Category Archives: DJing Tips

Getting creative with cocktail & dinner playlists

By Jim Weisz

I have a confession to make. For the first few years I was a DJ, my go-to for cocktail or dinner music was popping in a Kenny G CD and letting it just play through. I thought I had a taken my programming to the next level when I switched to Kenny G for cocktails and Michael Buble for dinner. How innovative! I cringe looking back on that.

For the last 5+ years, possibly my favorite time of the evening to program is cocktail and dinner music. I realized that that pre-dancing music can play a role in the overall success of the event. I’ve come to enjoy finding a playlist for those times that engages the audience, whether it’s toe tapping, head bobbing, silently singing along, or just enjoying the music, even if they don’t know the specific songs I’m playing.

Being in this business for the last 20 years, I’ve talked to plenty of DJs who have a set dinner or cocktail playlist that they play for every wedding. While that makes it easy, I personally love building a playlist based on that specific couple’s tastes.

When I book a couple, I set them up with a client account through DJ Intelligence to fill out planning forms. On the reception planning form, they give me an idea of what they want for dinner & cocktail music. Here are some examples of what I offer to them for styles:

– Older Lounge (example artists: Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, Nat King Cole)
– Newer Lounge (example artists: Norah Jones, Ingrid Michaelson, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz)
– Soft Alt Rock (example artists: Lumineers, Imagine Dragons, Mumford & Sons, Twenty One Pilots)
– Coffeehouse (example artists: James Morrison, Eric Hutchison, Joe Purdy, Ray Lamontagne)
– Texas Country (example artists: Stoney Larue, Wade Bowen, Josh Abbott Band, Randy Rogers Band)
– Jazz (example artists: Miles Davis, Etta James, Louie Armstrong, Nat King Cole)
– Upbeat (various artists & genres ranging from the 60’s to today)
– Custom (please provide a list of some artists or songs you would like)

Those are just the sample categories I offer, you can of course create your own options. I have a crate with a bunch of songs for those styles and then I create the actual playlist at the wedding. That way, no two weddings are the same. While I’m the only person who is at every wedding I DJ, I think couples these days want their wedding to be unique and not cookie-cutter. I’ve had quite a few tell me they appreciate that I’m building the playlist for their wedding.

In addition, I’ve found they also really like that I offer a fully custom option. I know that because quite a few choose custom, where they give me a pretty good list of artists or songs to play. Sometimes, they even ask me to just combine a couple of genres. For instance, I had a wedding that wanted a combination of Classic Country & Broadway showtunes for cocktails & dinner. That may sound like a trainwreck, but I heard several guests commenting on the music, and not in a bad way. It was them saying they could tell this playlist was created for the bride & groom since he was a big fan of Classic Country and she loved Broadway.

With some creative programming, you can take what could be a boring portion of the evening (for both you & the guests) and turn it into something fun and entertaining. It’s your job as the DJ to make that happen!

 

Jim joined Promo Only in 2018 and has nearly two decades of experience as both a mobile DJ and in the promotional music industry. He has a bachelors degree in broadcast communications and had a very brief stint in radio working as a producer for a syndicated show. He’s also a co-owner of Projectorgram, a company who creates digital gobos for DJs and lighting companies. He lives in Dallas with his wife and their 3 baseball-loving boys.

Stop Being Linear!

by Tony Fernandez

Allow me a slight prologue: If you think you know “all” there is to know about music, programming, creativity, and mixing, you can do yourself a favor and move along. On the other hand, if you would like (at minimum) to gain new perspective, if you’re really trying to seek a way to improve yourself as a DJ, stick with me because we have ground to cover.

Let me say off the top, I embrace and encourage the diversity of how different people can take random tracks and orchestrate a fluid musical journey. It is a skill that takes time to hone. It is a skill that few can turn into an art. It truly encompasses what it is to be a DJ. And the beauty of it is there is no singular way to achieve that journey.

Having said that (here comes the other shoe), there is a habit most DJs could do without: If you want to get to the “next level,” you need to stop approaching DJing in a formulaic and linear way and develop a more fluid approach to your track selections.

IF you’re asking the same worn-out questions — what song or songs follow up after XYZ? what are your favorite 3- song or 5-song blocks? what playlist do you have for ABC event? — you’re NOT being Zen, and to be candid, you’re not even in the zip code of being Zen; there are four levels to achieve enlightenment; if you’re asking these types of questions, you’re in the basement.

