Learning how to disc jockey a successful party is not an easy task. And while it involves a large amount of effort, patience, and smarts, it also calls upon your ability to separate the good advice from the bad. Now I’m not saying all the advice you receive is worthless, except, of course, that advice supplied by me, but I am saying some of it should be looked upon with a healthy dose of good old-fashioned skepticism. 

As part of the whole process of learning this skill, it’s often quite appropriate and effective to approach those with the most experience, as well as a willingness to depart with some of their Trade Secrets. I must warn you however, watch out, you may be getting more than you bargained for. You see, there are these DJ rules that have been passed down from DJ generation to DJ generation, detailing the do’s and the don’ts of mobile disc jockeying. Some are worthwhile, and I feel, some are not. Here are five I feel are worthless. 

  1. “YOU CAN’T PLAY THE SAME SONG TWICE.” – Why Not? If your guests are eager to hear a popular song one more time, then give it to them.
  2. “YOU CAN’T CUT A SONG SHORT.” – If your maitre d insists dinner is served, but you still have a couple minutes left on a dance song, fade it out and announce dinner is served. Point 2: You thought  certain song would pack the dance floor but unfortunately it did not and now the dance floor is empty. Fade out the song and go to the next.
  3. “NO DANCE MUSIC UNTIL AFTER DINNER” – Unless it is a wedding reception where the first dances to be played after dinner, fire up the dance music as soon as you can.
  4. “ ‘AT THIS TIME’ SHOULD PREFACE MOST OF YOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS” – A Bartender wants told me how he could tell the inexperienced DJs From the experienced – The inexperienced would always use “At this time” before each announcement, while the experienced would substitute other phrases to spice it up, such as “Right now”, “It’s now time”, and “Now I ask”.
  5. “CERTAIN ACTIVITIES ONLY WORK WITH CERTAIN GROUPS” – When it comes to performing crowd involvement activities, it is my belief people are people. To me, the Cha Cha Slide and Cupid Shuffle have the same positive effect on senior citizens, young adults, and teenagers. Now that holds true for most activities but not all. I am sure a limbo contest at a senior citizen social might be a bit much. 

No rule or suggestion can ever be as important as you giving 100% of your effort to providing the right mixture of music and crowd involvement activities. Remember, the best suggestion are those that contribute, in some way, to the overall success of your party. The others are just that – suggestions.

Please visit our Website for information on DJ Classes in-person or on line at http://www.djentertainmentschool.com

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