We wanted to take a week off from our “Wedding Traditions Explained” series and touch base on something that we believe a bride and groom should base their decision on when hiring a wedding DJ. There are so many choices when it comes to choosing your wedding DJ. Over the past couple of years, the barrier for entry becomes lower and lower as technology progresses. Essentially, someone with $1,000 could piece together a small DJ setup and say they were a “wedding DJ.” With iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, and so many other streaming services, finding music is no longer an issue. BTW, no professional DJ should EVER rely on those services for their music collection. If a DJ says they will be using them for your wedding…RUN…RUN VERY FAST! Professional DJ’s will have a massive catalog of every genre and style of music out there..both old and the newest of hits. However, everyone has access to everything. If they can’t find a song, there’s a real problem. But one thing we would like to point out is, Wedding DJs Should Know How To Mix Properly.
Wedding DJs Should Know How To Mix Properly
There are a lot of ways to differentiate what separates the great wedding DJs from the rest of the pack. It could be anything from their attention to details, planning, equipment, song selection, being able to read a crowd … the list goes on and on. But the ONE thing we feel that your wedding DJ must absolutely know how to do is mix the songs together; and they should know how to mix songs together properly.
Technology has made mixing songs together super easy. Computers can essentially mix the songs together for you these days with a single button (Sync). However, that doesn’t mean it will do it properly. Using the sync button will make both songs the same tempo but obviously you don’t want to make just any two songs with extremely varying tempos the same, its guaranteed to sound awful. On top of that, the DJ should know at what point in the song to start mixing the songs together. Its vitally important to know which points to start bringing in another song. The songs may be exactly the same tempo but once portions of the songs with words are mixed with other words, it starts to sound like a huge mess. An experienced and quality DJ will know at what point songs can be mixed, and will not only understand how to match beats, but will also understand mixing songs in key and know what proper phrasing is. Most Western music, especially electronic and pop music, is built using phrases of 8, 16 and 32 counts. By recognizing this structure, a good DJ can take two totally different songs and make them sound as if they were designed to fit together.
Mixing songs together creates energy and keeps everything flowing smoothly. When done properly, it can be difficult to tell where one song ends and another begins. When done incorrectly, it’s painfully noticeable. Its better for a DJ to let one song end and another one start instead of forcing the two together improperly, however letting the entirety of a song play can be a whole other issue.
Keeping the energy up and guests engaged at a wedding can be tasking. One bad song can clear a dance floor, follow it up with another bad song and you can ruin the entire party. This is where the ability to mix songs together is absolutely most important. If a GOOD wedding DJ plays the wrong song, for whatever reason, and they see that guests are not responding well to it, they can mix out of it easily and quickly. If a wedding DJ doesn’t know how to mix and they choose the wrong song, the dance floor is now stuck with 4 minutes of a bad song. 4 minutes is an eternity for a dance floor. Having the ability to read the crowd and notice what is or isn’t working is also vitally important to a DJ’s skill set. Being able to read the crowd and mix out of a song that isn’t working can ultimately save the party and keep people on the dance floor all night long. This is where having a DJ that has a lot of experience playing in bars or nightclubs is important, because they have perfected this skill, which can be a necessity at a wedding.
Who ever you choose, make sure that the Wedding DJs Should Know How To Mix Properly. A DJ that mixes could be the difference between a wedding reception that is absolutely amazing and a party that is a complete flop.
Kalifornia Entertainment utilizes DJ’s with years of experience playing to different crowds in nightclubs, bars, and large public events not just locally, but in other cities and states. Don’t just settle for a company that hires DJ’s off the street that push play and don’t have an idea on how to mix. Contact us today for more information on your next event!
