Amazing DJs are Hard to Find!

Much like any skill or talent, many people can be ok or even good, but few can be amazing. When searching for an amazing dj, consider a few things...

1. Word-of-mouth feedback
2. Live performances
3. Personal experience
4. Online reviews

These are just a few of the ways to find an amazing DJ near you. You can also visit a bunch of clubs and bars and check out the local DJs who are performing in your town. Here's a great routine by DJ Craze to get you excited:

Uniqueness of DJs in Maryland

There is something unique to be said about DJs in Maryland that cannot be said about DJs in other parts of the country. That is, their need and ability to entertain all types of musical tastes and backgrounds. You see, as a DJ in MD you're dealing with quite a large geographical area including Annapolis, Baltimore, Washington DC, and parts of Virginia.

So, how does one cater to a club that wants old soulful house, and a party that wants current pop and 90's throwback hip hop, and still a wedding with a wide range in tastes on its own all within the same week? Well, while the answer seems wide and encompassing, it's really not. The simple truth is that if you truly understand your tools (turntables) and truly understand how music works and you know your music quite well then you've got half of it down right there. The other half consists of learning the psychology of crowds so you can adapt on the fly and keep the party going as well as timing and song selection.

There are literally THOUSANDS of DJs in the DC-metro area, though unfortunately, the DJs who have the full package described above are rare. Extremely rare. So, when choosing a DJ for your party, wedding, private event, puppy's first bath, etc., make sure you consider those factors and if you can find a DJ that can do all of that, you're in good hands.

DJ for Fame

This was in interesting DJ article that I came across recently. Its a simple list of facts about DJs and DJ equipment. One of my favorite facts noted in the article is one about a DJ that sold mixtapes and washed cars in order to save up for his equipment and get his name out there. His name is Ferry Corsten, though you may also know him by one of his 22 other alias'.

Get inspired and read about more DJ facts, one of them may just be about you one day.

DJ From The Future

One of the biggest faces in the DJ industry as of late is known under the band Daft Punk. Being a fan, we all know the unique style in which they present themselves. This is an awesome "suit" made for their DJ, some might say they come from the future and well, i'd have to agree.

Check this out if you want to chat about your favorite DJs in the Industry and continue on this subject. 

The Richest DJ's In The World

The popularity in the DJ world is growing. With every festival and every show, these artists are making boatloads of profit. In the last two years it has grown to be one of the most grossing jobs in the music industry. Select DJs have gone from underground to flying in their own private jets. It takes a lot to be a successful DJ these days, you have to be creative.

Make it known that you are into the DJ industry and check out the raising popularity.

DJs - It's good to give back

You don't have to "give back" to see great success, but one of the most rewarding things you can do is to bless others with something they could truly not enjoy on their own. We're still looking for more DJs in Maryland to join our team and be a part of something bigger.

We're putting together a huge event to raise awareness and to raise money for research for one of the largest, most debilitating diseases known to man and we'd like you to be a part. If you're a DJ in MD, drop us a line and let's chat. And while you're at it, check out some other DJs that give back.

Coolest DJ Headphones

These may very well be my favorite handcrafted headphones that I've ever seen. They'd be cool for you video game lovers out there as well. But nothing like a little creativity to make your  DJ style your own.

Check out the video to see how much work went into it!

DJ Kicks Off Pool Party

When it comes to being a successful DJ, it's all about kicking off a pool party at a place like Wet Republic. DJ's all over the world would love to of had this opportunity but it fell in the lap of Australian artist DJ Tommy Trash.

Make it a goal to have a blast at one of these parties and read about this past one!

Lindsey is the DJ Debated

Everyone knows that Lindsey has faced drama in the past years, and this picture creates more of it. In a world of her own, she proves to be a favorite DJ to the club scene in Brazil. Is she keeping the party going or partying while she can?

 They say when she gets home she'll face potential charges, but the music will go on!

From Actor to DJ

There were many rumors going around about a new founded DJ, Elijah Wood. The big rumor was that he went by the name DJ Frodo in his new career launch. With further investigation Elijah spoke up about the matter himself. It turns out that he was totally against the name, in fact it made him cringe even thinking about it. Everyone wants to make name for themselves, in his case a new name for a new adventure.

Check out the story for an inside look on the man they call Frodo.

One Pricey DJ Set!

If you're looking to hire the best DJ for a half million dollars, Calvin Harris is your man. To the normal person this may seem absolutely outrageous but for Calvin it's just another job. If you plan on hiring a DJ for $480,000 then i'd say it's safe to assume that it's not going to be a "small" wedding.

Every bride  and groom wants to dance the night away with their closest friends. If you have the extra change laying around, check out the most expensive DJ around!

The First Ever DJ Booth

Don't think your generation was the first one to ever scratch a beat and party hard. In 1903 French engineer Leon Gaumont created this crazy thing to drop the base at clubs across the globe. Well, not really, he used it to match film and sound, but it's much cooler to think he made the ladies get down at the turn of the 20th century with his slick DJ equipment. This device was able to reach 4,000 people so it could definitely fill a club with some solid dance tunes. Keep it flowing, Mr. Gaumont!

