Beware of the MP3 DJ

One of the aspects of DJing that I have a difficult time with is seeing a DJ set up a playlist of music on their computer software and walk away without the song to song interaction that makes a DJ connect with their audience.  Playlists are fine as long as the DJ mans the station while dancing is taking place.  The objective of a good DJ is to keep the dance floor hopping.   If I put on a song and the dance crowd begins to exit the dance floor because it is not what they wanted to hear, immediately I switch out the song to regain the interest of the dancers and draw them back out.  There is nothing worse than playing music to an empty floor.  If a DJ isn't paying attention to the dance floor and crowd's interaction to the music, they are going to hurt their reputation.

In my opinion, technology with MP3 and WAV music files has enhanced the ability of DJs to mix their music effectively and to quickly find specific songs on the fly.  This is great to fulfill immediate song requests.  Tons of music can be stored on a tiny hard drive and run on a lap top computer.  The day of hauling vinyl records fron gig to gig is gone...thank goodness.  Call me "old school:, but I believe in always bringing my CD library to every event I DJ at, along with a computer that supports my electronic formatted music.  There is nothing like cueing up disks from song to song and transitioning and matching song beats with a proper volume transition.

The next time you are in the market for a DJ, ask them about this subject matter.  Do they like to set up playlist that run without abandon, or do they make every effort to connect with their audience through the music they play?