PSWCDT: Grass Skirts, Surfin’ and Sandy Shores by Jay Maxwell

Music for a summertime partyFor many years, when I visited my home town in southwest Georgia, and told them that I was a mobile disc jockey, it would require some further explanation. Their typical thoughts when I initially told them that I owned a disc jockey company was that I operated a radio station. Since I was a DJ during high school in the mid-70s on WBBK radio, that response was certainly warranted. My response was of course to inform them that a mobile DJ would take equipment and music to the event, such as a wedding or school party and play music for the party so that people could dance. In a single sentence, that helped explain to them what a mobile DJ does. Of course a mobile DJ does a lot more than that short line states, but if you’ve ever had to briefly explain what you do to someone who doesn’t have a clue, then chances are you mentioned “playing music for people to dance to.”

It does seem that we mobile DJs often think like club DJs, in that we are only doing our job if people are dancing. If no one is dancing we feel that we must be doing something wrong and we need to take corrective action. Though there are clearly times when that is the case, there are many other times when our job is to play music that sets the mood for the occasion. Two occasions should readily come to mind where we initially play music to set the mood rather than to get people to dance immediately-a wedding reception and Christmas party. At almost every wedding reception we play “mood music” of either lively jazz, American Songbook, or love songs. For an office Christmas party, there are always plenty of traditional holiday tunes played during the social and dinner hours.

This Magic Night
Another type of event, especially during the summertime, where dancing is not the only focus, is a pool party. To make a real musical splash, a pool party should be flavored with a good sampling of Hawaiian music, with some California surf music, reggae and Carolina beach music stirred in the mix as well.

Pool parties are very common during the summer, as people want to beat the heat by having a cool party by the water. Often community gatherings, corporate functions or birthday parties will have a Hawaiian or beach party theme. While the party is often held around a swimming pool, there are times when it is a “dry” event and is held indoors with the same decorations and “surf’s up” feel. Some dancing may take place during the event, but to make it a memorable occasion play a good portion of summertime music. Hawaiian music, Bob Marley, or the Beach Boys drifting from your speakers will instill a carefree mood that is the essence of any good party.

Recently, at the school my children attend, a teacher appreciation luncheon featured a Hawaiian-style setting. The food, the decorations, and the final touch-the music-all helped create the “island of paradise” aura. In the middle of their workday, the teachers were treated to a rare break from reality. For just over an hour, they could take Bobby McFerrin’s advice heard in his catchy tune, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” As the teachers exited to return to the classroom, each of them left with a smile on their face-because they had been briefly transported to the white beaches of Hawaii with its soothing waves crashing rhythmically around their sandaled feet.

Island Records
As you can see from this issue’s song list, there is a pretty wide variety of summertime, feel-good beach music to choose from. A Hawaiian CD with great favorites like “Blue Hawaii,” “Kaimana Hila” or “Pearly Shells” should be part of your repertoire for the traditional sounds of our fiftieth state. Other “modern” artists like Don Ho (”Tiny Bubbles” and “Beautiful Kauai”) and Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (”Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World”) have established a distinctive Hawaiian pop sound and deserve our attention at a gig. And don’t forget the King of Rock & Roll; Elvis made his contributions to the genre with his legendary hits, “Rock-a-Hula Baby” and “Hawaiian Wedding Song.” Any groove from the Beach Boys or Jan and Dean will set the California surfs-up mood. For the Carolina shag scene, spin a few from groups like Chairmen of the Boards, the Embers or the Tams. Reggae music, of course, is also associated the islands, so Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and UB40 jams should also be played. Parrotheads, those devoted fans of Jimmy Buffett, will also want their own brand of island escapism, so don’t forget to push play on “Margaritaville,” “Son of a Son of a Sailor” or “Volcano.”

The next time someone asks you what a mobile disc jockey does, perhaps the following explanation would enlighten them. Our ultimate job as a mobile DJ is to create a party where everyone leaves their worries behind and at least for a brief period enjoys life like it should be enjoyed-sharing good times with great friends. We play the music that helps to set the mood for the occasion, as well as music to get people on the dance floor when someone yells, “Play Something We Can Dance To!”

