After being shut down from any dances for a year and a half, high schoolers have been itching to dance. One of the main questions I had would songs from 2020 and 2021 be popular or would students be leaning toward the old school. Platforms like Tic Tok have brought back old school for the youngsters. Songs that you wouldn’t think students would know are songs students know the lyrics to. Have I seen any a change from pre covid events to current at the High School dance floors?

What hasn’t changed is the students take a while to warm up. Knowing this I have saved the beginning of the dance for the new and old pop songs that everyone knows. It’s not to get anybody dancing yet since I believe in saving the dessert for the packed dancefloor. At this time people are coming to the dance and seeing what is happening. At the events I did most students were either going to the food trucks or taking photos at the photo booth.

Some folks think the line dance is way cliché but it always works. The ones that the students really liked were the Cupid Shuffle and going old school with the YMCA. Those songs worked for all the 4 dances. Everyone was loving Miley Cyrus with Party in the USA and Justin Bieber’s Baby. Speaking of songs that students like to sing along to Taylor Swift was like magic with the students. Pitbull had a few hits on the student dancefloor with Tonight with Ne-yo and Fireball. I did notice Calvin Harris hits such as We Found Love and Feels so Close got everyone bouncing up and down. 

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 Homecoming at Lincoln was in the middle of the quad. They had an old school van as a photoboth and food trucks. They shared with me a diverse playlist. I started the night to work on the older tracks first. I have to be aware of not using all the good danceable songs so quickly. 

Students at Lincoln were ready to dance. They were really into Spanish music. It was nice to see everyone get into the Spanish music. 

The Songs that stuck out for Lincoln:

It seems like 2010 music is getting a jolt of life such as songs like Disturbia by Rihanna, Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO, Feel So Close by Calvin Harris, Give me Tonight by Pitbull and Ne-yo. But the staple of high school music is classic hip hop from the past 7 years. Students were loving Sage the Gemini with Gas Pedal and Red Nose. Saweetie was a hit with MY Type. Travis Scott has a few hits and brought folks to the dance floor with Bring it Back and Ayy Ladies. But one of the songs of the night had to be Crank Thank by Soulja Boy. Some newer hip hop songs that students really liked were Magnolia and Shoota by Playboi Carti. Also a few artists seem to do well with high school. Taylor Swift, Justin Beiber, and Miley Cyrus got some oohh and aahhs. 

Overall it was a good energy dance. My favorite sighting was students were really loving the Spanish music and no one came storming to the dj booth asking to change the song but made the most of it by dancing. 

Homecoming at Kings Academy

This is the first time I am doing a dance right after a football game. The dance starts at 9 and will finish close to midnight. I had a list of over 300 songs. A lot of the songs were very good dance music. These were the songs I can use for the event and could not stray from the list. It does have a feel good vibe with the music. 

 I was underneath a huge tent and my power was close by. I was able to set up my big boy speakers and lights in an hour time. It did take some more time since I had to take my gear through a few gates from my car. 

 I loved the positive energy. Once I was set up a girl from the leadership team asked if I needed a drink or snacks. Then she came up again and asked if I was ok. That was awesome!!!

At the end of the night I got assistance in putting my gear away which was a big help.

At the beginning of the dance I knew it would be different. At the start, students were at the front and cheering in all the students that came in. Imagine hearing the applause when you walked in! Some students would run in. Some of the artists that were on the list were Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber. The list itself was preapproved so the content was student appropriate. I did notice they would like to bounce with the cool house/edm songs.

Overall a fabulous night with Kings Academy. These students were ready to dance and they had the positive vibe!

 Dances are back in 2021 after a year of not having any. Students are ready to party. Be prepared to have bigger turnouts than pre 2019 since people are really wanting to let loose.

Due to the weather the dance was up in the air. They had to wait for the weather then admin to approve it. But we ended up having it. Since everything was up in the air asb did not send me a song list. Usually asb gives me 60 to 100 songs of their liking then I add another 40 to 50 more based on what they gave me. I didn’t get any of their likes so I had to come up with my own list.

At the dance there was a long line with the photo booth. The dance started at 7 and went till 1000. It seemed like folks were shy then they broke out of their shell. 

Songs that were big hits that night:

We Found Love

Give Me Everything Tonight

Love Sosa

Gas Pedal

Act Up

Shake the Monkey

Party in the USA

MY Type

Big Bank

Danza Kuduro

Best friend

Turn Down for What

 Blinding Lights

Cha Cha Slide

Cupid Shuffle

Yes, I do play line dances. Some djs think they are dumb to do but I don’t mind doing them since people like to do dances that have moves that go with them. I went hard at 815 till the last song of the night at 1000 since I didn’t want dance floor to give way. There were a lot of students there and they enjoyed the Spanish songs that we played and it definitely fed the energy in the crowd.

