Issue 186 - September 2017 - Looking Beyond Saturday

ISSUE 186 SEPTEMBER 2017

WWW.MOBILEBEAT.COM

LOOK I NG BEYOND SATURDAY Corporate Gigs, Community Events and More

LOOK I NG BEYOND SATURDAY PLAYLIST YO U, D I S R U P T E D......................................................... 6

Traps

By Todd Mitchem F E AT U R E . . .................................................................... 8

Right in Your Own Back Yard

ADVERTISERS

By Stu Chisholm Audio-Technica

www.audio-technica.com

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Blizzard Lighting

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3

Bose

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2

DJ Intelligence

www.djintelligence.com/mb

19

Electro-Voice

www.electrovoice.com

5

Famous Stages

www.famousstages.com

15

Innovative LED

www.innovativeledsales.com

11

Mobile Beat Cruise

www.mobilebeatcruise.com

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Mobile Beat Las Vegas

www.mobilebeatlasvegas.com

17

Odyssey Innovative Designs

www.odysseygear.com

9

Photo Printer Outlet

www.photoprinteroutlet.com

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Play Something We Can Dance To!

www.mobilebeat.com/store

25

QSC

www.qsc.com

13

Altitude, Alcohol and Marijuana

Stage Spot

www.stagespot.com

28

By Matt Martindale

You, Disrupted

www.toddmitchem.com

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S O C I A L M E D I A K N O W H O W.. ........................................ 10

How to Book More Corporate Gigs

By Staci Nichols F E AT U R E . . ................................................................... 1 2

Keeping the Heat on When Wedding Season Goes Cold

By Robert Lindquist F E AT U R E . . ...................................................................14

About Balance

By Mike Ficher F E AT U R E . . ...................................................................16

How to Avoid Overkill, Part 2

By Trevor West F E AT U R E . . .................................................................. 18

Are DJs an Endangered Species?

By Michael Cordeiro F E AT U R E . . .................................................................. 20

P L AY S O M E T H I N G W E CAN DAN C E TO.. ........................ 24

Family Events in Focus

By Jay Maxwell S C O O P....................................................................... 26

RCF ART 712-A MK2 and MK4 Powered Speakers

By Marc Andrews E YE CAN D Y.. ............................................................... 27

ADJ Boom Box FX1 and FX2

By Marc Andrews T H E L AST W O R D.. ....................................................... 28

Solving Problems

By Jason Weldon

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Publisher Ryan Burger Mobile Beat Editor-in-Chief Dan Walsh

Gear Editor Jake Feldman Circulation Manager Kitty Harr

Editorial Assistant / Writer Rebecca Burger Events Director Emeritus Michael Buonaccorso

TO ADVERTISE IN MOBILE BEAT OR EXHIBIT AT A MOBILE BEAT EVENT, CALL 515-986-3344 x300 OR EMAIL SALES@MOBILEBEAT.COM

YOU, DISRUPTED

Traps THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE ALL DJS HAVE AND MOST REFUSE TO ADDRESS

By Todd Mitchem

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have worked hard for years to understand the audience and what makes them tick. While a particular DJ or MC may have a great personality or energy, they most likely lack an understanding of the one deficit this article will help to solve. They choose to put themselves in bondage at the onset of an event in a way they don’t realize, while destroying any chances that the audience will indeed respond they way intended. In other words, the DJ becomes trapped.

I define a trap as a question you ask to the audience or a throwaway comment that does not deliver maximum audience participation. For example, you may walk in front of an audience and ask, “Who is ready to have a good time tonight?” While you innocently think you are getting a large degree of audience response, you have failed to realize that you just trapped yourself. Likewise, if you ever say the word please to an audience, the same trap occurs. Let’s analyze why this trap fails in the first place then I will help you stop this behavior immediately.

WHY IS IT A TRAP? The reason a comment like, “Who is ready to have a good time?” is a trap is that it creates a deep unconscious reaction in most people. In a person’s mind, they can answer no, or “not me.”

When this happens, audience participation diminishes. The reason is that you gave the entire group a chance to “opt out.” You created a moment of indecision, which most likely caused you next to say, “I can’t hear you. I said, Who is ready to have a good time tonight?” By the second call, the audience is even more diminished, and you are losing them. But you could have avoided this.

The same applies to the word “please.” When many of us were children, our parents created a “magic word” and called it PLEASE. If we wanted something we had to say the magic word in the name of respect and kindness. Then, as we aged a bit, we were told NO For more than 17 years, Todd has coached executives on dynamic leadership, structural excellence, and strategic business applications at some of the top brands in the world, including Microsoft, Apple, Starbucks, Anheuser-Busch, H&R Block and more. His skill in helping corporate leaders and many others reach breakthroughs to greater success led to the creation of his new book, You, Disrupted: Seizing the Life You Want by Shaking, Breaking, and Challenging Everything.

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often, even after asking with “PLEASE!” In essence, we were taught “You don’t always get what you want” and that embedded itself into our minds. Now when someone says, “Will you please stand?” all we hear is, “NO, you don’t always get what you want Mr. DJ.”

WHERE THIS CAME FROM It was around 1993 when I started another chapter in my entertainment journey at a place called Excalibur in Chicago. It was then when I began to look at performance and audience engagement as a science rather than a situation based on luck. Each night after my show ended, I would head home to review the video of it, and I worked tirelessly to improve the interaction. This nightly discovery taught me three steps to turn these traps into compelling disruptive audience engagement solutions.

1) Say what you mean and be direct. The first step in getting yourself out of a trap is to write down more of the correct engagement statement and directions you need to give the audience. For example, when you say to an audience, “Who is ready to have a good time?” what are you attempting to do? I guess you would answer, “I want them to make noise.” Ok. Good! But then, how can you say this to an audience AND get maximum engagement? I suggest rewording this to be an action. “Ok. Everyone focus on me. I will count to three, and you all make as much noise as possible. And if it’s not loud enough, I will start over until we get it right.” If you remember in the Focus lesson earlier, I talked about how to control this element. By stating your intention and desire, the audience is far more likely to respond.

2) Focus on the outcome of your statement. As you are writing these new statements, I also suggest you write down the common traps you say frequently. Then create the outcome you desire from those statements. This way, as you change them, you will see even better results and better commands that every audience will enjoy.

3) Redirect a trap to get rid of it. Lastly, for those pesky traps you learned a long time ago, you will need a tool to stop using them. Here is my simple way to achieve that, thus “untrapping” yourself. The next time you say something like, “If you feel good say yeah!” immediately stop yourself and redirect with your newly written commands. Here is my suggestion. “If you feel good say yeah!—Wait...I can see you and know that you will feel good tonight. We have a great show prepared. So, to get us started, everyone yell, scream and clap on three. 1,2,3!” This way you have changed the dynamic and used your trap to make a new weapon in your work to impress the audience.

FEATURE

Right in Your Own Back Yard COULD YOU BE MISSING OPPORTUNITIES?

