“Safe Songs” for Schools December list

We create a list each week of songs that are safe to play at school dances.  Because of the Holidays this month we just do two lists.  Here is the latest.

I am excited to announce an upgrade to the School Dance Network website.   It has more DJ content,  easier interface for DJs to become members, a better look and the same great passion to help improve school dances nationwide.  Please take a moment to check it out at www.schooldancenetwork.com or www.DJHotTalk.com.  If you have any suggestions or comments….I am all ears.

 Safe Songs for December 9th 2011

		Artist	Title	Notes/info	Prime Cuts #	BPM
1	1	David Guetta	Without You	Usher	201136	128
4	2	LMFAO	Sexy and I know it		201133	130
7	3	Rihanna	We Found Love		201140	128
2	4	Gym Class Heros	Stereo Hearts	Adam Levine	201125	91
3	5	Jason Derulo	It Girl		201133	92
5	6	Cobra Starship	You Make Me Feel		201120	132
11	7	Flo Rida	Good Feelin		201137	128
6	8	Maroon 5/Aguilera	Moves Like Jagger		201132	128
8	9	Lil Wayne	How to Love		201123	77
16	10	Bruno Mars	It Will Rain	One reference to morophine	201140	75
17	11	Drake	Headlines	Must be edited! F**K, Sh*t, Nig**	201132	76
9	12	Britney Spears	I Wanna Go		201124	131
15	13	Nicki Minaj-Rihanna	Fly	Must edit Motherf**ker	201132	120
10	14	New Boyz	Better with the Lights on		201120	112
12	15	LMFAO	Party Rock Anthem	Lauren Bennett	201102	131
14	16	Bad Meets Evil	Lighters (squeaky clean)	Bruno Mars	201125	90
24	17	Pitbull/w Chris Brown	International Love	Requires edited version	201140	120
26	18	Hot Chelle Rae	I Like it Like That	FT-New Boyz	201139	101
29	19	J Cole	Workout	Edit N**ga,  S**t	201126	93
30	20	Rihanna	You Da One		201147	127
22	21	Enrique Iglesias	I Like How it Feels	FT Pitbull	201139	128
13	22	Alexandra Stan	Mr. Saxobeat		201119	127
18	23	Nicki Minaj	Super Bass		201115	127
21	24	Kanye West	All of the lights	Kid Cudi, Rihanna	201050	71
23	25	Breathe Carolina	Black Out	Use Radio Edit	201124	124
19	26	David Guetta	Where them Girls at	FloRida-Nicki Minaj	201119	130
20	27	Sean Paul	Got 2 Luv		201129	92
25	28	Beyonce	Countdown		201140	84
new	29	Lady Gaga	Marry the Night		201145	131
new	30	Karmin	Crash Your Party	Careful-”Oh My God”	201144	96

 

All the (DJ’s) World is a Stage: Why DJs could learn Lighting Lessons from the Theatre

12 Steps for Dance Floor Recovery – By Arnoldo Offerman

HOW TO HELP A CROWD THAT’S HOOKED ON NEGATIVITY

As DJs, we often hear the phrase, “There’s no such thing as a bad crowd.” I’d like to go on record and say that’s a total lie— and I have proof. You see, I am part of the bad crowd.

When I am the DJ, I will jump around and show more energy than a busload of children engaged in Red Bull chugging contests. But put me in front of another DJ and I will grab my seat. Simply put, I do not dance. I am a “broken” Hispanic, as dancing is not my thing. That being said, if I know that not even a 9mm pointed at my head would force me to dance, then how can I expect that as other people should be different?

12-STEP PROGRAM FOR SUCCESS

My events are always high-energy events, and I get people dancing that have never danced in their life. Myself included. (Kinda sorta.) As I see it, there are 12 steps for dance floor recovery from a bad crowd.

1) Honesty with yourself is key. Admit to yourself that there is such a thing as a bad crowd. Some really suck, and some are just downright rude.

2) Remind yourself that YOU are the DJ/MC. You have powerful tools at your disposal for psychological control of these people: music, lighting, and emotion, expressed through your own attitude.