Lori and Tim had a fabulous wedding at Fortino Winery.  Weather could not be any better. What was a treat was with the shade installed on the grounds it was not hot for the ceremony and reception. Fortino Wineries has to be one of the best outside venues in the area since it has a lot of space and a good shelter from the sun. They had a nice ceremony in the grass area by the Officiant Frances. She did a fine job. They incorporated a Japanese tradition of planting a grape wine together. 

Grand Entrance consisted  of the bride and groom and mother of the bride with best man and maid of honor. 

Cocktail hour was only 30 minutes and the great food was served. Dinner had a good r&b vibe during the meal. 

A few toasts were made and one was made via recording that was very touching. The first dance was a special one. It started off as a country song then it turned into C + C Music Factory song with the lyrics Everybody Dance Now Looped 4 times. Folks were able to join the couple with their first dance. Right after dinner it started to get dark. So we arranged to get some uplights to add some color around the venue. Venue is already pretty but the uplights add accents. They were lined up with the trees and bushes. Uplights always add a nice touch. They are a classy touch and it gives the area a new vibe. 

Music was very diverse. It was a lot of old school throwbacks. It was a mix of 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s.

Matt and Stefanie had a beautiful micro wedding at a Monte Serrano Residence. It was decorated beautifully that you would not think it was a residence but an actual venue. They had around 7 long tables wrapped around the house. We had enough volume for everyone to hear the toasts but we did not go too loud for the neighbors to call for loudness. 

They were married elsewhere and brought the party to Monte Serrano. 

 They kept their wedding events to the minimum so they can really focus on the toasts and the dancing. There was no bouquet or garter toss. I do notice of late a lot of couples are opting to not include all the wedding events. They can decide what to keep and what to drop. Bride and groom came in with the Chicago Bulls theme song. Knowing the Bulls dynasty, it’s a very epic intro song. 

The caterers were from Irvine. I know why these folks came up North for this wedding because their food was outstanding. I overheard one wedding guests say she had been to many weddings but never had food this good. I agree it was top notch food. 

The toasts were good ones while the best man, matrons of honor, and the dads of the bride and groom spoke. I truly enjoy listening to toasts since you able learn more about the bride and groom. 

We had plenty of dancing. A lot of the songs were fun throwback songs. The song of the night was Chumbawamba. I can honestly say I never played that live anywhere but this night and it was a hit. 

2021 weddings have been picking up and with 2022 coming in then it will be really busy. I typically do 1 to 2 weddings a month. Prepping for a wedding takes a whole lot more time than prepping for a birthday party or corporate event. 

When prepping for a meeting, one has to meet with the couple and get their vision for their big day. Once you get it then the bride and groom fill out their song lists and most of the songs I do have but with ones I don’t, I make sure I have the right version of it. Then before the wedding we meet again and go over everything in case anyting was added or changed. 

The Bay Area has to be one of the best places to have a wedding due to the weather. In the 8 days of the 3 weddings, the temperature could not be beat. And if it is hot then an umbrella would help out. One reception started at 2 with the other 2 started at 5. The one that started earlier was a little hot to start off but it was bearable. With the 5’oclock start receptions the temperature was perfect.

What I noticed about these weddings:

Only one of the three did a boquet toss and not one did a garter toss.

People were aching to get to the dancefloor

One wedding had a guest singer which added a nice touch.

The only way to make sure we did the events planned was with the wedding coordination sheet. Since the weddings were so close to each other the coordination sheet ensured nothing was forgotten. 

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I got to do the wedding for a charming couple in los Gatos. They got married in the beautiful Chapel on the Hill in Los Gatos off Highway 17. The pre-ceremony music was awesome with famous songs made into piano covers. People could recognize the song after a few notes. Reverend Kim did an awesome ceremony and loved her positive energy.  They had a nice short ceremony then that’s when the party started. 

I loved setting up the playlist for this wedding. The majority of the music comes from one of the best time periods of all time for music and that is the 90s and 2000s. The majority was r&b and hip hop based. Some of the best r&b ballads come from that time period. Songs that stood out for me was KCi and Jojo with All my Life and Crazy. Later on for the dance portion of the night it was a lot of Bay Area Anthems and West Coast Classics.

 The Grand entrance was a truly grand entrance. Every group in the wedding party had their own theme song as they entered to the reception area. A few had their own dance routine.

I loved working with the vendors. Q from the venue made sure my speakers were safe outside by getting an umbrella for my speakers. Alfredo provided these dance floor panels that were impeccable. Kayla’a crew with the catering provided good food and they made sure I was taken care of. Sarah and Fritz were the folks behind the cameras and we all synced to make sure we were all ready for the big events.

Truly one of my most favorite weddings with good energy and an awesome playlist. Thank you Melissa and Emilio.