Final days to enter the contest!

If you haven't gotten your play list in yet, there's still time! We really want to know what your idea of the perfect wedding play list is! You have until Sunday, October 31st to get your lists in. Complete details are below!

Have you always wondered what it's like to be a DJ? Do you want to feel the rush of a packed dance floor, knowing your song selections made it happen? Here's your chance!

What would you play if we turned a wedding reception over to you? We want your best 10 song play list. Please include the name and artist of the song and your reason for picking it. Programming and picking music is so important and a lot harder than you think - so show us what you've got.

This contest is open to both clients and non clients, 18 years of age and over, (industry professionals are welcome, just no professional DJ's please). One entry per person. The DJ's of Synergetic will choose the top 5 play lists. We will then post the top 5 in the notes section of our Facebook Page and our fans will pick the best list.

The winner will receive four hours of DJ training at our facility and an opportunity to attend a wedding as a DJ and see their list in action!

Email your play list to beckyd@synergeticsounds.com by October 31st! The top 5 will be posted on November 15th and the winner will be announced on November 30th. So start listening to some music and make your picks. We can't wait to see what you come up with!

-Becky

Technology Updates

I will be the first to tell you that gear does not make a DJ company. I would be willing to bet that 9 out of 10 people never really notice the type of equipment a DJ uses, unless of course he or she is using cassettes tapes with their home stereo systems. If the music is coming out of the speakers, everything seems to be fine to the guests. As long as it isn’t too loud.

We make sure to not make our “gear” the top selling point. If any our DJs had to, we could probably do a finejob with cassette tapes. Just don’t ask us to sing if the speakers stop working. But, what does happen if things “stop working?”

This is where our beliefs in purchasing top of the line, industry standard, equipment sets us apart. You see, many people don’t want to spend the money on the best of the best equipment. They opt for mid level equipment. And there is nothing wrong with that, unless you ask the equipment to do what we ask it to do every week.

Many DJ companies have the DJ bring their own equipment. We supply all of the equipment to our DJs, and we spare no expense. So, for those gear heads out there, we use strictly pioneer CD players. We just finished our over haul on them too. We updated 10 systems with new MEP-7000 units. An absolutely incredible unit. All of our mixers are RANE and we have a ridiculous amount of Shure wireless microphones. It is the best line of Shures you can get.

There are a quite a few reasons why we believe we need to have the best equipment available. First and foremost, you deserve to have a company that uses top of the line gear. Second, we need to make sure that it works. Even our back up equipment is considered top of the line. Thirdly, we like to be consistent. Because we supply the equipment for every event we do, we know what is going out to each job and we know that it meets our standards.

The CD players are probably the biggest work horse of our whole system, so that is why we make sure there are the best. But here is the kicker. Since Pioneer is pretty much the industry leader in the CD player market (just look in every single club you go in, and you will see the CDJ-1000 players), you rarely ever have to upgrade the units. But with the unveiling of the MEP-7000, we knew we needed to have every single one our DJs using them. CD players, as well as the mixer, allow us to mix one song into the next. And the mixing that we do is what so many of our clients like and a reason they hire us. So these units are something we really can't live without. We don’t use computers and we don’t use facades to hide the DJ equipment. We want you to see what we do back there. It’s part of the show. It’s part of what makes your guests get up and dance.

We have received a lot of questions about our equipment in the past, so I hope this helps you understand what we use and why we use it.

-Jason

{Tune in Tuesday} Chris

Chris was the employee of the month for September! He is a great guy and awesome DJ. This is what he's listening to.

-Life After Death, Notorious B.I.G
-2001, Dr. Dre
-Ghetto Fabolous, Fabolous
-Songs Not to Get Married To, Reggie and the Full Effect
-Room 112, 112

{Get To Know Us Mondays} Kyle Emig

This week, get to know Kyle Emig. Kyle is one of our DJ's - he also does production set ups and plays the piano for some of our clients during cocktail hour. He's a very talented pianist, so if you're looking for some live music to jazz up cocktail hour, give us a call to find out more about booking Kyle!

Becky: Where are you from?
Kyle: I'm from Langhorne, PA

B: Do you have a “day” job?
K: I am a senior Marketing major at West Chester University

B: What’s your favorite type of music? Do you have a favorite song?
K: My favorite kind of music is hip hop and jazz/blues fusion. I like the idea of combining genres of music to form something new. It's really tough to pick a favorite song of all time! I think probably Let it Be by the Beatles.

B: How did you get into DJing?
K: I got into DJing through Mike who brought me out to my first job which was to set up drape for Pennsbury's prom.

B: What did you want to be when you grew up? Is it still an option?
K: I wanted to be in the NBA. I won't make it. I'm already too old!

B: What’s your favorite type of event to DJ, why?
K: My favorite type of event to DJ is a wedding. I think a wedding is the most fun because of the variety of a people it brings together. As a guest of weddings, I love to see all of my family members (especially those who had to travel long distances), and also party and dance with my friends and cousins. As a DJ, watching guests kick back and have fun for a few hours is a great feeling!