It occurs to me there is a tipping point when it comes to how a DJ musically executes a set and most fall on one side or the other of that precipice. It also seems to me that the majority of DJs fall into the linear camp instead of the non-linear camp.

Being a DJ, specifically, programming music, isn’t a linear activity. There is no recipe. You don’t start at Step 1 and when you reach Step 10, Step 12, Step 243, etc., and automatically have a packed dance floor.  When you take programming and put it through the prism of linearity, your presentation ends up becoming flat, predictable, or worse: bland, because EVERYONE is doing the SAME thing.

Let’s be real. We ALL have access to the same tracks. We all subscribe to the same record pools, we all subscribe to the same remix services, we all make the same purchases from retail music services. Content, by and large, isn’t the problem.

What IS the problem is DJs aren’t taking the time to learn the music at their disposal. I blame the internet for the most part. While on one hand the ‘net is an amazing tool that brings information to you in milliseconds, on the other hand, when you reduce creativity, innovation, and demiurgic action to a Google response you turn DJing into a paint by the numbers activity.

So what do you/we do to change that up? Well, there’s the rub, boys & girls. There is no single answer. I can tell you what has worked for me: I immerse myself in what I do.  I listen ALL the time to music, stuff I like, stuff I don’t like, stuff I know, stuff I think I know, stuff I have no clue about. I listen, seek, search, hunt and try to discover those hidden gems: straight edits, extended edits, remixes, bootlegs, mash-ups, re-drums, etc. Then, once I have gathered my little gems, I figure out what’s going to work and what isn’t.

My approach is different.  Not because I just want to be different, but because I HAVE to be different than my friends, colleagues, peers, and my competition.
I’ll readily admit that I’m not a Zen Master (yet).  But I know I have a command of my music and I will achieve a connection with my dance floor because my approach is fluid. If I were to operate in a linear fashion, I will be doing a disservice to the patrons, not to mention, driving myself crazy.

So come on, kids, stop painting by the numbers. A little effort goes a long way. By all means find your workflow and find your direction. Find what works for you. Find your path to being fluid and enlightened.

That little kid in you will love to get out in to the sun and your crowds will like it, too.

Keep ‘em spinning.

Based out of Richmond, VA, DJ Tony Fernandez has been a DJ, Remixer, Producer, Musical Soothsayer and Audio Gear Oracle since 1980. Find him on Facebook. Email djtonytf@gmail.com

Would you play here?

By Tony Fernandez

The premise: Would you DJ at a venue that had everything laid out for you? All you have to bring is your headphones and your skills.  Gear is in the booth.  Computer is in the booth. Drinks are in the booth.  You get it.  However, there’s a catch (there’s always a catch) — you can ONLY play from the club-provided library.  You can NOT incorporate any of your music.  NO jump drives, no external drives, no streaming.  You play with what they give you.

On the surface, I get it. It does sound accommodating.  It sounds simple enough.  Even challenging.  And most DJs do like a good challenge.  A lot of DJs are of the opinion that this experiment wouldn’t be a big deal.  It would even be fun.

Can you tell where I’m going with this?  I have been in this exact scenario. I was not a fan.  I didn’t last long in the venue that had this system in place.  (More on that later…)

The largest problem with this setup is that you have no control over the most important piece of the puzzle:  the music library.  We all have our own way of organizing tracks.  We all have mixes and remixes that complement our “normal” tracks.  More importantly, we all know WHERE those choice mixes are on our drives.  If you walk into a construct like this, it’s a VERY tight sandbox.  Sure it can work for a night or three.  However, after time, it’s going to be suffocating because if the library isn’t keeping up with the demands of the night, well, to be redundant, it’s going to be suffocating.

What’s (kind of) is that I keep seeing scenarios creeping into the DJ world where alternatives are being developed to make the aspect of DJing “easier.” Not easier for the DJ, but easier for the people who have to deal with/hire the DJ.  So not only are there venues that are setting themselves up with complete turnkey systems and libraries  — did you know there is a company that is marketing a system to bars and clubs where a projector shoots an image of a DJ and the club can stream a mix from a library? In the end you get a projected DJ “playing” a set.

You don’t have to worry about AI taking the job from DJs some day in the future, it’s happening now.

So what can you do about it?  Be yourself.  KNOW your music.  Know your crowds. Know how to put those three things together and you’ll have a job that no one will take away from you because no one else or nothing else can be like you.

