Rhode Island DJ Tips for a Great Teen Party

Rhode Island DJ Tips for a Great Teen Party. As an experienced Rhode Island DJ, I get the opportunity to provide Great Music, DJ & MC Services for Sweet Sixteen Parties, Teen House Parties and Teen Dance Parties. Along with the fact that I’ve been a Social Worker, Counselor and Educator with adolescents for more than fifteen years, I have great knowledge and experience with fun Teen Parties as a Teen Party DJ for my Rhode Island and Massachusetts clients. Below are some ideas I found on the Web about throwing a Fun Teen Party.

Teen Dance Party Mix I

      Teen Dance Party Mix Part I - DJ Mystical Michael

Rhode Island DJ Tips for a Great Teen Party

Teen Dance Party Mix II

      Teen Dance Party Mix Part II - DJ Mystical Michael

 

Rhode Island DJ Tips for a Great Teen Party

Teens can sometimes be a tough audience to please. After all, they’re too old for childish entertainment and games, and they’re dying to look cool. But with all of that coolness in the air, a teen party can get pretty dull unless you find a way to get them active and involved with the party.

 

One of the easiest things you can do is to hire a DJ for your party. You’ll want the DJ to know and bring along all of the latest popular songs. The DJ should have the skills to get the group dancing and participating in games. Kiddie games such as musical chairs or hot potato suddenly become fun again when they are played to current hit tunes. A limbo contest, conga line and even freeze dance will relax the group and keep the party from becoming too cool for fun

via A Tip for a Great Teen Party.

More Rhode Island DJ Tips for a Great Teen Party

The tips below are from Sonoma Family Life

There are many things to consider, but here are the top six I addressed before the party started:

Can Your House Handle It?
Ask yourself if your house big enough to hold a group of your teen’s friends. Is there space for dancing? What areas (like bedrooms) will be off limits? Will partygoers get noisy? Then you need to notify your neighbors of your plans. Remember, most municipalities require that you lower your music by 10 p.m.

When Will It Start?

…And, more importantly, when will it end? Agree on a reasonable length of time for the party. Consider issues such as noise and how guests will get home. Ask your teen to let each guest know that the party will definitely come to a close at the agreed time. (That’s when the music stops and you start putting the food and sodas away.)

Be strict about whether you will be allowing teens to return if they have left. If they told their parents that they’re at your house until 11 p.m., then that’s where the need to stay.

Rhode Island DJ Tips for a Great Teen Party

Batten Down the Hatches

Experienced party-planning parents suggested hiding or locking up anything you want to protect. So plan some extra time to put aside breakable items and valuables before the guests arrive. Set aside a “safe” room at the party where guests can put their coats and bags.

Chaperones
“One of the most important things we found out was that we had to make it clear to both parents and kids we would be there the entire time,” said mom Elaine Payne. Payne, who has two teenage sons, recently hosted a birthday/dance party for her son, Jason. “My husband Jeff and I retreated upstairs and watched a movie, but frequently we’d go downstairs for the proverbial ‘glass of water’ and to check on how the party was going.”

Of course you are going to be there the entire time, but you don’t have to stick out like Shaquille O’Neal at the ballet. As Payne suggests, blend in the background. Keep your distance while maintaining a watchful eye. Consider asking another set of parents to join you in the chaperoning duties. It’s nice to have reinforcements.

Rhode Island DJ Tips for a Great Teen Party

Get the Music Started
One of the easiest ways to make a teen party a hit is to hire a DJ. You’ll want the DJ to know and bring along all of the latest popular songs. Ask if he has ever hosted a teen party. He should have the skills and personality to get the group dancing and participating.

Rhode Island DJ Tips for a Great Teen Party

The Same Old Song

Let the teens choose their own music. Even if it just sounds like a lot of noise to you, as long as the lyrics aren’t offensive, let them enjoy.My mom never liked Led Zeppelin, but she still let me play their albums. So, even if you find 50 Cent’s music annoying, just for this night, tune it out. But you do have control as to how loud they play the edited version of “In Da Club.”

Rhode Island DJ Tips for a Great Teen Party

Good Eatin’
“Keep the food simple,” advises Payne, “just like you did when the kids were little.” Pizza, taco bar, nachos, giant sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs are all winning menu items with teens. Scatter bowls of munchies such as candy, licorice, popcorn and nuts around the party area.

Rhode Island DJ Tips for a Great Teen Party

Just remember, with the right mix of planning, supervision, freedom and restraint, your teen’s party can be a low stress success.

For the remainder of the article  please visit Planning a Teen Co-Ed Birthday Party

Claire Yezbak Fadden, the mother of three sons, has seen her party-planning skills mature as her boys have grown. All that’s left now is to plan a rehearsal dinner.

Rhode Island DJ Tips for a Great Teen Party

If you are planning a Rhode Island Teen Party, I invite you to contact me for recommendations, ideas or Rhode Island DJ tips. If you have any questions or tips for a great teen party, please offer them to my readers.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ

Ask about my Rhode Island Wedding DJ & Rhode Island Party DJ Guarantee!

Fun Teen Party DJ – Rhode Island Teen Party DJ

The weather is getting warmer here in New Jersey, slowly but getting warmer. Sp[ring is giving us that freshness we all look forward to that coincides the shift i weather. And time for the Teen Party DJ to be ready to rock the Spring and Summer seasons! Here comes the Sweet Sixteens, Teen Birthdays and Graduation Parties!

Fun Teen Party DJ Music

I know many professional DJs in New Jersey not to look forward to working Teen Parties but I do! Being a Teen Party DJ means you get to play all the current hits to an audience that really appreciates what a good Teen Party DJ can do. As a subscriber to Prime Cuts Music, I am weekly refreshed with all the new hits songs and the songs about to be hits before they are released publically.

Fun Teen Party DJ with Fun Rhode Island Teen Party DJ

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Here’s why PrimeCuts is considered by many to be the #1 choice for new music:

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TM Studios’ HitDiscs® are the music service of choice among radio professionals….including American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest, every major network, thousands of radio stations worldwide and most major webcasters. You can enjoy the same superior quality and service that broadcasters have come to depend on from TM Studios.

PrimeCuts features radio edit hits that crack the Top 30 Charts of Adult Contemporary, Hot AC, Top 40/CHR, Urban, Country, Rock and Alternative. PrimeCuts also includes Dance and Christian cuts. PrimeCuts is shipped every week, 52 weeks a year!

If it’s a hit, it’s on PrimeCuts!”

Fun Teen Party DJ with Fun Rhode Island Teen Party DJ

Having the right music for Teens is critical. A good Teen Party DJ is ready and never shows up without all the music needed for a great party with lots of dancing and partying! And of course, good Teen party DJs have fun party lights for the dance floor too.

Fun Teen Party DJ with Fun Rhode Island Teen Party DJ

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ

973.908.8147

Fun. featuring Janelle Monae We Are Young

One of the marvels of the technological age in the music industry is the various ways a song can become a hit. Fun. featuring Janelle Monae We Are Young went from #48 to #3 on Billboard HOT 100 this week, it is the highest ranking yet for the group Fun..  Fun. featuring Janelle Monae We Are Young has been featured on TV shows “Chuck” and “Glee” and was still not a hit. It took a Chevy commercial during the Super Bowl with Fun. featuring Janelle Monae We Are Young for this song to receive the notoriety it deserves.

 

I also find it entertaining that folks insult each other over how they found out about the artist or song. To me, the source is not important. If you like a song or found it increased the enjoyment of a TV show, movie or commercial, good for you! Music has the magic of shifting anything into something special with the right song. This is the job of a good professional DJ. We take traditional occasions and turn them into a lasting memory and an event to talk about with excitement. Music can do that.

Fun Wedding Celebration with Bride and Groom with New jersey Wedding DJ Fun. featuring Janelle Monae We Are Young

Fun. featuring Janelle Monae We Are Young is a fun video and creative in its presentation. I appreciate the unique story they tell in the video, while continuing to hold the energy of the Fun. featuring Janelle Monae We Are Young. Have fun.

Fun. featuring Janelle Monae We Are Young Music Video

Fun. featuring Janelle Monae We Are Young is a song recorded by American band Fun for their second studio album Some Nights (2012). It was released on September 20, 2011 as the lead single from Some Nights. Musically, “We Are Young” is an anthem that incorporates the genres of indie popalternative rock, and power pop. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, with many noting the song as a breakthrough for the indie genre and praising the song’s catchiness. “We Are Young” has attained commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in several countries.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Pitbull and Ne-Yo Give Me Everything

I hesitated when choosing Pitbull and Ne-Yo Give Me Everything because as a ‘general rule’, I try not to support musicians that wear sunglasses indoors. It makes no sense and it speaks to someone who is working to create a quality brand more than a quality sound. I let it go since I wanted to focus  more on Ne-Yo more than Pitbull. By the way, Pitbull explained the reason behind choosing his stage name, saying about the dog “They bite to lock. The dog is too stupid to lose. And they’re outlawed in Dade County. They’re basically everything that I am. It’s been a constant fight.

Fun Wedding Party DJ Pitbull and Ne-Yo Give Me Everything

Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. (born October 18, 1979), better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor.  Ne-Yo was born in Camden, Arkansas, and baptized as Shaffer Chimere Smith. “Chimere” is a name originating from the Igbo language in Nigeria meaning “God’s Deed”. His father is African American, and his mother is of mixed African American and Chinese descent; both were musicians. As a young child, he was raised by his mother alone after she separated from his father. In hopes of better opportunity, his mother relocated the family to Las Vegas, Nevada. Pitbull and Ne-Yo Give Me Everything is one of his greatest hits to date.

Pitbull and Ne-Yo Give Me Everything Music Video Featuring Afrojack and Nayer

Both Pitbull and Ne-Yo Give Me Everything have been arrested in their lives. It appears that Ne-Yo has worked out some of his issues and seems headed to a healthier lifestyle. We can never hold it against an individual for making unwise choices unless they continue to do so, none of us are perfect. His sweet and soft voice and creative lyrics make him a popular and respected artist and producer in the Pop, R&B and Hip Hop communities.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ 

 

Hey DJ: Only Play Good Music

“Hey DJ, Only Play Good Music!”

I hear this statement all the time. It is actually kind of funny really. My response changes depending on mood, situation, individual and circumstances.  The truth is that there is no such thing as ‘good music’ or ‘bad music’. Music quality generally is a subjective determination. While one person thinks Kenny Chesney is the best, the next may hate Country Music and think he sounds awful. The next guy may be a total fan of The Ramones but someone who thinks Punk Rock is just loud noise will surely not think The Ramones are ‘good music’ would they? The young woman who adores Michael Buble will not necessarily find agreement from listeners of R&B, Rap or Hip Hop would they? Certainly, very few Classical or Baroque Music collectors will run out to buy the new Ke$ha record the day it hits the stores. How many Jazz Musicians do you think find Usher or Rihanna ‘good musicians’? I think you get the point. I won’t bore you any further with continuing this list of potential music genre contradictions. It does not matter what genre or style we are talking about; Disco, Soul, Reggae, Reggaeton, Pop, Oldies, Motown, Classic Rock, House, Trance, Trip Hop, Merengue, Bachata, Soca, Bollywood, African, K-Pop, J-Pop or anything else. Somebody loves it and somebody hates it.

 

So, what is good music?

 

Simple. Good music is music that you like. It rarely has anything to do with quality, technical ability or how well the songs are written. Most of the time it is what you like and nothing more or less. This is not a bad thing or a good thing, just what is. I realize some people may get offended by this but I believe it is true.  Here is an example of an experience I had about a decade ago.

Me and some guys were sitting around talking one day. A guy I had just met shared that he was a guitarist and music was his life. I immediately sat-up wanting to join the conversation, since obviously I love music and it too is a significant part of my life.

“What kind of guitarist are you and what genre do you play” I asked.

“I am a Blues guitarist and I play Blues and Rock Music.”

“Cool. Who are your influences?”

“Eric Clapton is why I became a guitarist at age fifteen and why I still play today.”

“Wow. I too like Eric Clapton. But what specifically inspired you about him that got you to pick-up the guitar?”

“I think he is the best guitarist that ever lived. That is why I started playing guitar.”

“The greatest guitarist that ever lived? That is a bold statement.” I paused before proceeding, “Were you able to play Eric Clapton when you were in high school?’

“Yes, it didn’t take me too long, since I have listened to him from childhood.”

“Did any of your friends play Clapton in high school as well?”

“Yeah, we were all musicians and loved Clapton. We all played his stuff to a T.”

“If all of you could play his stuff to a T in high school, how can he be the greatest guitarist that ever lived?”

“What do you mean?”

“If he was the greatest guitarist that ever lived, no one would be able to play his stuff and certainly not a bunch of high school students. Right?”

“I never thought about it that way.” He thought for a second, “Humm. I guess that makes sense.”

 

Our conversation went on for a while longer with others joining in and adding their two cents. Again, I think you get the point. I think this is a perfect illustration of musical tastes are predominantly subjective and that is fine. The problem arises when people tell other people their musical taste is “good” or “bad” since so few of us are trained enough in music to know the difference between the ultra-talented and those who can hold a note and play basic chords. Again, this is totally fine. There is nothing wrong with having your own taste in music or any form of artistic expression for that matter. We all need to respect each others musical taste just like every thing else. There is plenty of music I love that is just fun, with little musical skill or talent. Fun music has its place and is an art form of its own and needed. There is also lots of dance music I enjoy just to dance to that I would never listen to at home or in the car. Does that make it ‘bad music’?