Mobile Beat’s resident musicologist since 1992 (in every issue since #11), Jay Maxwell runs the multi-unit, multi-talent entertainment company, Jay Maxwell’s Music by Request, LLC, in Charleston, SC. He is also a professor of Mathematics and Business at Charleston Southern University. His passion for detail and continuous research of clients’ requests can be found not only in this column, but also in his annually updated music guide, Play Something We Can Dance To.
Pool Party Pleasures

SONG ARTIST
1 SURFIN’ SAFARI BEACH BOYS
2 TINY BUBBLES DON HO
3 UNDER THE BOARDWALK DRIFTERS
4 BLUE HAWAII ELVIS PRESLEY
5 I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW JOHNNY NASH
6 PEARLY SHELLS TRADITIONAL
7 MARGARITAVILLE JIMMY BUFFETT
8 I’VE GOT SAND IN MY SHOES DRIFTERS
9 WIPE OUT SURFARIS
10 KOKOMO BEACH BOYS
11 POKAREKARE ANA TRADITIONAL
12 ROCK-A-HULA BABY ELVIS PRESLEY
13 DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY BOBBY MCFERRIN
14 THE TIDE IS HIGH BLONDIE
15 CATCH A WAVE BEACH BOYS

For the rest of the list, subscribe to Mobile Beat to access the online PDF of issue #115 (May 2008) or pick up a hard copy back issue at the MB Store.

A Nice Day for a…Green Wedding by Mike Ficher

More and more couples are exchanging conspicuous consumption for sustainable celebrationsThe long-held wedding adage, “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” may be evolving into a different shade: “Something old, something lean, something recycled, something green.” More brides and grooms are expressing their environmental predilection through their choices for their wedding ceremony and reception. Yes, like so many other aspects of life, weddings are going green.

By the Numbers
Eco-friendly invitations, organic bridal gowns, recycled wedding bands, organic food and drink, natural make-up and hair, sustainable décor, central locations, outdoor settings, green transportation, and green registries are now not just feel-good buzzwords of the sustainable world, but opportunities wedding industry providers are successfully marketing to their clients.

How much impact could such a movement have if brides and groom embrace the green factor? According to theknot.com, 2.4 million couples get married each year in the United States, generating an estimated revenue basket of $70 billion. If even a fraction of those 2.4 million couples embrace the emerging green paradigm-supporting open markets for local, organic, recycled and recyclable goods, businesses that engage in sustainable practices, and vendors who share their environmental bent-the impact could be substantial. It could particularly help the mobile entertainment industry, currently reeling from increased competition, easy access to music on the internet and “iPod weddings,” by providing a completely positive way to stand out among the muddle of entertainment options
“I haven’t noticed anything yet. But I know it’s coming,” offered Craig Brown, owner of High Fidelity Entertainment in Vancouver, WA and president of the Southwest Washington & Oregon chapter of the ADJA.

Catching the Green Wave
Celebrities are embracing the trend. Stella McCartney’s private wedding included sustainable clothing and organic food. Prince Charles cut into an organic fruitcake and ordered pesticide-free blooms for his wedding to Camilla. And Alicia Silverstone’s guests enjoyed organic vegan food, gazed upon pesticide-free flowers, and received recycled invitations. She even wore a ring handed down on her husband’s side.
Wedding service vendors are responding to the movement. New York’s OZOcar offers hybrid limousines; Organic Vintners, based in Boulder, CO, helps wine lovers find all-natural vintages; and the Houston-based Green Hotels Association will locate accommodations at facilities committed to saving water and energy and reducing solid waste.

Across the United States, in addition to pesticide-free menus, caterers are offering fine china and linen napkins instead of throwaways. Numerous web sites help newlyweds establish donations to charities that benefit the environment, offering guests an alternative to heavily wrapped presents.

“Going green is one of the great business opportunities of the 21st century, and the rapid growth of green weddings and green wedding consulting groups is not surprising,” said David Cooperrider, a business professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, in an article on the MSNBC web site. “In fact, wedding advisers that are not going green are going to be at a competitive disadvantage.”

Green-Jay
Evan Reitmeyer, owner of MyDeeJay, serving the Baltimore/Washington/Virginia metropolitan area, has elevated sustainable practices in the industry to a new level. The company is the first Green-E certified wedding vendor in the nation and is likely the first 100% carbon-neutral wedding entertainer provider in the United States. Check out Evan’s companion article on page ___ for details on his company’s approach to implementing environmentally conscious business practices

Light Up for Less
What can mobile entertainers do to lessen their environmental impact?

For any paper product-brochures, contracts, or agreement letters-employ recycled, tree free or FSC-certified paper. Better yet, minimize paper usage via deployment of email and a robust, interactive online marketing presence.

Drive a hybrid vehicle or, with the incredible shrinking equipment presence, follow Craig Brown’s lead and buy “a smaller van that gets better gas mileage” rather than drive a gas-guzzling SUV. An added benefit-vans, while not as sexy, tend to have significantly more room than their four-wheel drive brethren.

