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Tools Of The Trade - Music and Video

The Music Mix - original text excerpted from Spinnin 2000 - 1997 Edition

An important prerequisite for becoming a good Mobile DJ is an appreciation for all types of music. This doesn’t mean you must spend your off-nights listening to Lawrence Welk polkas (unless you want to), but a working familiarity with a variety of music styles is very valuable.

If your target is the lucrative wedding reception, birthday, and anniversary markets, you will need a music library that covers the bases from “Big Band” Swing to current pop, dance, and party hits. Categories will include: Oldies, Easy Listening (a.k.a. cocktail/background/dinner music), Country, Polkas, and Waltzes, along with all the special party tunes (motivators) that have become the trademarks of the profession.

Where Do You Begin?

The format you use (CD, cassette, MiniDisc, vinyl, or a combination of these) is the first consideration. Each format has advantages and disadvantages. A tape library is much easier to transport than a vinyl library because many musical selections can be put on one compact, lightweight tape. The disadvantage to tape is its inherent “hissiness.” When amplified, this hiss can be very annoying. Noise reduction systems, such as Dolby B and C, along with a good equalizer, can keep this problem in check. A second drawback to tape is cueing. If you need to locate a selection three-quarters of the way through a 90-minute cassette, it can take your attention away from the show for two or three minutes. DJs who have selected cassettes as their format of choice will usually opt for cassette decks with a scan feature to aid them in locating particular songs. The big plus for using tape, as most DJs will attest, is in situations where the dance hall has a “sprung”2 dance floor, causing CDs or records to skip. But the reality is that tape sources are seldom used these days.

Although it’s getting harder and harder to find pop tunes on vinyl, if you want to build your show around standards and oldies, vinyl may not be a bad choice. Garage and household sales have replaced record stores as the best source for older singles and LPs. Among the drawbacks to using only records are: They warp, they skip, and they get scratchy.

For the DJ who strives for the best possible sound reproduction while taking up minimal space, CDs are one of the best alternatives. Building a CD library is relatively easy, as there are thousands of compilation sets available. Each of these collections features many past and recent hits on a single CD. As you set out to build your mobile music library, it’s important to keep in mind that the value of a particular CD is based on how many usable songs it contains. For example, there are sixteen songs on a compilation CD priced at $16. Eight of the songs on the disc are ones you’ll play at most every job. Therefore, you are paying $2 per song. A very good deal. On the other hand, a $16 CD that contains only one song you’ll ever play is no deal at all. The exception is: If that one song is the bridal song for a wedding for which you are being paid two, three, or four hundred dollars, you buy it whether it’s a good buy or not.

Developing a Music Library

Once you have selected a format, start to assemble a music library by categorizing your music into specific areas. The two main reasons for creating an efficient music filing system are:

1. To classify the music so that your library is complete, yet portable. You will want to carry all the selections that are routinely or even sporadically requested. A good library is broad and varied. The client is paying for your musical expertise, and there is nothing like the smile on a client’s face when he requests some off-the-wall selection and you reply, “Sure, I have it!”

2. To make it easy to quickly retrieve a particular selection while on the job. There is not much point in packing these “occasional requests” if you can’t find them fast when you need them. You will never remember every selection you have, so you need the ability to access a category and search it quickly to see if you do, in fact, have a requested selection. If you’re looking for ways to put your computer to work for your Mobile DJ business (so you can write it off your taxes), put it in charge of your music library. New programs for DJs are constantly becoming available. “Mobile Beat: The DJ Magazine” frequently introduces and reviews new software for DJs.

Using a Playlist

People’s tastes in music are extremely varied. Factors such as age, sex, and social status are forces to consider when preparing the music mix for each job. Some tunes appeal to all audiences. Others merit play only when requested. Your best source for an annually updated list of the songs DJs are playing coast to coast is the “Top 200,” a special feature of the February/March issue of Mobile Beat Magazine. The list is also available as colorful reprints to use as a marketing aid.