Okay, it’s later… So I was hired at a local club.  I was covering for other DJ’s nights off.  Things went well.  I was asked to become a regular.  I said yes. After about three months of filling in and regular residency I was presented with the “system.” Play ONLY from the club’s library.  I didn’t. The club’s library was, like, three months behind and guess what people were asking for — new stuff!  I kept bringing my library in to complement the club’s library.  After about three weeks of being insubordinate, I was fired. Rightfully so, may I add.  I did my job quite well but they didn’t like the fact that I was doing it with outside tools.

Fast forward three weeks: I get a call from the manager that fired me.  They needed a fill in.  I said sure. No hard feelings.  I come in and as I’m getting ready in the booth the manager proceeds to tell me that he heard about my night last week.  I did a 15-year anniversary party for a venue a block away. Ended up being on the outside patio. It was as great night.  Still can’t believe the cops weren’t called because I was BLARING the sound rig.  350 people on a patio that held 250.  Manager tells me that on Monday (after the patio party) the owner tells the bar staff that they should hire the DJ that was at the patio on Saturday.  Manager tells the owner… that’s the DJ you fired for bringing in the outside library.  You already had him here.

Moral of the story? I knew my job better than the guy that was paying me. I have no regrets about being fired.  Yes, I’d do it again.  I know my job. I won’t put myself in a scenario where I’m micro-managed to ONLY play THIS.  Being a DJ is fluid and non-linear.  If others can’t see that, I’ll keep on looking for those who can.

I’m going to keep stuffing my library with what works for me.  Hope you do the same.

Keep ‘em spinning.

Based out of Richmond, VA, DJ Tony Fernandez has been a DJ, Remixer, Producer, Musical Soothsayer and Audio Gear Oracle since 1980. Find him on Facebook. Email djtonytf@gmail.com

Remixes or Nah?

By Tony Fernandez

Alright Chil’dren, gather round now. It’s time for a dose of straight talk.  This time ‘round, let’s talk about remixes.

It occurs to me that remixes in the DJ community live in this weird universe.  DJs love ‘em. DJ’s hate them.  DJ’s live by them or die by them. Some DJ’s are all about them, some DJ’s have no use for them.

Guess where we’re going with this….

For those who know me or for those who have seen my play logs, it’s no mystery I’m a fan of the remix. But the “secret” to the remix game (if you will) is playing the RIGHT remix.

Keep up with me…

Let’s back up for a second here, I do realize that not EVERY event or EVERY song calls for a remix to be played or a remix to be made.  There are songs that are fantastic on their own merit.  There are events that do not warrant the programming of remixes.  I get it.  However… instead of looking at things you can’t do, let’s take the approach of what you CAN do.

Remixes are your friends.  When you pick the right remix and program it accordingly, you can really create a magical moment.  Picking the right remix is like choosing the right wine with your meal.  It can make or break the moment.  Remixes should not be played just because there is a remix. Trust me, there are just as many BAD remixes as there are good remixes.  Probably more bad ones than good ones.  While good is subjective, there is the right remix of the right song, for the right moment.

Think about this… As DJs, we all pretty much have access to the same music.  It doesn’t matter what record pool or subscription service you’re enrolled in. And this isn’t being said to be disparaging to pools and services.  The reality is we ALL have access to the same content.  As such, we need to be able to stand out and be different; that’s where the remix comes in.

Now I’m not going to tell you what remixes to play, nor the how or the when to play them.  I have my hands full taking care of my dance floor.  But I will suggest that you stretch out your pallet.  Increase the toys in your sand box.  On one hand you don’t need to figure out how to play the future progressive gabber trap remix of that 90’s track.  On the other hand, having a fun new remix that holds true to the original, can breathe some new life into a track, into a set.  And that’s a win for everyone.

Now I gotta go digging for my unreleased, bootleg ,white label, limited release, can only get from the producer remixes.  Go get your own.

Keep ‘em spinning.

Based out of Richmond, VA, DJ Tony Fernandez has been a DJ, Remixer, Producer, Musical Soothsayer and Audio Gear Oracle since 1980. Find him on Facebook. Email djtonytf@gmail.com

 

Are you sending your clients to VoiceJail?

By Mitch Taylor

Let’s face it… voicemail should be called voiceJAIL.  Why?  Because that’s the feeling most clients get when they call and get sent to your voicemail.  They feel stuck, and often don’t know how to respond or where to go from there.  Why? Because your voicemail probably sucks. Don’t tell me about how you need to stay professional or how you put on your best DJ voice and tell people that their call is important to you. Um… hello? If their call is that important to you, you would answer the phone!

