We Are Not Selling Music

This article reminds me of the connection I create with my clients to make their events magical. For me it is the most important thing in my business.

We don't sell "just music" but the memories that we create together with our connection.

RJ

Music Marketing: You Are Not Selling Music

Vintage Music Boutonniere Posy

This is very cool for you grooms into music...

{DIY} Vintage Music Boutonniere Posy

See him before the wedding?

EverafterImages: Should you see him before the wedding?

Black Eyed Peas - The Time (Dirty Bit) - Wedding Parody Video - Joya + Emre

Wow, what an amazing wedding video!

How To Hire Entertainment For Your Wedding

My friend Adrian Cavlan reminds us that:

"You can easily ruin a $50,000 wedding with an $800 band, or a $15,000 wedding with a $400 DJ. Make an investment in your families, your friends and most of all yourselves that will help create the right kind of unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime!"

How To Hire Entertainment For Your Wedding | DJ Adrian of Sound In Motion’s BLOG

The Importance of Announcements

If you are hiring a band for your wedding, this is some good information to consider.

RJ

Excerpt:
I recently agreed to step in and help a friend-of-a- friend coordinate their daughter’s wedding. They wanted a band, which is why I was never called to DJ in the first place. I’m a sucker…I had the night off…so I said “yes.”

The Importance of Announcements | Pro Mobile DJ

Black Light Party

We had fun in the dark doing this black light party at Lake Pointe Community Center. I had a blast and the kids did too.

Bride Upset With Wedding DJ

The best price doesn't always turn out to be the best deal...

Cocktail Music Idea

If you like Michael Buble, then you will love Seth MacFarlane's swingin' new album, Music Is Better Than Words.

It's perfect for cocktails!

Photography Fun

I did a wedding last week and I had the chance to work with Shelly Funke from Dallas. I was amazed to watch her work all night. She was able to command the room and direct people in what she wanted them to do and have fun at the same time while doing it. She lit up people by having them kick up their legs like dancers. The result is that our clients got great photos and those people had more fun and put that energy right back into the event.

This is one of the benefits of being served by people who love what they do. When I spoke with Shelly at the end of the night I was amazed to hear her story. She has been shooting for more than 25 years and I asked her if she had a website. She said "no, all of my business is word of mouth."

I've done lots of events over my 25+ year DJ career and I am able to see many distinctions working with other vendors. I am always curious to see who is really enjoying themself as they work. I see for many people, it's just another job--not that there is anything wrong with that. There is just an opportunity to put more fun into the equation and make the event that much more special. When you bring the intention to play and entertain those you work with, the outcome can go in many unexpected ways. That to me is truly great service. You love what you do and you allow everyone to enjoy it with you.

Here is a photo of hers from that night.

7 Ways to Bring The WOW and have The Best Wedding Reception Ever

Here are some great tips here from Marcello, one of my DJ heroes:

Bring The WOW

Let me know how I can help you bring your ideas to life and WOW your friends and family.

DJ-RJ

Moombahton: Born In D.C., Bred Worldwide : The Record : NPR

Cool new Latin style of music to check out. I would certainly love to play some of these sounds at your party!

Moombahton: Born In D.C., Bred Worldwide : The Record : NPR

Let me know if you're interested.

DJ-RJ

Getting Out Of Your Little Box

Here is a speech I did at Unity Center of Austin recently:

Getting Out Of Your Little Box

Uplighting Makes Your Event Beautiful

These are from a wedding we did in The Austin Room at The Omni Hotel in downtown Austin that looked amazing. We matched the color of the uplighting to with their colors and it really took their reception to another level. We received a lot of feedback from the attendees and also the hotel staff. If you really want to create a mood and ambiance, uplighting is the way to go--plus your photos will be nicer too.

Here is what Colin & Gigi had to say:

Having RJ play the songs we liked and keep the wedding reception timeline on track really made our reception special and seamless.  Being able to use the online event planner helped us to plan our reception on our schedule without unnecessary meetings.  The laser dance floor lighting was nice, but the uplighting really set the mood for the room and put it over the top.  Thanks RJ for a job well done.

Let me know if you are interested in uplighting when we meet.