Regarding equipment, Dave Star of Star Productions, serving Central Oregon, suggests, “Using fewer lights than before or more energy-efficient lower-wattage lighting systems.” Or, even better, Brown bought energy-sipping lights: “LED par lights and a Spectrum LED for my light show.”

LED power consumption is, on average, approximately 5% of the equivalent brightness halogen or fluorescent lamp. In addition, LED lights generate virtually no heat and, because they are made up of solid state components, they are extremely durable, better able to withstand the rigors of travel and constant set-up and teardown.

Learning the 3 R’s
On a personal level, what can mobile entertainers do to support green causes? As an older eco-slogan goes, “Reduce, reuse and recycle.”

Consider supporting local, non-profit and/or community-based organizations and businesses, in order to lessen your participation in the huge environmental impact of the megacorporations. Subscribe to renewable energy sources (most utility companies now offer customers an option to “purchase” renewable energy). Recycle anything and everything (newspapers, plastic bottles, glass, cardboard, cans, envelopes). Minimize waste as much as possible. Buy products made from recycled goods. Choose reusable bags instead of paper or plastic when shopping. Consider bicycling for errands within a couple miles of home. Link your trips, so you complete errands before returning home for the day.Use both sides of a piece of paper, if possible (even for scratch paper). Outfit your home with fluorescent bulbs.

Only time will tell if “going green” will translate into a lot more of the “green stuff” for mobile entertainers. But, at least, embracing green in your entertainment business and your life will certainly safeguard you against feeling blue about your personal impact on the world.

—–

Wedding Theme: Carbon Neutral
www.nativeenergy.com/pages/portovert/168.php?afc=portovert
Brides and grooms-and DJs-can calculate their carbon impact on the environment at this site, hosted by NativeEnergy.

Green Power Partnership
www.epa.gov/greenpower/index.htm
At this site you can learn more about purchasing green power to offset electricity usage. Plus, find out about certification and verification as a business utilizing renewable energy and making greenhouse gas reductions.

 

DJ to VJ: The Future Is Now By Mike “Dr. Frankenstand” Ryan

An experienced video jock discusses the growth of the visual option for DJs”Video Killed the Radio Star,” the 1979 song* by the British group Buggles featured lyrics about a period of technological change in the 1960s. Today, over four decades later, video is again poised, hopefully not to kill, but certainly to change another kind of star: the mobile DJ. What does the current video revolution mean to the typical mobile entertainer? The following interview focuses on the use of video and features DJ/VJ Eric Sands of Sundance Productions in southern California. Not only is Sands a bar and bat mitzvah specialist, he is a pioneer in the use of video in the mobile arena.

MB: What s your wide-angle view for the future of video in the mobile DJ Industry?
Sands: The future in now! Video is solidly ingrained into our daily lives (YouTube , CNN’s News to Me, America’s Funniest Videos, MySpace, to name a few examples). In the ’70s we had DJ mixers. In the ’80s, we had lighting. In the ’90s, we had crowd interaction. The new millennium brought us computer-driven technology. Video is clearly in all of our futures. Hyper-stimulated, bipolar kids who can’t sit still today are your clients of tomorrow!

MB: Speaking of kids, do they now expect to have video at their parties? Do you predict a time when if we don’t offer video we will go the way of the Beta Cam?
Sands: Yes-and I think that time is now! If your clients embrace the power that computer-driven, multi-media production provides at their celebrations, then they may not feel comfortable hiring someone using ’80s or ’90s technology.

MB: Are DJs who use video (VJs) becoming true specialists like karaoke jocks (KJs)?
Sands: I think we’re all still on the same boat sailing to the same destination. Our goals are not dissimilar…We are providing entertainment the best way we are individually able to. But, as in the past, some of us are paddling faster, and accordingly, will reap the fruits of future market recognition sooner.

MB: How fast and to what extent is the use of video developing?
Sands: Just look at the sales of plasma screens, projectors, home theaters, and high-definition TV. Video has proliferated within the average American lifestyle, everywhere…in our cars, on our phones and computers…even home appliances are starting to incorporate video interfaces. (Microsoft predicts future homes will use more “smart” appliances, including interactive wallpaper being developed by companies such as Phillips to serve as giant displays for pictures from a MySpace page or even video).

MB: How do you see video, as party entertainment, evolving in the future?
Sands: I see much more flexible and easier set-up, such as being able to present video in a day-lit room without having to carry 5,000+ lumen projectors or heavy plasma screens. I see more real-time effects, such as brides and grooms being wished well and congratulated via live, off-site simulcast by wedding guests who can’t attend the reception. And for the higher-end clients, I see an MC/DJ combo being replaced by an MC/production manager in constant communication via headsets with a staff who will control stage lighting, video content, sound, and flow of the event-much like at an awards show.
[This is a role that Sands has himself pioneered. -Ed.]

