Eclectic Mixes

Not every couple agrees on everything. So when it comes to choosing the music for your wedding reception, you may not see eye to eye. And that’s OK. Because when you hire a beat-mixing DJ, you do so knowing that you’ll both be happy with the music that is played.

A beat-mixing DJ is one who can seamlessly mix two different songs together, with no break, from two vastly different genres and keep the dance floor busy. He has honed his skills and mastered his art.

The goal is to play the music the couple wants to hear, at the right times, and make sure the guests have a great time. Not everyone likes the same music so it can be a challenge to keep grandma and great uncle Bill dancing when the next song the bride wants to hear is a rap song. This is where the DJ can really prove himself.

A song that has been requested a lot lately is “Down,” by Jay Sean. It has a good melody and beat and mixes well (with the right song of course). Half way through the song, Lil Wayne comes in and raps – this is where you could lose grandma – so if you take the beat just before the rap starts, and mix in the beat of a popular Rock song like, “You Shook Me All Night Long,” by AC/DC, the younger crowd will keep dancing because they like the original song, and your older relatives will stay on the dancefloor because the new song a rock song they’ve heard before.

When you are dancing, there is nothing worse than the music coming to a screeching halt as the DJ drastically changes the speed of the music and the beats don’t match. This gives your guests a chance to decide whether they want to keep dancing or get another drink. Don’t give them the chance to make that decision - make it for them. Hire a beat-mixing DJ, who can properly read your crowd - your guests will never have a chance to think about getting that next drink, with no “break” in the music.

Not too long ago we had a groom who only wanted to hear Guns N Roses at his reception. Guns N Roses is a great band, but they don’t have a lot of “dancing” songs, so the DJ had his work cut out for him. At one point during dancing, the DJ was playing, “It’s Tricky,” by Run DMC. There is a break in the middle of the song where you just hear the beat. Matt looped that part of the song, so there was a continuous instrumental, and mixed in “Sweet Child of Mine,” by Guns N Roses at a specific guitar riff. The grooms eyes lit up and everyone kept dancing. If Matt had played “It’s Tricky” all the way through, and then played “Sweet Child of Mine,” it wouldn’t have worked. The reason what Matt did worked is because he knew the music well, knew how many beats per minute each song was and was able to match them up at the right points.

So when you start researching DJ’s/entertainment for your reception, think about what is most important to you - whether it be the type of music you hear, how it’s played or that the dance floor is packed - and then find out what their style is and see if they fit into your vision. If you’re unsure, ask for referrals or testimonials from previous clients. If you are a couple with vastly different tastes in music and it is important to you that the dance floor is packed all night with people of all ages, then a beat mixing DJ is for you.

-Becky
(This post was written for and posted on The Chestnut Club's blog a couple of months ago)