DJ-RJ
Music4LifeDJs.com

Music4Life DnB Podcast #3

Here is my latest Music4Life DnB Podcast #3

Dancing In The Light

This boy was at a wedding I did at Zilker Clubhouse on Friday, March 25th. He just amazed us all night long as he never left the dancefloor until the party ended at 11:30. At one point he even came up and gave me a hug and he even came up at the end of the night and waved goodbye. What an inspiration to see such joy and an open heart. He had glow sticks in his hand and you can also see our amazing new lightshow. As soon as we turned them on when the dancing started, the kids were really into it.
Let me know if you are interested in lighting up your dancefloor while I light up your guests with amazing music, service and FUN!

DJ-RJ

Leaving on a Jet Plane

If you have a lot of people flying in from out of town for your wedding, here is a great way to save them some money with a group discount.

Leaving on a Jet Plane | Weddingbee

Programming With Heart

"At the end of the day there's ONE thing only to our craft... and that's programming, what you play and when you play it. Energy and vibe are a funny thing and no matter how well you mix or EQ or whatever, you play the wrong song and you'll kill a room. No amount of technical ability (laptop or otherwise) is going to save that." -
Max Graham

I agree with Max that programming is very important. I would add to that and say that you also need to have people skills. The ability to open your heart and connect to your audience is how you can really rock a room. I am thankful for my training with communication and coaching which I see has helped me to become a better DJ and human being. Service is the focus of my business and all of the projects I do AND having FUN. If I'm having fun, then everybody else wants to join the party and have fun too. Let me know how I can assist you in your event.

DJ-RJ

Stephanie & James Wedding at The Winfield Inn

Some great photos from Katherine O'Brien that we did in August 2010:

Stephanie & James Wedding at The Winfield Inn

Wedding Ceremony Etiquette for Bridesmaids

There are some good points made here which I had not thought about before.

RJ

Wedding Ceremony Etiquette for Bridesmaids

Saving Money on Your DJ

TJ & Liza speak about their experience with hiring a DJ on Craiglist and how they got scammed.

Using Google Docs to Plan Your Wedding

Great article from Stacy Zemon at ProMobileDJ.com:

A Great Resource to Share with Your Wedding Clients | Pro Mobile DJ

How Much Should Your Wedding DJ Cost?

Honestly? Probably more than you were planning to pay.

Why?

Because this isn't easy to say, I don't say it lightly: When it comes to Wedding DJ's, Brides and Grooms can and should expect more professionalism than the status quo that has been perpetuated as "acceptable" for far too long.

And that's not just my opinion. Over the years I've talked to brides, grooms, friends, other wedding professionals and even wedding DJ's and everyone seems to agree that the bar for Wedding DJ professionalism has been set (but even more oddly, accepted) at an often shockingly low level of expectation. In many cases the quality of the service provided falls well beneath the level of mediocrity. IMO that's not ok because the reputation of the entire DJ industry is damaged every time a DJ falls short. It's created an atmosphere of apathy where people in need of a DJ often hope to pay very little for one simply because they expect so little in return.

Read the full article here:

The Flirty Blog • A Wedding & Lifestyle Resource: How Much Should Your Wedding DJ Cost?

Quote For A DJ For "Just 4 Hours"

A great article here.

RJ

Typically these days I am on-site from about two to three hours before the ceremony starts (playing music and providing sound for the ceremony), followed by cocktail and canapé hours, then on to the reception where I am usually both the Master of Ceremonies and the DJ. A 14 hour day (plus travel and prep time) is commonplace.

Before that even happens though, I’m putting in between 12 and 20 hours of preparation time, including up to two meetings with the couple (and their parents where possible and appropriate). Only by being properly prepared can I offer the sort of service that my clients truly deserve.

Of course if all you really want is a DJ for 4 hours, you can find plenty of the old-style DJs in the Yellow Pages. They still need to advertise to get their clients because they don’t get referred as much. There might be a reason for that.

Quote For A DJ For Just 4 Hours

Top 10 Tips for an Amazing Wedding Slideshow

Ready to make your own wedding slideshow?


