DJ Ahoy! by Mike Ryan

Gigs on party boats and other seafaring venues test your preparation skills

After lugging all my DJ equipment, one piece at a time, down a narrow dock ramp, up an equally narrow winding staircase to the boat’s second deck, with sweat dripping from my forehead, I mentioned to one of the ship’s crew: “I sure wish there was an elevator on this boat!”
She answered, “Oh, there’s one right over there,” pointing to a small door in the corner of the room. Thank you very much!

The Unique Challenge of DJing on a Boat
DJing on party boats is exciting and I always look forward to working on them. Party boats are usually very elegant and because most of the events are at night, it often becomes a romantic cruise on the water. And yet because of limited space of boats they’re one of the most demanding gigs you’ll ever experience.
Blondie sang “The tide is high”­-well, during one of my recent load-ins it wasn’t, making the ramp from the pier to the dock very steep. I always worry about my equipment rolling away from me and into the water, knock on teak. After safely getting my gear on board I heard a loud crash and the sound of shattering dishes. One of the catering staff was wheeling a “Queen Mary,” a tall metal food container, down the same ramp and it did get away from him, crashing onto the dock next to the ship with the evening’s dinner turning into seagull soufflé.
Speaking of food, often, but not always, you will get to eat; most crews are pretty good at taking care of you. Where can you go if you’re hungry? Remember, you’re on the water.
When it comes to the actual performance, once you’ve navigated all the logistical obstacles, DJing on the water still requires the high level of performance any client, private or corporate, might expect. One of the premier party boat companies in California, Hornblower Cruises and Events, operates 30 yachts, including the massive Inspiration (see picture), services six ports and is a “$30 million dollar business.” Hilary Rossi, Hornblower’s Assistant Director of Food and Beverage in San Diego is very serious about entertainers she hires to work their on their boats: “If a DJ thinks it’s okay to plug in an iPod® and just stand there, they are very wrong. It is about being a people person, and playing what people want.”

Water Hazards
The following are a variety of tips for a better musical boating experience…
Steve Cosio of I Buy Time, a radio ad buyer in Dallas, Texas (and former mobile DJ) recommends lightening you load: “Travel light…as light as possible….I had only one sound system and it was heavy. The manager of the boat almost didn’t let me onboard because the sound system was on casters. I convinced her that the casters were riveted on and there was no way to take them off. Once on board, I surrounded the wheels with gear so the unit wouldn’t roll.”
This comment reminds me that it’s a good idea to secure all of your equipment if there is even a slight chance of the gear rolling or tipping over. Remember, boats move. You’d hate to hear someone yell “Speaker overboard!” wouldn’t you? I’ve found, because of the tight dance areas, that using just one 8″ speaker and a 12″ or 15″ speaker with the treble turn all the way down acting like a sub works great.
Cosio has another great no-brainer piece of advice: “If you are prone to seasickness, it wouldn’t hurt to carry a seasickness patch in your gear and use it BEFORE you leave the dock!”
Don’t expect a six foot table to put your equipment on. Do expect to be put in a small corner with little room to move. Also, expect the ceilings to be extremely low, so watch out for feedback.
Warning: I promise you, your client probably won’t tell you in advance (make sure you ask) that he or she will want a microphone on the deck you’re not on! And forget about using your wireless on another deck (I’ve tried it). It’ll work just enough to cut out here and there, upsetting the client and making you look like an idiot. I always bring an extra powered speaker and wired mike for just such an occasion. Gene Barbic, co-owner of Warehouse Sound and Light in Miramar, California suspects that my wireless is having problems with all of the ship’s metal. Barbic says there are devices to help you DJ on a boat including a direct box, ground lift, remote and powered antennas etc.
When you have the boat rocking and your CD starts skipping (assuming you’re still using CDs) chances are the deck (floor) is bouncing and not your disks. I actually threw several perfectly good CDs overboard in dramatic fashion in front of the guests because I thought they were bad. (I now have a new appreciation for going computer.) Don’t forget to bring extra-long RCA cables in case you’re asked to patch into the ship’s sound system. Rossi adds: “Boat wiring is tricky sometimes and extra care should always be put to checking a system ahead of time.” In other words, make sure you find and paste to your memory all of the ship’s sound system’s volume controls. The last thing you want to do is navigate around all the guests and ship’s crew as you try to turn down the ship’s piped in music.
Often times, the boats are “home ported” at different locations other than where they pick you and the guests up, so at the end of your cruise be prepared to get all of your equipment off as fast as you can - the ship’s crew will appreciate it. Also, if the boat is returning to a docking area with “live-aboards” (people who live on their boats) near by be prepared to shut down the music as soon as you reach the dock.

