Sometimes a school wants to celebrate Halloween so they throw at Trunk or Treat event. What is a Trunk or Treat event you may ask? Parents get to the event early who are participating and give out candy outside their trunk to trick and treaters. It is a safe way to go trick or treating in a secure parking lot and kids don’t have to worry about moving cars.

  So there has to be other events going on than parents giving out candy. They have to be games and maybe some dancing for kids and their parents. So to prep I look for classic Halloween songs that everyone knows. Then I look for sound effects that can add some spookiness to the   event. Sound effects like a witch cackling or a werewolf howling at the moon. We are planning to add some line dancing so students and parents can get into it.  Some games we are thinking of running are musical chairs, and follow the leader. We all know musical chairs but follow the leader is when one student leads the group with a dance and the group follows. We will have different students lead the dances and folks will get a kick out of it.

  Also it is good to have songs that are appropriate for family function events and add some Halloween classics in the mix then you cannot go wrong.  Also good to have a good mic presence to get the attention for each event.  Also it would good to cone off the dJ area and the game area since crowd tend to crowd the dj area.

 There are many ways to do a Latin Party. You can have one at your house which is a lot of work.  You will have to prep your house with decorations and order chairs and have the food ready.  Or you can have one at a venue which can provide a space for you and have a food at the location already.  Why not have a Latin party at a Mexican restaurant. We had our party at the Green Onion in San Pedro.  They had a regular restaurant with a banquet room.

  I got there and the mariachi was playing. When they had a break then I started to set up the gear. It’s a beautiful thing when vendors work together to make it happen. Some folks can be difficult but this Mariachi was very accommodating. They had their instruments in the area I wanted to set up and told me it was ok.

  People were dancing with the mariachi so I wanted to keep the party going. I had the choice of old school music or Spanish music and of course I went Spanish. We went Spanish for a little bit then they wanted 70s party music. Bee Gees here we come! It is fabulous to go from Spanish to English party music. There is so much too choose from. You can do like 3 to 5 songs of one genre then jump around to get more engagement. Overall it was a fun night in San Pedro. People were about to talk on the mic and gave kind words to the birthday girl.

 One of the most fun I have as a dj is playing at a retail store. The instruction is to play fun feel good music. This is as open format I can get. Open format is just a bit of everything. Typical djs stick with one genre. Open format djs cover a wide array of music to satisfy the diverse crowds. With Sherman Oaks I wanted to go with an old school disco 80s theme so I went that route. I feel Donna Summers was the biggest hits of that day. I was there for three hours and it was a good time.

  For Brea I went with a Latin theme and old school plus some feel good classics. It was for five hours. Typically, when I play I give out a card or two but today I gave out like 10 cards and two folks talked to me about doing their wedding in 2025. What made it different this time around? I just bounced all over the place with some Latin gems then going to some 90s dance hits then hitting the disco hits. I added some dance hits the past 10 years. I think I solved the puzzle for a cool retail store is to play songs people know and play the original song. Nothing really needs to be housed up. People want to hear songs they know the words to. Also its good to smile at the patrons when they pass by and not be too focused on what you are going to play next but enjoy the moment and it makes the dj more approachable.

 When you do a public event for a school you have to earn their trust. They want to make sure all the songs you play are appropriate and want to make sure your gear is top notch.  The dj before did play music but did not say much so that was in the back of my mind. I was able to get a playlist that was approved by the school and the instructions was to get a lot of engagement.

 It started with some folks speaking in the beginning then I was playing all the songs from their list and I included some songs that were also kid friendly but adults also liked. Then the folks hosted a pie eating contest then I would change the song after each contest. Once that was done then I was in charge of the mic. We started off with the hula hoop contest where we had the participant’s hula hoop this the hoop hit the floor. We really had some good hula hoopers. At one point two lasted the whole song so I got them both a prize. It was mostly girls who wanted to do the game but I also invited the boys to come try. One boy actually won one round. If you do this contest you have to do a few rounds since its popular.

 Musical chairs were also a big hit. I did a round of girls then a round of boys. We could have kept on doing that but we needed to finish with some line dancing to get the whole crowd going. Mission to get the crowd engaged and mission was accomplished.