Top 10 Tips for an Amazing Wedding Slideshow

Wedding Tip…

One piece of advice I give my clients before their wedding day is that your guests are there to party with you! Avoid leaving your reception for long periods of time. If your photographer is going to take you out for additional photographs during the reception, inform your DJ before the wedding day and come up with a plan to keep the guests entertained. When couples spend too much time away from their receptions, the guests may assume they have left and think the reception is over. They step outside to see the bride and groom and begin to say their goodbyes. This leads to a chain reaction at the door, and the bride and groom can spend the rest of the reception sending their guests away one by one.
If you are planning extensive group photographs, schedule them after the ceremony and before you make your grand entrance. If a large group of people leave the reception with you, the rest of the guests could feel left out. That will radically affect the positive energy you and your entertainer have worked so hard to achieve. This is going to be an incredible day for the two of you, and you should make every moment memorable.

Free touches that add something special to a wedding

Julie Zanfagna Roland, who was married on the beach in Narragansett, R.I., two years ago, remembers her favorite touch from a friend’s wedding. “She asked everyone to write their all-time favorite dance song on the RSVP card,’’ Roland recalls. “The DJ used the responses to make the song list.’’ Yin recalls one reception in which a “courageous groom serenaded his wife on the dance floor, playing the guitar and singing their song.’’ Kerry Epstein, a Boston wardrobe stylist, recently helped organize a bachelorette party for her sister, Lauren, in which all the bridesmaids learned the steps from the music video for Beyoncè’s “Single Ladies.’’ The girls then showed off their mastery of choreography at the wedding.

8 Best Wedding Apps for iPhone

Wedding applications are among the most popular applications available on iTunes. If you have been involved in a wedding, you are probably familiar with all the hard work that you have to put forth to get through a wedding without any major problems. There is a whole lot of planning and organization that you will need to do to throw a dream wedding event. Thanks to the talented community of iPhone developers, you have access to various wedding applications that can help you get more things done and manage you event like a pro.

If you are looking for a wedding iPhone application, here are 9 options to consider:

8 Best Wedding Apps for iPhone

A Site Survey With Your DJ

I revised a contract today with a couple that wanted to remove the second sound system from their event. The bride's mother called me and expressed her concerns that it really wasn't necessary to have a second sound system when the ceremony was only going to be 15 minutes. The other factor that came into play is that the place at the venue where the ceremony was going to be is only 10 feet from where I will be set up inside. My solution was to put a speaker outside the door for the ceremony and then move it inside after the ceremony. I've done it before and for smaller ceremonies it can work and can also save the couple money. It reduces the time needed for setting up which makes me happy. One thing to make sure of, if you go this route, is to make sure that the DJ inside has proper sight lines to see what is going on during your ceremony so as not to miss any cues. If it is not possible for the DJ to see, then you can use an assistant, or a cell phone, provided that both people on the cell phone are not in view of the guests.

When I set up two sound systems for a ceremony and reception, the ceremony system has to be taken down during the transition when cocktail music is being played. If I am lucky, I have an assistant (often my wife Maria) who can help in putting away that system quickly while pictures are being taken. If not, maybe I can do it quickly, or it may have to wait until the end of the event.

I think the best solution is to do a site survey with your DJ and get recommendations so all this can be worked out before the contract is even put together. Most DJs should be willing to meet with you at your venue to give you valuable feedback on what would work best for everybody involved. During a site survey we can figure out where tables will be placed as well and verify who will provide tables, whether it is the venue or a rental company.

Another benefit is that your DJ can also see where to park their vehicle and load in, and also check power sources and then see about where to get dressed too. I am always open to do a site survey as it also allows me a chance to connect with the coordinator at the venue and begin building a relationship so that we can get to know each other and work more effectively as a team on your event.

The fewer details that have to be figured out on the big day means that there will be less stress that will be in your event and in your team of vendors. All of these are important factors that can really make a difference in the success and flow of your event.

Ask your DJ if he/she is willing to make a site survey happen for you. It is certainly worth it, especially if your DJ has not performed at your venue before.

I appreciate your comments as well on this topic and anything else you care to add.

DJ-RJ

Is it acceptable to ask for money for your wedding?

A report says that 45% of brides and grooms would like their guests to skip the wedding gifts and just give them the cash.