Shipshape
Q: What’s the difference between a boat and a ship? A: You can put a boat on a ship!
If you live in a big city like San Diego, you may also have historic ships to party on. One of our ships, the retired air craft carrier USS Midway, is a blast to work on; plenty of space-it’s a big, really big ship! They usually put DJs inside the hanger bay, a massive area with a very high ceiling. Party lights look great and really fill the space.
However, as with all water craft, it too has its challenges, worst of all being the way the pier crew load equipment. Apparently someone figured using a fork lift would suffice to hoist my precious DJ equipment up several stories from the pier, over the water, and onto the main hanger bay. Once I actually rode with my equipment in a little cage attached to one of the fork lifts, teetering high in the air…scared me to death!
Bottom line, DJing on boats, big or small, poses some very unique problems to solve, but if you prepare in advance, these parties can be some of the most fun you’ll ever experience.

Mike Ryan started writing for news radio. He also DJ’d on KGB and KSDS. He mobiles as Mike on the Mike and is also the inventor owner of Frankenstand Powered Speaker Stands. Mike also works part time as a DMC tour guide. He has been the President of the San Diego Professional Tour Guide Association, a board member of his local NACE chapter and is currently the secretary of the San Diego Chapter of the ADJA.

Sea Songs
THE TIDE IS HIGH BLONDIE
SEA OF LOVE HONEYDRIPPERS
UNDER THE SEA LITTLE MERMAID SOUNDTRACK
DON’T ROCK THE BOAT HUGHES CORP.
SAILING CHRIS CROSS OR BACKSTREET BOYS
IF I HAD A BOAT LYLE LOVETT OR DAVE MATTHEWS
ALMOST ANYTHING BY THE BEACH BOYS
ALMOST ANYTHING FROM JIMMY BUFFET
YO HO HO, A PIRATE’S LIFE FOR ME DISNEY THEME PARK SONG
(Always gets a chuckle)
GILLIGAN’S ISLAND THEME
(Another chuckle, although a little nervous-sounding)

Nautical Terms You Should Know
Port = left
Starboard = right
Deck = floor
Overhead = ceiling
Bulkhead = wall
Forward = the front of the ship,
Aft = the rear of the ship
Head = bathroom (very important to locate ASAP)
Captain = the guy in charge of everything…and I mean everything!

Expanding Universe of Performance by Mike Fischer

DJs are opening their minds to the unusual and grasping a wider and wider range of gig opportunities

The evolution of the mobile disc jockey into a mobile entertainer has reached dimensions that even the most sage forecasters might not have envisioned yet a decade ago!
Years past, the disc jockey’s roles were fairly straightforward and clear-provide an on-site audio system and the ability to program audience-pleasing dance music. Vocal aptitude-at least in the industry’s infancy in the early 1970’s-was a bonus. Games were not even on the radar. Dance instruction was non-existent. Interaction was generally limited to mingling with the guests if the host graciously accorded a meal as part of the deal.
My, how times have changed!

Back to the Future: DJs as Vaudevillians?
Today, the “plain” mobile disc jockey is virtually an aberration, like an 8-track player or vinyl records prominently featured in a home. The new paradigm is the mobile entertainer, a multi-headed, multi-talented beast who can switch at the call of the wild to a comic, dance instructor, games master, emcee, prop fiend or music laureate with grace and often exceptional skill.
My, how we have returned to an old American art form-the new mobile entertainer is the vaudevillian performer of old.
With the new, improved, redefined mobile entertainer, are gigs limited to the rich buffet of wedding receptions and school dances? Not likely; as the mobile entertainer has evolved into a multi-faceted performance animal via out-of-the-box thinking, the types of gigs that mobile entertainers perform might benefit from some creative re-assessment.

All the World’s a Stage
Back in the early 1990s, many entertainers-myself included-sought ways to create more portable, flexible equipment configurations. While technology certainly fueled the ability to pursue this angle, the primary driver originated from the increasing number of facilities offering their space for events.
Art galleries, museums, touring yachts, private residences, gardens, and more evaluated their settings and determined that their facilities might offer something unusual, something personal, something more intimate than the utilitarian function of classic halls and air-walled hotel spaces. And, the public agreed.
So, entertainers had to find ways to work without a defined stage area, to access often ill-designed and cramped performance areas, to often work with less, to re-assess what mobile meant. Thus, smarter, smaller, more adaptable equipment configurations allowed entertainers to comfortably execute shows in the growing number of facilities offering their space for events.

Climbing Out of the DJ Box
Much like the venues that expanded their view of what they offered to expand their revenue stream, would you benefit by escalating your view of your services to, perhaps, tap into unusual and different events for your entertainment skills? Do you see yourself as solely a DJ or a versatile, well-rounded entertainer?
For instance, a couple of years ago, I served as systems engineer at Giants Fantasy Camp for a week in Scottsdale, Arizona. 23 set-ups in seven days (bull sessions, lunch time music, public address announcing at Scottsdale Stadium, meet-and-greet with the ballplayers) created a fairly intense work schedule. But the pay was respectable, the January sunshine wonderful and the opportunity to horse around with former major league baseball players such as Vida Blue, Darrell Evans, Tom Haller and Johnnie LeMaster was priceless.

Other entertainers have embraced the opportunities presented by non-traditional events.
Terry Moran of Crown Entertainment, serving the greater New England area, has spun at the Adult Video News Awards in Las Vegas (”Basically, the Grammys of porn,” he reports), Fantasy Fest in Key West, and during bicycle week in Laconia, New Hampshire for the past ten years. In addition, Moran and his company spin and emcee at more than 100 trivia events at pubs around New England annually. Oh, and Crown Entertainment also performs at 20 to 35 wedding receptions each year.
Matt Bixby of Matt’s Entertainment, serving the Willamette Valley area of Oregon, recently performed at a company party entitled “A Night of Games.”
“We did game shows all night that ranged from Let’s Make a Deal to The Price Is Right to Family Feud,” noted Bixby. “No dancing desired, but it was a scintillating success!”
Many, like Bixby, have embraced the transformation. “When I realized that I was an entertainer and not ‘just a DJ’, it was a huge personal reinvention. Now I focus so much harder on building a rapport with my guests before and during the event so that I don’t think of them as strangers and there’s absolutely no reason to be self-conscious or get stage fright.” Bixby even recently changed his company name from “Williamette Valley DJ” to the more personable “Matt’s Entertainment” to reflect his professional evolution. Bixby is actively marketing for further game show opportunities.

Break On Through
The bottom line is the seeing yourself as “just a disc jockey” may limit the types of events you may attract or the opportunities you might consider pursuing.
In my two decades as a mobile entertainer, I’ve secured work as a mobile DJ, dancer, dance instructor, dance floor “plant,” MC, engineer, public address announcer, character player, engineer, commercial spokesperson, voice actor and radio air personality. Some gigs were a bit more unusual than others, but all offered an opportunity to enhance my entertainment skills, keep my excitement level fresh and earn money.

Wedding receptions and school dances may be the volume leaders in the mobile entertainment industry. But, as more and more professionals are learning, unusual gigs offer fun, engaging and innovative ways to secure business and retain a fresh entertainment perspective. Certainly, the ride will be fun!

Mobile DJ, dance instructor, emcee, voice actor, writer, teacher, and improv comedian, Mike Ficher owns and operates Dance Express, based in Bend, Oregon. A regular presenter and host at Mobile Beat conventions, Mike has been expanding the public’s definition of mobile entertainer since 1986.
“When I realized that I was an entertainer and not ‘just a DJ’, it was a huge personal reinvention.” ­­ -Matt Bixby

DJ Shopper - Lasers: Lighter, Brighter, More Dynamic

Developments in laser technology promise more creative options, affordability and mobility

DJs know that their CD players have a huge impact on the audience. Those who use them to spin tunes can affect the way the audience behaves; it’s an easily recognizable fact. But CD players have had a greater effect than most DJs realize. It’s the technology that has made CD players affordable that is now being used in sophisticated laser light shows in Europe…and that technology is coming across the pond to a dance floor near you, at a price that’s not out of reach.
Recently we got an update on the laser industry from William Benner, Jr., who is the co-founder and president of Pangolin Laser Systems and serves on the International Laser Display Association’s board of directors. Much like those BASF commercials say, Pangolin is a company that makes the things you use better, rather than making the things you use. Pangolin’s technology can be found inside a large percentage of laser lighting devices used by DJs and other show designers.