MB: Do you see a time when live video interaction at parties will become so popular that clients will outsource it away from the DJ/VJ like some planners do with lighting?
Sands: I think you always have that risk if you’re “out of your envelope”…that is, if you are booking higher-end parties without being able to offer the most efficient solution to meet the client’s needs. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing…it enables you to stay in your “core” business of what you do best-MC-based entertainment. Same old story, if you can’t handle one aspect of a job, sub it out.

MB: Talking about video production, how and when do you use roving live cameras and/or music videos in your shows?
Sands: I always have some form of content on the screen, whether it’s live camera simulcast, ambient themed visuals, music videos, photo-stills, or a custom DVD effect loop that I create for the client and is in repeat mode for the entire party. This way, there is no “dead-air” on the video screen, and there is always something visual happening. In addition, my video assistant is at the mixing console monitoring and mixing the optimum source for any given time. Often we use chroma-key effects superimposed on top of the live camera feed to make it interesting.

MB: How available are music videos and are there any legal issues involved in using them?
Sands: I subscribe to the Promo Only Hot Video series, although I know there are several subscription services out there. I imagine the legal issues are very similar to audio copying, backing up, etc.

MB: How do you handle PG-rated music videos?
Sands: We try to keep it clean, relatively speaking. But occasionally, there’s some “unexpected” content on the music video. So that’s another reason to have immediate access to alternate sources you can transition to quickly.

MB: What are the critical things DJs should know about video gear performance?
Sands: Like audio, back-up equipment is necessary. I keep my video mixing console separate from my normal audio system. So at a video show, I actually have two consoles set up side by side. This keeps the show really tight, and serves as instant back up at least for audio, which is more noticeable to a crowd if it should fail. If you are mixing numerous sources (live camera, music video mixing software, ambient visuals, slide show loops, etc.), then each one of those can “fill in” if another one goes bad. But I always carry a spare projector to my gigs, as well as a spare music-only laptop based system in the event of a more catastrophic failure.

MB: Any tips on video gear? What are the bare necessities to be considered “professional?”
Sands: I think as a bare minimum, you should have a CORE DUO processor-based computer with a minimum of 256MB of dedicated video RAM driving your music videos, with sufficient ambient background video to fill in when you are playing non-music videos. If you are using DVD players, then make sure you get the type that [can] pause on cue, rather than play on cue.
If you are doing live CAM, then there’s really no excuse to be relying on that cheesy-looking, jittery webcam that so many people rely on. Video cameras are getting so dirt cheap; this is the better way to go. I use a wireless diversity microwave link for our 3-chip camera. This enables us to be anywhere in the room “getting the action” where it’s happening, without the constraint of a fat video cable trailing behind the camera man.

MB: How receptive have you clients been to video as an “up-sell?”
Sands: It’s an option that I really try to encourage for parties of over 125 people, which are most parties. I think that once the client sees how beautifully video can bring the event to another level, they agree that it’s well worth the additional expense.

MB: How much extra, on average, can a DJ/VJ expect to make by incorporating video?
Sands: I think it largely depends on the scope of what he or she is doing. If you’re only playing music videos, with no other content, then really we’re just talking about setting up a plasma or projector/screen combo above and beyond the usual set up-maybe $500 to $1,000 additional, depending on what part of the country you’re in. But if you’re actually monitoring and mixing numerous sources and applying real-time effects, then that’s another level up, and you could get $1,000 to $2,000 additional.
If you are producing custom content such as wedding montages and promotional videos for corporate receptions, you can usually get $50 to $200 per finished minute, depending on your editing skills.

MB: By including video are you taking work away from videographers?
Sands: We really aren’t doing the same thing, nor can we. We are presenting video content for the purpose of visual entertainment. Videographers, on the other hand, are in the archiving business. They are recording what is happened for viewing in the future. Any videographer who feels intimidated by this does not understand the big picture.

MB: How competitive do you think VJing will become?
Sands: The truth is that currently, the equipment involved in doing a decent video show is a bit complex for many DJs, especially if you are trying to do it computer-based. So I think in the near term, we are establishing who the main players will be. But in the next couple of years, we will have a critical mass of DJs offering this service, creating more competition as more DJs make the technical transition required to do the job competently.

*The “Video Killed the Radio Star” music video was the first one to be shown on MTV’s premier show, in August 1981. In February 2000 it also became MTV’s one-millionth video to be aired.