3) Rapport is key. Sure, they may be there for the bride and groom, or to celebrate their company’s 50th year—that doesn’t mean they’ll dance. However take the time to introduce yourself to each table and seize the chance to let everyone know who you are on a personal level. Use this time to make instant friendships and take requests. Now, when you ask (not invite, literally ask) everyone to come on the dance floor and celebrate, they’re more apt to. After all, the request came from someone they “know.” Don’t believe me? Why do you think snowball dances work? Wallflowers are more apt to dance when someone they know is asking them to come on out.

4) I realize this may seem ironic, given this article’s title, but do watch for drinking. Look around during dinner and see what genres “lead” more people to the bar. Try a few more of those songs to loosen people up when it’s time to fill the dance floor. Yes, this may be a DJ “crutch” but if the alcohol is there anyway, you might as well use it to your advantage!

5) Change! If a genre is not working, keep alternating various genres until something works. Then build up from there.

6) Don’t be afraid to say no! Let’s say you finally have a crowd dancing to rap, after the oldies just would not work. Someone comes up to you and asks you to change it back. What do you do? Be honest! Let them know you tried other genres and NO ONE, including them, got up. If they say they’ll dance to it, tell them you’ll hold them to it. If they really agree, tell them you’ll try to gradually mix it in.

7) At weddings, you should’ve already told your couples that the party is wherever they are. Should they forget, approach them and ask what songs they want to dance to. Once you get them dancing, invite everyone else to dance so they don’t “leave the happy couple celebrating by themselves!”

8 ) Speed up the songs just a bit. Yes, this works. I wish I could go further with more facts and proof, but I can only speak from personal experience. Others that have followed my advice reported the same results: It just works.

9) Beatmix. Once you have the floor going with a tough crowd, the worst thing that could happen is a slightly “off” feeling in the overall beat. Learn to mix if you don’t know how already. Don’t roll your eyes or bother trying to argue with me about it. There’s a reason that any successful dance venue/club has a DJ who can beatmix.

10) Switch your dance lighting colors to reds, yellows, and anything in between. Why do fast food chains use these colors? They create a sense or urgency and heighten the senses; now think about how this would translate to dancing.

11) Don’t let songs tire out. If a song isn’t working, don’t just let it go to the end out of a sense of duty or something—mix on to the next track. And remember, keep switching genres!

12) YOUR attitude is key! You must take on the stance that if no one is dancing, then you will. I don’t mean to be the “hey look at me” guy, I just mean dancing behind your console; smiling; jamming out! Your energy will become infectious and it WILL sweep the room.

A lot of this sounds like common sense stuff, but I’ve noticed that this isn’t often applied together as a set. Try it, and remember: There IS such a thing as a bad crowd, so ultimately you must play for the fun ones in the group, give these techniques a shot, and pray that the rest will follow.

Get Ready for School – by Arnoldo Offerman

NEW COLUMN: YOUTH EVENT MASTERY – WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL DANCE DJ?

If you’re reading (or skimming) this article, you either want to get into the school market or revamp your school events. Like the rest of your business, you need a plan; and the task doesn’t come lightly.

Over the next few articles, I am going to teach you everything you need to know to grab this market by the horns and move your company to the front of the herd.

Those of you who know me are aware I don’t own A Premier Entertainment. Rather, CEO (and one of my best friends, Kelly Suit does). This brings the question that you rightfully may ask: Why listen to me? My job in the company (Productions Manager/VP) breaks out to many tasks, but our school division, ForSchoolsOnly, begs a different title and set of responsibilities. I am the division president, and this market is my baby. I created the name, concept, promotional materials, and sales techniques for this division. The result? In a market of $600 school DJs, we do dances from a simple $1,500 to $11,000 per event. During homecoming or prom, we knock out about four dances (alongside weddings and such) and keep things flowing rather smoothly. Schools ask for our DJs by name and grinding is NOT a problem at our dances. Our set up is efficient, powerful, and memorable. Call it ego, but I believe we are the best teen dance specialists in our state, if not the country. A Premier Entertainment owns all its own equipment and has dedicated employees. Simply put: We know our stuff.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Now that the “watch me puff myself up” part is over, let’s talk schools. First we need to make sure you’ve got the right stuff. Let’s go through a checklist; do not advance until you can say “CHECK!”