B: Do you have any hobbies? What are your favorite things to do?
K: When I'm not DJing or going to school, I love to play and follow sports. I played basketball at Neshaminy High School and later at Bucks County Community College, and still play in several mens basketball leagues around the area. Going to Phillies games is my favorite thing to do in the summer (and usually Fall). I keep up with the team on sattelite radio which is great for sports talk and music.

B: What's your favorite movie?
K: My Favorite Movie is Casino. I like anything with Robert DeNiro.

B: Do you have any pets?
K: I had a chocolate lab growing up named Apples (RIP), and recently got another chocolate lab named Lucy.

Make sure to check back every Monday for another Q&A. If you have anything you'd like to know about us, leave a comment with your question, post it on our Facebook page or email it to beckyd@synergeticsounds.com.

Natalie and John

Natalie and John had a beautiful wedding in Cape May, New Jersey. Their ceremony took place on the beach, followed by a reception at Hotel Alcott. They had a beautiful day and it was captured by Marc Matteo of Marc Anthony Photography. Jason and Justin were the DJ's for the nice and they also did the up lighting, dance floor wash and plasma screens.

-Becky

{Tune in Tuesdays} Jason

This is what Jason is currently listening to and playing at his events.

-“Everybody,” Ingrid Michaelson - Had a couple request this at their wedding a few weeks ago and really liked it, it's a good dinner track.
-“Just The Way You Are,” Bruno Mars - A very catchy track to play during dinner.
-“I Can’t Go For That,” Hall and Oates -I play this during dinner, it gets some feet tapping.
-“Pencil Full of Lead,” Paolo Nutini - Great little swing song. Actually had a Scottish couple want me to play it and I really liked it.
-"Don't Stop Believing," Journey - Yes, I'm still playing it. It just always seems to work.

I’m always listening for new songs that will work at the events I DJ. I hate playing the same songs over and over.

{Get To Know Us Mondays} Matt Blank

This week, get to know Matt Blank, an awesome DJ and our General Manager.

Becky: Where are you from?
Matt: Northeast Philadelphia – Parkwood was the Neighborhood. I went to Washington HS, and played football, then went to Millersville and also played football.

B: Do you have a “day” job? What is it?
M: GM – duh :).

B: What’s your favorite type of music?
M: My favorite music is everything. You can catch me listending to country one day, trance the next, but most of the time, it's hip hop. My favorite hip hop artists by far are Biggie, Tupac, Jayz, Eminem, and the Roots.

B: How did you get into DJing? What’s your favorite thing about it?
M: I was a dancer for another company when I was 14 doing Bar/Bat mitzvahs. I learned the technique of being a DJ in Highschool and have always loved music. So it was a natural progression for me when I met Jason and learned not only the art of DJing, but the business of being one as well. I love taking chances on songs when mixing and they work for any type of crowd. This weekend I mixed I Gotta Feeling (BEP), with Zombie Nation, with Beat It (MJ). The crowd went bananas.

B: What did you want to be when you grew up?
M: I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. Successul, healthy, happy, giving.

B: What’s your favorite type of event to DJ, why?
M: Weddings – each is different and my talent really shines through when getting older/younger people to dance at the same time.

B: What are your favorite things to do? Do you have any hobbies?
M: I love to play and watch sports. From football to baseball and even hockey. Sports are very fun to me because I am a very competitive person.

B: How long have you been a DJ?
M: 12 years

B: Do you have a favorite movie?
M: Right now Inglorious Bastards, all time – Goodfellas or Bronx Tale.

B: Do you have any pets?
M: I have 2 dogs, Muddie, a mix breed who is 14 and Choochie, a chocolate lab who is 9 months. Choochie is named after Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz. I also have two finches who are about 5 months old.

Make sure to check back every Monday for another Q&A. If you have anything you'd like to know about us, leave a comment with your question, post it on our Facebook page or email it in to beckyd@synergeticsounds.com.

Laura and Rob

Laura and Rob had a beautiful, fun wedding at the Please Touch Museum. There were a lot of unqiue details at this wedding. Erin of Proud to Plan was there to make sure the day went off without a hitch and Jenn of Jennifer Childress Photography was there to capture it all, including the beautiful flowers by Petals Lane.

Chris and Jim took a lot of requests and kept the dance floor packed. They also added to the unique look and feel of the room with some up lighting, break up patters and the couples monogram.

Thanks so much to Jenn Childress for the beautiful images!

-Becky

Tune in Tuesdays

We know people's tastes in music vary greatly - so each Tuesday we'll share what some of us are listening to. It may be old, it may be obscure, but you never know - maybe you'll find a new favorite song or musician to check out.

Matt Blank is up first. He admits to having eclectic taste, but he loves music!

-Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's self titled album

-Jayz, The Blueprint 3
-Sam Cooke's Greatest Hits

-Chicken Fried, Zac Brown Band

-Usher, DJs Got Us Fallin In Love

Get To Know Us Mondays!