People don’t want to “leave a message after the tone” — they want to talk with you.

We are in the fun business, not the DJ business.  We need to keep every part of our interaction with today’s clients as upbeat as possible.  How can you do that?  It begins by providing clients everything they need to know about you in your voicemail.

Let’s break this down.

Make it fun: Showcase your humor if you’re funny, if you’re not, forget it.  Tell a (very) brief story.  Keep it upbeat and interesting and throw a curveball whenever you can.  People are expecting the same lame “leave a message after the tone”.  Don’t give it to them.  Give them something different and get creative.

Keep it brief:  It today’s world, people don’t have time to spare.  Give them the information they need without droning on about your physical address, where you are across from or spouting out the “www” in your web address (here’s a clue: you DON’T need to say the “www” anymore).

Be Friendly: This is NOT the time to show off your resonant DJ voice.  Actually speak like you speak to your significant other or your best friend.  Fake is out — especially when you’re trying to make a good first impression and connect with the human on the other end of the phone.

Voicemail is often your first point of contact. Make it different, keep it short, be upbeat and watch your connections soar just by being you and a little bit weird!

Mitch Taylor has worked in the Mobile Disc Jockey industry for over two decades, first cutting his teeth as an on-board club DJ for Carnival Cruise Lines. In addition to owning and operating Taylored Weddings in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, he is a sought-after speaker and Gitomer Certified Advisor whose sales training, books, coaching and workshops are in high demand all over the country. 

 

 

 

The REAL job of DJing

By DJ Rachel Lynch

With technology at the forefront of our industry, the term “button-pusher” DJ has become quite the buzzword. While some may feel that technology has cheapened the art of being a DJ, I say being a button pusher has little to do with using the sync button or available technology. What separates a button-pusher DJ from a great DJ is understanding the “why” behind pushing play.

Music is an extremely personal and powerful thing. It is how we communicate, reminisce, pay tribute, cope, grieve, show love, have fun and connect with others. Humans are naturally social creatures, and our purpose as a DJ is to create meaningful interactions that link these experiences. Truthfully, our job has more to do with being a social scientist than being a DJ. Fundamentally, we aren’t in the business of music; we are in the business of people. This is true for sales, marketing, and our dancefloor.

In our search to become a “great DJ,” we often focus on gear, technology, scratching, and software. However, hype dancefloors and amazing parties are not created by just dropping bangers, mixing by ear or infusing technical scratch patterns into our sets. They are created by intelligently and consciously using tempo, volume, timing, mood, and social science to entice the audience.

The goal? Create a shared experience: Understanding why and how people are influenced by sound is what is going to set you apart from the button pushers. A successful event is not just about what you played; it’s about why you played it. The purpose of this piece is to encourage DJs to be more conscious of their music soundscapes and changeup predicable formula driven sets.

It has been scientifically proven that music can change how fast we walk, influence what we buy or drink, dictate how long we hang around, alter our general attitude, and how we interact in groups. When a DJ is conscious of how their soundscape is affecting the emotional and physical actions of their audience they have tapped into the social science of being a DJ. Some may call it “reading a crowd,” but it is much deeper than that. You may look at the audience and gauge what to play based on their age, gender, or common stereotypes, but this is only scratching the surface to creating a compelling set.

A skill I developed to be more influential with music is to focus less on recipe based elements of mixing like BPM, key signature, and genre and focus more on creating anticipation with the mood and overall vibe of my track selection. A song might technically fit the current style being played or blend well with the BPM and key signature, but the spirit can be entirely off base and trash the dancefloor.

Experienced DJs will not just stick to technically compatible songs in their sets but will rather focus on influencing what the audience will do and feel. Does this song sound aggressive? Soulful? Happy? Romantic? Sad? Sexual? Is this making it easier to socialize? Will people feel energized by hearing this?

This strategy is about creating thoughtful arcs of energy. I have found greater success in pushing and pulling my audience by motivating with mood instead of being locked into recipe-like based elements such as BPM, key signature, and genre. I’m not dismissing these fundamentals but rather permitting myself to deviate from technically based sets to be more unique and creative.

