Monthly Archives: August 2019

Sex, Drugs and Early Death 

By John James Murphy

Let’s get to know each other. I’ve been in the DJ biz since 1979. I’ve seen and done everything – good and bad – that can be done. I’m writing this blog because my good friends at Promo Only really care about you and your health and wellness.

As professional DJs our profession can be glamorous, fun, and rewarding. Lots of cash, parties and good times. I get it. I’ve been there. Sadly, the downside we all share in common is the loss of too many of our fellow DJs too soon. I have personally lost eight DJs who worked for me. Heart attacks, suicide and lifestyle choices. All in their 50s or younger. Hundreds more in our industry continue to die before their time.

How many DJs do you know who are overweight, smoke, drink excessively, don’t exercise or eat well, who burn the candle at both ends and never take care of themselves? Any of that sound a little too familiar?

You have a choice. But it takes a desire to change decades of habits and, most importantly, your attitude.

The good news is that you CAN preserve or recapture your energy and health. It’s never too late… until it’s too late.

 But it doesn’t happen by accident. Developing a healthy lifestyle takes focus and effort.

And someone with a plan.

Each month here we’ll be going deeper into one of the 7 Key Areas of Achieving Life Balance. 

  • Nutrition
  • Fitness
  • Mental Health
  • Spirituality
  • Financial
  • Environmental
  • Social Connection

These seven areas are all interconnected. By learning and implementing the best practices in each, you’ll be giving yourself your best chance at living the long, happy and healthy life you want and your loved ones deserve.

Ready to take that first step? Here’s something you can do NOW to begin building your healthy lifestyle.

 Drink lots of water! So many of us are dehydrated. It can make you feel lightheaded, weak and sick. To be properly hydrated, you should drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day!

Why? Our bodies are 70% water. Our brains are 85% water. Water is the oil for our engines. When we change the oil in our cars, we flush out the gunk. It’s the same thing with our bodies. We’re exposed to potentially thousands of toxins every day that over the course of time will cause your body to break down if not flushed out by, you guessed it: water.

Remember: Once you’re thirsty you are already dehydrated!

So hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

 Here are a few other things you can do to feel better right now!

Stretch! Even if you don’t like formal exercise, it’s essential for you to stretch your arms, legs, neck and core for flexibility and balance. How many times have you forgotten to stretch before loading in to a gig? So many injuries can be avoided by stretching!

 Read the labels! If you don’t know what the ingredients are — don’t buy it. Artificial ingredients are why nine out of 10 Americans are micro-nutritionally deficient. No wonder we don’t feel well and are susceptible to illness and disease!

 Take a deep breath! You’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel when you take a few minutes to breathe deeply and slowly. Intentional breathing increases oxygen and blood circulation. It relaxes and reduces stress. Take long deep breathes and exhale slowly. After a minute or so you will feel refreshed!

 Develop an Attitude of Gratitude!Life is precious and should be celebrated every day. That’s why it’s called the “present.” Don’t sweat the small things… and most things are small things. Concentrate on your blessings, not your problems and you will be amazed.

These are just a few “Big View” examples of how you can make positive changes NOW in your life. Begin by doing these few simple things and you’ll be well on your way to a healthier lifestyle!

What are you waiting for?

Next Month: Discover how to eat the most nourishing foods to rapidly change your energy, weight and overall health. 

Of course, we all need a little push, some accountability to ensure we stay the course. It is so much easier to accomplish anything with support. So let me invite you to email me at john@make100Healthy.com with your info and we can set up a time to connect!

Download your FREE copy of my ebook at www.make100healthy.com/ebook  

For Interviews, Consultations, Bookings and Projects.

john@make100healthy.com M. 908 309 7046 @make100healthy

About John James Murphy: A dynamic entrepreneur and inspirational voice whose incredible energy enables his clients to live the second half of their lives with maximum fulfillment and happiness, John is the founder of Make 100 Healthy, an organization that celebrates “Living a Balanced Life.” His e-book, “Yes You Can Live to 100 Years or More!” was recently published, and he hosts the Make 100 Healthy Longevity podcast.

The ABCs of a successful website

by Lou Paris

Unless you have been under a rock you are more than aware of the juggernaut that is social media. And while Instagram and Facebook dominate the landscape there are of course a litany of other platforms out there, all vying for peoples eyeballs and clicks. But in this era of social media one should not lose focus on the most important presence one has in their arsenal, your website. 