Equipment: If you own anything less than 15’ of Global Truss and a pair of crankstands, then start over. We tried using less for schools when we first began, and boy, I wish I could go back and fix that mess! A school gig demands big speakers, big subs, big lights, maybe video. You also need a big enough truck to haul this all in. Don’t go breaking your bank! We started years ago with two 5’x7’ screens, a 10’x10’ truss rig, and 10 lights. We rocked it back then and you can, too!

Roadies: I don’t care if you think you can set this all up on your own. Load-in and set up are mentally and physically draining. It WILL hinder your performance. Get ready to expand and hire some roadies!

Stamina: Doing large teen dances takes a lot of energy, and doing them back to back doesn’t get easier. As your venture grows, so does the to-do list. Floorplans, music, request lists, parts list, equipment check, cleaning, rider, etc.—this WILL wear you out!

Big brass “jog wheels:” School DJs are often ruthless. Some will be very nice to you, but tough competition, others will snake gigs from you and trash-talk you every minute they can. Keep a thick skin, you’re going to need it!!

A love for today’s music: If you hate today’s music, this will NOT be enjoyable for you, and that changes the energy you emit to the students. You’ll need to be well-versed in the music these “young whippersnappers” listen to nowadays!

Mixin’ skills: Yes, programming is important, but couple it with beatmixing for a unbeatable combo!

5-Hour Energy shots. I’ve gone six years without needing one, but I’m about to reconsider!

Honestly, you cannot do this successfully without possessing every quality above. The good news is, most of these criteria are easily met by most experienced DJs. You could argue some of them, such as beatmixing, but the honest truth is that I know I’m not the only one who has gotten schools’ attentions just by repeating the word. If you want to do this, REALLY want to do this, but there’s something above you’re not comfortable with…fix it! Don’t give up easily; this is a very rewarding market with many side-market opportunities, such as Sweet Sixteens. With some hard work and time/money investments, you will school division with some impact!

SnowMasters Special Effects—Flogos-Lite

PRESS RELEASE

SnowMasters Special Effects—Flogos-Lite

Portable Series

How Exciting!! From a 350 lb plus (24” size)/400 lb plus (36” size), 6’ plus tall road case to a < 70 lbs suitcase-sized machine, at 13” tall in transport configuration, and 36” in height when fully set up, with the same capabilities, the newly designed Flogos-Lite is lightweight, portable, and more innovative than before. It is a fraction of the size of the original machine, making it easy to transport, move, and setup; it can now be operational in less than 2 minutes.

Performance-wise, Flogos-Lite is faster, with dryer Flogos that float longer. It is designed by SnowMasters, now known as Global Special Effects, Inc., and is easily shipped via freight; Flogos-Lite can be conveniently transported in a mini-van or pickup truck.

Flogos-Lite is more affordable to a larger audience to purchase or rent. It is available in 24” and 36” variations, similar to previous model. It houses a built-in automatic timer to fly the floating clouds at different intervals or turn the machine on/off. When set up in its transporting/mobile configuration, it can be pulled, by one person, like a large piece of luggage.

Flogos-Lite is lightweight and can be easily stored, transported, and setup on stage, indoors/outdoors, and is a great addition to enhance any lighting designs, cryo, pyro, or other special effects; small size makes it great for touring bands too. Lighting and music becomes even more alive with floating logos or symbols flying simultaneously. Contact Global Special Effects, A.K.A SnowMasters. AVAILABLE TODAY!!

All The Right Moves – Dance & DJ Competition

Do you have “all the right moves” to be a Dance or DJ Champion? William Young and Golden Touch DJ Entertainment are hosting a dance and DJ competition, and he wants you to be a part of it. “All The Right Moves – Dance & DJ Competition” will be taking place on Saturday, May 21, 2011 from 12 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. at the VIP Olmeca Events Center, 1927 West Burnsville Parkway, Burnsville, Minnesota. We are looking for any DJ’s or Dancers who would like to participate in this event. The contest is going to be open to all styles of dance and the plan is to open it up to solo dancers and groups in this category where the first prize winner would receive $1,000. The Deejay contest will have two DJs battling it out with their own unique mixing styles, where the winner would move on to the next round until we crown a Champion. The first place winner would win $500. There would be 2nd and 3rd place prizes for both the dancers and the deejays as well.

I am hoping to have a lot of dancers and deejays participating in the event. This event would be a first of its kind and would have the best of both worlds. EMI and Mobilebeat would be our main sponsors. Registration for the event starts on March 15th, 2011 and you can register to participate at the following website: www.alltherightmovesdancedj.com.

If you need more information, call 763-557-6462

KIAA Restructures, Re-Launches at Mobile Beat Las Vegas DJ Convention

KIAA re-launched last week at the Mobile Beat DJ Conference in Las Vegas. We have been very critical of how
KIAA is operating (or actually was not). Rather than give you “he-said”, “she-said” we videotaped their presentation and posted it here for all to see. 1st, the terms and conditions which were posted on their site for about a month prior to the show have totally been scrapped. They were put up by mistake as they re-worked their web-sites and they pulled them when we pointed out many issues with them. New documents and guidelines can be found via their PDF Documents at:

http://www.kiaasafeharbor.com
Click for Venue documents
Click for KJ Host documents

Videos were taped live so please forgive us for camera noises and cross talk from other people sitting directly beside and behind us.

Here is your front row seat to the presentation. We will make TOO MANY comments below!

History, Opinions and appeal for feedback from all KJ’s on their opinions We spoke at length with the folks at Chartbuster, Sound Choice and Stellar and have some issues but are much happier with where all of us KJ’s stand. USKA is about helping and safe guarding KJ’s. We own Starz Karaoke in the Phoenix area and we have been doing Karaoke professionally since 1998. In 13 years, we have collected thousands of CDG’s, VCD’s, Laser discs, SCDG’s,etc, etc. We ran shows on discs until late 2003 and were entirely on PC’s by 2004. Along the way we were duped and spent over $10,000 on pre-loaded CAVS players. When we found out they were illegal we stopped using them.. We still have 2 of them. WHY go digital? Back when a Sound Choice Foundation Set was over $1000, one of ours ran out the door of our show. Within about 6 months, we lost a Foundation 1, a Foundation 2 and numerous other CDG’s that were in our nylon cases with them. If we are on computer and our discs are safe they can not be stolen. Discs that get fingered and dropped and passed around and even slid in and out of sleeves slowly wear out. Capture the music once and you have a copy forever and discs are safe, secure and not being worn out.. All that said… that is why many of us have gone digital, but that was the beginning of making it easy to PIRATE music and that lead to the problems we see today. The publisher-members of KIAA are fighting to survive. They have seen revenues go to pennies on the dollar of previous levels, while American Idol, Glee, Nintendo, Wii, Playstation, several TV game shows and other games and shows have made Karaoke more popular than ever. We love music and we love Karaoke or we would have gotten out of this industry over the last few years. It is in our blood. We can not leave it behind, but we have to help to make it better. We are currently looking for your feedback on the issues that we have. Many of us in Karaoke that are doing our best to do business legally have no problem with venues and KJ’s that are using illegal music being sued. The problem is that it has to be fair.. There are several issues for KJ’s This is an attempt to summarize the most prominent issues: 1. Over many years Karaoke discs have been lost or mis-placed. Now with 90% of all Karaoke disc manufacturers actually out of business, there must be some lee-way given in audits for missing discs (within reason). 2. Once again, over the years many companies have gone out of business, but also, many discs have gone out of print. As we add new sets it is very difficult to duplicate the songs that we originally had. We do our best, but there are quite a few “holes” where we can not get songs that we have several copies of, but not for every set in our venues. 3. Managing multiple sets and multiple books adds to costs of book printing, and adds tons of times to management of who has what set. Trying to keep it uniform has become a difficult task. Once gain, we want someone to have the same tracks at all shows so they know what to expect. NOW – That is a matter of choice, and anyone can choose to operate sets that are totally different, but many choose not do work that way. If a host is using Karaoke music that has been discontinued and can not be purchased any longer and they are using it as the basis for operations for business that is fine.. BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE THE DISCS! Someone operating old tracks with no discs is circumventing the costs that those of us who paid for discs had to pay and it creates unfair competition. This is why the Karaoke manufacturers that remain are banding together. They have spent nearly 3 years trying to create awareness of our industry’s piracy problem. Now they are saying join us and be legal or get out of this business. We had a problem with this until they created the safe harbor program found above. There is NO COST to join the program, register music, get audited and protect one’s self from legal actions. However, we feel that better homework needs done up front to keep law suits from being filed against legal companies and venues. We also want to see published guidelines that are fair to KJ’s and to the Karaoke disc manufacturers. To let you know where the manufacturer’s of KIAA stand. Stellar does not support an inspection program of discs. They offer a one price fits all CAP Program that gives you rights to every song they have ever done at one cost (over $3,000 per set). Other option is to just buy all the discs that you want and nothing else. Sound Choice requires a KJ to be 98% compliant on investigation and anything you do not have must be deleted. Chartbuster is the same except they allow 95%. After talking to literally hundreds of KJ’s and all of the manufacturers, I have a proposal as to a middle ground for audits that takes both sides into account.. PLEASE send your opinions to info@uskaraokealliance.com so we can submit them to the KIAA members. THESE ARE NOT KIAA TERMS OR CONDITIONS! THEY ARE MY PROPOSALS OF WHAT I (Eric Godfrey, President of USKA) FEEL IS FAIR TO BOTH SIDES. WHY DO YOU CARE? WHEN YOU GET NAMED IN A LAW SUIT YOU NEED RULES TO FOLLOW AS HOW TO GET INTO COMPLIANCE. IF YOU WANT TO AVOID LAW-SUITS YOU NEED TO JOIN AND SUBMIT TO AN AUDIT.. THE MANUFACTURERS HAVE NOT GIVEN A KIAA AUDIT PROCEDURE AS OF THIS DATE. EACH MANUFACTURER HAS IT’S OWN IDEAS: 2 types of discs: 1. Currently existing manufacturers - which have a.) discs still in production that are available and b.) some discontinued discs that are not available. 2. Discs from manufacturers that are out of business. All of these companies discs are out of production. Many are still out in the market, however most of these are counterfeit or unauthorized discs that have been used to fill the market and have driven down pricing. 1. General rule across the board on all discs. If you do not have a single copy of a disc containing a song, then you can not have that song on any of your systems at all. It must be deleted! In other words at minimum you must have at least one copy of every song on at least 1 disc. A> Current manufacturers. - Must have 1 copy of every song and 95% of all songs across all sets! 1. If the song exists on a disc today and it can be purchased, you must have 1 for 1 copies. If you have 3 sets of Karaoke gear operating at once you need 3 copies. If you are missing the original disc for one set you must either buy it or delete the song from the set you can not validate (Once again this is on music that you can buy today!) 2. Discontinued music – You must have at least one copy of the song on disc or you must delete the song (or disc) across all sets. As long as you have one copy of every song you can be missing a song here and there, but you must have 95% of all music across all sets. Let’s put a number on this. Say you have 3,334 songs in 3 sets. You must have one of every song so set 1 is 100% compliant. Set 2 is missing 150 songs on 10 discs that are no longer available. Set 3 is missing 240 songs on 16 discs that are no longer available (remember if it is available you have to buy it or delete it). Total for all 3 sets would be 10,002 songs. If you are missing 390 songs you have 9612 songs out of 10,002 or 96.1%. By this system you would pass. If you are missing more than 5% or 500 songs you would fail. B> Discs from manufacturers that are out of business. – Must have 1 copy of every song and 90% of all songs across all sets! Let’s use the same numbers as above. All manufacturers are out of print so we remove the option of purchasing discs that you do not have! 2. Discontinued music – You must have at least one copy of the song on disc or you must delete the song (or disc) across all sets. As long as you have one copy of every song you can be missing a song here and there, but you must have 90% of all music across all sets. Let’s put a number on this. Say you have 3,334 songs in 3 sets. You must have one of every song so set 1 is 100% compliant. Set 2 is missing 300 songs on 20 discs. Set 3 is missing 480 songs on 32 discs. Total for all 3 sets would be 10,002 songs. If you are missing 780 songs you have 9222 songs out of 10,002 or 92.2%. By this system you would pass. If you are missing more than 10% or 1000 songs you would fail. This system would keep all KJ’s predominantly honest but allow for lost, misplaced, stolen, or unavailable discs here and there. It would create revenues for manufacturers for existing tracks and keep KJ’s from using discontinued sets to fill collections unless they actually own them. Allowing less of a percentage would allow the system to be abused and would allow KJ’s to make use of too much missing music instead of purchasing tracks to replace that music. Once again, we want your opinion on this (info@uskaraokealliance.com). Author’s note: I have purposely avoided the topic of  internet downloads. The only manufacturers offering downloads are Chartbuster and Stingray (Sound Choice partner). They are both adamant that downloads are for personal use only and can not be used in any commercial venture. Recent Publishing rulings make it illegal for UK Karaoke manufacturers to distribute discs in the US. KIAA has stated they will not recognize downloaded tracks as being legitimate. While I do not agree totally, I understand the underlying issues and we will work to educate everyone that downloads are for personal use only.   Other opinions are also welcome on this issue!