Pope's new gig

There was some shocking news this past week about the Pope Benedict XVI retiring. This was the first time a Pope has stepped down in the last 6 centuries! But the good news is we found out why he retired and we completely understand why: he's DJing!

Some reports are coming out of his DJ name but nothing confirmed. Among the names are DJ Benedict Beats, DJ Bass Blesser, DJ Breakdown Holiness, DJ Sin Scratcher, and DJ Lady Killer. All are fine choices. We wish him all the best in the business and if he's looking to join the best dj company out there then I think we can help!

Bad DJs: Bongo Man

We could write multiple posts about bad and/or funny DJs, but one of them has to take the wedding  cake. And for our money it belongs to the infamous bongo, wedding DJ. He definitely was lacking in his crowd reading skills.

He starts off the video mumbling and seemingly trying to rhyme to get the guest to join a congo line. After that debacle he approaches to what we hope is his assistant and not just a surprised party goer, and tries out his bongo skills on her. Watch and be amazed.

Remember, you get what you pay for so hit up Mixing Maryland for your professional DJ needs.

DJ Skills: Reading the Crowd

DJing is a heck of a lot more than just pushing play. Real DJs spend many years building up a unique skill set that includes sound and equipment knowledge, music discovery, mixing techniques, crowd interaction, and of course reading the crowd. Good DJs will be able to do all of those things and much more.

In order to be able to read the crowd, there are a couple main things to keep in mind. One is that you need to know your music. In order to adjust on the spot depending on how your crowd reacts to certain artists, songs, genres, etc, you'll need to know your library, and more so, you'll need to know your individual songs to know what to predict and where to drop in and come out of a song.

Watch them, see how and when they dance, they'll give you cues as to what they're into and what they're not. A good DJ will listen to requests. Just because a request is made, doesn't mean you have to play it but can be a good indicator for what your crowd is into. Another tip is to experiment. You can't learn to read a crowd and make adjustments if you never do it. Play around, be free, see what works and what doesn't.

How to Deal with Bad Requests

Let's face it, everyone has a different taste in music and they're not always good. In fact, a lot of times, DJs get requests for songs that are just too overplayed or not right for the atmosphere or the type of crowd you have. Somebody at a wedding might request a song that is on the Bride and Groom's DO NOT PLAY list. In those cases, you'll need to know how to handle them and give an appropriate response.

For weddings, you can always say that you have a plan with the bride and groom and that if the request fits in, you'll play it. For parties, bars, clubs, and other types of gigs, just use your best judgement, tell them you'll see what you can do, but never commit to doing something you know you're not going to do, after all, you do want these people to like you.

Wedding DJ Humor: DJ Obama

Most of you may only know President Barack Obama as the elected official he is. But, what you may not know is that he's a pretty epic DJ, some say he used to tour with The Roots, though that couldn't be verified. Here's a pic of the prez in action, you decide:

Wedding DJ Gear #5 - Speakers

Ah yes, speakers. Speakers are the backbone of any mobile DJ. In order to perform, the sound has got to come out of somewhere, and without the appropriate speakers, sounds can be distorted or simply not loud enough or sometimes too loud. There is quite a lot to consider when choosing the right speakers, so you'll want a DJ with lots of experience, that knows what works and what doesn't, and more importantly, has the right equipment for your event.

It may seem natural to just figure that the most expensive speakers are the best, but this is not the case. While good speakers certainly do not come cheap, price isn't the only determining factor. For example, you may want speakers that put our really crisp and good highs for melodic, guitar-driven music, or you may want full sounding mids and lows for bass-y hip hop or electronic beats. This is all to say that, the right DJ will have the right gear and know what to do with it, so make sure you choose someone whose knowledge and experience you can count on.

DJs who know what they're doing will know where to place the speakers, how high to raise the speaker stands, and what direction to point them in. These are all things that come into play when considering sound for any event.

Wedding DJ Gear #4 - Speaker Stands

Another important piece of equipment for DJs are speaker stands. Speaker stands are used to raise the speakers to a level where the sound is going to be most audible and not be "eaten up" by bodies and other things that absorb sound. Without these the speakers would be on the ground making it painfully hard to hear and it would be very quiet during speech's and toasts. Good wedding DJs have good speaker stands and know the best place to put them.

How to do The Wobble Dance

There are a bunch of recognizable and almost expected group dances that DJs are asked to play at weddings and events. Among them are dances like the Cupid Shuffle and Cha Cha Slide, as well as older group dances like YMCA and the Electric Slide.

One of the newer (but not new) group dances that has been climbing the request charts is The Wobble by V.I.C. If you've been to a wedding recently, chances are you've seen it, or possibly if you had a DJ at your company holiday party. Either way, it's here to stay and you might want to learn how to do it.

How to do The Wobble: