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Well now that 2010 is officially on the books I can take time to reflect on what was certainly my busiest year in the industry. I worked with a lot of clients and travelled to a lot of places this past year and I can honestly say it was a year filled with unexpected surprises and a few eye openers as well. First let me thank all the amazing couples that choose me to DJ their weddings. I had a great time at all of them and a few of them will be very hard to top.

My year started off slow (as usual) but once spring hit it was off to the races, so to speak. I was booked almost every weekend in April, May, and June. July and August were a little more spread out; I even had one bride book me TEN DAYS before her reception.  Needless to say everything came together for the couple and they gave me a glowing review! Fall was very busy and even busy into the winter, which was nice.

I would feel strange without mentioning Mr. & Mrs. Melville. Their wedding was held this past November at the Holiday Inn East and I can honestly say that they and their guests were the best wedding reception crowd that I’ve had the privilege to DJ. The guests danced all night long; a few even decided to slow dance during the cocktail hour. They were fun, receptive, and above all, made me feel as though I was part of their family. I can’t thank Alex & Katie enough for the kind words they gave me in their review. I look forward to seeing them again this July when I will DJ for Alex’s sister’s wedding reception.

I was booked for more than twenty gigs last year and they all were unique and fun in their own way, but they taught me a lot as well. One important lesson I learned is that you can’t make everybody happy all the time. The most important thing to remember, and I stress this to all my clients, is at the end of the night if the bride and groom are happy, then I did my job. I’ve come to realize that there are people who will not be happy with anything or anyone and that it’s not personal.

I always do at least 2 bridal shows a year and last year I did a total overhaul on my booth and presentation. When one of my fellow vendors (and best in the business) says to me after viewing my booth, “You’ve done your homework,” you know you did something right. That fellow vendor has now been giving me referrals. So thank you to Tony Zonca from Celebrations. It means a lot my friend. I also need to thank a few more people for helping me out this past year so please bear with me.

FIrst and foremost I thank my wife.  Without your understanding and support for what I do, I don’t think I could make it through the crazy times. I love you and I thank you. You’re me best friend and my life line.  Don’t ever forget that!

I thank Budd Gambino for helping me design my new booth set-up. Your vision and inspiration are amazing. Thank you so much big bro!

I thank Bob Ford for designing the posters that are now a permanent part of my display and for your business advice as well. You always come through when I get some crazy idea in my head. You’re my brother for life.

I thank Ole Hongvanthong – Ole of PhotOle. You are not only a good friend and fellow vendor but your tireless energy and enthusiasm are nothing short of inspiring. I’m looking forward to doing a lot of work with you in 2011.

I thank Melissa Miville of Stylish Occasions. How lucky was I to have you “find” me in 2010? Your work speaks for itself and I am grateful for the opportunities you’ve giving me.

I thank Joe Spadolini.  Your tireless effort to make all your preferred vendors at the Park Inn feel welcome and appreciated does not go unnoticed.

I thank Roger O’Donnell – musician and friend. I can’t thank you enough for trusting me with hearing your album before it hit the market. Just when music was becoming “stale” to me you gave me “Piano Formations” and it made me fall in love with music again. For that I am eternally grateful. I look forward to much more from you.

Last but certainly not least, I thank all the wonderful clients that had the faith and courage to hire me this past year. I hope I gave all of you a little something that helped make your special day even more special. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Since this was my 2010 year in review blog I have to list my top tens for the year. I know a few people actually look forward to these so here we go:

My Top Ten Songs Of 2010 (in no order):

Seal – U Get Me
Snoop Dogg featuring Jay-Z – I Wanna Rock (remix)
Cypress Hill featuring Pitbull & Marc Anthony – Armada Latina
Elton John & Leon Russell – If It Wasn’t For Bad
Crystal Castles featuring Robert Smith – I’m Not In Love
Roger O’Donnell – Life Is The Same Here
Erin Lang – Now
OMD – If You Want It
Rob Thomas – Mockingbird
Sade – Soldier Of Love

So there you go. Take a listen to these and gather your own opinion. That’s what is so great about music; it makes people talk, think, love, dance, laugh, and argue. It makes you feel. See you soon

Doug

Well October is upon us and once again DMProductions is in the midst of a very busy month. October has become a VERY popular time of year for the wedding industry. It seems as if no one wants to be a “June Bride” anymore. Not that I can blame them with the way our summers have been lately! I have to say that my October has started out very hectic but very fulfilling as well. My first wedding of the month was on October the 2nd for Jen & Kevin Davis. What a blast!!! It’s so fun to watch a crowd respond to what your doing and seeing them have a great time in the process. Needless to say I was still playing after my contracted time was up. When you have a crowd on the dance floor yelling “we want more” you make sure they stay happy!!

Heck – we even had the photographer out there dancing too!!

As soon as that engagement ended I had to turn right around and prepare for the annual Timeless Elegance Bridal show at the Holiday Inn West in Mechanicsburg, PA. The fall bridal show is always a busy show with hundreds of people all searching for the perfect vendor to help make their day special. This year was no exception as my booth was constantly filled with potential clients all wanting to know what it is I can do for them.

You always get asked the same question by the promoters afterwards “how did you do?” The answer is always the same as well – “we’ll see.” With so much information being given to the guests it’s hard for them to take it all in all at once. After the initial shock wears off the calls start coming in. They always do, year after year. My schedule fills up very fast after these shows. It hasn’t even been 72 hours yet and I already have 4 leads inquiring about more information about my service. That’s a great start to what is sure to be a VERY BUSY year ahead.

My booth this year was completely re-designed with brides in mind. I wanted it to feel like it made them comfortable with me as soon as they saw it. I had a new promotional video playing that you can view on my site, and I did a give-away contest for a brand new iPod. The lucky winner was Jill Anderson of York, PA. Congratulations!!

I have to give thanks to the following individuals that helped me put together this years show:

Budd Gambino for making my booth look as nice as it did. When one of my fellow wedding DJ’s says “you’ve done your homework” you know you did it right. I can’t thank you enough for everything!

Alt Coast for redesigning my website for me. A lot of compliments were made about it during the show and I know it’s pulling in new traffic already.

Bob Ford of Whutta Design for the amazing posters that are now a permanent part of my display.

And last but not least Joe Spadolini and his amazing staff at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg West. You always go above and beyond to make us vendors feel not only wanted but important to your continued success as well.

See you soon!!!

One common misconception that I’ve noticed in the industry in which I work is that anyone with a computer or an iPod thinks they can be a DJ. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a couple say to me “a friend of mine is going to play music for us.” I meet hundreds of brides and couples at the bridal shows I attend and I hear that a lot. As a professional DJ let me assure all those looking to hire a DJ – there should be a lot more involved in your decision making process than just choosing someone who can play music for you and this is something I can’t stress enough.  ANYONE can play music through a speaker. It’s how they handle their client and guests that set them apart!

A DJ should be someone that wears many hats. Let me explain. He or she should be willing to act as a second co-ordinator for you if necessary. He or she should be willing to act as an MC for the evening to keep your event running as smoothly and worry-free as possible. A DJ should be willing to show up AT LEAST an hour earlier than your guests (and not charge extra for this). He or she should be able to provide you with information on reception locations at which they’ve played. And the most important thing that a DJ should do NO MATTER WHAT is play, without question, the music that you want to hear.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, ask yourself this. Why would I hire DMProductions for my event? It’s very simple. I give you, the client, exactly what you want.  I pride myself on being a very easy DJ to work with. All of my previous clients will tell you that I make sure your event goes as hassle-free as possible. I give all my clients 2 free meetings as well as unlimited phone and e-mail access 24/7 up to the time of your event.  I give my clients over 10 years of knowledge of the business when it comes to making decisions on events. I give my clients unlimited access to my entire music library. I give my clients complete attention to detail at EVERY function I do. The bottom line is this – I like to make your day as special as possible without being the center of attention.

The one thing that I stress to all my potential clients is that I do not make your day about me. Too many times I’ve seen DJs try to take over an event by trying to be a stand-up comedian or an air guitar virtuoso. Not me. I think it is more important to keep your guests informed about what is happening at the moment and what is to come. I think it’s more important for the guests to have fun out on the dance floor all night long. One thing you have to ask yourself is this – can my DJ keep a crowd on the floor the entire night? Will they be willing to meet requests and be able to fit those request’s into the overall flow of the evening?

One thing that I can tell all brides-to-be is this – make time to attend a bridal show in your area. You will find a vast array of everything you are looking for in one location. From DJs to cakes to photographers to flowers to dresses to tuxedos, etc.

If you happen to live in the south central Pennsylvania area, I highly suggest attending the annual fall or spring bridal show at the Holiday Inn West in Mechanicsburg, PA. Joe Spadolini and his staff of wedding specialist can and will do everything possible to make these shows as informative and helpful as they can. Let me make one thing clear – I am in no way affiliated with Holiday Inn. I don’t make any money by mentioning them or by promoting them. I just know from experience that they are the BEST option for a couple who is getting married.