  I love playing at Brea mall. Typically, I show up and play fun music but this mission has specific instructions. This time I was on the 3rd floor not the first one. Using an elevator is not an issue, it just at times takes a little bit longer to setup. I had to make sure it was not too loud since there were vendors there and keep it fun and lively and do some mic work. Mic work was easy. Every 30 minutes we were saying names of people who won baby gear prizes. People were just hanging out shopping and waiting for their name to be called.

Usually on the bottom floor I play a bit more Spanish by the make up area but today I wasn’t really feeling the Spanish vibe so we went old school. I went with a 90s vibe for most of the event but I would bounce around with disco and some 2000s music. Folks were really digging the 90s R&B so I would feed it to them. Big artists were like TLC and Montel Jordan.  When I was really feeling it I went like 45 seconds of a classic song then mixed in another song less than a minute later. We didn’t really play any hip hop today. The only tracks we played were Ice Ice Baby, Treat em right and a little Salt and Pepa.

 Overall it was a good time and people liked the variety of music. Of course I came with my planned playlist but once you start playing you may have to change direction based on the feedback of the room.

Why Booking Your Holiday DJ Early is Essential:

1.         High Demand in December: December is the busiest time of the year for DJs due to the holiday season.  It is by far my busiest month! By booking your DJ early, you increase your chances of securing your top choice before they’re fully booked. This early endeavor helps ensure that your preferred DJ is available for your event, avoiding the stress of last-minute searches and  anxiety.

2.         Avoiding Price Increases: As the holiday season approaches, demand for entertainment services increases, often leading to higher prices. Booking your DJ in advance can help you lock in a better rate and protect you from last-minute price increases.

3.         Customizing Your Event: An early booking provides more time to discuss and plan the specifics of your event with the DJ. This includes selecting the right music, going over special requests, and putting on any themes you have in mind. With plenty of time for preparation, the DJ can customize their performance to match your vision, ensuring a smooth and personalized experience for your guests.

4.         Reduced Stress and Better Planning: Securing your DJ early means one less thing to worry about as the event date approaches. It allows you to focus on other aspects of the party, knowing that entertainment is already handled.

5.         Pick  Black and White Affair to be your Holiday DJ!: We get holiday period!

21-year-old Birthday Party in La Habra (Los Angeles Dj Serving Burbank, Hollywood, Glendale and Brea)

When it comes to doing an old school party then I cannot refuse. Parents wanted freestyle music and an old school vibe for their daughters 21st birthday. They sent me a playlist and I added to their great list. The party was in the back yard and they told me I can set up anywhere. Ideally I would set up next to the dance floor but there was no dance floor. Ideally I would want to be close to power and I got my wish. It would be best to be in the shade but I only had an hour in the direct sunlight. Started out with some old Mexican music while the people were eating. Then we moved over to 80s pop music and threw in some Freestyle music. There was no dancing this night while folks just sat in their chairs while tapping their toes. I still wanted to provide a show but doing a quick mix of their favorite old school jams. We went old school for a while. The folks seemed to be happy with the old school vibe.

 The hosts were very kind and made sure I got some food.  I made sure I had songs lined up so there was no dead air. I had the best bbq I have had in a long time. (https://socalbbq-catering.com)  Its so good that I am having a birthday celebration and we are getting the same folks to cook for my guests. The chicken and ribs were mouth watering and the potatoes and beans were on point.

Nothing beats a party with old school beats and awesome bbq. It was a fun night with a great vibe.

  Playing for teens is our specialty. I just love the lists that they give me and then I can build a master teen list with all hits that I can bring to the teen event. There is nothing like playing for a sweet 16. I always love the energy the teens bring. I always get excited with the playlist that they bring to the table.  With teen parties you have to give them what they need. Rarely you play the whole song, but rather play a verse or two and then you mix the next song. It does change the energy of the room by playing the quick mix. I like to go with the sing along the last part of the night. I love playing songs everyone loves and sings a long to.

  They had a photo booth and a taco guy. Plus, they had some games for the party folks. They had a ping pong table and foosball. What stood out was the dessert area. It looked pretty and looked just as delicious. Gets you to think about the name sweet 16.

  What makes a good sweet 16? The music choices are important. When its eating time, the do can play songs that are more mellow then when it gets closer to the end of eating time you drive up the energy. No matter what you have to be toe tapping. Again it was a Saturday night so please book your dj early since most events are held on Saturdays.