Being a button pusher DJ is not defined with or without the use of the sync button. It’s about the ability to adapt, observe and yes, understand the social psychology of your audience. Ultimately this is why great DJs will not be replaced by streaming apps or “intelligent” automix programs anytime soon. There are too many considerations that artificial intelligence isn’t capable of processing.

Good DJs are experts of empathy. The next time you play, do so with purpose, intent, and temptation.

Fun, creative, and ambitious, DJ Rachel is making her mark as one of the top mobile DJs in the tri-state area. Her diversity as a DJ allows her to play at events that include MetLife Stadium (for the New York Jets) and serve as opening act for George Clinton Parliament Funkadelic and Gloria Gaynor. For more info visit: facebook.com/DJRachelRLynch

Never Let Them See You Sweat

By Mike Walter

There was a very popular ad campaign for Dry Idea when I was a kid.  If you’re my age or older you probably remember it.  It featured a number of people from various professions talking about the “nevers” in their career and they always ended with: “never let ‘em see you sweat.”  One, for example, was a stand-up comic who said the nevers in comedy were, “never follow a better comedian, never give a heckler the last word and, no matter how bad a joke bombs, never let ‘em see you sweat.” I grew up with that as a mantra and it’s stuck with me to this day.

I thought about that message twice in the same day recently.  Alex Trebek, he of Jeopardy fame, made a video to get the word out that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.  Trebek, who any public speaker has to admire for his polish, professionalism, and incredible pronunciation skills, produced a video that is equal parts uplifting and humorous.  He declares that he believes he will beat cancer, finishing with the idea that he has to, because he still has three years left on his contract.  It reminded me of the old Henny Youngman line about his doctor giving him six months to live but when he couldn’t pay his medical bill he gave him six more months (ba dum bum).  Trebek, no doubt, is reeling inside from the news.  At 78, he should have many years in front of him, but who knows now.  Pancreatic cancer is a tough one.  But instead of looking scared or forlorn, the video shows him focused and determined. He is the quintessential professional, as he’s been his entire career, and no matter what deodorant he uses (do they even make Dry Idea anymore?) he has channeled that decades-old ad campaign.

The same day Trebek made his announcement, R Kelly was interviewed on CBS by Gayle King.    The interview didn’t reveal anything new (Kelly vehemently denies the allegations that are so thoroughly laid out in the documentary Surviving R Kelly) but the interview made news for King’s grace under pressure.  Indeed, there is one image (that became an instant meme) of Kelly standing up and screaming while King sits in her chair calmly, not even looking at him.  If you look up “grace under pressure,” you should see that picture.

How does one maintain such poise? How does someone faced with the worse possible diagnosis make a video that is so uplifting?

Surely, experience is a factor. It’s doubtful that Trebek or King could have been so controlled in their first few years of broadcasting. Preparation has something to do with it as well.  We don’t know how long Trebek prepared for his video.  He might have taken days to get all the sobbing out before he hit record. And, no doubt, King knew that Kelly may explode when confronted with the disgusting allegations from the documentary, so she was ready for it.

However they did it, as a fellow public speaker, I admired both moments.  Things happen at my events that pale in comparison to what Trebek and King were dealing with, yet I often get flustered.  I often react one way and then moments later think of a better way to handle things.  How can I channel both of these professionals the next time I’m faced with something like a wedding cake toppling over or two bridesmaids getting into a fight on the dance floor?  I want to be as polished and smooth and I believe that awareness is a big factor.  Knowing how high the bar is set helps one jump higher.

I was in my teens when I first heard the catch phrase: “Never let ‘em see you sweat.”  It comes up often in any performance job because things happen spontaneously.  We can only hope to handle them as well as Alex Trebek and Gayle King did on that same day in early March of 2019.  We should set our sights at being as unflappable as they both appeared, hopefully we can get close to it.  That’s my goal anyway.

Want vs. Need

By Mitch Taylor

I was tuned in to the TV recently and I’m constantly amazed at the barrage of ads and messages sent to us regarding products and services.  Target marketing has been around for years and of course my kids (and present company included, of course) are prone to seeing a brand, ad or message and immediately saying “I WANT that!” or I NEED that!”

Have you thought about how WANT vs NEED relates to your own business?  We’ve all seen the postings on social media that state DJs are not a “need” but a “want.”  I’m not here to debate that issue in this space (although I have my thoughts) other than to say that the key in selling and marketing is HOW to make your business go from “Well I want to hire a DJ” to “I NEED to hire ____” with the blank of course being filled by YOU.