When it comes to the show they aim to bring in the best, most reliable vendors they know. When it comes to booking your receptions with them, it will be one of the best decisions a couple can make. Everything is taken care of by a professional staff that is more than happy to serve you. The staff offers attention to detail from your arrival down to your serving staff.  You can rest assured that they do all they can to make your day special!

It’s been a crazy year in our industry. It seems like 10 more DJ’s pop up every week. Do yourself a favor and hire a professional so you can make sure that your day goes exactly how you’ve envisioned it.

Being a DJ that does a lot of weddings I’ve seen my share of good and bad. It is a matter of everything and everyone working as a team that makes any wedding successful. It all starts with the client and the planning of their big day. I can’t stress enough how important it is to have an on-going communication with the hall/reception location that you have booked. Know what you want and let them know what you expect. From what the table center pieces are supposed to look like to where the guest seating cards are located. It all is relevant to how your day proceeds. The more comfortable your guests’ the more relaxed everyone will be.
One fact that I can’t stress enough is how much a client’s music selection will dictate what their guests experience. If you have a large crowd that is ready to party the night away and dance their cares away – make sure you allow your DJ to cater to their request’s. Nothing will kill a crowd faster than sticking to a playlist that is SPECIFIC to what you like and nothing else. It’s easy to get caught up in the emotion of the day, and let’s be realistic – it is YOUR DAY. But, and this is something I try to convey to all my clients – you have to consider your guest list and what they will respond to.
One thing I pride myself on is playing what my client wants. Not what I want to hear. After doing this for 10+ years I’ve come to understand what songs work for a crowd that wants to dance. It might not be something that the bride & groom particularly like but I guarantee that your crowd will have fun and will thank you in the end. So please keep an open mind when it comes to a playlist. Make sure it’s something that your crowd will enjoy and I promise you they will talk about the party for years to come.
It’s all relevant. If the crowd is having fun it just makes your special day that much more special. I’ve had crowds they have had me play for 12 hours and I’ve had some that I’m done with in 3 hours. It all depends on the clients playlist. I give my clients 100% of my professionalism at all times no matter what. It’s just that sometimes a client can hinder how much fun a crowd can have.

So 2009 is about to come to a close. What a crazy, busy year it’s been! Business was very good and I made a lot of friends and connections in this industry over the course of the last year. One thing I got to see is how different each location prepares for and handles a wedding reception.

I saw a lot of good things and I saw a few things that I couldn’t believe. Overall I would say it was a very successful year for DMProductions. I had a lot of fun at my gigs and some of them rank near the top of my list as far as “the best” go. One in particular was the Grassi/Hoover wedding on August 1st. WOW!! An amazing group of people that partied for 8 hours non-stop. That is one gig that all others should be measured by. To Rebecca and Brian – a heartfelt thank you once again for letting me help be a part of that experience. See you next July at Brent and Jana’s wedding. I know we will have fun.

There are a few more special people that I would like to thank for their service this year. Georgia Mazolla for trusting in me to help Christ Presbyterian Church with the inaugural 5th Quarter. This was a venture that neither of us knew what to expect. I feel like we gave the local high school kids not only a safe haven but also a place where they could have fun. I have the dates for next year’s 5th Quarter locked in place and I’m sure together we will make it even more successful.

To Niles Miller from Crossfire Ministry. I had a blast being the DJ for all those single dances. What a fun bunch! Hopefully we can do some more gigs next year also.

To Molly Rahe. Someone with your experience in this industry trusting in me to be the DJ at your wedding is something I won’t forget. I can’t thank you enough for all the contacts that you have put me in touch with. I look forward to doing a lot of business with you in the future.

For those that were not mentioned please don’t take exception to this blog post. ALL my clients are special to me. Without you all I would not be able to do this job that I love. So to EVERYONE who chose DMProductions this year for wedding receptions, corporate functions, private parties, birthday parties and so on – THANK YOU ALL.

Now it’s time for me to post my Best Of 2009 List. I usually share my thoughts with my close friends every year, but why stop there. I’ll just post my opinions here. Please keep in mind these are ONLY my opinion. The great thing about music is that it is boundless. It has no limitations. The only limitations are the ones that the listener puts on himself. If I’ve learned anything this year at all it’s that “good music” is definitely up for debate. What follows is my pick for top ten songs and top ten albums of the year. A few may actually surprise you.

Please feel free to leave your thoughts and ideas on your favorites from this year. I love to hear what other people are into these days.

TOP TEN ALBUMS (not in order):
Boyz II Men – Love. If you still think these guys are a boy band take a listen to their version of I
Can’t Make You Love Me or Iris on this album of covers.
John Mayer – Battle Studies
Sarah Brightman – Symphony Live In Vienna. The most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard.
Bad Lieutenant – Never Cry. The phoenix that rose from the ashes of New Order
Alicia Keys – The Element Of Freedom
Enigma – The Platinum Collection
Depeche Mode – Sounds Of The Universe
Jay-Z - The Blueprint III
Lady GaGa – The Fame Monster
The Jackson 5 – I Want You Back! The Unreleaed Masters

TOP TEN SONGS
This Is It – Michael Jackson
Empire State Of Mind – Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys
Make Her Say – Kid Cudi
Why Me? – Ice Cube
The Fixer – Pearl Jam
Wheels – Foo Fighters
Party In The USA – Miley Cyrus
Non-Entity – Nine Inch Nails
I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight – U2
Doesn’t Mean Anything – Alicia Keys

And I do have to state for the record – The Beatles re-masters are the release of the decade.

So there you have it; 2009 in a nutshell so to speak. Thank you all for your time and patience. Thank you all for allowing me to share my love with you. Thank you all for making music with me. See you in 2010.

First of all let me welcome you to the first blog post from DMProductions. A lot of crazy things have been going on in the music world this year and quite a few them have been hard to handle. Let’s talk about the most recent “must have” for everyone out there. The Beatles, Rock band, re-issues, TV documentaries, blah, blah, blah.

Now don’t get me wrong, and let me state this as simply as I can, I have always thought The Beatles were a great band. As a matter of fact, I think they are THE most infuential, most effective band of all time. People can put up arguments and state that without Elvis Presley there would be no rock-n-roll as we know it.  Rock-n-Roll was there before Elvis; just ask the artists that he ripped off.

But Elvis was what Rock-n-Roll needed.  Someone safe. Someone that the record companies could get behind to promote. Someone that parents wouldn’t be “that” frightened of. The Beatles changed everything. The way music was created in a studio, the way the music was marketed, and the way music was heard. I wasn’t around for The Beatles invasion in the 60′s but my parents (who I owe eveything to for instilling in me my love of music) assure me that it was pure pandamonium.

Having an artist create his or her own pressure to live up to was unheard of at the time. Eveything they touched was gold. Well, platinum actually.

But let’s face it – is there ever a day that a Beatles song is not played on the radio?  Or a college dorm? Or a wedding? I love The Beatles for what they were, which was quite simply GENIUS. One hundred millenia from now when they crack open the understanding of this civilization, their music will be a testament to what rock-n-roll was supposed to be about. Fun, danger, love, anger, confusion, rebellion, peace and every other emotion that one feels while enraptured by music.

I’m sure everyone is getting tired of the Rock Band Beatles plague that has been set upon us by now. Here is my problem with the music industry. It is telling all those young impressionable minds out there that “hey, this is the game you want because it’s The Beatles.” No it’s not. Don’t use a stupid gimmick to discover a band that has been around for 40+ years. Discover the music on your own. How would you feel if your favorite artist was used as a corporate gimmick so they could make a few more million? Don’t let your passion for good music be stripped of that. Keep it yours. Keep it close to your heart. Music can make you cry from joy and from sadness.  It can give you goose bumps. It can do many, many things. It’s not just for playing a game, folks.

Now for my John Lennon. Michael Jackson. The death of what my generation will someday understand, hopefully, was as close to perfect as we are going to get. I’ve gotten mixed reactions from the people closest to me.  Some say I act as if I’ve lost a family member, some say they understand.  Michael has always been defended by me.  I can’t begin to understand what he was like out of the spotlight, and I don’t claim to.  I will always defend his talent and gift that he shared with us.

Never in my lifetime has an artist affected so much in such a short time.  For those who can remember the Thriller phenomenon, I guess it’s safe to assume that’s as close as we will get to “Beatlemania.”  It’s still hard for me to hear his voice sometimes.  But if you love music the way I do, that is something I will always hear.  I’ll hear it way down deep where the music lives in me. The place that has gotten me through tough times.  The place that no one else can touch.  That’s what my music does for me.

I see music in a little bit of a different light now.  I make my living playing music for other people in order for them to celebrate weddings, parties, and reunions.  My biggest thrill when I do a gig is when a complete stranger says to me “Who was that artist that you just played?”  Or when they say to me, “I’ve always loved that song!”  That is what makes my job worthwhile.  If I can touch one person with a new song or forgotten treasure then I feel a little better about it.

I guess for now I should sign off by saying the following:

I’m hoping to reach a whole new level next year with DMProductions. I won’t be easy, and I’ll ask for help.  I’m not afraid to anymore.  I feel safe because I’ve got my music in me…..