We're going to make a few changes to the blog over the next few weeks. We love showing off our events and wonderful clients and we love sharing what we're up to with all of you. We offer advice and try to provide you with information regularly, but now we want to take it to the next level. We want to offer you even more advice and tips, not just from us, but from other industry professionals. We also want to tell you more about Synergetic and the people behind it.

One of these new series will be "Get To Know Us Mondays." Each Monday we'll post an interview with one of our team members so you can get to know us better. I figured, who better to start with than the man behind Synergetic? Here's our mini interview with Jason.

Becky: Where are you from?
Jason: Was born in Southwest Philadelphia. Moved to the Somerton section when I was 6. Lived there ever since.

B: Do you have a “day” job?
J: I have a life job. Synergetic takes up pretty much all of it!

B: What’s your favorite type of music?
J: This is going to sound really bad, but I love country. You see, music today is generally so bad and country still has substance to it. It still makes sense musically. Today’s country is very close to rock, so don’t think I’m listening to people talk about the lost dog or big truck! One of my favorite artists are the Zac Brown Band. You may have heard of a little hit they had called “Toes” or “Chicken Fried.” Take a listen to their CD, I think you will really like it, even if you don’t like country.

B: How did you get into DJing?
J: I went to the Palace Roller Skating rink when I was 14. I went with my good friend at the time as a wing-man. He was going on a date and needed me to go out with his dates friend. So there I am skating around the rink with this girl and I hear the DJ go from one song to another, without stopping. I was like wow! I spent the rest of the night in the DJ booth watching, leaving the girl to skate by herself. I went home and told my mom “I want to be a DJ!” The rest is history.

B: What did you want to be when you grew up? Is it still an option? Is that what you do now?
J: Before that, I wanted to be a engineer. There is no way I would do that now. I love what do!

B: How long have you been a DJ?
J: 17 years. Since I was 14.

B: What is your favorite type of event to DJ, why?
J: I love to do weddings. I get to share in a day that someone has planned for months. And, better yet, I get to make those people have fun, and I get to do it with a style that is so vastly different then most wedding DJs. From quick mixing to live mach-ups, to pulling out old songs to breaking new music, I love to hear people tell my clients, "Your DJ is awesome! He is by far the best DJ I have ever heard at a wedding!"

B: What are your favorite things to do, other than DJ of course?!
J: I am a big Vegas fan, so I tend to go out there 2-3 times a year.

B: Do you have a favorite movie?
J: Wow, this one is tough. Gonna have to say High Fidelity.

B: Do you have any pets?
J: Nope. None. Not a big animals. If I did have one though it would be a Penguin. That would be really cool!

Make sure to check back every Monday for another Q&A. If you have anything you'd like to know about us, leave a comment with your question, post it on our Facebook page or email it in to beckyd@synergeticsounds.com.

Planning from out of town? You can still meet your DJ!

Technology really is an amazing thing. Because of it, prospective clients living out of town can still "meet" their DJ. First impressions are very important and we think it's important to have your first impression with your DJ months before the wedding, not the night of. And just because you live out of state, doesn't mean you shouldn't get that same chance.

Dave recently did a demo with a potential client living out of state via Skype. It was his first time uing Skype and he was amazed at how easy it was to set up and use. He was also surprised at how smooth it was and said there was a very minimal, almost non-existent, sound delay.

Skype allows you to actually meet the DJ and get a feel for their personality - something that can be hard to do over the phone. The bride Dave "met" with actually told him that his smile was one of the things that sold her on him.

Dave said he will definitely use Skype in the future if a client can't get into the office. It makes all the difference being able to see someone, especially if it's your first conversation.

-Becky

Lighting at Holly Hedge - Video

Holly Hedge is one room that we love to light! Come to think about it, we love to light every room, but Holly Hedge is a lot of fun to light. Located up in Bucks County in New Hope, it is the perfect place to have a wedding reception and feel like you are a million miles away.

For this wedding, we up lit the room, did a dance floor wash and pin spotted the centerpieces. We also did our video montage package for the couple who had pictures they wanted to play back throughout the night. Enjoy!

New Contest! Always Wanted To Be A DJ?

Have you always wondered what it's like to be a DJ? Do you want to feel the rush of a packed dance floor, knowing your song selections made it happen? Here's your chance!

What would you play if we turned a wedding reception over to you? We want your best 10 song play list. Please include the name and artist of the song and your reason for picking it. Programming and picking music is so important and a lot harder than you think - so show us what you've got.

This contest is open to both clients and non clients, 18 years of age and over, (industry professionals are welcome, just no professional DJ's please). One entry per person. The DJ's of Synergetic will choose the top 5 play lists. We will then post the top 5 in the notes section of our Facebook Page and our fans will pick the best list.

The winner will receive four hours of DJ training at our facility and an opportunity to attend a wedding as a DJ and see their list in action!

Email your play list to beckyd@synergeticsounds.com by October 31st! The top 5 will be posted on November 15th and the winner will be announced on November 30th. So start listening to some music and make your picks. We can't wait to see what you come up with!

-Becky