The Chime of the Wedding Bells by Jay Maxwell

The Chime of the Wedding Bells

BY JAY MAXWELL

When most people ask you what you do for a living and you tell them that you are a mobile disc jockey, they probably think of you spinning tunes and playing songs that people can dance to. Of course, if you had to explain to someone what a mobile DJ does, you would likely give them that same one sentence explanation. There are times though when a DJ’s musical expertise expands beyond the dance floor and into other avenues where music is needed for the occasion. One such venue is providing music and sound amplification for wedding ceremonies. If you are not currently offering this service to brides, I highly recommended adding it to enhance your appeal when couples are deciding which professional DJ service to employ for their big day.

In the past few years, we have seen a definite trend of brides and grooms getting married in nontraditional settings, where they prefer to have a DJ play the music rather than have musicians on-hand. When brides do get married in a church, they rarely hire a DJ to provide the music. Instead, they will opt for traditional instruments played by musicians, usually piano or organ, or perhaps a string quartet. But many brides now choose to get married outside under grand oak trees, in a garden, in their backyard, or even on the beach. Others get married at the facility where the reception will be held to save both money and travel time, especially if it is designed to handle both parts of their big day.

Often brides will hold their wedding ceremony where there is no electricity (the beach for example) and still expect the DJ to play music and amplify the officiant with a microphone. You need to provide battery-operated equipment, preferably with built-in wireless microphones, along with either a CD player or other way to play music. (See sidebar for our specific solution and other audio considerations)

PLAY SOMETHING WE CAN…TIE THE KNOT TO

Many brides know what song they want for their first dance and the type of music for the reception, but need our assistance for choosing music for the ceremony. We have often encountered couples who have not given any thought to the prelude music, or even to what song to play as the mothers are seated. During the consultation with the bride and groom, they rely on our experience to guide them to make their choices. We help them by asking certain questions and also by having the music choices ready to play for them, so they can get a feel for what we are talking about. After all, how many brides know what “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” or “Arioso” really sound like until they hear them?

One of the first questions we ask is what type of instrumentation they prefer (strings, brass, harp, piano, flute, guitar, etc.). For an outdoor setting we recommend staying away from a “full” sound like an orchestra or organ because those would not sound natural outside.

Another important consideration is whether or not anyone else will be providing any music during the ceremony. (See sidebar for some thoughts on PA options.) Also, ask if anything “extra” is to occur during the ceremony like a unity candle or sand ceremony (the latter being an alternative to the unity candle ceremony, suitable for windy beaches!). If so, there is usually music played in the background during this parts.

MUSIC, AT YOUR SERVICE

Naturally the biggest question to ask is about the service or ceremony music. There are three different sections to consider: prelude music, music for participants to enter, and the recessional. For the prelude music the majority of brides still prefer the traditional classics that have been played for generations. But one recent variation is to play music by a group called The Vitamin String Quartet. In the past year, many brides have both requested this group or have been highly receptive to the idea when we suggest it to them. The VSQ has hundreds, if not thousands, of contemporary songs that are played in a classical style. Based on brides’ requests, we have nearly 100 of their songs in our library now and add more each month as more brides discover this opportunity to have some of their favorite contemporary songs (Lady Gaga’s hits for example) played—classical style—during the prelude portion.

The music will change when the participants enter. People will know that the wedding is starting when the mothers (and sometimes the grandmothers) are being seated. Traditionally, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” “Arioso,” (both by Bach) or “Ave Maria” (various) are played, but other selections are also given in this issue’s list. The groom, officiant and groomsmen will then enter, if they are not escorting the bridesmaids in. When the bridesmaids enter, they will usually enter to Pachelbel’s famous “Canon in D” or “Spring” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. A recent contemporary song used for this entrance is “Over the Rainbow, What a Wonderful World” by Iz (Israel Ka’ano’i Kamakawiwo’ole).