By Stu Chisholm

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s all of my family and friends can attest, my schedule is a mess. Not only do I have seven separate divisions of my own company that do different things keeping me busy, but I also have many outside interests. For one thing, I’m a huge science-fiction nerd and belong to a meetup group.

We meet bi-weekly to discuss all things sci-fi, plan conventions and presentations, and do it all over cheap food at a local diner. Another group I belong to champions churchstate separation issues, and yet another is the local Toastmaster’s, where I try to maintain and improve my public speaking chops. All in all, I attend some five different hobby/ special interest meetups as well as a monthly professional gathering of my fellow Licensed Massage Therapists, my latest venture and one of the seven divisions I mentioned previously. (See my previous article, “Meet the MRS,” MB, May 2016.)

TEAR DOWN THOSE WALLS! Most of us separate our professional lives from our personal ones, so we might not even think about how we might

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instead integrate the two. For me, chance intervened. One of the first ways I first brought my profession into the social arena was when a friend in my atheist group needed a wedding officiant, and was having trouble getting any ordained clergy from any local religious affiliation to do his ceremony the way he wanted. Even the Unitarian minister had all sorts of requirements that he and his bride were uncomfortable with. Being an ordained minister of the Church of Secular Humanism (a move I made right after a priest nearly failed to show at a wedding I was providing DJ services for) I offered a completely secular ceremony that we could customize together. They were thrilled with the idea, and also hired me to spin the reception. Afterward, word of the event spread through my social group, and now I’m the go-to guy for both wedding ceremonies and receptions. I hadn’t immediately realized it, but this particular group has a real need, and I was in a unique position to fill it. This would later repeat.

I also have two different meetup groups whose focus is on the shooting sports. After a day at the range, we usually end up having lunch at a local scarfin’ establishment, and handing out my cards has been a good source of leads for both my DJ and massage businesses. It’s not an avalanche, to be sure, but a small trickle from several sources can turn into one heck of a revenue stream!

convention. The unpaid “fan” DJ they constantly depended on had skipped without notice, and many were expressing their dissatisfaction with his overall work, prompted by the sudden exit. The only reason, it seemed, that they kept him on was that he would do the job for free.

And, as expected, this was something that I would butt-up against over and over again: they didn’t want to pay anything for “the music.” Discussion, however, is what meetups are for! I convinced a big portion of my group that it would be worthwhile to hire a professional. In return, being a first time ice-breaker between us, I would extend a generous discount. This one suggestion and a few hours of discussion spread over a few weeks turned into a decades-long association that is still going on, albeit a bit more spotty these days (for completely different reasons).

COMMUNITY

Finally, do you have any special interests that make you a part of a community of sorts? Various causes, interests and lifestyles often lead to various communities where we might actively, frequently engage with others that have nothing to do with our work, or even our personal lives. Yet all of them are opportunities for us to pass out our business cards, network together and spread the word. Meetups, dinners, workshops and social gatherings like these often happen during the week; one of the reasons why you and I are able to attend them! So why not be actively promoting yourself and your business?

And, as a side perk, if you hand out your cards, make a presentation, or in any other OUTA-SPACE way promote yourself at these meetings, My sci-fi group was complaining one your “fun social event” immediately night about the entertainment at a local becomes a tax write-off. And if you DO have other skills and jobs that you offer, then cross-promote, cross-promote, cross-promote!

Stu Chisholm had been collecting music since he was about age 8 and began his DJ career in 1979. After a People like doing business with stint at the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts, he people they not only know, but studied the DJ arts with famous Michigan broadcaster share a common interest with.

Bill Henning, interned at Detroit's rock powerhouse, Be sure you’re not so focused WRIF, and later added voiceover work and club gigs at on that interest that you forget Detroit's best venues. He has shared his extensive DJ that you have more to offer! experience through MB columns, as a seminar speaker Until next time, stay social, and through his book, The Complete Disc Jockey: A Comprehensive Manual for the Professional DJ. and safe spinnin’!

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SOCIAL MEDIA KNOWHOW

How to Book More Corporate Gigs

By Staci Nichols

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heart corporate gigs! If you aren’t sure why DJing corporate events rocks, let me spell it out real quick: • Super low-key planning process (typically) and low-drama events.

• Companies generally have “change to throw” (to quote Iggy Azalea) • They frequently take place mid-week or early in the day • The photo booth is often an easy up-sell • Unless you really screw up, repeat business is very likely

And how great does it look on your resume to say you’ve handled events for companies like LA Fitness, Boost Mobile, New York & Co, the Marriott, San Diego State University, the Marine Corps, and Baskin Robbins? Those are some of the companies I’ve worked for... and I’m perfectly happy “brand associating” with them.

STEP 1 – A BLOG POST Google “Corporate Event DJ” and related terms for your local area and see what you come up with. In my area, there was pretty much tumbleweeds when I did this search. So my first order of business was writing a keyword-heavy blog post entitled “San Diego Corporate Event DJ.” In the post, I outlined my experience and expertise with the particular nuances of DJing corporate events— from office holiday parties to 3-day-long conferences to 5k races. You can use the blog post to generate leads and show it to corporate event prospects that contact you through other channels.

STEP 2 - GIGMASTERS By having an account on GigMasters, I was able to add the Marriott, Boost Mobile, the Marines (my all-time best repeat customers ever), and Baskin Robbins to my resume. Yep! Frequently those within a company who are charged with booking the DJ for the upcoming event have no idea how to hire us. They google “Kansas City DJ” and see GigMasters front and center. It solves their problem and they can get back to filing or answering phones.

However, many companies hire corporate event planners to handle their events from top to bottom. Corporate event planners tend to already know about Gigmasters and will use it as a “go to” for all their gigs needing DJs. No matter how you look at it, there are a ton of corporate events available on GigMasters.

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Bonus Tip Write up a brief press release that you are DJing for that popular local conference, submit it to one of the press release websites, and get a nice backlink out of it as well.

STEP 3 – THUMBTACK “Thumbtack??? No, Staci, you did not just say Thumbtack!!!” Yes, yes, I did. I was able to add New York & Company to my resume via Thumbtack, as well as many other local companies. The reasons non-event-planners go to GigMasters are the same reasons they go to Thumbtack.

If you haven’t been on Thumbtack lately, they have a new program called ProAssist that bids automatically for you, based on the information you input; and you only get charged IF a lead replies to your bid. This has basically fixed all the stuff we complained about with Thumbtack bidding in the past.

A FEW PERSONAL CORPORATE GIG STATS In 2016, my average corporate gig paid about $700. Only one of the corporate gigs I did was on a Saturday (but it was in January; so taking a break from standing on the street corner with my “Will DJ for Food” sign to do it was no problem). 27% of the corporate events I booked were from GigMasters, 27% from Thumbtack, and 27% were repeat customers. Only 9% came from The Knot.

If you make more of an effort to book corporate gigs, you can expect to have more opportunities to donate your services to help with fundraisers for many great causes. Finally, if you want to boost your mid-week income, follow these three easy steps to book more corporate gigs.