In your conversation on the phone one of the best ways to go from WANT to NEED is asking the question “What is the biggest struggle you are having planning your event?”  Be candid with them so they, in turn, can be candid with you.

This goes back to building the relationship.

Ask yourself this and answer honestly: When was the last time a bride or client changed their date to book YOU? If this is happening to you on more than a couple times a year then CONGRATULATIONS! You’re doing all the right things to continue setting yourself apart and I’m sure your calendar is full or close to full.  If this situation hasn’t happened to you in a while or has NEVER happened then it’s time to re-evaluate your service offerings and what you are attempting to sell to your clients.

 

Mitch Taylor has worked in the Mobile Disc Jockey industry for over two decades, first cutting his teeth as an on-board club DJ for Carnival Cruise Lines. In addition to owning and operating Taylored Weddings in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, he is a sought-after speaker and Gitomer Certified Advisor whose sales training, books, coaching and workshops are in high demand all over the country. 

 

 

How To Survive R Kelly & Other Troubled Artists

By DJ Brian Buonassissi

I feel like this is the elephant in the room at the moment for the DJ community so why not talk about it. If you’ve been living in a cave the past few weeks, Lifetime released a documentary series called “Surviving R Kelly” about the rumors and, in some cases, allegations of sexual, physical and mental abuse against Mr. Kelly. This type of documentary programming is part of the channel’s commitment to provide a platform for woman to bring awareness to harassment and abuse that largely (especially in the case of R Kelly) goes ignored in the mainstream media. The response to the documentary has been pretty big. Not only is the media picking it up but it’s starting to have some larger repercussions — Kelly and Sony (his label) have parted ways, artists that he’s collaborated with are removing songs they jointly work on from their catalog, his manager turned himself into the authorities and probably the most damning thing is his daughter has called him a “monster”.

Admittedly, I haven’t and probably won’t watch the documentary. I have many more things that I want to pour my time into this year than watching something like this. I’ve known of the allegations levied against Kelly for years so more witnesses coming forward or damning evidence isn’t going to move the needle of me thinking any less of him.

In a private DJ Facebook group I’m in, one of the DJs asked what our responses are going to be to this and how we’re handling it? Honestly, I hadn’t given it much thought until he made that post. There are plenty of other artists who have done things that morally are seen as disgusting – Michael Jackson’s child abuse case, Chris Brown’s domestic issues and though not entirely in the same vein, Kanye West’s eccentric behavior – and while they’ve caused waves in the news, I haven’t ever had a client or guest ask me not to play their music due to those issues. In some of the other DJ groups I’m in, I’ve seen posts from DJs who’ve been booed for playing any R Kelly at their events the last couple of weeks and other DJs who’ve removed all the content of R Kelly from their computer so it got me thinking what my take is and what I’m going to do about it.

The reality is that we all have skeletons in our closet – maybe not of the magnitude of R Kelly’s but if clients really knew some of our baggage, would they even hire us? It just so happens that, as a celebrity, R Kelly’s baggage is way more public. How many other artists are doing things that we don’t even know about, yet we play their music and clients/guests sing and dance to their tracks? I just saw a documentary on Whitney Houston that made her out to be a drug addict and a bad mother. The moment we start drawing a moral line of what is acceptable and not, it becomes a slippery slope. I’m not giving R Kelly a pass. If the allegations are proven true, he deserves punishment that fits the crime, but keep in mind that documentaries are, by design, one side of the argument.

Here’s how I’m handling it right now (and I’m not saying my way is the best way or only way). Hopefully, it’ll give you pause to consider your response. For one, R Kelly’s tracks aren’t going to make/break my programming. I use 1-3 songs on a semi-regular basis but I can easily replace them with others. I don’t feel like I have to have any “one song” to make a party lit. Now, if it’s on a client’s “must play” request list, then I’m going to play it.  If it’s requested by a guest at an event, I’ll ask them, “Are you sure?” and measure their response. If it’s met with hesitancy, I’ll suggest we table it and ask if they have a different song I can play instead. I recently had a guest who did request it and when I posed that question, her response was, “You played Michael Jackson, didn’t you?” She’s right. I did and it worked. The difference here though is that this is a hot button topic right now. I don’t want to test the waters unless I’m absolutely convinced I need to play it (which is rare). I ended up playing it and it worked great. That said, I’ll probably stay off his tunes in my regular programming until the temperature cools a bit on this one.