For the all-important bride’s march down the aisle, she will either want the traditional “Bridal Chorus” (from Wagner’s opera, Lohengrin; aka “Here Comes the Bride”) or… “Anything other than that song!” Brides are clearly in one of two “camps” on this choice. Either they have always dreamed of walking down the aisle to the traditional tune, or they want to be sure to choose something different. Other frequent requests are “Canon in D,” or the various versions of “Trumpet Voluntary,” or “Trumpet Tune.”

The final section of music is the recessional. As for knowing when to start the recessional song, to be on the safe side, ask the officiant what their final words will be. Often it is, “Ladies and Gentleman, may I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. ___.” However, they may close in a final prayer or have another short statement to make. Although most brides and grooms are still choosing traditional music for the prelude and entrance songs, about half our couples in the past year chose modern songs for the recessional. Many popular choices are “All You Need Is Love” (Beatles), “I’m Yours” (Jason Mraz), “Hey, Soul Sister” (Train), “How Sweet It Is” (James Taylor) and “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” (Stevie Wonder).

Though the ceremony will take between 15 and 30 minutes, you will likely spend much more time helping the couple plan this very important stage of their day. During the consultation, finish the ceremony planning first. Then, turn attention to the reception where you can then assist them in creating the rest of their memorable event—by choosing music that will keep their guests smiling and dancing when they say “Play Something We Can Dance To!”

* Processional

1. Bridal Chorus “Here Comes the Bride” (Wagner)

2. Canon in D (Pachelbel)

3. Trumpet Voluntary-Prince of Denmark (Clarke)

4. Trumpet Voluntary (Purcell)

5. Trumpet Tune (Purcell)

6. Trumpet Tune (Stanley)

7. Spring “Four Seasons” (Vivaldi)

* Recessional (traditional)

1. Wedding March (Mendelssohn)

2. Trumpet Voluntary-Prince of Denmark (Clarke)

3. Ode to Joy (Beethoven)

4. Hornpipe-Water Music (Handel)

5. Rondeau (Mouret)

6. Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (Handel)

7. Hallelujah Chorus (Handel)

* For expanded wedding ceremony song lists, check out a copy of Mobile Beat’s January 2011 issue (#133). Subscribe today to receive a hard copy magazine 7 times a year, plus instant access to online issues!

Mic Technique and Voice-Over Training BY DAVE WINSOR

Mic Technique and Voice-Over Training BY DAVE WINSOR

If you really pay attention to the TV commercials that run in your local market, you’ll be surprised at the range of voice talent employed to sell items. If it’s a commercial for the latest Harry Potter movie, that voice-over (VO) talent is top notch and really SELLS the drama. It’s a well-written commercial with few words, that are all highly targeted. The VOICE is the star. Now listen for a local TV commercial. There is an amazing difference. Why is that?

For one thing, the high-end VO talent trains all the time at his or her craft, working on things most of us would never worry about, like “leaking” or spraying an S or a “plosive” P or D. They obsess about being able to make this phrase: “Irish sheet set” sound believable. Try saying it without making “set” into “shet.”

So, the question for you, if you are pursuing VO work, is how much do you practice?

The national VO talent has a coach and an agent. The coach instructs the talent on what needs to be worked on mechanically, as well as theatrical interpretation. That’s just the beginning. When you become a widely recognized VO talent, the jobs become more lucrative but also harder to get. Someone once told me I’d make an excellent “guy next door” in commercials. That’s not what I WANTED to be, oh no. I wanted to be the guy who says:

“In a world where…[insert whatever phrase describes something REALLY dramatic].”

Don LaFontaine (who died in 2008) was the famous VO artist who created that sensational style, and I wanted to have HIS delivery. I would have been happy to just talk with him and pick his brain. Here’s what he said about how to improve your voice:

“Singing lessons always help. You may never perform in Carnegie Hall, but you will improve your breath control, and expand the range of your vocal delivery. Also, simply using (not abusing) your voice by reading out loud will, over time, improve the quality and strength of your instrument. Do not think that smoking and drinking is going to help you develop a deep, rich tone. Smoking and drinking will help you develop cancer and cirrhosis of the liver.”

