School Event: Senior Signing Day in Los Angeles (Los Angeles DJ serving Burbank, Hollywood, Brea, Universal City, Valley Village, Santa Clarita, and Glendale)

We need to celebrate students. One of the best ways to put shine on seniors is to acknowledge all those who are going to the next level. The next level can be work force, military, junior college, or university. Students got in their groups and administration announced students and their destination. Students came running through a banner so it had that sports feel to it underneath a formation of balloons. Parents were in the audience and they were excited to see their children at this function.

We did not need much for this function. We just set up two 12-inch self powered speakers hooked up to a Yamaha mixer. We had two microphones with one being a wireless and one being wired. Are two microphones over kill? No way. I like have a hard wired microphone for the fool proof way to ensure a good connection. Wireless microphones do the job but you never know with batteries running out or if the signal isn’t strong so a wired microphone is a must no matter what.

So what kind of music do you play at this function? Being that a high percentage of students are Latin, we went with some festive Latin music. Early I was playing for the parents since they were the first ones there then when the students showed up I made sure to play music that everyone knew. We never want to be too soft or too loud so volumes have to be adjusted on the mixer. Also its good to be next to the mixer to adjust each person who speaks since they speak at different levels.

We had two SJSU graduates throw a celebration in San Jose. I arrived an hour early and I was all set up and ready to go with 20 minutes to spare. So what do I do? I start playing the jams. I did notice a lot of older latinos there so I went with the old school Spanish music. We went with the cumbia classics. When it my true time to play, I started with their playlist. It was a lot of reggaeton plus with some hip hop. I was playing as many of their songs as I could since I want it to be as custom as can be.

They were good hosts and multiple people were asking me if I ate or needed a drink. I felt at home with the crowd. They were into the same music that I was into. I felt I was with my right crowd. I was playing hits from the 2000s and 2010s. The folks were singing along with the songs. I felt I had them when I was playing bay area anthems and I felt the energy. We. were hitting hard with the cumbias then going to 2000s sing-along pop then hitting up with some bay area classics. I loved the energy in the room plus I was playing like a minute of a half per song.

They had a mechanical bull that got a lot of attention. I have never seen a mechanical bull at a private party but it was a huge hit. It was just funny seeing if people can get on it themselves without any help and to see how long they will last on the bull.

  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.

   It was a surprise party for the birthday boy but I overheard him that he knew it was happening when he was asked about a playlist. But he was super happy on his special day in North Hollywood.  It was a nice neighborhood and folks were very accommodating. They asked me where I wanted to set up and I was like I’m good where ever they have power and preferably not in the sun. They playlist was all Salsa Music. Lot of it was classic salsa. I was told there will be a mix of all races so be free to change things up.  This can be challenging if you do not know how to read the room. Luckily we know how to read the room.  So we went with a Latin theme. We hit it up with Cumbias and Merengue music. The main English music that got them grooving was 90s dance music. Trying to keep it old school. I love parties like this where we can jump around from Latin music to old school English music. Its like you have all these tools to keep the party going.

   The guests were so nice. I got asked multiple times if I needed food or drinks. We ended up going an extra hour. That is the benefit of having a do at your house there is no time limit of how long you can go but the only concern is the neighbors but the key is not to be super loud and be considerate.  It was a fabulous  party in North Hollywood.

 There is nothing like an old school party! It was a birthday party in West Los Angeles. Everyone was in the patio area and the dj was suggested to go to the opposite end of the back yard. Black and White Affair made it happen. We set up the booth away from everyone based on client suggestion. Best scenario is to be where the action is so we can see the action and read the crowd. It was a small patio so we had to be away from everyone. I was able top place two speakers in the patio area and be stationed far away. It was hard to see if the folks were grooving to the music while they were eating but tried to keep it an old school vibe for most of the night.  Song of the night was Sex Bomb!

  This was the first event where I saw a dog table. They had meatballs for the dogs and dog treats. That table was a hit with the dogs that the guest brought. One dog was smart enough to jump on the table and over indulged in the treats. Anyway the party had a planner plus a caterer with a waitress and bartender. It was truly a celebration in West Los Angeles. I did have a good time. A few weeks later they called for another event but I sent another dj to do it since I was already doing a Latin event on the same day. Seems like most events happen on Saturday so please book your ds early if you are having a Saturday event.

We had the honor to do Westmont’s prom for the second year in the row. I love how the school picks a different venue every year. They went with the Saratoga Mountain Winery. The winery is located in the very photogenic Santa Cruz Mountains which is a fabulous backdrop for prom pics. There is plenty of space outside for prom folks to dance under the stars and bask in the fresh air plus be in beautiful surroundings. Just the ambiance of the location will make it a memorable prom night. We are all about having a plan B in Black and White Affair so at Saratoga Mountain Winery they have indoor facilities incase there is a weather hiccup.  When a school does rent out the winery then it gives it the VIP feel since students are the only ones who can enjoy the night there. The beauty of this location is that it is easy to get to from south bay schools.

  So if you do want a nice outside venue then Saratoga Mountain Winery is a must. Westmost again gave us a great playlist to work with. Students dressed super nice and were polite. Party was  at 6 so we had to come in early to set up. We got there early to accommodate the venue then we were able to go back home to change and get back.

   Overall it was a fun night at a nice venue. Definitely a memorable prom night at Saratoga Mountain Winery.

  Prom season is among us. We had a busy homecoming season so our playlists were current with the hits the high schoolers love. We love proms since they give us killer playlists every time we do an event and students take the dance experience to the next level. Prom for most students is a one of a lifetime event and it is our duty   as djs to give them the experience that they deserve.

  We did Evergreen’s Prom at the Hayes Mansion. We have played there before and it’s a beautiful venue for any kind of event. The mansion is surrounded by 20 acres of pretty gardens providing beautiful pictures.  A positive is the venue is easily accessible from major highways. Evergreen always brings the energy for all dances.

 Our other prom the school was Kimball High located in Tracy and they had their prom over at the Glasshouse. With over 12000 square feet of space, the Glasshouse can handle big proms with lots of room for dancing and socializing and have space for photo booths.

Dj Rich held it down at the Glasshouse.

 How were the proms similar?  Both had positive vibes and students had a good time. Students were dressed super nice.  How was it different? The Tracy high school had more Latin music than Evergreen.

 Glasshouse is also a beautiful venue at the heart of downtown San Jose.  We still have two more proms to go this season as of right now. We are looking forward to playing at a Saratoga Mountain Winery and at Levi Stadium.

  Be the hip planner to incorporate a vinyl dj for the event. When a vinyl dj plays at a corporate event it gives is a vintage feel that can bring back memories and it can fit the theme and vibe of the event. Also just the sight of vinyl records is appealing and add to the atmosphere of the event. Just the visual of a dj switching records for each song can create a cool ambiance.

A lot of folks say that vinyl records do produce a different sound than of digital formats. One can say that vinyl can produce a warmer, rich sound compared to digital tracks thus giving a better listening experience. It does seem there are a lot of digital djs around and hiring a vinyl dj will bring a different experience that not too many folks have experienced and it would be one that truly stands out. I do have to say vinyl djs have the experience to solidify their skills since collecting records is an ongoing mission and djs take serious since it is expensive to maintain.

There is no such thing as a sync button (to have songs seamlessly mix) so these vinyl djs are more skilled to mix by ear. In a nutshell, vinyl djs at corporate events can create a unique feel to the event and make it memorable for all those that attend. Call Black and White Affair to bring the Vintage Dj experience for the corporate event.