Your website is your interactive business card, a platform for which you have complete control of, a source where you can shape your message and image like no other platform can. Social platforms or other properties like Wedding Wire or The Knot have a very specific design to adhere to making your presence at these locations very generic and ordinary.

With your own website you are presented an opportunity to wow your audience with amazing visuals, unique layouts, and engaging content. 

Now don’t get me wrong, social media is extremely important and you would be foolish not to have claimed at least your business name for each one, even the obscure ones. But these social outlets should be leveraged at the beginning of your sales funnel. You should reach out to your clients with engaging short content and images through these properties and lead them to your website where they can poke around and read the wealth of quality information that you can have on it. 

(I go into much greater detail on sales funnels and how to manage each aspect here) 

There are some professionals that to this day do not have a website and I can say with certainty they are missing out on opportunities. Survey after survey, poll after poll, people are looking to research and validate their choices.

If you lack a website presence some will simply
turn to the next vendor that does.
 

And if you do already have a site but have not tended to it over the months and years, it could bring more harm than good. Outdated designs, mobile compliance, even pictures that look dated could signal to a potential client that you are not keeping up with the times and could leave your business to slowly wither making you wonder why business has dried up. 

So what can you do? The good news is with the right amount of effort you can have a stunning website. There are a ton of beautiful pre-designed templates out there that can start you off on the good foot. It’s time to take the following steps to get your web presence in the modern age: 

a) If you have no website at all, and you don’t know where to start, hire a professional. Just as you feel a client should hire a DJ for their experience one should seek a professional web designer to establish a great web presence. If you have an existing site and it looks like it was made in 1998 and you feel overwhelmed I advise taking the same advice. 

b) If you don’t understand terms like SEO, see bullet point a. Just having a website is one thing, but ensuring that it can perform well in organic searches is paramount. It would be akin to having a new sporty car in your driveway but never taking it out for a spin. 

c) Sell on your services, not on your equipment. I see this repeated time and time again. Do not chat up about the specific model of equipment you have, or that you have millions of songs, or that you have moving heads. Clients do not care about this (for the most part). They are looking for an experience. They are looking to see how you set yourself apart from the crowd and how you will make their event extraordinary. Sell on your services. Sell on your quality. Sell you. 

d) Produce quality content. Sites will become stale if you are not nurturing what you have established. Pen the occasional article that will speak to your audience on a more personal level. Create reasons for people to come to your website, 

Realize the opportunities that you have to promote your business with a quality web presence. More than ever, it’s the most important tool in your arsenal. 

About: Lou Paris started his DJ career in 1988 and also a successful IT career in 1996 with stints at the DOJ & the FBI. He is the owner of Paris Creative, a solo wedding DJ operation in the Hudson Valley area of NY and founder of eCUEity, building the next generation event-planning platform. Email:  lou@pariscreative.com 

Pioneer DJ DDJ-1000SRT: Bring the club to you

DJs can now get a taste of a club setup at home thanks to the all-new ​Pioneer DJ DDJ-1000SRT​.

The hardware is the first to create a professional CDJ-and-mixer workflow with a Serato DJ Pro controller. This means you get CDJ-sized jog wheels, Pioneer DJ’s coveted DJM mixing section and industry-leading software running the show.

The DDJ-1000SRT will be available early August at an MAP of $1,299. Simply plug it into a laptop running Serato DJ Pro to unlock the software – you don’t need a license key or subscription – and use the included Pitch ‘n Time DJ Expansion Pack to enable advanced key-related features. The controller is Serato DVS-ready (Expansion Pack available separately).

Special limited offer: Free Serato DJ Suite

Pioneer and Serato are putting a free Serato DJ Suite voucher worth $299 in the boxes of the first 5,000 DDJ-1000SRT controllers that we ship worldwide. This all-in-one suite includes a Serato DJ Pro license and unlocks all the Serato Expansion Packs, including Serato Play, Serato DVS, Serato Video, Serato Flip, and Serato Pitch ‘n Time DJ.

Developed specifically with Serato users in mind, the four-channel DDJ-1000SRT also adds 16 RGB backlit performance pads for controlling eight Serato DJ Pro modes. Other highlights include ultra-familiar Serato virtual decks with important track information in full-color, via high-definition LCD screens in the center of each jog wheel. Pioneer DJ’s iconic sound-color and Beat FX are also built in to bring the club setup to life.

“It’s the perfect marriage of Pioneer DJ hardware and Serato functionality,” says Nick Maclaren, Chief Strategy Officer at Serato. “The jog wheel display will help DJs spend more time in the mix, while the combination of Serato’s intuitive performance pads with color FX and CDJ looping controls will allow DJs to get even more creative with their sets.”

The DDJ-1000SRT also includes four individual channels, as well as dual mic inputs and USB ports.

“With a medium-sized footprint, the DDJ-1000SRT delivers that versatile mix of portability in a professional-grade controller,” says Maclaren. “Two mic inputs and XLRs make it a great option for events and parties, while dual USB ports allow for seamless changeover and back-to-back mixing,” he adds.

The Pioneer DJ DDJ-1000SRT unlocks Serato DJ Pro and supports DVS.

KEY FEATURES OF THE DDJ-1000SRT

 

  1. Serato DJ Pro compatibility

Feel at home using Serato DJ Pro with the DDJ-1000SRT. You’ll be able to easily use popular features such as Hot Cues, Beat Jump, and Slicer, bringing more creativity to your performances.The controller comes bundled with a voucher for the Serato Pitch ‘n Time DJ Expansion Pack, enabling you to use Key Shift, Pitch Play, and Key Sync. You can also mix, cut, and scratch while maintaining perfect key and audio quality.

  1. Full-size jog wheels and MAGVEL FADER

Mix and scratch your tracks with freedom. The jog wheels taken from the CDJ-2000NXS2 look and feel familiar, and you can customize the way they react to your touch with Jog Adjust. The MAGVEL FADER is highly durable for more than 10 million movements1and responds to every precise movement you make, so intricate performances feel effortless.

  1. Portable DJ controller with club-style layout

The DDJ-1000SRT is the ideal piece to take on the road. You’ll feel at home using all its feature controls, which are arranged in the same layout as those on our club-standard NXS2 setup.

 

  1. Color On Jog Display

Focus on your performance and keep your eyes off your laptop. A full-color, high-definition LCD screen in the center of each jog wheel gives you all the information you need, such as playback time, BPM, and playback position. And the color scheme is the same as Serato DJ Pro’s, creating a more intuitive experience.

  1. Professional FX

Show your flair and spice up your sets with the four popular Sound Color FX from our DJM series mixers. You’ve got 14 Beat FX to get creative with too, and you can instantly reference BPM and the name of the selected FX thanks to the dedicated Beat FX display.

 

  1. Standalone DJ mixer with multiple inputs and outputs

Switch between DJs seamlessly thanks to the two USB ports for PC/Mac and connect your external equipment to the four inputs. Plug in DJ players and analog turntables, plus two mics. You can also use the DDJ-1000SRT as a standalone DJ mixer without connecting a PC/Mac.

 

  1. Other features
  • Multicolored Performance Padstrigger Hot Cues, Rolls, Slicer, Sampler, and Pitch Play
  • Key Shift and Key Sync buttons –direct control of Serato Pitch ‘n Time DJ key-related features
  • Aluminum/acrylic-finished top panel – for a quality look and feel
  • Serato DVS-ready –requires the Serato DVS Expansion Pack (available separately)

 

 

 

DDJ-1000SRT specifications

 

Frequency Response

 

20 Hz to 20 kHz (LINE)
S/N Ratio

 

112 dB (USB)

96 dB (LINE)

85 dB (PHONO)

80 dB (MIC)

Total Harmonic Distortion

 

0.002% (USB)

0.005% (LINE)

Input / Output Terminals Inputs LINE / PHONO × 2 (RCA)

LINE × 2 (RCA)

MIC × 2 (XLR & 1/4-inch TRS jack x 1, 1/4-inch TRS jack x 1)

Outputs MASTER × 2 (XLR × 1, RCA × 1)

BOOTH × 1 (1/4-inch TRS jack)

PHONES × 2 (1/4-inch stereo phone jack x 1, 3.5-mm stereo mini jack x 1)

USB USB (Type B) × 2
Power Supply

 

AC adaptor (DC 12V)
Maximum Dimensions

(W x D x H)

 

708.0 × 361.4 × 73.4 mm
Weight 6.0 kg
Accessories AC adapter

Power plug

USB cable

Quick Start Guide

Serato DJ Pro Expansion Pack voucher (Pitch ‘n Time DJ)

 

 

System requirements

 

Compatible OS Mac macOS Mojave 10.14 (updated to the latest version)

macOS High Sierra 10.13 (updated to the latest version)

macOS Sierra 10.12 (updated to the latest version)

Windows Windows® 10, 8.1, 7 (the latest service pack)
CPU Intel® processor Core™ i9, i7, i5, i3  1.07GHz or above
Memory 4GB or more of RAM