DJ Staci Nichols is based in San Diego and specializes in spinning “country fusion,” Latin/Spanish, and mainstream music.

Her know-how has appeared in San Diego Style Weddings, Offbeat Bride, Wedding Planner Magazine, and Book More Brides. She offers consulting at WeddingBizConsultant.com or check out her DJ biz at SanDiegoDJStaci.com. IG/ FB/Pinterest/Twitter: SanDiegoDJStaci

FEATURE

Keeping the Heat on When Wedding Season Goes Cold

By Robert Lindquist downside is that its tough on gear. Typically, it’s one cheerleading team after another bringing up the music for their routine on a thumb drive or an iPhone with a cracked screen. We never know what it’s going to sound like until we push play—in most cases it doesn’t matter as long as it’s loud.” So how do you book these events? Get in touch with the coaches at schools in your area and find out who the organizers are.

The off-weekends of winter are also a good time to give back to the community by doing fundraisers and events that require donating services. According to Jeff, “While I never fall for the old ‘We can’t pay you but you’ll get good exposure’ pitch, if you tie in with the right organization, and play their fund raising event year after year, the amount of business it generates in the long run can be substantial. Most of the benefit events we do come through requests, and I get lots of requests from people looking for free or donated services. Our company is well established in this region so it’s important to me that we give back to the community whenever it makes sense, but I do have to be very picky.”

Except for the avid winter sports enthusiast or snow bunny, once the holidays are gone, it’s time to look forward to spring.

Encouraging this forward thinking is the plethora of car, boat and RV shows that are scheduled during February and March. Not only do the promoters of these events hire DJs and bands to add ambience, many of the exhibitors also want music, sound and lighting to attract attendees to their displays. A bit of Googling will get you a list of upcoming events in your area and key you in on who will be exhibiting.

Among the most obvious wintertime jobs are corporate Now, just because the temperature drops below zero doesn’t holiday parties and school dances, so we’ll skip over those and mean the number of weddings follows suit. Some couples end with one that you may never have thought of: providing actually chill out with the idea of tying the knot in winter, espe- graveside music and sound for funerals. These are daytime cially during the holidays or around Valentine’s Day. It’s a relative- bookings that typically require nothing more than the type of ly small number but should not be overlooked. If you have a good sound system you would use for a wedding ceremony—with the following on social media, or have yet to exhaust the cash in your addition of a quiet (important!) portable power source. The best ad budget for the year, now would be the time to be promoting way to let people know that you offer this service is to send out yourself as the DJ who’s not afraid to go out in the cold. cards to all the funeral homes in your area. It’s not for everyone, Weddings aside, let’s take a look at some alternative oppor- but for those DJs who don’t mind dragging a small system out in tunities to keep your speakers warm over the winter. the cold for a couple hundred bucks, it’s a way to keep the heat If you and your system can stomach several hours of volume on. on the edge of clipping, then cheerleading competitions can So what’s the bottom line? Promotion, 365 days a year. Ask be a good source for cold weather cash. Personally, I’ve done any DJ with a snow pile of winter events how they stay busy, one—years ago—and that was and it always comes back to enough. For Jeff Kuryla, owner making connections. Staying of Whirlin’ Disc in Penfield, NY, involved with church, school After a 20-year broadcast radio career, Robert Lindquist built cheerleading comps are a sigand community groups a successful mobile DJ business, and by the late '80s he had nificant source of winter/spring also written his first book, Spinnin', a DJ how-to. In 1990, he throughout the year is still the became the founding publisher of Mobile Beat. With the bookings. Jeff says that, “The best way to meet the people Live2Play Network (www.L2pnet.com), aimed at the money is average, but they who know other people who live sound realm, he has pioneered online publishing. Along provide a way for me to keep frequently need music and with being a broadcaster, publisher and Internet pioneer, some of my guys working when sound regardless of the time he's also a sax player, writer, gear reviewer and one of the weddings are down to one or of year. regulars behind the board at his local church. two per weekend—or less. The

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here’s no way around it. For most DJs, wedding are the holy grail. The rub is, most wedding couples prefer to have and to hold their ceremony when it’s sunny and nice—so they can follow their Pinterest inspired exchange of vows with a friendly game of cocktail hour Cornhole. That’s fine if you live in an area where it’s all good news when you turn on the Weather Channel. Unfortunately, the vast majority of North Americans experience four seasons, and at least one of those involves ice scrapers and snow shovels.

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FEATURE

About Balance MULTI-FACETED PERFORMANCE CALLS FOR A DISCIPLINED APPROACH

By Mike Ficher

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or most of my fulltime working career, I have been involved in the financial and IT world, as an accountant, financial analyst, software engineer, and, currently, pricing analyst.

I have enjoyed working in a variety of industries, including character merchandising, banking, mobile communication, broadband and cable, and, currently, automotive parts.

From 1986 to 2012, I ran and performed as Dance Express, one of the first entertainers to include dance instruction and exhibitions in DJ-based presentations.

Since 2005, I have produced more than 200 editions of The Ultimate Oldies Show, a syndicated weekly, thematic two-hour show highlighting the news, culture, stories and music of the late 1940s thru the early 1970s. (available at kpov.org and on TuneIn Radio).

Since debuting on stage in 2008, I have appeared in 14 productions, playing a range of characters from a German electrician to an acidic New York radio producer to a randy swinger, acted in 17 on-site murder mysteries and appeared in more than 50 improvisation shows.

For 17 years, I enjoyed composing the Crowdpleaser feature and more for Mobile Beat.

Since 2006, I have served as sportscaster on 87 football, soccer volleyball, softball, basketball games on local television in Central Oregon, more than 150 football and basketball games on the radio and 39 baseball and basketball contests on the Internet.

Add more than 175 football, baseball, soccer, volleyball and basketball games serving as public address announcer including regional and state baseball tournaments.

Why the variety?

First: Growing up as the child of parents who often quarreled about

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money, I feel uncomfortable putting my financial eggs in a single basket. If one field struggled, I could turn to another to make some money. That’s why I have umpired more than 200 Little League and travel baseball games and officiated more than 500 high school and USSF soccer games in the last several years.

How comfortable do you feel with your financial well-being tied to one profession?

But the vein runs deeper than simply financial…

Second: I have a major left and right brain thing going on. Both sides are active, robust and competitive, and require fulfillment for me to feel whole. I need to produce and create. Passive activities, such as watching television, are woefully unappealing to me.

What does your brain tell you?

Three: I love challenges. I am 5’4”; thankfully, I had a growth spurt in college!

Growing up, I was often told I could not do things, physically or, sometimes, mentally.

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A business analyst by day, Mike Ficher is an actor, voice artist, MC, sportscaster, public address announcer and former mobile entertainer. He is also the host of the weekly syndicated radio program, The Ultimate Oldies Show. Mike synthesizes these varied experiences to illuminate historic connectivity and fresh perspectives on the mobile entertainment profession. More info at www.mikeficher.com.

