Back in Business

I experienced a brief moment of elation today, when I finally found my log in details after the office tidy up a few months ago.

The post will continue soon :)

The three pillars of GREATNESS (overview)

I was asked some time ago to write a piece for a web site to help couples find a great wedding dj. And being who I am, I started in a wild flurry of ideas and notes. I thought about that word "Great" and if I fell into that category (ego in check, I don't). I looked at the people who inspire me, I asked my family and friends to define it for me. I then started to think about the ideal wedding DJ from my point of view, from the clients and from the venues too, and then quickly got over taken by the real and immediate matters at hand. Making it happen, not writing about it, so, time to pull the notes and the thoughts together and put it all in one place.

I believe that there are three pillars that all "Greats" stand on, and yes there are exceptions to the rule, so first lets clarify what it is I'm actually writing about. "How do couples find a GREAT wedding dj" now those who've read a little of my ramblings will know that it can be exactly that rambling, but this one will keep circling back to that question above (see what I mean).

I'm approaching it from two view points (I hope) the clients, and of course, from behind the decks.

In my experience, (what little of it there is) people who are Great at what they do have similar traits. yes thats Great with a capital G, not "yeah great, wot ever" but the type of Great with a few exclamation marks after it ok? There are the practical aspects of their Greatness, the first of the two pillars.

1. SKILL; (Some are born Great) yes natural talent is the exception to skill. But only as a starting block, even those who are gifted, collect new skills and improve upon their existing ones.

2. EXPERIENCE; (Some achieve Greatness) there is no substitute for having a little dirt under your nails, if you haven't done the task, then reading about, watching others do it or talking to others about it, will not make you Great at it.

The third pillar is less tangible, yet in my opinion the most valuable.

3. PASSION. (Greatness thrust upon them) I touched on this last post, Passion is not passive. To be Great at any thing you have to be passionate about it, YOU HAVE TO BE PASSIONATE ABOUT IT. No grey area here,  no grammatically correct lower case type: PASSIONATE. (maybe a litte too much  http://garyvaynerchuk.com/  for me today?)

Let me bring this home now, back to the question; "How do couples find a GREAT wedding dj" 

This first step is important, so don't skip it.

How do you find a Great wedding DJ? Look for one. Seriously. If you want a Great DJ at your wedding, don't go looking for the lowest costing DJ, don't go looking at your local club DJ (no dis intended guys, I cant do what you do at the level you do it). Don't go looking in the newspaper classifieds. Look where you would expect Great wedding DJs to promote themselves. Wedding related websites, Wedding venues, Wedding Forums are all good places to start. Also don't forget the DJ Association type sites like http://www.djaa.com.au here in Australia, (a newer site) or the state level ones, and the guys in the know in the US http://www.wedguild.com/

Thanks for reading that wall of text, over the next 3 posts I'm going to take each of the pillars and DJize (its my blog and I can invent words here if I want to ) them. If you're looking for a Great wedding DJ or your on this side of the deck with me, I hope you'll find it worth the read.
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Check out more of me on:
Twitter @PerthWeddingDj
Google+ search for Party Sounds Professional DJ Services
Face book http://www.facebook.com/Party.Sounds.Professional.DJs
Or drop by my site www.partysounds.com.au

Im a DJ and I know it.

Djing used to be what I did, but Ive come to realise that its who I am. Its not only how I define myself, but its also how other define me.

As I'm sitting here tapping away at the keyboard I'm looking around my office. There are light and speaker stands resting in the corner, a console in need of repair on the workbench beside it. Along with a pair of headphones and a soldering iron.

My desk is cluttered with CDs and paperwork, booking forms and workshop notes. And the bookshelf has more CD's, LP's and 45's on it than actual books. My diary is a blank during most of the day, but full to busting after dark. Personal social gatherings happen on weeknights because Friday and Saturday are my work days.

And you know what. I Love IT. I pity those people who must face a day at work doing what they hate, when I get to do what I love. I think that's the secret, Passion, no I know that's the secret. If you are passionate about what you do, you will always love doing it. You'll get frustrated at not going fast enough, or hard enough, you could be doing more, give more, be better. BUT you keep going and you keep doing, because that's the stuff of passion, its not passive, its aggressive. So there is the thing, if you don't feel a passion for the work, for the clients, or for the industry, move over because there's a revolution coming. DJ's who want more, not for them selves but for the industry and the clients.

