2 Essential Tips for Success with a DJ Vol. 2

1. Watch the Placement of your guest. Do your older guest a favor and seat them away from the dancefloor. Many older guest at events find the music too loud once the party starts to ramp up. Reserving the seats closest to the dancefloor (which is often where your entertainer will place speakers) for your younger guests will go a long way in keeping everyone happy.

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2. The "Do Not Play" list. Simply put... It's your day. There may be songs or artist that you choose not to have played during your reception. One example that comes to mind is a situation where the wedding may be a second wedding for the bride or groom, and you want to avoid hearing the song that you shared your first dance with your former spouse (EEEK!!!). Exercise care when making the list, as some couples choose "no line dances" or even "no slow songs" Most DJs welcome the opportunity to play a few line dances and slow songs simply because we know how much of a crowd pleaser they often are.

  Music To Your Ears Mobile Entertainers

     Let Us provide the soundtrack for your next event.

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2 Essential Tips for Success with a DJ

1. Prior to the day of your event, speak with the DJ that will be attending your event. I state "the DJ that will be attending your event" for the following reason. Unless your event has been booked with a single operator company, some or all of your interaction may have been with another staff member. In any event direct contact with the entertainer is always a plus. During the course of the meeting you should emphasize your wishes and receive a sense that the entertainer and you are on the same page. This meeting doesn't have be a formal affair as long as it ends with you comfortable in their ability to deliver on what they say they will do. The meeting, whether done in person or by the telephone will help make the events of your day run more smoothly.
   
2. Ensure that the DJ will have backup equipment in the room. While this may sound funny, the consequences of the alternative I assure you would not be. Picture a packed dance floor full of your invited guests dancing to the newest hit and suddenly the music stops. While this scenario could happen to the most well prepared DJ due to a computer glitch, tripped circuit, etc., a well seasoned pro can usually recover in a moment or two. Now imagine the Entertainer  having to retrieve equipment that's not in the room. They may have to return to their vehicle (which we hope is not parked on level 4 of the parking garage a half block from your downtown reception venue). Enough said!

Music To Your Ears Mobile Entertainers 

Let Us provide the soundtrack to your next event!

Subscribe to our blog at: www.MusicToYourEarsME.blogspot.com

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Daytime Wedding Reception Tips

 

      Sometimes a perfect reception venue is not available to a couple that has a particular date set for their wedding. When this happens often the couple must look into another venue to stick with the predetermined date. There is an alternative that can be explored. The daytime wedding reception. While this idea may not be appealing to some couples, it can be the answer for others.

      From an entertainers standpoint, here are a few tips that can help ease the transition to an event that most people associate with the evening hours:

      If possible ensure that the bar is in the same physical room as the dancefloor. Bars act as a magnet to guest. Your goal should be to give your guest an opportunity to socialize at their leisure without being too far from the dancefloor and all of the excitement happening there.

      If the venue has curtains at the windows, inquire whether they can be partially closed during your reception. If your wedding takes place on a beautiful sunny day (and what couple doesn't want a great weather), the great conditions outside can draw your guest there when you want them inside.

      Serve a lighter meal. While in some countries it is customary for the largest meal of the day to be lunch, for the mostpart here in the US lunch is a smaller meal than dinner. Many venues have excellent choices of meals that can be lighter for your guest without sacrificing great flavor.

      Guests want to be near the newlyweds. You've invited your closest friends, family and co-workers to share in your big day, and they want to celebrate WITH you. Stroll on the dancefloor and show your "Moves Like Jagger" with your childhood friends, "Get A Good Feeling" with your nephews and nieces and "Bust A Move" with your boss.

 

 

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The First Dance

With the recent passing of Etta James, I began to think of her biggest hit song "At Last", and how many times I, as a DJ, have played that song at an event. It is probably more than 100 times. That made me think of the song that my wife and I shared our first formal dance to: Stevie Wonder's "Ribbon In The Sky", and what that song means to us. Today's brides and grooms are fortunate in that they have classics like those previously mentioned as well as a wide assortment recorded since. Artists such as Adele, Alicia Keys, Michael Buble', Maxwell and Tracy Byrd to name a few. Today's artist are indeed singing the classics of tomorrow.