Aiming for Visual Excitement
And what can be done with the new laser lights shows that are on their way? A lot, according to Benner, who described the three major uses for lasers in entertainment being used today.
Laser Graphics. This technology uses scanners and software, and can draw animated figures on a projection surface (screen, wall, etc.) This is popular for use at trade shows and can include scrolling text, animated figures, etc. A laser can project onto any surface, which means that you can even use the air walls in a hotel’s banquet or meeting facilities as projection surfaces. This opens up creative possibilities and widens the potential reach of your visual elements during a show. You could also use laser graphics to display a bride and groom’s name or notes of congratulations, etc. Essentially, the new graphic technology allows mobile users to access some of the excitement generated by large scale laser installations like the famous Stone Mountain’s Lasershow Spectacular in Atlanta, where images are projected directly onto the surface of a mountain
Overhead Beam Effect. Using a very light layer of theatrical fog in a room you can project beams over the heads of the audience. This is often used at corporate meetings and sales presentations.
“A laser does things that no other light does,” notes Benner. For example, a laser can be made to look like water, as in Disney’s Little Mermaid ride. This gives the audience the impression they’re under water.
Audience Scanning. This is something that is currently hot in Europe and Asia and will be coming to the United States soon, as two companies got the approval to do this here. Essentially, this method projects laser light directly into an audience, thus incorporating them into the light show and providing a powerful visual motivator. Using advanced technology, you can project images, color or almost anything imaginable onto the dance floor population.
The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), part of the FDA, has required manufacturers to prove that any laser light they’re using doesn’t damage an audience’s eyes and Pangolin was able to do just that. As a result, a whole new opportunity has opened up in the US.
Benner points out that technology is now available to take simple Adobe® Flash® animation routines and turn it into huge laser graphics. “Flash animators can convert their images to laser graphics. This means that people don’t have to learn a new language or technique to create stunning visual images.”

Mobilizing the Laser Show
Other technologies allow laser shows to be controlled by DMX-compatible programming, bringing control of a laser show closer to the mainstream that most mobile DJs are familiar with. And while on the subject of being mobile, the newer solid state lasers are very compatible with the challenges of being on the road: they’re very rugged and much more compact than the previous generation of gas lasers.
It used to be that the lasers used in lighting were the same devices that came from the medical profession. As such, they weren’t really meant to be lightweight, portable and roadworthy. That’s not true any longer with solid state lasers. And it used to be that an effective laser light show required water cooling and a tremendous amount of electricity usually sourced through 220-volt circuits. That’s no longer the case with devices described by Benner as being about the size of a shoe box, which can be plugged into a standard 110-volt outlet.
“What has really propelled the market are the solid state lasers developed for CD players,” reports Benner. “Since there is so much attention to CD-ROM drives, this has enabled solid state lasers that we can use for projection.”

Blue-Ribbon Light
Since lasers are now available in red, green and blue, this means that the same processes that is used to create images with a traditional projector or television set can be used to create full-color laser shows as well. Blue lasers are now becoming more widespread thanks to the development of Sony’s Blue Ray media playback technology, according to Brenner. While they are currently the priciest lasers, as Sony’s technology becomes more widespread it is fully expected that the price will come down to the level of red and green lasers.
While a good laser projector still really can’t be called “inexpensive,” the $4,000 professional laser projector of today takes the place of one that, in the past, cost tens of thousands of dollars, required dedicated electrical circuits, and a constant flow of water for cooling.
For DJs whose budgets and creativity levels support it, a good laser show can totally involve an audience-both emotionally, by capturing their imagination, and literally, by making their dancing bodies part of the show.

PSWCDT - Way Beyond Sunday: Christian Music by Jay Maxwell

Positive, danceable party sounds can be found in today’s faith-based music

There are three trees in my backyard. When my wife and I moved into our home thirteen years ago, the trees were so small that we were afraid that someone would not see them when mowing the yard and accidentally cut them down. Another concern we had was that our Doberman, whose favorite pastime was gnawing on bricks, would either pull up a tree or would bite into one and literally chomp the tree in half. At times, the urge would come upon me to take a running start and jump over the smallest tree, just so I could claim that I was nimble and agile enough to leap over trees - not quite the same as Superman and his tall buildings - but a challenge just the same. To fend off all these possible threats to these young saplings, we erected a small fence around each tree in hopes of facilitating its growth. As the years passed, the trees grew taller and increased in girth. Today, the early threats no longer exist and I do not have the slightest inkling to don a cape and become a superhero and attempt to vault over a tree.
Each spring as I see how the trees have grown, I reflect on the growth in areas of my own life, including the growth of my business. The trees, like my business, must continue to grow if they want to exist and flourish in an ever changing environment. Even after a tree is mature, it must grow new bark and new leaves or it will cease to be a living entity. Though my company is proudly celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, we continue to grow by seeking ways to enhance our services to meet our client’s needs. One new area of growth for us is to offer Christian dance music in the song list booklet we give to our clients.