My guess is that it’ll be old news in a few months. In some respects, it’s sad to be writing that but it is reality. We live in a very short news cycle environment and the next scandal to break will replace this one.

What’s your response to this issue? How are you handling it? Drop me a note and let me know.

Based out of NYC, DJ Brian Buonassissi is a successful internationally traveling DJ/MC specializing in luxury destination private events.  He runs a multi-city mobile DJ/event business with satellite offices in Southern California, Scottsdale, AZ,  Destin, FL, Tallassee, FL and New York City.  You can connect with him at brian@djbrianbofficial.com.

Stop, think and realize…

By Tony Fernandez

 Before we begin, let me give a little background…

I remember when record pools actually serviced RECORDS.  They sent out boxes of vinyl.  You’d get a box a month, sometimes two.  About 20-30 pieces in the box.  You’d get cool stuff, hot stuff, new stuff, white label stuff, and junk.  Part of the deal was to listen to all of the product and give feed back to the pool director.  This information would be passed along to the record labels so they could get grass roots/direct response from the streets and clubs.

Let me take a beat here and point out this isn’t about glorifying wax. Far from it. This is more about how record pools fulfill what a DJ requires nowadays.

Every week, if not every day, there are posts all over the DJ boards and DJ groups that ask…

What’s the best pool?

I have a Jewish wedding coming up; I need a pool that has Jewish music.

I have a Quinceañera, I need a pool for Spanish music.

can’t find a pool that has the tracks I need, which pool does?

I can’t exactly pinpoint the moment things changed… when pools went from being a vehicle to service promotional releases to working DJs providing ANYTHING any DJ may want.  And not only anything, but unlimited access to entire databases, back catalogs, site libraries, and remixes; all for $9.99 a month.

I’m not going to get on my soapbox (today) about how absurd and unrealistic that expectation is. But stop and THINK where else in the consumer market can you get unlimited access to obtain content (be it physical or digital) for $10-$20 bucks a month… and it’s OK?

Where do you think that pittance of a fee goes? How do you think these “pools” offer unlimited downloads for content that has bootlegs, unsanctioned remixes and older music that isn’t being worked by the A&R / promotional divisions of record labels?

DJs need to stop, think and realize that their $9.99 a month doesn’t entitle them to download the host server.  And the “pools” that offer this service are doing NO ONE a favor.  I’ll spell it out… Pools that offer the sun, moon and stars for less than an over the top lunch at Applebee’s are not operating completely above board.

But I digress…

What I am going to pontificate on is the expectations of DJs and how those expectations need to be grounded in reality not in desire, want, or need.

Let me make a quick stipulation here.  I get that as DJs we need music.  It’s at the core of what we do.  It’s our life blood. Without music, we wouldn’t be DJs. I also get that as DJs, we will go through ALL KINDS of hoops, obstacles, mazes, and land mines to obtain tracks and (re)mixes to songs we deem important. We gotta have the dope stuff by any means necessary. I get it.

However…. It’s not the role of the record pool to stockpile your cupboard. It’s not the role of record pools to provide every DJ with EVERY possible piece of music, old, new, hot, different, ethnic or obscure.  There aren’t Indian music record pools.  There aren’t Psycho House Dubstep record pools. There aren’t 80’s music record pools. Guess what DJ’s?  If you wanted 80’s music serviced to you, you needed to be born in the 60’s.  If you need 80’s music today for a corporate event, buy it.

DJs need to realize that music content is a product.  These products are items that require money in exchange for use.  Money that goes to the artists that own the copyright.  (And notice I said ‘use’ and not ownership.  We don’t own the music we buy.  The people that own the copyright do.  We’ll go over that some other time…)

Bottom line… music is our inventory.  We have to keep a fresh supply.  If you’re savvy, you don’t count on one source or have a limited set of suppliers to keep that inventory intact.  There is no single record pool that is one-stop shop.  There is no record pool that is all things to all DJs.  As such, you just might have BUY a track or three here and there.  It’s not the fault, or the responsibility of the record pool if it doesn’t have a track you “need”.   You can blame the record labels for not servicing the pools.

I gotta go do my homework and collect my new tracks.  Keep ‘em spinning.

Based out of Richmond, VA, DJ Tony Fernandez has been a DJ, Remixer, Producer, Musical Soothsayer and Audio Gear Oracle since 1980. Find him on Facebook. Email djtonytf@gmail.com