Brides and grooms can easily become overwhelmed with all of the choices they have for a first dance. I always recommend to unsure clients that they create a list with no more than ten songs to begin with. I suggest starting with songs that "speak" to them as a couple invoking a special meaning. That list can be reduced by one to two songs each month as their wedding day approaches. When just one song remains, the choice has been made.

Engaged couples should let thier wedding entertainer know of their choice and specify any special version (acoustic, live, etc.) that they want to dance to.


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The Mood of Cocktail Hour

Mention cocktail hour to a bride to be, and it almost certainly brings to mind an area full of guests, sampling carefully chosen hors d'oeuvres, sipping on libations of their choice, and commenting on what a lovely couple the newlyweds make. While all of these things are occurring, there is a background track which not only fills in the voids of conversation amongst the guests, but also gives a glimpse of what the rest of the evening holds in store for them.

What type of music is played during the cocktail hour is really a personal choice of the newlywed. This is a great opportunity for them to honor a parent or grandparent with a selection of tracks of a genre or artist that they love, but may not be the most conducive for dancing due to the median age of the guest in attendance. The songs could be peppered in with other selections by the bride and groom.

Having provided the entertainment at more than 275 weddings, I know from experience that guests enjoy an upbeat cocktail hour. Newlyweds should remember that their guests will most likely be sitting for the next hour to an hour and a half during dinner which is traditionally accompanied by softer music to allow for conversing.

If your planning a wedding reception in the Philadelphia metropolitan area contact Music To Your Ears Mobile Entertainers and we will help you set the mood of your cocktail hour.

Musical Library Upgrades

Music To Your Ears Mobile Entertainers is in the process of upgrading our musical library. Although we have consistantly been able to play the majority of the songs requested by our clients and their guest, an expansion of our library will further assist in this area. The ugrades include expanding the selections offered and now storing and playing them in a different way.



Our organization has recently began the process of phasing out cds as our platform for playback and will be moving to computer based. We will still incorporate cds as a back-up once the transition is completed. Our customers will probably not even notice the change with the exception of the computer's presence in the entertainers work area.



Through the purchase of specialized professional grade software and hardware our entertainers will implement these changes. We will still have the ability play cds, which will be invaluable if our clients choose to provide special selections for playback.

Website Upgrades

Music To Your Ears Mobile Entertainers are making some interesting upgrades to their website. The changes will greatly impact how clients seek information and book our services. All of the changes are not being implemented at the same time, but rather phased in one at a time over the next several months.





One of the most exciting changes has already been put into place. There is now a hyperlinked calendar on the home page of the site that allows clients to check our availability on their chosen date. If we do have availability for the date, the client is then directed to a page where they will give basic event information that will assist us in devising a basic price quote for the event.





Another big change that has been implemented includes the ability for clients to search a musical database for songs by title or artist as they make selections for their upcoming events. We will eventually be giving the client the option of letting their guest log on to a special account and request musical selections for playback during the event.





If you are seeking top notch entertainment for your next event please call 610-394-9590 or visit our web page at http://www.MusicToYourEarsME.com/



Please be sure to look for our next blog which announces some additonal great changes to other areas of the company.

Why Price Should Not Be A Determining Factor For Your Entertainment

In this post I want to express why price should not be a determining factor in your selection of your entertainment for your event. Regardless of whether your planning your wedding reception, a corporate gala, or the birthday or anniversary party of a friend or relative. As you already know, goods and services can be obtained in a variety of quality levels from a wide selection of vendors. When it comes to the big event that you are planning, I urge you not to scrimp on the entertainment.

A wedding cake could be purchased at most local supermarkets nowdays, but the vast majority of brides chose not to. Invitations could be purchased in bulk at a dollar store, printed on a home computer and mailed, but most people choose not to. Hor D'oeuvres are widely available at big-box discount stores, but this is seldom a choice for most wedding receptions. Entertainment however is often wrongly given a very low priority in budgets for receptions, galas and parties.

