By Stu Chisholm, “The Complete Disc Jockey” When summer arrives, spinning music in the D – what Michiganiacs affectionately refer to as Detroit and its suburbs – means one thing: it’s car cruise season! Owners of classic cars, most members of one of the many clubs around town, will gather at various bars, restaurants and…
By Stu Chisholm, “The Complete Disc Jockey” One of the many joys of being a DJ is that you never know what you’ll be doing next. While we might do an awful lot of weddings, we also find ourselves at the occasional Bar-Mitzvah, company picnic, car cruise or, in my case, doing the PA and…
By Stu Chisholm, “The Complete Disc Jockey” One of the most enjoyable DJ expos I’ve ever attended was the Mobile Beat show in Cleveland, Ohio in 1999. It was a first for me in many ways. For one, it was the first large-scale DJ expo I’d ever attended! Secondly, it was, I believe, only the…
By Stu Chisholm, “The Complete Disc Jockey” 2014 marks my 35th year in the DJ service business. It also ushers in a new era for my business, as I will be overhauling everything from top to bottom; website; vehicle; playback systems; lighting and, most importantly, marketing. When looking forward, it’s also natural to look back…
By Stu Chisholm, “The Complete DJ” Every DJ sweats the “winter doldrums,” when the weddings drop off and our calendars become skinny. I’m lucky enough to have had a steady annual gig in February since about 2002; a Daddy-Daughter Dance for a local Catholic elementary school. Even though I don’t have children of my own,…
By Stu Chisholm, “The Complete Disc Jockey” Online forums can be a blessing and a curse; you get to chat with colleagues from all over the world, yet the online universe can be far less cordial, friendly or respectful than real world encounters. People say things to total strangers they’d never dream to say face-to-face!…
By Stu Chisholm, “The Complete Disc Jockey” Back in the year 2000, I read an excellent piece by David H. Lyman called “The Creative Personality.” Regular readers know that this is one of my top-tier topics, because absolutely everything that makes one DJ service different from another centers around the performer himself (or herself). Those…
By Stu Chisholm, “The Complete Disc Jockey” It’s 2:30 AM as I head out to my van, a 24” cube with my logo and phone number on the side. It’s been a long night, spinning Rock & Roll at the Detroit bar where I occasionally sub for a colleague. It’s been a good night. The…
By Stu Chisholm, “The Complete Disc Jockey” In my book, “The Complete Disc Jockey,” I outline the many different opportunities for DJs that lie beyond the confines of the usual trifecta of Clubs, Mobiles/weddings and Radio. Since its release, the list just keeps on growing. New this time: conventions. Aside from the corporate trade shows…
By Stu Chisholm, “The Complete Disc Jockey” Having arrived at the venue early and finding it open, I had my equipment set up, had changed into my tuxedo and felt unusually calm and collected and people trickled in. Being at a very large, exclusive golf club, I had taken full advantage of their shower facilities…