You either become that or you find your own path and let your interests, talent, work ethic, preparation and energy guide you. I became the first member of either side of my family to go to college and the first to earn a university degree.

What script are you confronting?

Balancing so many activities does involve a couple of requisites.

1) Health. As you can imagine, involvement in so many areas— often a few in the same day— necessitates an active pace. That translates into minimal downtime.

Eating sensibly, sleeping intelligently, identifying when the body is worn down and requires some veg time, staying physically fit, engaging in wise hygiene habits (washing hands frequently, dressing for the elements), abstaining from alcohol, drugs and smoking—all contribute to sustaining health.

How do you stay fit for the rigors of mobile entertainment?

2) Lifestyle. It’s all about choices. I create as many efficiencies as possible (automatic bill payment, trip linking, deliveries, etc.) and have little time for unneeded drama in my life. Multi-tasking is a must, when possible, and calendar management is critical to ensure I do not miss appointments or activities.

What choices do you make in your mobile entertainment business?

3. Focus. Social media, smartphones, family, television, movies, the news—so many demands for our time. It may sound like a well-worn cliché, but I have to find ways to be in the moment, to be present and prepared to execute with the current activity. Rhythmic breathing, compartmentilzation and a positive attitude serve me well.

How do you stay focused with so many things going on in your world?

In a new world where mobile entertainers are more likely to engage in multiple activities to make a living, how do artfully balance your life?

FEATURE

How to Avoid Overkill PART 2: MAKING YOUR LIFE EASIER

By Trevor West for the ceremony, one bag of six uplights, my Freedom Sticks (four in a kit), one Rubbermaid tub of extension cords, one tub of extra speaker cords, some miscellaneous items in a bag, and a roll of gaffers tape in each tub.

Guess how long it took us to set up and have music playing. I’d say pretty much at around 30 minutes; and about the same for tear-down. If it takes you more than an hour to set up a reception, then it’s possible you might have too much gear. If it takes you more than an hour to tear down then you really have way too much gear!

Remember, speaker placement is key to making it work with less gear. If your speakers are too far away from the dance floor and you don’t have a filler speaker Now ask yourself this: Could you somewhere else in the room, then it have done the same venue with less, forces you to turn the volume up louder; and still have provided the same quality and then people start complaining. service that your clients expect?

If you start complaining that the I’ll say this again because so many coordinator keeps putting grandma right DJs fail at it: IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE in front of the DJ table and in front of LOUD, IT JUST HAS TO BE HEARD! And your speakers then here is a novel idea: why do they fail? Why don’t venues refer Move your speakers! There is no law that them again? Very simple: too much gear, says you have to have the speakers right too loud, and too much time for set up and tear down. next to your table. Place the speakers where they will provide the most coverage and still use just the right number and size of Maybe it’s time to reorganize and rethink your setups.

DJs love their gear but clients couldn’t care less, and the speakers for the size of the room and the guest count.

Of course there are exceptions to everything. There are venue even less so. They want you to come in, make it work, have no issues and be out in a reasonable time -- not a two-hour venues that just stink bigtime. There are coordinators that have no clue. But as long as YOU are willing to be flexible and make it teardown time.

So how do you do that? By reducing the amount of gear all work, then then your clients will love you and the venues and you THINK you need versus what the room size and guest count other vendors will refer you.

A few things will help make your life and setups/teardowns requires. A 150- person wedding doesn’t require two to four 18” speakers and two to four 18” subs; you could get away with two easier. First, do a walk-through with your client and the venue or three smaller speakers (10”-15”) placed correctly, and maybe coordinator. This will save you any headaches, complaints, and one smaller sub placed under your table. Very rarely do I bring surprises the day of the event. my 12” sub for a wedding since most rooms that I work in don’t Second, ASK questions to the coordinator and your client, require it. make suggestions, politely suggest that maybe they move a table because grandma will be in front of the speakers, or better I recently did a wedding yet, use their map and show using only two QSC K10’s in the them where you’re going to main room and 1 8” speaker place your equipment -- see downstairs for the cocktail Back in 1990, with a pair of cowboy boots and a borrowed if it interferes with anything set of gear from a friend, Trevor West embarked on a DJ hour. The entire amount of career playing for local country western dancers. Fast else in the room. And finally, gear I brought included two forward to 2017 and he now is a Certified Wedding bring only the gear the client K10’s, two 8” speakers, my DJ Planner, a Country Dance Instructor with 25+ years, an is actually paying you to use system, two iPods for backup, Ordained Minister with ULC, passed the Oregon Liquor to make their event the best it one iPad for backup, one 4’ Server License test, and is a photobooth owner/operator. can be. table, the façade to hide the He presented at MBLV21 on photobooths and DJ “overkill.” table, two extra wireless units Happy DJing!

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want you to picture in your mind every venue you’ve ever performed at for a wedding reception. Did you do it? Now think about the rooms you were in.

Where did you put the speakers?

Where did the staff tell you to set up? How much equipment did you bring for that venue? Did your back hurt at the end of the night?

Did anyone complain about how loud it was? Did the crowd stay longer or did they leave early?

Here’s the best question: Has the venue ever referred you since?

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FEATURE

S

ince the invention of radio, all entertainment industries have gone through the same three stages.

Their inception, rise and decline. Why have some formats thrived over time and others faded away as quickly as they were conceived? Was it competition or innovation? Did the product or service just become obsolete? This ultimately begs the question,”Where are we (as DJs) in this cycle?”

Are DJs an Endangered Species?

LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE OF THE MOBILE DJ WORLD

By Michael Cordeiro

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Arguably, disc jockeys have been around since the 1950s, but it really wasn’t until the late ‘70s/early ‘80s, coupled with the birth of MTV and hip-hop that the mobile DJ industry started to flourish. Mike Buonaccorso wrote a great book on the history of our industry leading into this millennium titled, A Different Spin. However, the technology and social changes of the coming decade may very well decide the fate of mobile DJs. Will the technological advances in streaming content and intuitive playlist programming make mixing obsolete? What about quickly changing social norms? The average age of a bride is almost 28 now. Will the wedding segment of our industry take a dive due to Millennials’ views on marriage and gender? I have no idea, so I thought it would be prudent to ask some of the leaders and innovators in our industry their thoughts.

The first area of concern is venues. It seems like venues are taking away our business by adding in their own uplighting and some are even buying their own photo booths. I asked Mitch Taylor of Taylored Weddings and DJ business coach if we should be worried about increased competition from venues.

“Venues are going to be doing more in house,” said Mitch. “That’s just natural business evolution. The trick is to stay ahead of the technology curve.

It all boils down to leveraging technology with your talent to provide a better client experience. DJs who don’t evolve will expire.”

So how do we evolve individually and as an industry? Do we just keep buying more shiny, blinky stuff (squirrel)? I turned to the guy with the biggest heart in our industry, Big Daddy Sean McKee for his thoughts.

“Relevancy! It’s all about how you make them (clients, guests) feel,” Big Daddy explains. “Especially with Millennials. I hate when DJs say ‘I’ve done a thousand weddings.’ No, you’ve done the same wedding a thousand times.

As an industry and as entertainers, we need to listen more and focus on our clients more. You can’t feel emotion through your fingertips on the gear.

It’s face to face. It’s the experience you create for them that will make you successful.”

How much emphasis should we place on gear vs. talent? What gets you more business, your scrims and facades or your mic skills? Peter Merry, author of The Best Wedding Reception Ever and DJ guru had this to say: “Picking and mixing music is going to become more and more automated. The focus should be on talent-based skills. DJs spend too much time focusing Michael Cordeiro is on the next thing they think the owner of M.C. will make them look cool Entertainment, a small instead of honing their craft. multi-op in Rhode Island.

He has been on TLC’s Four Down time should be spent on Weddings, hosted an perfecting mic skills and tranepisode of Toddlers & Tiaras sitions—doing anything that and has opened for many expands their capabilities as a celebrities. He has a degree performing artist. Computers in Entertainment and Event Management from Johnson can’t interact on a personal and Wales University. level with guests. The human element can’t be replaced by

automation, but everything else can be. The DJs that will be in demand ten years from now are the ones with the most creativity to offer clients.

Will honing our skills and developing our creativity be enough to help the DJ industry survive another 30 or 40 years? Is technology ultimately going to replace us? Ron Ruth, creator of The Audio Amazing Love Story, warns that “Technology will replace us if we don’t start helping ourselves grow and learn. DJs today have the knowledge to do lighting and work complicated controllers, but do not have the skill to entertain. If we continue to allow DJs to be in this business just for the money and with no passion, it will be our demise. (Editor’s note: Ron said that no matter what other responses you read in this article, his is the right one.)

Technology has certainly been a blessing to our industry over the last ten years. No more lugging records (except by choice) or fumbling with compact discs. Intuitive software, Bluetooth controllers and internet streaming have made programming a snap. But is what seems like a godsend also the devil in disguise? The fact is that some apps allow 14-year-old kids to mix as well as seasoned veterans. At the recent ARMS DJ conference ADJA president Dr. Drax gave an extremely thought-provoking seminar on technology and the state of the DJ industry.

“Music is going to be everywhere.” says Dr. Drax. “Future software will play, select and beat mix better than humans. Venues will have complete systems installed with streaming capabilities. It will be like “iPod weddings” on steroids. Your ability to read the crowd and mix music is going to be more crucial than ever. You have to continually hone your craft and skills over the years and most of all “not suck.”

Drax continues, “DJs have to be better customers of the future.

If you do not learn to communicate with your clients in the format they are used to, you’re toast. Also DJs without a real business plan will fail. Have you a created a business that will provide a future and comfortable lifestyle for you and your family? The future is bright for the DJ who is willing to adapt.

Todd Mitchem, MBLV host and author of You, Disrupted had this to add to Dr Drax’s take on technology and the future of the DJ industry: “I think over the next two to five years the DJ world will be rocked by technology. With new ‘DJ your own party’ apps and other forms of tech that give consumers abilities to program music, DJs will be facing a daunting future unless they adapt, disrupt and grow skills. We are far past the days of value based on your equipment.

In other words, what value are you bringing to the event or to your clients so that you have more to add than just music? I actually see that a DJ’s audience skills, ability to interact with the group, and a DJ’s ability to guide events are the most valuable skills. People will no longer pay for button pushers in the future. They will however, pay for value.

Todd adds an example to illustrate: “For my wedding we hired a great DJ here in Denver and we had lots of unique moments. My wife is of Lithuanian origin so we had many traditional elements from her culture. Our DJ, who added amazing value, kept the flow going, managed all the details of the day, made sure we were everywhere we needed to be when we needed to be there, and on top of it all, played the perfect music at the perfect time. He was not just a DJ, he was a huge important part of the event. This is the future. We as humans will not make money doing anything that does not add amazing levels of value. This is a wake-up call for DJs everywhere.

I guess there is some hope for us after all, but I wanted some more input. I asked Rob Ferre what he thinks the biggest obstacle to our future is.

“Pride and failure to innovate. As an individual, think about what type of entertainer you are and what type of entertainment you bring to your clients. Evolve your business based on that. Strive to be the best. Collectively, we need to train and educate younger talent. Our future depends on it.

I’m really seeing light at the end of the tunnel. So is technology ultimately our friend? Are there major changes coming to the DJ Industry? Will the future just be business as usual in the world of DJs? If there is one person in our industry that has their finger squarely on the pulse of what is going on, it’s Mike Walter. He had this to say about the near future: “I don’t see any major changes coming. The key is to stay on top of technology and education. Attend conferences, workshops, seminars, etc. If technology does make a major leap, it is only going to put mediocre DJs out of business. The focus should be on delivering quality entertainment because we live in a country that over-values it. Content is being created and consumed at an astronomical rate. You want guests to put their phones down at an event? Engage them. You have to be more interesting to them than Facebook or YouTube. To me the future looks bright for our industry because we have more educational opportunities than ever before.”

Final thoughts: The possibility is that like orchestras, wedding bands, records and compact discs, we as DJs could eventually be replaced by the next incarnation of entertainment technology.

The key to preventing that outcome is to lead through education and innovation. Continue to develop sound business plans, invest in ourselves, stay relevant and passionate. Most of all deliver an entertainment experience to our clients that keeps our calendars full with referrals.

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FEATURE

Altitude, Alcohol and Marijuana WHY THEY DON’T MIX AT WEDDINGS

By Matt Martindale

A

wedding reception is a celebration. But… who is the party really for? Is it for the newlyweds? Is it a chance for parents to show off wealth and prestige? Is it for the guests?

The reality is, the wedding reception is a time when the couple “receives” their guests, and vice versa, as a newly married couple. They embrace one another in a sense of community. This “party” is nothing more than a “social gathering, as of invited guests for conversation, refreshments and entertainment.”

Three of the last four weddings I was involved with in the last month featured a cast of guests that were about the same age as the bride and groom (their friends), and the couple’s parents, who left immediately after the parent dances. No other family was invited. No aunts, no uncles, and no older guests. It was odd only having a small handful of adults older than the bride and groom, and 120 of the 125 guests around the same age. At these weddings, the older guests simply weren’t meant to be part of the celebration.

In all four cases for these mountains weddings in my home state of Colorado (two at resorts, one at a VRBO home, one at a residence), the term “Rocky Mountain High” was in full effect.

Not only was each wedding was a rip-roaring, sloppy drunk fest leaving the bride, groom and guests barely able to stand, accented by the “best of the best” Pinterest-worthy trimmings and mountain views, they were complete with the best in prissy

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princess attitudes, and frat boys boasting belligerent attitudes... all embracing marijuana to it’s fullest capacity.

As a wedding Master of Ceremonies with 1,585 documented weddings personally performed at the time of writing this article, I can attest firsthand that it’s at times like this that it becomes very, very difficult to maintain a sense of order, and flow; especially when there is a “free-for all” combination of both alcohol and drugs.

Some wedding professionals embrace marijuana in their business model, and that’s fine. Some of us, however, feel that

it simply doesn’t belong at a wedding. This leaves an open door for liability that some vendors are unwilling, or unknowingly able to accept at a wedding. (It’s really about being a responsible business owner and mitigating risks. See my previous article about “Who’s Fault Is It Anyway?” discussing why venues care if you have liability insurance, in MB June 2017, p.10.)

Let’s consider just the first couple of factors (from a ist of 13) that influence every wedding. These will ALWAYS determine how long a wedding celebration will last, and more importantly, how it will really unfold. (I teach these in a seminar for other wedding professionals). These are very, very real!

1) Adjusting to altitude. The initial strain on your body (or that of guests) as it tries to adjust to the less available oxygen triggers unpleasant symptoms, from: severe migraine type headache, dizziness, queasy stomach, tiredness and trouble sleeping. Some symptoms can be mild, and some become severe.

Statistically, more than 25 percent of the millions of Americans who travel to high elevations each year develop Acute Mountain Sickness or AMS. Guests need to know, and plan accordingly.

2) Alcohol at altitude. Part of the acclimatization process is that the body produces more red blood cells in order to deal with the reduced oxygen environment. When alcohol is present in the blood, it interferes with hemoglobin’s absorption of oxygen. Because higher altitudes have less oxygen in the air to begin with, it is thought that the effect is magnified, so you get even less oxygen to your brain. Oddly enough, higher altitude can impair some abilities and some doctors state that the impact of alcohol from sea level to say, 9,000 feet above sea level is a 2 or 3:1 ratio. That means two or three drinks at sea level, is equivalent to one at higher altitude – so guests get hammered faster.

Higher altitude locations also generally have much less moisture in the air, and alcohol is a dehydrating diuretic, so you have to drink more than just the “one glass of water for every drink” you’d normally strive for at sea level. Guests drink alcohol instead. That compounds the problem. Dehydration will only compound the symptoms of both drunkenness and altitude sickness.

With states like Colorado pioneering recreational marijuana, it’s time to add number 14: Marijuana usage has spilled into social celebrations, like weddings.

The real danger though, is when combining it with alcohol.

This combination is called a “crossfade.” (Yes DJs, this term is for real.)

In a Psychology Today article by Constance Scharff, Ph.D, “The Dangers of Combining Alcohol and Marijuana,” she states: “Alcohol and marijuana are two drugs commonly used by people at the same time. New information indicates that combining the two may cause individuals to over-use both substances, and in some cases, can result in death.”

Scharff continues to explain that “drinking before smoking can result in severe illness called ‘greening out.’” It’s a term used to describe when a person may feel sick after consuming marijuana.

They may get pale, sweaty, feel dizzy, nauseous and start vomiting followed by a strong desire to lie down. Remember, alcohol consumption at higher altitudes…guests get drunk much faster. (In fact, this just happened to one of my brides at one of the three previously referenced weddings above. YES! The bride!)

Consuming marijuana and then drinking can actually lead to death. According to Northeastern University, marijuana has an antiemetic effect, meaning that marijuana makes it more difficult for the body to vomit. When a person drinks too much alcohol, the body responds by vomiting in an effort to expel excess alcohol. However, with marijuana consumption, the body is simply unable to get rid of the toxin.

Used together, alcohol and marijuana can cause paranoia, often resulting in poor, flawed or fatal choices. They are both depressants that slow down the central nervous system. The active agent of marijuana, THC, is absorbed into the blood faster when alcohol is present, according to Scharff. “Magnified effects using these substances together can be very unpredictable

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FEATURE and cause panic, anxiety, or terror to occur in people who use both substances in the same period.”

I know what you’re thinking. These are ‘60s or ‘70s-style hippie fests, or low-budget weddings.

Not at all. In fact, the exact opposite. Very high-end, trendy and hip twentysomethings coming from out of state for a destination wedding, and everyone gets absolutely trashed on cases of expensive vodka and pot beyond belief.

Here’s where it gets interesting. What about a venue, say a resort or country club, that has a strict “no marijuana” consumption policy on their property (because private property doesn’t have to allow it), yet guests defiantly persist to smoke in the open, or pass around marijuana edibles?

Then, as the Master of Ceremonies, you are repeatedly asked to make a polite announcement, “that on behalf of the venue, and the rules agreed to by the bride and groom in their contract, they

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have asked that I remind guests that consumption of marijuana on site is not allowed.” (Remember, the venue is trying to limit their liability, mitigate risk and reduce problems.) This, unfortunately, is where the issues arise.

You see, a venue doesn’t want to be branded as being “difficult” or plagued with bad reviews. Sure, guests want to party, but the belligerent and defiant behavior that often results, or blatant damage to property, and even fights that result from making these announcements need to be considered; especially when directed against the MC/DJ asked to deliver the message!

At one recent wedding, after making the polite “please refrain from marijuana” announcement, I had at least eight male guests, along with the groom, storm across the reception hall with clinched fists, surround me, and threaten to “beat the s*** out of me” for making the announcement. Guests began

screaming profanities from across the room. The bride yelled at the top of her lungs, “it’s legal in Colorado!” True. But not on private property, and the venue said no. I was stuck in the middle.

The venue threatened to shut down the party. Then tempers flared even more.

In an effort to bypass a venue’s rules, some couples are embracing a new trend: renting a VRBO (vacation rental by owner) on a mountaintop for their destination wedding, making no mention of the planned behavior to owner or vendors, inviting only their friends and getting blitzed in every way possible with no rules or authority.

At another recent resort wedding, the now required on-duty sheriff deputy plainly told me that they are seeing a “surge in problems” at weddings with pot edibles (like THC-laced chocolate bars, etc.) as “expected party favors” for out-of-state guests.

“That chocolate bar on each place setting is actually eight servings,” the deputy explained. “People take a bite, and don’t feel anything. So, they take another, then another. Pretty soon, they’ve had eight servings in twenty minutes. Add that to too much drinking this high up, and that’s why I’m here now monitoring, well before we get the call. You also have to remember, that the THC content in pot was about 1.5% in the late 1970s.

Nowadays, it’s at least 10 times that. It’s pretty potent stuff! And, the last thing people don’t think about, is at some weddings, what happens when kids or grandma are there, and don’t know about it and have some THC edibles, like gummy bears, or chocolate because they think it’s normal candy? In my opinion,

it just doesn’t belong at weddings.” (He continued by telling me several stories that made my jaw drop!)

What about an open alcohol bar and an open joint bar with 13 different strains of pot in a buffet-style setting with an invitation for guests to smoke as much as they want? That’s happened too.

Personally, I’ve just seen way too many trendy twenty-somethings, when high and drunk, act in ways that cause problems— problems that are under-reported by the media for the concern of losing tax revenues from retail pot sales, and it puts the MC/ DJ in the middle. If you have recreational marijuana in your state, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you don’t yet, but are voting on it soon, be warned.

Matt Martindale has been a professional DJ and MC since 1989, performing at more than 1,400 wedding receptions since then.

Along with running his award-winning, multi-DJ company, Amoré DJ Entertainment (www.amoredjentertainment.com), he has accumulated extensive entertainment experience including training in audio production, sound engineering, lighting and design, improv comedy, voice over artistry, magic, and much more.

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PLAY SOMETHING WE CAN DANCE TO

Family Events in Focus MUSICALLY FACILLITATING THE FAMILY FUN

By Jay Maxwell

A

friend recently asked me why I still actively DJ instead of simply managing my company and letting my team of DJs perform all the events. Although all my DJs are very capable of entertaining our clients, there is a thrill that comes with seeing a crowd respond to the music blasting from the speakers.

If I sat at home, wearing only the hat of the manager, I’d miss the thrill of entertaining a crowd.

Fun Songs Songs for for Any Any Occasion Occasion Fun SONG TITLE

ARTIST

1

HAPPY

PHARRELL WILLIAMS

2

FUN, FUN, FUN

BEACH BOYS

3

YOU MAKE MY DREAMS

HALL & OATES

4

HIP TO BE SQUARE

HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS

5

LIFE IS A HIGHWAY

RASCAL FLATTS

6

WALKING ON SUNSHINE

KATRINA & THE WAVES

7

I’M A BELIEVER

SMASH MOUTH

8

BEST DAY OF MY LIFE

AMERICAN AUTHORS

9

GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN

CYNDI LAUPER

10

CROCODILE ROCK

ELTON JOHN

11

GET ON YOUR FEET

GLORIA ESTEFAN

12

HOT HOT HOT

BUSTER POINDEXTER

13

I’M SO EXCITED

POINTER SISTERS

14

SAY HEY (I LOVE YOU)

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD

15

GOOD FEELING

FLO RIDA

16

SIR DUKE

STEVIE WONDER

17

COME DANCE WITH ME

MICHAEL BUBLE

18

TURN THE BEAT AROUND

VICKIE SUE ROBINSON

19

PON DE REPLAY

RIHANNA

20

GREEN ONIONS

BOOKER T AND THE M.G.S

21

CAN’T STOP THE FEELING!

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

22

DANCING IN THE STREET

MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS

23

TREASURE

BRUNO MARS

24

YOU CAN CALL ME AL

PAUL SIMON

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25

SOUND OF SUNSHINE

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD

26

HAWAII FIVE-O

VENTURES

27

JUMP RIGHT IN

ZAC BROWN BAND

28

HANG ON SLOOPY

THE MCCOYS

29

ROCK THIS TOWN

STRAY CATS

30

OB-LA-DI, OB-LA-DA

BEATLES

31

EYE OF THE TIGER

SURVIVOR

32

BLAME IT ON THE BOOGIE

JACKSONS

33

SATURDAY NIGHT

BAY CITY ROLLERS

34

DYNAMITE

TAIO CRUZ

35

PETER GUNN THEME

BLUES BROTHERS

36

SITTIN ON TOP OF THE WORLD

DEAN MARTIN

37

GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE

EARTH, WIND, AND FIRE

38

CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE

QUEEN

39

SOAK UP THE SUN

SHERYL CROW

40

STILL THE ONE

ORLEANS

41

NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP

RICK ASTLEY

42

WHAT MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL

ONE DIRECTION

43

GROOVE IS IN THE HEART

DEEE-LITE

44

ROLL TO ME

DEL AMITRI

45

THAT’S THE WAY (I LIKE IT)

KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND

46

JOY TO THE WORLD

THREE DOG NIGHT

47

I WANT YOU BACK

JACKSON 5

48

YOUR MAMA DON’T DANCE

LOGGINS & MESSINA

49

RHYTHM OF LOVE

PLAIN WHITE T’S

50

ROCKIN’ ME

STEVE MILLER BAND

www.toddmitchem.com

Although one of the ultimate thrills is seeing dancers respond positively to what you’ve decided to play by packing the dancefloor, there are other ways a crowd can show they are having a great time too.

Some events need uplifting music, even though there is a primary source of entertainment at the event other than the DJs music. For example, our neighborhood has a 4th of July celebration where children decorate their bikes, tricycles, and wagons in patriot attire and ride around a closed-off portion of the neighborhood. This event could easily occur without any music.

However, each year, the neighborhood welfare committee hires me to provide music for this one-hour event. No one is expected to dance to the music, but the tunes from this issue’s list provide an added layer of excitement to this annual event. Looking at the list of music, you might wonder why most of the songs are not recent chart hits. This event is a family event and although the children are the ones cruising around the neighborhood, their parents and grandparents are there with them having fun too.

Most events that cater to young children, especially preschoolers and those of elementary school age, will also have parents and grandparents in attendance. This is the case with family fun nights at either a church or school. Similar to the neighborhood bike ride, family fun nights are primarily about moms and dads taking their children from booth to booth to play games, get the child’s face painted, or participate in costume contests. Once again, these events could easily be held without any music. Luckily, most churches and schools recognize that a DJ can enhance the excitement with music. Even though music is not the focus of these events, a tune with a peppy beat or a song that everyone knows by heart, gives an added dimension to the activity.

Just like a movie needs a soundtrack, family events become more exciting with music. Just because the music is secondary, doesn’t mean a DJ can play whatever he wants. Lyrical content is still very important. In fact, because these family events include very young children, caution should be used in selecting the songs for the event. There are many lively songs that could lift the mood of the event, but extra care must be given when creating a playlist for a family oriented event to ensure the content is appropriate for all ages.

As fun as these events are to DJ, there is a small downside.

Because these events are for neighborhoods or nonprofits like a church, sponsors of the events have little to no funds to pay for the entertainment. However, these events are typically held on a weekday or Sunday night when a DJ is not usually booked for a paying function. Before you say that you’d rather stay at home instead of DJ a free event, keep in mind that when people see you perform at these small events, it gives them the opportunity to ask for your business card for a larger event. This should lead to an event where you’ll be able to see people respond to what you play after they say, “Play Something We Can Dance To!” Mobile Beat’s resident musicologist since 1992 (issue #11), Jay Maxwell runs the multi-talent entertainment company, Jay Maxwell’s Music by Request, LLC, in Charleston, South Carolina. He is also a professor of Business at Charleston Southern University. His passion for detail and continuous research of clients’ requests can be found not only in this column, but also in his annually updated music guide, Play Something We Can Dance To.

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SCOOP

Sonic Works of ART FAMILY PORTRAIT OF SOME RCF SPEAKERS

By Marc Andrews

I

t’s not often that I get a chance to try out two generations of the same speaker line at the same time on a gig. Because of a unique situation where I was at an outdoor wedding requiring my speakers to be spread pretty far apart, I decided that this was a perfect opportunity to take out my RCF ART 712-A MK2 and MK4 speakers to the event. The goal was to hear the difference three years might make.

Since we haven’t done a review of either of these in the past, I’ll cover the basics to start with. RCF is an Italian company that makes higher end sound systems, ranging from TT+ high-def touring and theater hardware to HDL and NX series touring cabinets. In the DJ and portable audio arena they offer the EVOX (stick speaker on a sub), HD and most importantly for mobile DJs, the ART series that we are covering here. The great thing is that some of their best install and touring technology filters down and often makes it into the DJ speakers; and that’s what we are seeing in the latest MK4 generation of the ART speakers.

The ART series comes in 8”, 10”, 12” and 15” speakers with the 12” having two levels and the 15” having three levels. All are active, two-way systems and all except the 8” woofered version (708-A) are rated for 1400W peak and 700W RMS. The most popular size for DJs is the ART 712-A MK4 thus we are primarily reviewing that here.

In a comparison between the MK2 and the MK4 versions,

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when I ran them near each other I could certainly hear the difference in the sound. That’s not to say that the earlier model wasn’t good, by any means; it’s simply a statement about what a couple of years of development can do for a product line. The only external difference physically in the units is they changed up the coloring of the moulded speaker.

Digging into how RCF improved the line leads you to checking out their proprietary FiRPHASE filtering technology.

“The FiRPHASE algorithm optimizes dynamics, amplitude and phase patterns, ensuring at the same time minimum system latency,” according to the RCF website. In real-world terms, it means that the sound has greater transparency and clarity; it sounds more “alive” because of the high level of control that FiRPHASE puts into the EQ of the unit.

Ultimately, you need to hear it for yourself to understand.

Considering how important your investment in speakers is, you really need to hear what you are buying. Get to your favorite DJ or other pro audio store, pick three or four different powered speaker lines to check out, and make sure the RCF ART 7 series is one of them. And if you can’t hear them locally, don’t miss you chance to hear them in person at MBLV22 next March.

Retailing at a price of $699 each, these speakers are priced right in the same range as their competitors. If you are looking to improve the overall clarity and punch of your speaker system, the RCF ART 712-A MK4 is a great option.

www.rcf.it

EYE CANDY

Thinking Inside the Box ADJ BRINGS SMALLEST LIGHT SHOWS EVER?

By Marc Andrews

B

ack in the 1990s, ADJ (then American DJ) was all about effects lights. While in the last ten years both the ADJ and Elation brands have moved more into production pieces of different sizes, ADJ still regularly brings out pieces that remind us of their DJ heritage.

The ADJ Boom Box FX1 and FX2 could affectionately be considered classic “spin & puke” lights, but the difference is this time that they are all LED and have many different types of effect lights in one box for you to use and control.

“Boom” perfectly describes these units, which can fill the dance floor or venue with light, even though they are so small; kind of like throwing a hand grenade of lighting Boom Box FX 1 into the room. They put all the effects lights you need for a basic show in one box that can be set up or mounted on a tripod Boom Box FX 2 bar­—essentially a full light show in one box. For this review I took them out to a high-end outdoor barn wedding and let them show their stuff.

The FX1 includes a moonflower effect, wash LEDs, lasers and a derby (Triple Decker Avenger style, for long-time ADJ users like me). The FX2 changes out the moonflower party dome with a gobo moonflower effect. In hindsight I wish I had wired them separately and spread them further apart to be able to bring more of a back and forth energy across the dance floor.

The only two improvements I would make to these units is having more control over the pre-programs remotely, and having a speaker mounting hole in the bottom instead of having to use the tripod adapter that comes with it. As to the pre-program controls, knowing that I can use DMX control is nice, but I would personally love to have something that I could do more with, without having to be out in the crowd using the UC IR remote system that it’s compatible with. I’m thinking of a smaller remote that can be plugged into the back of of the unit and run wire-style like a fogger remote.

At retail price points under $300, the ADJ Boom Box FX1 and FX2 are fantastic additions to any DJ company’s arsenal. For example, for doing smaller school dances I could see using two of these and possibly some flood lights on a tripod to do the entire show. The variety of effects ADJ packed into these boxes is truly impressive. Add a tripod into the mix and for under $700 you have a totally mobile but still exciting small lighting system.

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THE LAST WORD

Solving Problems

By Jason Weldon

B

usiness really comes down to solving problems.

You got into this business because you were good at solving someone’s problem of getting people to dance and to have fun. You probably kept getting better at solving that problem and have been able to realize a full-time income at it. You have become quite popular and most of your weekends are completely booked, leaving another problem that you are starting to see: Your week days could use some attention.

Weekdays are pretty much used for the general management of your business, as well as the plethora of other tasks that you have to do in order to keep your business moving forward.

The idea of making money on weekdays has eluded some of us and has always been a problem in the DJ world.

The one staple in the DJ business has always been the bar account. It is always there, always ready for the next cheapest DJ and always ready to screw you somehow. So needless to say, this article is not about DJing at bars.

This is about solving a problem. Just not a problem that is

right in front of you. It is one that you have to think about. One you have to spend time on. One that you really have to think differently about, so when it comes time to commit to it, you will be easily generating revenue.

Successful business owners don’t complain about a problem.

They realize that a majority of their job is to constantly solve problems. The better they get at solving problems, the more successful they will be. Let’s put it in terms of baseball. The pitcher has a problem, the batter. The batter has a problem, the pitcher.

One of these players will be better than the other. The more times one of them consistently solves the problem, the more times that team is going to win.

Your problem is weekday work. Your job is to think about how you can take what you have and turn it into revenue. Your job is not to bitch and complain about how you don’t have any weekday work. Let your competitors bitch about that. You need to take action and figure it out for yourself.

Here is how I would handle this problem: Being a DJ is pretty “cool” right now. You have a skill that you could easily teach someone. That someone would probably be willing to pay you for that lesson.

I would want to think about all the people that I could draw on to offer lessons to.

I would have to establish a rate.

Executing this idea won’t be easy, but I think I could get some traction on it.

This is just one idea that you could use with a bunch of variations. There are plenty of markets you could go after and plenty of ways to make it successful. It isn’t as easy as setting up at a bar and making $150, but if done properly, you could probably generate a few hundred dollars a week and never have to leave your office.

Working on a solution like this, instead of thinking about a problem, helps you develop even more ideas. Maybe this idea is not right for you. Maybe you can figure out another need that you could teach your client base. The idea is to get your mind to think differently and be creative.

PS: I would love to hear some of your creative, unique ideas that you have come up with to solve the weekday revenue problem. Email me at jason@synergeticsounds.com.

Jason Weldon is a wedding business consultant who specializes in small to medium-sized companies that want to grow their business. His objective is to help guide people through organizing their thoughts and laying the groundwork for a better, more successful start-up. He currently lives in Philadelphia and is also the president of Synergetic Sound and Lighting, Inc. and DJ and A/V company.

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