Positive Demand
It has always been our mission to have a keen ear available and earnestly listen to the desires of those we serve. Recently, many of our clients, including brides and grooms, sponsors of Girl Scout Father-Daughter dances, and several schools have requested that some Christian music be played at their event. When one first thinks about Christian music, songs such as “Amazing Grace,” “Rock of Ages” or “Jesus Loves Me” might come to mind-along with some serious doubts about anyone being able to party to these tunes. These worship standards would indeed be useless for firing up a dance floor and are probably best suited for the Sunday morning service.
While many of today’s praise and worship songs have embraced a modern feel so that worshipers can better express their spirituality in the sanctuary, even these songs are not going to generate a desire to move the body to the beat at an event such as a wedding reception. Initially, the few Christian songs that were requested were wedding favorites by Michael W. Smith (”Love of My Life” or “I Will Be Here for You”) or Steven Curtis Chapman (”I Will Be Here”). These tunes were typically requested for the bride and groom’s first dance so we included them in the Wedding category. Some artists had crossover hits, so groups such as Jars of Clay and DC Talk would be placed with modern rock songs and Jump5 or Amy Grant normally placed side by side with secular artists in a dance/pop category. By carefully listening to our client’s increasing requests for Christian music and tracking the success of each song, we have recently added a separate category in our song list booklet that we make available to our clients. We have also continued to expand our offering of Contemporary Christian music that will actually have people up on the dance floor.
After tracking the Christian music requests of our clients and researching the popular “danceable” Christian music we now offer a variety of genres of Christian music. This growth in our play list is meant to satisfy those whose primary interest lies in dancing to a beat normally found in Hip-Hop, Dance, or Rock. With the songs of Toby Mac, Kirk Franklin and Group 1 Crew mixed in with the usual tunes that actually have a positive (or at least a non-negative) message, you can circumvent the need to play music that advocates drug use, illicit relations, or any other inappropriate language or content. The majority of our clients indeed wish to get down and party to a solid beat and have good clean fun without the worry that something offensive will be blared from our speakers into the ears of their guests. As popular “top 40″ music has continued to contain lyrics that must be edited in order to receive airplay, people are becoming more cautious when they hire a DJ to entertain at their event. Recently, before we even played the first song at a school dance, the principal told us, “Don’t play anything that you wouldn’t want your grandmother to hear.” That statement stuck with me and has become the litmus test for what is appropriate to play at an event.
Keep in mind that I am writing this primarily from a growth perspective for my business. That is, my business has grown by offering this additional service of a large selection of Christian music to satisfy my client’s tastes. However, as a Christian myself, I also see this growth as a way to integrate my own faith with my business. Every aspect of how my company operates is based on Biblical principals, but the end product of what music is offered and played has at times been in contrast to that philosophy.

Positive, Not Preachy
Last month one of my closest DJ friends said he was ready to hang up his headphones after nearly 30 years as one of the areas best known DJs for school events because the music available for today’s youth had nothing positive to offer. On the surface there was truth in his statement, but on a closer look, I told him there are alternatives to quitting the business. One alternative is to find music that blends a danceable beat with decent lyrics. The message does not necessarily have to be “preachy,” but at least search for music that is encouraging a positive way of thinking and living.
This issue’s music list would be an excellent way to begin to discover new music to play to enhance your business. Begin your own research in ways to grow your business in such a way that your clients will be assured that you have the expertise to play songs that will be in accordance with their desire to entertain their guests without offending anyone. Instead of feeling embarrassed when you play songs with the lyrics “bleeped out” or the content isn’t what you would want to personally quote on the microphone, try to imagine people dancing to songs where the lyrics express making positive choices in life. We have done more that just imagine people dancing to uplifting music; we have witnessed it happening-after someone shouts, “Play something we can dance to!”

Righteous Party Beats

1 ACTIVATE STELLAR KART
2 ALWAYS BE YOUR BABY NATALIE GRANT
3 BE MY ESCAPE RELIANT K
4 BEAUTIFUL NAME ZOEGIRL
5 BEAUTIFUL ONE BY THE TREE
6 BIG HOUSE AUDIO ADRENALINE
7 BOUNCE MANAFEST
8 BURN FOR YOU TOBYMAC
9 CAN’T GO ON GROUP 1 CREW
10 CHANGE YOUR MIND NIFTY
11 CHOICES TRU LIFE
12 CRY NO MORE CROSS MOVEMENT
13 DEAD SERIOUS ZOEGIRL
14 DEVIL IS BAD Ws
15 DIVERSE CITY TOBYMAC
16 DO YA THANG 4-GOD
17 DON’T LOOK AT ME STACIE ORRICO
18 DREAMS 4-GOD
19 EVERYBODYS GOT A SONG TO SING GROUP 1 CREW
20 EVERYTHING CHANGES KATHY TROCCOLI

For the rest of the song list, get a copy of Mobile Beat’s May 2007 issue!