by Stu Chisholm – “The Complete Disc Jockey” As you read this, mobile DJs the world over are excited about all of the upcoming DJ shows and expos that come around each year. Mobile Beat’s 16th Las Vegas extravaganza is just about to take place. DJ Times has its own show in Atlantic City, and…
by Stu Chisholm Happy 2012! In the last installment I outlined some of the things we can do to speed up the time it takes to get in to a venue and be fully set up, as well as the reverse at the end of the event. This time around, I’d like to shift the…
by Stu Chisholm I find myself talking to more and more DJs lately due to the explosion of various online forums, especially those on Facebook. With special thanks to Jeffrey Even Mufson on one such forum, I was inspired to address this week’s topic: the DJ’s need for speed! Specifically, how long does it take…
by Stu Chisholm Nearly all of the DJs I know who have made being a DJ their career not only have excellent mobile gear, but have cobbled together at least some type of production studio, be it anything from a laptop loaded with Ableton Live or Adobe Soundbooth CS5 to a full-blown Avid M-Audio home…
by Stu Chisholm We mobile DJs tend to be entertainment chameleons; we adjust our performances according to the type of event we’re doing and the composition of the audience. Any good entertainer will do this. There is a notorious old album by comedian Bill Cosby called “8:15 / 12:15,” where he performs the same show…
by Stu Chisholm Lost in all the discussions about a DJ’s worth are the nitty-gritty details about actually collecting our paychecks. For the past 31 years, I seem to have lived a charmed life when it comes to dealing with honest clients. My policy has always gone against the typical business grain; I put a…
by Stu Chisholm One of the risks of running your own business is that it can become all-consuming. It’s easy to get up in the morning and start to work and not stop until you drop. When you add things like going to DJ trade group meetings, working your online social networks and meeting with…
by Stu Chisholm There’s something BIG happening in the DJ Universe on June 20, 2011. It’s a DJ video-sharing community called DJ Video Network (DJVN) – Internet TV for DJs, by DJs. www.DJvideoNetwork.com features an ever-expanding library of shows that can be viewed for free via computer, mobile device or television. Disc Jockeys who are…
by Stu Chisholm Back around 2000, David H. Lyman published an article entitled “The Creative Personality.” In it, he outlined the various characteristics of creative people, and advised readers to make a list of those things they share and note those that they don’t. This is something I do constantly; like Benjamin Franklin, I fold…
by Stu Chisholm You arrived at the venue with time to spare. Set-up was a breeze and the first of the wedding guests begin trickling in early. It’s showtime! You kick on the power and… nothing. The computer won’t boot. Or maybe everything comes on, but there’s no sound. Or the computer doesn’t recognize the…