A strong playlist, such as the Top 200 reprints, is a good selling tool as it shows each client the extent of your music collection. Ask each client to review the list and note any particular favorites they would like you to play. Offering a playlist for your clients to review in advance of the booking is an additional way to let them know you offer good service and you really want to play the music they want.

Programming, Specialty Music, and Motivators

Programming is the process of preselecting the appropriate music for an event. Most often, this music will be picked from your category of “specialty music.” At a wedding reception, for example, you would preselect the bride and groom’s choice for their First Dance to assure you have it in your library. “Daddy’s Little Girl” for a bride who wishes to dance with her father, or “Song for My Son” for a groom who wants to dance with his mom, would also be specialty selections. There are many songs in this category which could have special importance to a bridal couple. Music for these special moments should be picked carefully and with forethought.

Specialty music will be used to some extent on every occasion. Halloween specialty music would include “The Monster Mash” by Bobby Boris Picket and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” At Christmas parties, songs like “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby, “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helm, and Bruce Springsteen’s “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” will be among the many favorites requested.

Motivators are those tunes that always get the crowd out of their seats and onto the dance floor. “The Macarena” by Los Del Rio, “The Electric Slide” by Marcia Griffiths, “Celebration” by Kool and The Gang, and “C’Mon Ride It (The Train)” by Quad City DJ’s are fine examples of motivators. Use motivators to stimulate the crowd and get them dancing and having fun. Once you get them going, they won’t want to stop. This could mean overtime for you.

Music is the tool of the DJ trade. Like any tool, it takes time and practice to learn how to use it. Over half the selections you play you will play job after job. There are certain standard songs that every crowd will want to hear. It won’t take you very long to determine what they are. The remaining 50% will be the songs that change according to the tastes of your different audiences. Keep a journal of each job you do and log the requests. If you’re getting requests for something you don’t have, you’ll know to get it before the next time out.

Reading the Crowd

On average, a good, working mobile music library will contain over 5,000 selections. But during a five-hour job, only about one hundred tunes will get played. A good rule of thumb is 15 songs an hour (based on 4 minutes per song). Once at the party, you must decide what to play until the requests start coming. Your initial selections will have much to do with setting the tone for the party. Making the right choices depends on your ability to “read the crowd.” When you arrive at a gig1, look at the people. Analyze the type of group with which you are dealing. Try to determine an approximate median age. If much of the crowd is over 35, you may want to start out with tunes from the ’50s and ’60s. If the group is younger, Top 40 and modern rock my be a safer bet. If the group is older, your selection will probably lean more toward mellow ballads and big band. If there is a predominate ethnic background, that may influence your early selections as well. As your ability to “read the crowd” develops, you’ll get better and better at knowing what to play even before it’s requested.

Ultimately, the best way to please the crowd and relieve stress at the same time is to plan your music ten to fifteen minutes ahead of time. For example, if you’re playing “Old Time Rock & Roll” and you’ve just cued up “The Twist,” think about what you will be saying and playing three or four songs later. Your plan may get interrupted by a request or two, but you’ll find it’s easier to get right back on track.

Buying Tips

To control the cost of building a music library, get into the habit of buying just the music you need, not what you think you might need. With a little research, you can determine what music you should have on hand at each gig. Keep up on new music by tuning across your radio dial for programs like American Top 40 or scan the pages of Billboard for up-to-date lists of the “hot” tunes. Never think you have to buy a record as soon as it hits the charts. With the exception of school dances, the majority of requests you receive will be for tunes that have been out for a month or longer. If you’re working on a fairly consistent basis, keep track of your requests and buy new records according to the demand from your audience.

Saving money on records, tapes, and CDs is a big interest of every DJ. Compilations, which feature a collection of songs, are usually a good buy. Good collections of Big Band classics, ethnic tunes, Country hits, Oldies, and Pop songs are plentiful. Many record shops have a special bin for compilations, and there are always deals on TV.

1 DJ/Musician terminology for any particular job.

2 In buildings with rooms originally designed for dancing, the floors were constructed with substantial “give,” much like a trampoline.