Basic Tips for Beginner DJs

Filed under Live Events by on December 28, 2011 at 3:46 pm {no comments}

As technology evolves, so does the DJ-ing scene around the world. With the advent and general accessibility of the Internet, being a good DJ is no longer about having the best and most complete collection of vinyl records—not even of mp3 albums stored in digital forms. Anyone can access all music at all times. This on the one hand, has switched the focus toward the technological aspect of the business. Owning good DJ equipment has become a must, and many beginners focus too much on it, while forgetting that disc-jockeying is essentially a creative enterprise. On the other hand, the basic principles of creativity still apply. As technology has become more readily available, it is now easier than ever to focus more on how to get creative with your music and your crowds. Follow these key tips and tricks below and you’ll soon be on your way to making a name for yourself in the industry.

Match the Audience’s Energy
Essentially, what dancers really want is to hear music that will match their energy levels and drive that energy effortlessly into dancing. It doesn’t matter if it’s a polka, a waltz, a salsa or any other of the basic types of energy-driven dances out there. You, as the DJ, need to keep the audience from hesitating on whether or not to dance. Your DJ equipment and DJ skills combined will answer the question on every dancer’s mind (“How do I dance to this?”) before it is even formed at the back of their mind. Giving the audience time to pause and think about what it is they’re hearing will only segment their energy and drive their attention away from having fun. As such, make sure you know your music. What is more, make sure you know that “sweet spot” for perfect tempo that any good song has. Play up that sweet spot and you’re sure to get the audience off their seats and onto the dance floor in no time. You also need variety—offer a wide range of tempos, as well as highly energized tunes combined with more easygoing ones. A metronome will help you match the tempos of songs, as will beat-checking software.

Give Them Clear Beats
Clubs are usually not the appropriate venue for beat-less songs, for the very obvious reason that you can’t really dance to a song without a beat. While classical music or experimental tunes can be exceptional in their own right, dancers will want to hear drums, percussion, techno rhythms, bass and rhythm guitar. Dance music should fall in the 4 to 10 rhythmic intensity scale, with adjustments and various rates for the various types of dances. Expect your audience to talk among themselves and shuffle about, creating a rumor. Don’t expect them to hear a soft (4) rhythm—it will simply blend in with the background noise and be lost on their ears. Make sure your DJ equipment can make the beat clearly audible and you will receive no complaints at the end of the night.

Length Does Matter
Danceable songs are rarely too short. The odd case in which a favorite tune falls below the two-minute mark is actually a great opportunity for you to showcase your skill and talent. Splice it up, loop it mix up segments and create a whole new, long, danceable song that your audiences will surely love. But what do you do when the song is too long? Don’t expect dancers to be too happy about it. The main reason for partying is getting to socialize with as many people as possible—too long a dance will prevent dancers from switching partners or circulating among themselves. The rule of thumb is to cut anything that spills over the three-minute mark and slowly fade into the next tune.

Custom Koozies from www.getkoozies.com

Filed under Live Events by on September 22, 2011 at 5:59 pm {no comments}

College graduation is a memorable experience. After four or five grueling years of study, we are finally about to exit our university and face the real world. Needless to say, this calls for a celebration! During the assembly, I was tasked to spearhead the committee on souvenirs for our batch’s graduation ball and upon my suggestion, the organizing team agreed to order custom koozies as souvenirs for our celebration.
I sought the help of the creative courses to help me design the custom koozies for production. After the design has been approved, I immediately submitted it to the manufacturer for production. The custom koozies were delivered just on time. During the preparation, I wanted to add spice to the celebration so I suggested to the committee if we can give each graduate a can of beer wrapped in these custom koozies to make it appear fun and creative.
On the night of the celebration, everyone was thrilled when they were given a can of beer wrapped in custom koozies containing the logo of our school and our batch. Furthermore, I modified the color of each koozie so as to give each department a different color from the others. It was definitely fun and we ended the night with a blast!

A Brief Introduction to Silent Diso

Filed under Live Events by on April 25, 2011 at 1:49 pm {one comment}

Silent disco should not be confused with quiet party. It has gained popularity over the recent years, however, the idea has already been around for quite sometime. Basically, this type of event allows people to dance in headphones. Rather than using the traditional speakers, people gathering in this kind of event will be dancing in headphones. The music is transmitted via wireless headphones. It is broadcasted through a FM transmitter and the signal is picked up by the wireless headphones that are worn by the participants. Those who are not wearing headphones won’t be able to hear anything, hence the name silent disco. It would appear as if the participants are dancing to nothing.

Mobile clubbing is a similar event wherein people gather in one unconventional location to dance to music while wearing their portable music players. These flash mob gatherings temporarily transform public spaces into clubbing areas, where hundreds of people are usually involved.

Invitation for mobile clubbing and silent disco events are disseminated through mass emails, social networking (i.e. Facebook and Myspace) or through the word of mouth.

Another variant of such kind of event is the silent gig wherein live bands are involved. The bands will be competing in front of an audience. They will be using electric instruments that are connected to a transmitter, instead of an amplifier. Without the headphones, the only sound that can be heard is the light tapping from the electric drums as well as the vocals of the lead singer.