What Is Good Music?

I invite you to hesitate for a moment before you yell at the professional DJ at a Wedding, Party or Event, “Hey DJ, play some good music for a change”. It is possible he is playing ‘good music’, just not what you think is ‘good music’. In fact, it may even be that eighty percent of the people at the Wedding or Party love the music he or she are playing already. In addition, it is also possible that they too do not like the music they are playing and just doing an excellent job as a professional DJ of meeting the needs of the Bride, Groom or Party Planner that hired them. Generally speaking, only DJs under the age of twenty-five or twenty-seven play music they like exclusively. Most good, professional adult DJs play music that they are hired to play, not what they want to hear. I listen to the music I like on the way to the Wedding, Party or Event, on my way home or when I get home. Your money is not for me to hear my music  at your event, but your music at your event. This is one of the primary differences between a good professional DJ, and an amateur DJ who is doing it just for fun, popularity, sex or to be cool.

Do you agree that musical taste is mostly subjective? Is there something that qualifies as ‘good music’ regardless of the listener’s personal taste?

Beautiful Fun Women Dancing to Good Music with Rhode Island Wedding DJ

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Liz Graduation Party

Gallery

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DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

A Professional DJ Prepping For A Gig

A recent professional DJ gig, the Hoboken International Film Festival, required a bit more preparation than I am accustomed. For this particular event, I needed to create a playlist for the acceptance of awards at the Awards Gala. These songs were needing to be for when the winners would walk up to receive their awards and then return to their seats after an acceptance speech. Sounds easy?  Maybe not so much. For each award, I needed to have a different song that ‘matched’ the feel for the award and had a dynamic beginning and intro to create energy for the award recepients and the crowd. In all there were 21 awards/songs needed. Coming up with a playlist for this took about 4-5 hours of searching through my nearly 250GB library for songs that met the criteria needed. Fortunately, it came out OK:)

 

Today I will be preparing a playlist for a HS graduation party on Saturday night.  This special young lady has very diverse taste for a teenager. Most teenagers when they say they have diverse taste, they usually mean they like several different forms of the same genre of pop music; dance/Top 40/club.  This particular young lady wants Grunge, Pop, Top 40, Country, Rock, Classic Rock, Sinatra, Chuck Berry, Elvis, Billy Idol and of course, Michael to go with Slides (Electric and Cha Cha), and current popular dance songs like Akon and PitBull. When I was her age my musical tastes were also diverse. Back then, this was not acceptable because music defined social groups more and there was little opportunity for stepping over social borders as there is today. I am excited about getting the opportunity to share in her big event. She has even let me know what songs she wants to dance with her Dad, boyfriend, best friend and a dedication to her Uncle who recently passed.

 

All this fun and I haven’t even gotten to the gig yet! Can’t wait to see what surprises the party itself will present.  Time to get back to putting some stuff together for Saturday night.

dj_michael_headshot_w_phones.jpg

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Not All Professional DJs Do Business The Right Way

This week I had the misfortune of doing business with a less than reputable DJ Agency in Illinois. I will not at this time add their name till I am certain the deal has gone sour.  This national DJ service recruits other professional DJs to work specific events for him and sends them an e-contract to sign.  The e-conctract is returned to him automatically. 
As a subcontractor, I feel ultra-responsible for producing an excellent event. This is due to the fact that I am now representing me and HIS agency when I professional DJ this event.

It turns out after some research, that this particular agency does not pay their professional DJs but they do accept full payment in advance from the client. Meaning, they get paid $400 and the professional DJ gets nothing without the client knowing, or the professional DJ, that the professional DJ is about to work for free while producing an event.

This is sad. It would be sad regardless of the industry but I have been part of this particular industry since the late 70’s back when there were only THREE of us doing mobile professional DJ gigs at the time. I take this personally. This really burns me up! How can people sleep at night when doing business like this.

My anger wants me to name these folks to ‘get them back’. But that is not the answer, at least not out of anger. Soon I may move to a place of listing them out of service and protection to all of you and our colleagues in the industry.

Bottom line: watch who you do business with! We encourage you to take the time to research who you are doing business with BEFORE you send them money or agree to sub-contract work with them. We can together make it harder for scammers to make money off hard-working people with integrity.

Let us know if you have any ideas or suggestions on how we can make this happen together.

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