Is it acceptable to ask for money for your wedding? | The Guardian

Where To Seat Your Guests

This is a great article from Clink Events with some ideas on how to set up your guest tables at a wedding:

It’s All in the Details » CLINK

Involving Family and Friends in a Wedding

Here's an article from Austin photographer, Lori Luza about:

Involving Family and Friends in a Wedding

10 Ways to Cut Your Wedding Food Costs

10 Ways to Cut Your Wedding Food Costs

Bird Seed Favors For Your Wedding

I did a wedding a few weeks ago and my clients had bird seed favors for their sendoff. I got a few that were leftover and the birds in my yard have been very happy when I put them out. They came wrapped in cute little bags with the couples names on the tags. I see from their website that they have many different shapes and also that they are based in Texas as well. You can visit their website, NatureFavors.com and order them via mail if you wish for your big day.

Here is what they look like.

Support the birds in your neighborhood and also local business with these great bird seed favors from Nature Favors.

DJ-RJ

Broberg Wedding at Barr Mansion

It was a great honor to work Abby & Kurt putting their wedding ceremony and reception together in February at Barr Mansion. We had many special events that we put together in our planning sessions. One of the most special moments was Abby's father-daughter dance. I got together with her father and we created a medley of three different songs from LP and cassette. It was a big surprise when Abby heard her voice over the speakers from a recording she made when she was only 11 years old. This is one of the special delights I can add to your event when you book me for The Unforgettable package.

Here are some photos from Katherine O'Brien Photography.

Getting a microphone on Kurt before the ceremony:

Me doing one of my infamous Anniversary Dance interviews:

Toasting Kurt & Abby:

Hey, that's me:

Kurt & Abby's first dance:

"Music4Life DJs are extremely professional and fun. They do a lot of the "heavy-lifting" of planning a big party - so you quickly realize you have an ally. I so enjoyed working with RJ. Hey was delightful and I guarantee he will be invested in your event."

~Abby Mooney

Let me know how I can make your reception or party amazing!

RJ

Great Video of Music4Life DJs

Special thanks for Marc Brown of Digital Legacy for sharing this great video of Music4Life DJ, Jabari Warfield at The Thistle Cafe in downtown Austin.

Jabari and I did the interview together and you can see how it clearly takes this video to another level. This interview is just one of the examples of what you can have when you book with Austin Wedding DJs Music4Life.

Austin Bridal Secrets - Summer Mixer Rocks!

On Friday night, we gathered for the latest Austin Bridal Secrets Summer Mixer. I want to thank Mary Charron at Austin Custom Winery in Oak Hill for allowing us to hang out with her and have a blast.

I wanna share the highlights from our event, starting with some of the stars of Austin Bridal Secrets.

First, the wine! I had some of Vintner's shiraz and the pear riesling and they were both very good.

Nicole from Delysia brought her family and her wonderful truffles! I got hooked on the blueberry truffles! They were incredible! Her two-year-old son Sebastian was dancing a lot to the music and what a joy he was to have with us. Their 2nd child is due in August and I wish them all the best with the new baby.

I started out the evening playing some Dean Martin and other Italian-type music. Nice and elegant.


Harpist Amanda Woosley performed 2 sets and brought some sweet vibes into the room.

Linda Carter of Carter Creations had two of her original wedding gowns on display as well her portfolio with some amazing dresses in it.

Other Stars of Austin Bridal Secrets in the house were:

• Johnny Gasyna of Music4Life DJs,
• Tammie Garza, of Tammie Garza hair
• Su-Min, the Makeover Angel
• April Neubold of Petalworks
• Beth Richard of Exquisite Petals

Later on we danced and had karaoke too. My sister Lori and my mother rocked "Dancing Queen":



We also got to meet some other vendors too who came to hang out and network:

• Shannon Wine, the new Austin rep for Premier Bride magazine
• Amy & Lauren from BigDay Event Productions
• Becky Kittelman from Kittleman Photography
• Stephanie Johnson from Creative & Crafty, cards and invitations
• Betty Giannone from Gobo Entertainment

We had a great time together! Look for the next Austin Bridal Secrets mixer to be held in October. Reach out if you would like to be involved.

DJ-RJ
Music4Life

Chicago Here We Come!

Next week, I will be heading to Chicago for the ADJA Summer Conference: “Empowering Your Dreams”. I am so excited to go and see what else I can learn to bring back to my clients in Austin.

ADJA 2009 Summer Conference.

Come See us at Winfield Inn on June 24th

The Winfield Inn is hosting a Bridal Extravaganza at The Winfield Inn on Wednesday, June 24th from 4-7pm. Music4Life DJs will be available to answer any questions you have as well as the other preferred vendors from The Winfield.

