Last year brought many changes to my personal life but from a professional standpoint, I feel as though I’ve taken another step toward becoming established in a very fast-paced, ever-changing industry. I started working in private event entertainment during a critical transitional period when marketing strategies were changing and sales techniques were being altered in order to deliver information to clients in a more efficient manner. As the music industry itself struggles with the popularity of digital downloading, we also experience much of the same struggle. How do we present information to our clients as quickly as possible? How do we make it available to them when THEY want it? When it’s convenient for THEM? We’re beyond the days of US Mail. In the two days it takes for a CD to get to its destination, the client has already found someone else. Maybe not even someone better, but someone whose information was available quicker. A business that used to be based on communication and a veteran sales pitch is now based entirely on the strength of the internet. Evolving in stride with our clients is something we strive to do on a daily basis. We take a great deal of pride in having our best assets instantly accessible in cyberspace but also being readily available for a good old fashioned chit chat if the phone rings.

As a DJ in 2009, I thought the crop of popular music was extremely encouraging. Everyone has an opinion on music. Some of us are snobs, some claim to like everything, some think that pop music lacks substance and is somehow making us dumber as an American community. The truth of the matter is, there is something out there for everyone. If you don’t like certain things, don’t listen to them. In the world of private events, a DJ’s job is almost always to make people dance. That being said, I look at popular music in terms of its speed, its rhythm, and its dance floor appeal. The lyrics are more than likely hollow, unintelligent clouds of fluff, only written around a clever hook that will earn sufficient radio play. However, an infectious beat will have you singing those stupid lyrics against your will and waiting for the song to be played at the next wedding you attend. I think it’s beautiful. The whole dynamic is fascinating and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. A lot of the top 40 on the radio may not actually be fundamentally great songs but when I’m at work and people are dancing, I love them. 2009 was a great year for dance music. Previous years were soaked in too much mid-tempo R&B and it was nice to bring the beats-per-minute back up to a dance worthy pace.

Also in 2009, after DJing hundreds of weddings over the years, I got engaged! It’s been interesting looking at a wedding from a client’s perspective. It’s hard to tear yourself away from the business of timelines and speaker placement and vendor meals. My opinions are obviously well carved and I think I am more concerned about the guests having fun than I am about myself. Is that wrong? Maybe. Then again, maybe not. If they all have fun, I’m sure my good time will be a result. I do find it easier to converse with clients about their concerns when I’m going through some similar things myself. And I think clients like to see that I’m a real person with my own relationship. It allows them to open up a little more and makes them feel more comfortable. The big question I keep hearing is “Who are YOU using for entertainment?”. If you’re curious, give me a call!

Looking ahead to 2010 is pretty easy since most of our work is booked a year in advance. It already has the makings of a more successful year than the one that just passed. We’re preparing to move to a new facility which could change the way we do business. We have been tirelessly perfecting our demo material to make sure that we are presenting our artists in the best possible light. We are enthusiastic about a new season, the opportunity to work at new venues, and the comfort of revisiting some familiar ones. I’m getting married in September so if you want to talk shop or attempt to predict the weather, don’t hesitate to call.

-SR Arrington

Please show your support by clicking here and voting for Elan for “Jazz Act of the Year”. Voting ends November 30th, and the winners will be announced on December 2nd at the awards.

Flipside with guest vocalist Johnny Gill

This is the time of year when all popular bands get besieged to do charity fundraisers for very good causes.  There are so many good causes to choose from and they all have different operating budgets. Many charities have come around to the idea that good entertainment can greatly contribute to the success of an event. It’s easy to put an ad on Craigslist and get some college students to jam in the ballroom of the Four Seasons for your event, but it greatly reduces the amount of time the guests spend at said event. A lot of event planners have figured out that a really engaging band makes the evening feel special.

Flipside is a band of Dads, so that makes it especially rewarding to get involved with charities involving children.  This is a sensitive issue for us, as our lead singer lost his daughter last year.  Since then, playing with the band has been a healing joy for him.  As he explains it, it’s the one time of the week when he’s not mourning her loss.  With that in mind, I try to be sensitive about putting him in that context.  Under the right circumstances, though, these can be the best events of the year. We do an event for the Steppingstone Foundation every February that is simply the #1 most joyous occasion on our schedule.  They do it right: they come to party and don’t bog the evening down with speeches and platitudes.  They ask the band to turn up, not down! Everybody has a wonderful time and they are happy to pony up for the good cause.

This past week was especially rewarding.  Thursday night we played at the first annual gala fundraiser for ONE MISSION, a wonderful foundation dedicated to enhancing the lives of pediatric cancer patients.  They do a lot of work with Boston Children’s Hospital, the hospital that took such great care of my niece Lizzy when she need open- heart surgery a few months ago. This one felt personal for me.  A few months before my son Harrison was born, we had a little scare with some test results and spent an agonizing week waiting to hear that our firstborn would be alright.  Of course, I made a deal with God.  Everything turned out fine (more than fine- he’s a 3 year old maniac) and I try to do some work for children’s charity every year.  The event was in the EMC club at Fenway Park, a fine place to visit under any circumstances.

