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How to DJ at A Special Event

Like all professionals, DJ’s need to be versatile. Unless you’re one of the best with a regular set in a popular club, you’ll need to work at smaller functions to keep your career going. DJ services are required at corporate functions, weddings, birthday parties, awards ceremonies and launch events every year; being able to DJ to smaller crowds will open up countless of opportunities for you to get yourself out there, make a name for yourself and practice to smaller audiences.

There are many perks to playing at smaller events; however with the perks come the challenges. Being able to practice your skills and get your name out their stand out as some of the benefits. However, playing at small events can be quite tricky as you’ll need to read the crowd perfectly and have a diverse collection of music. You’ll also have to build an appropriate ambience for the different times in the evening and make sure people make their way to the dance floor after dinner.

Smaller functions differ from club settings and large organised party events as the crowd is much smaller and the atmosphere in the room is more fragile. In the beginning of the evening, DJ’s have to create a relaxing atmosphere which builds the anticipation of the guests. They’ll also need to bear in mind the theme of the evening and make sure that guests get into the mood of the event. If the function is a corporate event or business launch, DJ’s will need to make sure that the music that they play reflects positively to maintain a company’s reputation. As audiences at these functions can be particularly diverse, and may even be attending out of commitment to work rather than out of being social, DJ’s will have to make sure that music is light hearted, covering several different genres and styles of music.

When building an atmosphere however DJ’s can play several songs of the same genre; playing a set that will build anticipation or reflect a change of tone to the events of the evening. After the formalities of the event, the DJ will have to turn his attention towards getting the guests on to the dance floor. This is where you’ll have to read the crowd. If your set isn’t attracting a crowd, you’ll need to subtly change it, building a dancing atmosphere that will make the guests want to dance.  Again, you’ll need to be careful here to play music with appropriate lyrics which won’t reflect badly on the event’s hosts. Most DJ’s choose to stick to contemporary music, the old favourites and the classics which are known to bring people to their feet.

While playing at the smaller events, DJ’s will have to put aside their favourite songs and mixing abilities aside and let the actions and faces of their audiences depict what they play. At these events, DJ’s are simply there to please the crowd; not show off their taste in music or DJ abilities. Versatility is also incredibly important here as DJ’s will have to attract everyone to the floor, regardless of their personal music taste. Playing a variety of songs will bring everyone to the dance floor; guests will most likely get into the mood of a song they don’t know too well if it’s dispersed through the songs that they do.

A successful DJ will play in countless clubs and will have a waiting list of event requests. Not only do they need to have the DJ equipment that’ll take their skills and talents to the next level, but they need to keep up to date with the latest music and trends, have a diverse collection and set selection, and will have to effectively read their audiences in order to create the correct ambience and keep the atmosphere light hearted and enjoyable.