If you want to know more about the author the website is www.partysounds.com.au or the twitter is PerthWeddingDj

The Question

You wouldn't walk into restaurant, and ask "How much for a meal?" and expect a definitive answer. Not without adding some more detail to the request. "We'd like to bring 20 people to your restaurant for dinner on Feb 14th, what would that cost us?" is better, but still won't give the restaurant the ability to work up a bill for you. There are more details to take into consideration, What Items from the menu will be chosen? Will you ask for an entree and/or desert? If so how many of the guests will indulge? Coffee? Alcohol? A private room or the main dining area? The list can be quite comprehensive before the final amount is settled upon. Yes, some restaurants will offer pre-determined packages, with set prices to make this process easier. But it will come at some cost to the personalisation of the dining experience.

Now what has this got to do with the View from behind the decks? Let me reword those questions above, quoted from emails I've received this week.

"How much for a DJ?" thats it, that's all she wrote, literally. Now, this is not the regular way that people ask for a quote from me, but it has happened.

"We are getting married on Feb 14th at XYZ Restaurant and would like you to DJ, what will that cost us?" is another example, of a recent quote request.

The entertainment at your wedding is not, SHOULD NOT, be a prepackaged fast food Burger, Fries and a Soft drink. There is a world of gastronomic delights waiting for you on the buffet of ambiance. Customised entries, love stories, dancing on clouds, mood lighting, MCing duties, memorable moments, personal touches, creative garter and bouquet events are just some of the thousands of options that can be brought to the table.

So next time you, or some one you know is looking for a service provider, give them some real detail or better yet, give them some of your time, so they can give you some detail. Together the Bride & Groom and the right Wedding Entertainment Specialist, can create a feast for the senses.

Wedding Entertainment Specialists no longer just slap a CD on the barbie. Bon appetit.

If you want more, check out my website www.partysounds.com.au or tweet @PerthWeddingDJ 

2012 The first Blogg

"And what have we done?, Another year over, And a new one just begun" -John Lennon & Yoko ono


Its a question that some of us will take a moment to reflect upon and vow to mend our ways, improve an aspect of our life or the life of those around us. Others will call themselves "realists" and point to the lack of conviction that most dedicate to the resolution of betterment, as reason not to give a second thought to the changing of the year. 

It is a arbitrary date for deciding your future, the tolling in of a new year. But without it, how many of us would even stop in that moment to consider our path thus far? Normally the desire to improve ourselves is born from a strong ongoing passion, or a sudden and powerful event. "it is only on the brink that people find the will to change". 

But why do we allow ourselves to lapse so easily back into the comfortable routines of our day to day, when, during the brief time we give ourselves for reflection, most of us find reason to change? From behind the DJ desk, I see declarations of love, vows of acceptance, and heart felt proclamations of friendship. Beautiful smiling faces, aglow with the emotion of the moment. But is it the truth? Will they standby those words? Will I. 

Can I stand by my own knowledge that I need to change? Not the simplistic, throwaway resolutions to "eat less chocolate" or the lofty ideals of a Dali Lama type life. But the real needs to change, those thoughts that come to you when you are on the brink, the paradigm shifts, when we realise that if we don't take the step, then this is as good as it gets, and its really not good enough.

   

Is your wedding DJ, JUST a DJ?

Your wedding day.
Its one of the most important days of your life, and you can spend an extraordinary amount of money on it. So have you considered the impact that your entertainment has on the day?  Think about this for a moment.

If the cake is not enjoyable, its tasteless and bland, does it have a huge impact on the reception?

can the same been said

If the entertainment is not enjoyable, its tasteless and bland, does it have a huge impact on the reception?

take care when booking the entertainment.

West Australia's Best

I would like to thank all of my past brides and grooms for what has been, so far, a fantastic journey. You have given me a beautiful scrap book of memories, over the past 22 years. And a thanks also to those still to come, there is still an excitement and thrill every time my phone rings, and its a couple looking for my involvement in their special day. Thank you.

A very special thank you to those 2011 brides and grooms, you have kindly rated my company as West Australia's best Wedding DJ and also the best Wedding MC's as well. Its very humbling to think that you regard us so highly. The ABIA's that you have given us, have enthused us, and encouraged us.

Thank you once again my friends
Bernard Sutton-Power
Owner of
Party Sounds Professional DJ Services
2011 ABIA winners