Equipment & Entertainment

Greetings everyone !
Hope you are off to great start with the new year . As I am preparing for the upcoming wedding season and some other projects, I wanted to reflect on this industry of entertainment that I have been a part of for 20 years. In 20 years I have seen technology grow leaps and bounds from CDs to mp3s, DJ software, powered speakers, LED lights, the mega-ton-gazillion digital library and let's not forget cell -phones, pda's, blue tooth and wi-fi to name a few.

All of this is relevant in 2010 and makes life easier and sometimes more complex at the same time. I think of this now, as I am updating my Equipment list for the website www.maineplatinumdj.com to proudly display my personal taste in equipment for clients and fellow vendors alike. Does this all matter at the end of the day ? Yes, and no.

Having the proper equipment for any job is an essential ingredient to the success one will have with the job/ task at hand. Having the experience to know and operate your equipment is as equally important.

I am of the mindset of trying things out, what I'm comfortable with, and is it a cost effective investment . Someone will always come along and boast about the bigger, better.. yada yada yada that they got that blows your yada yada yada away.... It is human nature to boast .

If you have the right equipment and know how to operate it to get the desired results to please your clients and yourself...excellent ! I know some folks ( self included ) who will always be looking for the next new thing to see if they can make that next new thing work for them as part of their business and to profit from it.

However, I try not to lose perspective of that other hugely important factor that comes into play ... talent.

Your new hi-tech whatchamacallit and the new fangled contraption are cool and are an excellent add on to what you do.. but does it overshadow or take away from that human element of performing that people relate and respond to ?

By choice, I have elected to list my equipment as :

1. I am proud of it
2. It is a selling point
3. It shows that I am current with today's technologies


In contrast, I strive to represent the human element of any function that has a live band or a DJ or an M/C... the talent aspect.

Bands are expected to know their instruments , their vocals, and songs to perform.
DJs are expected to know what songs to play, and to keep the floor packed.
M/C's are expected to run the event and speak clearly.

As an old friend once told me , " An act with a huge production and no heart and soul is just an act of production ."