When we arrived, we met Ashley and Ari who started the foundation.  It was a wonderful crowd and a beautiful night and I predict that this event will grow every year.  Ashley gave a welcoming speech where she described their son Nicholas’ battle against Leukemia at the age of 7 months.  As I listened to her speak, I noticed a strange liquid dripping all over my telecaster and realized it was tears.  She really got to me and I could barely wait for the part where she said that everything turned out fine.  It was truly an honor to play for an event like this.

On Saturday night, a good friend of the Flipside band asked us to play for the Joslin Diabetes fundraiser.  We played at Ray and Shannon Allen’s wedding a while back and they have been so kind to the band.  We were happy to help out, of course.  Ray was unavailable as he is out with the Celtics working on bringing more championship trophies to Boston, but it’s always lovely to see Shannon and she has even sung with the band a few times.  It was also nice to catch up with her father (a fellow Beach Boys fanatic) and Ray’s father.  We were to perform at the VIP after- party at the Seaport Hotel, after Robin Thicke.  The week of the event, we got the word that Johnny Gill would be flying in and would we like to back him up?  Yes, we would. It was a fantastic event, so many lovely people on the dance floor, and of course a thrill to work with Johnny. We only had a bout a half hour before doors opened to run through the songs with him, but he very skillfully led us through the cues and described what he wanted. He brought the house down and had all the ladies quite worked up. Here’s a little Corin-Cam clip of the view from my amp.

If the DJ is not set up adjacent to the dance floor, dining tables have to be placed between the speakers and the dance floor, which not recommended.  On rare occasions, it may be possible to set the table up in the corner, and run the speakers up to the edge of the dance floor.  However, the speaker wires should never be run across a doorway or through a heavily trafficked area of the room.

Long rooms
The ideal placement of a DJ in an elongated, more rectangular room is at the center of one of the long walls.  A common thought is to place the DJ in one of the corners.  This is less than ideal, because it is difficult for the sound to travel all the way across the length of the room.  If the DJ is more centrally located, guests could hear introductions, announcements, and toasts much more clearly.  It also makes the dance floor more inviting to guests if it is in the center of the room.

What about wireless speakers?
The short answer is, no, they don’t exist.  Over the years, many companies have attempted to manufacture and sell wireless speakers.  A few have succeeded for home stereo systems, which average about 10 watts, but a much greater amount of power is required to address a crowd of 100 or more people (let alone pump enough volume to get people dancing).

When all else fails…
If you have explored all options, and have no choice but to set the DJ up in a corner with tables between the speakers and the dance floor, be sure not to seat older guests (parents age and above) at those tables.  I always recommend seating the younger guests you know will be up and dancing or mingling all night.  A consider amount of volume is needed for dancing, and if someone is sitting right in front of the speakers all night, they will not be happy.  And you want everyone to be happy at your wedding or party, right?

Lara is, in fact a photographer who shoots rock and roll people and weddings (check out thestudionouveau.com if you’d like to see her work) and Jon is in a rawking dub- heavy band called Destroy Babylon who have toured with The Wailers, Lee Perry and many cool reggae artists. This couple did everything right to personalize their wedding and make sure everybody had a wonderful time. The vibe was the opposite of uptight. The groomsmen all wore very natty suits with Chuck Taylors and looked fantastic. From the bandstand, it was easy to tell that everybody in the room cared deeply for this couple and were ready to have a great time. They had Flipside set up in the center of the stage with tables one either side of us. The caterers did a great job of running their very busy show in the wings of a commercial theatre, with scrims and screens placed strategically so that none of the guests saw all the work going into the event. The whole night was a blast, but of particular note was the first dance. The cocktail hour was in the lobby of the Opera House and then they invited all the guests to come in and sit close to the stage. We played “Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney as the curtains opened on them already dancing. I’m a giant McCartney/Beatles fan and had seen him at Fenway Park the week before, so I was totally pumped to sing that one for them, and it was really a beautiful moment. The little moments that the band gets that the guests don’t see are what makes this job special. Lara and Jon going over their dance just one last time with our piano player, little nervous giggles and all, and then they totally nailed it. Lara promises to send video when it is edited, so we’ll post that at some point as part of my series: “great moments in first dance history”. In the meanwhile, check out the video footage I show with my little flip camera. This shows some of the operations backstage, the centerpieces (vintage cameras, a very cool touch) and a bit of music from a viewpoint that the rest of us do not get to see: the drum stool. Lara and Jon had a photo spot set up in one corner where their guests could put on funny wigs and hats and take a photo. Of course, people started walking around with the props and this video will show that sometimes all it takes is one man with a phony mustache to turn a background dinner song (on ukulele, no less) into a full- on dancing romp.

Many people have never booked live entertainment before and therefore we get a lot of questions. The following information is designed to give you an idea of how the process works, what to expect and to help you understand our philosophy and approach. Our job is two fold: to find you the best entertainment possible and take the fear and confusion out of the process.