Your guest will experience the effects of the entertainment throughout your entire event:

• background music during cocktails and dinner.
• the use of the PA system during speeches, toasts, and presentations.
• music to dance to until the end of the night.

The following statistics* are some of the results from a poll taken by Bride and Groom Magazine:

• 72% of all brides say they would have spent more time choosing their reception entertainment.
• Almost 100% say they would have spent more of their budget on the entertainment.
• When asked, 81% of guests say the thing they remember most about a wedding is the entertainment.

Anyone planning an event should also consider the following things when taking into account why one vendors pricing may differ from another's:

• Is this organization able to offer a more competative price due to reduced overhead associated with the organization's size?
• What quality of equipment is this entertainer going to use for my event?
• Will the company have back-up equipment readily available if needed?
• How many events similar to mine has the company performed at?
• How much experience does the entertainer(s) have that will be performing at my event?

There is a reason that your floorplan alots a vast amount of space for your dancefloor - your entertainment is an integral component of your event!!

*Statistics are the result of a poll conducted by Bride and Groom Magazine. The results listed here were obtained from stlbrideandgroom.com

What's In A Price?

What's In A Price? You receive a price quote from an entertainer for your upcoming event. For the sake of this example, we will call it a wedding. Your reception is five hours long, and is scheduled from 6PM until 11PM. The quote of "$X" may seem to reflect just the five hours of the reception, but in reality there are several other things that are or are not factored into the quote depending on the entertainer's business situation and policies.

1. Time and labor charges for set up and break down of equipment - The amount of time may increase or decrease according to the amount of equipment that the entertainer has to deal with and whether they have anyone helping them.


2. Arrival time at the venue prior to the start of your wedding - Professional entertainers will arrive anywhere from one to two hours (this may increase depending on the amount of equipment) prior to the start time of your event to ensure that they are able to set-up the equipment, perform a sound check, and speak with your other vendors.


3. Travel time to and from the event venue.


4. Consultation time spent speaking with you over the weeks leading up to your wedding.


5. Preparation time spent selecting, arranging and reviewing the music for your wedding.


6. Cost associated with the purchase or rental of any music or equipment needed for your wedding that was not previously owned by the entertainment company - The cost for rented equipment is usually incorporated into the quote for your single event. The cost for purchased items is usually factored in over the quotes of several events with each event paying a small portion.


7. The cost of all overhead expenses including; office space, equipment and its' upkeep, education, training, insurance, advertising, etc are also all fractionally factored into each quote.

The five hour reception very quickly equates to 10 to 12 hrs of time alone spent on your event. This doesn't include the items from numbers 6 and 7 above that may be factored in. Suddenly the price quote of "$X" is brought into its true light of what's in a price.

Please be sure to check out our next post entitled "Why Price Should Not Be a Determining Factor". As always please post your thoughts on this subject and make sure to visit us on the web at http://musictoyourearsme.com/ .

Introductory Blog

Hello. My name is Anthony, and I am the owner of Music To Your Ears Mobile Entertainers. I run the company along with my wife Christine. We are located in suburban Philadelphia, and normally service Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania, Camden county in New Jersey, and New Castle county in Delaware. We have provided, and can arrange for service to areas outside these counties.

The love of music was instilled in both of us at a very early age, growing up in households where a wide variety of music was constantly played. To this day music can normally be heard playing somewhere in our home during most hours of the day.

Over the last five years, the vast majority of the events our company has provided entertainment for have been as a contractor for one of the leading DJ companies in the Philadelphia area; Schaffer Sound Production. During this time I have provided emcee and DJ services for more than 225 weddings, 250 private parties or corporate events, and countless bar and restaurant appearances throughout the Philadelphia metropolitan area entertaining tens of thousands in the process. These events have included everything from a backyard barbecue to a lavish country club wedding reception for 375 guests.

While this first blog is simply a general intro to our company, future blogs will be posted on a weekly basis. Those blogs will delve deeper into topics that we believe anyone planning a wedding or major event will find both useful and thought provoking. We invite you to subscribe and look forward to sharing our thoughts as well as reading yours.

Also if your planning an event in the Philadelphia area, please visit our website at http://www.musictoyourearsme.com/