I sing to help me understand the range of my voice. I whistle too. I try to hit as many high notes as possible and I really try to hit the lowest note I can and still sound good. What have I learned from doing this? I know where my voice originates from and where I can take it when needed. How about you?

Are you blessed (or cursed) with a really low, deep booming voice? Does your voice start at the back of your throat, or in your head? I have some thoughts on these voices and I’ll share them with you in Vegas. Think about opera singers for a moment. What do they do that’s different from other singers? They move amazing amounts of air, have

perfect pitch, form notes with their mouths. They are powerful and yet when they have to be, they are tender. What can we learn from them?

Read this out loud:

“At the end of a long hard day, you can always count on us to help you relax”.

Keep practicing that. How do you think it sounded in my head when I wrote it? Can you glean anything about my choice of words? What is the delivery that you choose for this? Where is the emphasis? Try to read it with a different emphasis point.

There’s a lot to learn about using your voice properly, for voice-over work and for your regular MC duties. I look forward to speaking with you about the unique wonder that is your one true instrument: your voice. If you’re happy with it, we can find ways to tweak it. If you’re not happy with it, we can create a plan that will help you develop a stronger position. Are you up for it.

Dave Winsor is mobile entertainer and wedding specialist who has also been a radio broadcaster for the past 25 years. He was co-recipient of the Portland Press Herald’s “Maine Radio Personality of The Year” for 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. He can be heard every morning, Monday through Saturday, on Maine’s top country music station, 99.9 FM The Wolf (www.999thewolf.com). Dave has also been the in-house announcer for the Hartford Whalers of the NHL and the Portland Pirates of the AHL.

Practice: PREPARE to Be Great BY DEAN CARLSON

Practice: PREPARE to Be Great BY DEAN CARLSON

Picking up new performance ideas at a conference can be a great thing if done correctly. The problem is that most DJs take those ideas home and insert them into their shows without ever considering what it takes to really make them work for them. In fact, they often “practice” a new bit or piece of interaction on the fly—meaning at a live show.

Over the last month I have been calling various DJs around the country and asking, “Do you practice?” And most DJs immediately tell me they do. But when questioned deeper I have found that they might not understand what practice looks like for a DJ. In fact, most DJs almost never practice. I would argue that too many DJs out there think that just their “natural” talent is enough.

Most DJs who practice at all engage in what I would call “reactive practice” rather than “proactive practice.” Here is an example of reactive practice: You have a show coming up that requires you to do extended intros for the grand march. You write out each intro in a manner that flows and is worded in a way to bring out emotion and reaction. The day before your event you read your copy out loud a few times just to be sure you have it all down. This type of practice is designed to affect just one part of your show, and only one time. This is more “show prep” than real practice.

Proactive practice is very different than reactive practice. DJs who want to take that next step toward becoming the top entertainers in their market should set up daily, weekly and monthly schedules of proactive practice. Proactive practice can also be specifically targeted, or range targeted.

An example of specifically targeted proactive practice would be music mixing. Within that practice area you can break it down into learning music, music sets and actual beat mixing. This kind of practice effort will obviously affect a large portion of your show, so it is well worth planning and carrying out.

Range-targeted proactive practice is a little more abstract. In this area of practice, we work on things that can affect several different areas of our shows. Probably the easiest example of this to see is vocal practice. We use our voices for so many different things, and yet my bet is that very few DJs ever learn how to use theirs properly. A lot of DJs no doubt get into DJing because someone tells them they have a great voice. And there it sits.

Just in the vocal practice area you have so many different aspects to work on; things like range, breathing, how not to strain, how to use your voice in different scenarios, etc. Announcements require a different approach than introductions. Of all the DJs I spoke with, very few practice this.

Becoming a top DJ requires the investment of practice. In attending my seminar this year, you will discover crucial performance areas for practice that you probably never thought of before. I will show you how to make the most out of your practice time and set up a schedule that works. This seminar will challenge everyone from new DJs up to the most experienced DJs. Do yourself and your performances a favor and spend an hour on proactive practices that will exercise your DJ muscles!

Dean Carlson has been DJing for 23 years and is the owner of Night Magic Productions out of St Paul, Minnesota. Check out his wedding blog at www.NightMagicProductions.com/djdeanblog.

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