Who
Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
Rolling In The Deep by Adele

...there are many of these songs from all of history.

Some songs, arrangements, mixes, instrumentation, vocalists, etc. exude the timeliness of the piece. You can feel the artists pain and you can smell and taste the air from back in the day the recording was created. A good music aficionado can hear the differences in not only artistic value but the performance, nuances, sound look and feel of equipment used and the way it is presented. You can say "Wow, that recording was from 1968 because they used plate reverb too excessively," or, "Hey there is a typical 1970's 30-second fade-out," or "That track is from the 80's because (God help us) listen to all that unneeded reverb on the tom-toms!"

We are such an imperfect race: God shows us his face every once in a while and we still try to improve upon it. Let's just enjoy what we have been given.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T11:47:00.001-07:00

Hocus Pocus by Focus

Halloweenie

2011-10-29T19:53:00.001-07:00

I am tired of people who think that they are superior or that there is a "superior sex." Everyone amasses wisdom from the pains of life that all people should be inspired by and desire to learn from.

Post Script

2011-10-28T14:13:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd let you all know that those "safes" in hotels can malfunction and one did for me over the weekend. It left me without credit cards, cash and car keys. After a two day wait for someone who knew how to get into it, it was surprisingly scary to see how easy it is to bypass the system. Bottom line: Be careful and keep your belongings close while traveling. Just like in the good old days.

Weekends

2011-10-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

The first weekend I have off in over two years and I come down with a bad cold. That bites!

Well, I'm feeling better now and getting ready for all of the Holiday festivities!

Yeah!

Wasted Time

2011-10-12T21:20:00.000-07:00

Wasted Time

Well baby, there you stand

With your little head, down in your hand
Oh, my God, you can't believe it's happening again
Your baby's gone, and you're all alone
and it looks like the end.

And you're back out on the street.
And you're tryin' to remember.
How will you start it over?
You don't know what became.
You don't care much for a stranger's touch,
But you can't hold your man.

You never thought you'd be alone this far down the line
And I know what's been on your mind
You're afraid it's all been wasted time

The autumn leaves have got you thinking about the first time that you fell
You didn't love the boy too much, no, no, you just loved the boy too well,
Farewell
So you live from day to day, and you dream about tomorrow, oh.
And the hours go by like minutes and the shadows come to stay
So you take a little something to make them go away
And I could have done so many things, baby
If I could only stop my mind from wondrin' what
I left behind and from worrying 'bout this wasted time

Oh, another love has come and gone
Oh, and the years keep rushing on
I remember what you told me before you went out on your own:
"Sometimes to keep it together, we got to leave it alone."
So you can get on with your search, baby, and I can get on with mine
And maybe someday we will find , that it wasn't really wasted time

Typical Fall Weather

2011-10-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

The weather is very typical for this time of the year.

Over the weekend my jobs went as planned with happy customers again. I was sweating from the heat of the day and "chillin" in the cool outdoor weather of the evening.

I am so happy that I have such great customers. I tell them ahead of time that sometimes there is no predicting what the guests will dance to and that your DJ has to always be prepared. Especially on my Saturday job the bride thought there would be dancing to Top 40 and country but it came down to Motown and Salsa music for that crowd.

Even with many issues from an "un-tested" venue the crowd accepted the many obstacles including many circuit-breaker faults that led to delays in the schedule of activities.

They even had many more people than they originally thought would attend. General rule of thumb: Invite people to a private estate or winery, offer them an open bar and provide them with a free shuttle service and they will come out of the woodwork!

Good Times!

Summer's Last Hurrah!

2011-10-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

It was a busy weekend and it seems like the summer hot weather is almost over.

Performed a couple of jobs in the valley. One at a ranch in Murrieta and another at Temecula Creek Inn's "Stonehouse." Both went off well and thank you so, so much for all of the compliments.

At the ranch it was a "Hollywood" crowd and met a few celebrities. Even the "maid of honor" was TV's Laura Ingalls Wilder (Melissa Gilbert). She was such a sweetheart and a genuine, down-to-Earth person to work with and still has a beautiful smile. I understand that there were many other celebs but I apologize if I don't follow the tabloids to recognize all of you. It was so successful they kept me overtime.

After working overtime that night I then awoke to probably the earliest wedding ceremony that I have ever performed for: 10:00 AM. The "brunch" meal was a great change of pace and the people were all so great to work with and for. Bree, Matt and their families were a great group of people to meet and perform for.

This weekend I provided ceremony, reception and "sound reinforcement" services for both weddings. I can ask this since I, myself, am a musician but, "Why do musicians always arrive 15 minutes before show time and request a sound check?" One of the unanswered questions for the universe I suppose.

As mentally and physically exhausting as this business can be, I still consider myself lucky to work in an industry that I truly love.

Music Hangover

2011-09-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

Another weekend has passed and is now history. I worked a couple of local wineries again and even this past Saturday I made a big mistake: I was doing a sound check for some musicians and as a result was strapped for time. I setup my subwoofer so that the back of the unit faces a wall that I was along side of. Don't want to get too technical but it was not optimal for the DJ. I ended up get "beaten up" by the sound waves all night and now have a massive "music hangover." I used to get these often years ago as a touring musician from too much loud music but I should know better these days. Oh well, just get some rest today, sleep it off and get ready for this coming week.

Getting Ready For The Holidays & 2012

2011-09-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that it's that time again.

It seems like the spring and summer wedding season just started and now the holidays are upon us.

Just finished a couple jobs over the past weekend at Ponte Winery in Temecula and at a private estate in Encinitas. It seems that no matter how long I have been doing this job new challenges always arise and I never seem to be amazed by how crazy us humans can be when given a little alcohol at a wedding or other event.

Hopefully, the summer heat is gone and we can get on with the rest of the year. I, personally, like the colder weather. I seem to get more done and I am more active (probably because I just don't stop because it is refreshing).

Well I have been anxious to add a blog to my website and I am looking forward to posting all of the escapades that occur in daily personal and business life.

Hope to hear from you all soon!