Music Selection at Your Wedding

Another great video from Brian S Redd:

Top 10 Texas Songs

Texas Music Matters compiled a list of the Top 10 Texas Tunes. I love all these songs and I am fortunate that I get to play them at many events. Waltz Across Texas would be my number 1 from this list. I love to just play that song and feel good!

Texas Music Matters Top 10 Texas Songs
10. Amarillo by Morning by George Strait
9. La Grange by ZZ Top
8. That’s Right Your Not From Texas by Lyle Lovett
7. Luckenbach, TX by Waylon Jennings
6. El Paso by Marty Robbins
5. London Homesick Blues by Gary P. Nunn
4. Deep in the Heart of Texas by Gene Autry
3. Waltz Across Texas by Ernest Tubb
2. New San Antonio Rose by Bob Wills
1. Miles and Miles of Texas by Asleep at the Wheel

Wallace Hammond

I had the honor of playing at Wallace Hammond's memorial service on Friday night at Mercury Hall. Wallace and I played in local Austin band Tribal Nation for a few years and he has been active in Austin's music scene for many years, playing with folks like James Brown, Gladys Knight, Bootsy, The Killer Bees and many more.
Wallace's wife, Beth is in business with Coby Neal who did a great job putting the whole event together. His floral arrangements are some of the best in Austin and he has been working on flowers for more than 40 years. Perhaps he can help you on your next occasion.

Rest in peace my brother Wallace!

Circular Ceremony Seating

This is a great idea from Manolo for The Brides.

Read the full story HERE.

Photobooth for Your Austin Event

If you want to add some fun to your party, check out Todd Darby of Say Cheese Photobooth Rental. We did a great interview for Austin Bridal Secrets.

Come See Us at Onion Creek

Onion Creek Country Club will be holding an open house on Wednesday, February 11th from 5-8 PM. The following vendors will be available to speak with you about your wedding:

Austin Party Central

The Flower Studio

Christina Carroll Photography

Music4Life DJ's

Simon Lee Bakery

Photography by Cho

All Access DJ

Please contact Jill Benson, for more information on 512-383-2005.

Austin Social Media’s Top 100

I am honored to be recognized in the Austin Social Media Top 100 of Austin for the category of Radio! Thanks for the recognition NewMedia Lab. I really appreciate it.

RJ



If you’re living in a cave and didn’t yet know it, Austin is the Live Social Media Capital of the World and has been looked to by others as the pioneers of the new media space. Below, we’ve listed 100 innovators in Austin and encourage you to look into them all.

Austin Social Media Top 100

The Winfield Inn

I just found out today that we have been selected to be a preferred vendor at The Winfield Inn in Kyle. This is a beautiful outdoor venue and we love to play here.

Big thanks to Robyn and all the staff at The Winfield Inn! Every time I get to work with you, it is just a joy.

We look forward to doing more weddings here.

DJ-RJ

iWedding for the iPhone

This looks pretty cool.
iWedding is a comprehensive wedding planner to help you arrange one of the most important days of your life. Keeping track of the many tasks and information usually leads to stacks of paper, but not anymore.
iWedding uses many of the powerful features already built into your iPod Touch or iPhone to help with the organization of your big day, thus keeping all the vital information at your fingertips.
iWedding
RJ

Balcones Springs / Bridal Show

I got to play for Topaz Technologies last night at a great venue in Marble Falls called Balcones Springs. The place is big and I didn't get to see all of it though from their website, it looks like they do a lot of weddings. I got to hangout with the owner Christine in the kitchen and see her team at work putting the food together. They were all having a great time and it was obvious that they all work well together. They were nice and took good care of me and all the other attendees. I look forward to doing an interview early next year with her for Austin Bridal Secrets to hear her story.

It's Sunday night and we just finished a planning session for the Bridal Events of Distinction show which is happening on Sunday, January 4th at Embassy Suites in San Marcos. We will be MCing and providing the music for the event, plus we will be available to talk to you about DJ entetainment for your wedding reception. Tickets are available now for $10 through Austin Wedding Day.

Have a great week and a Merry Christmas!

DJ-RJ

New Cards

Special thanks to Nicole with Pink Design Events for her work on creating a new logo for Austin Bridal Secrets. I recently changed my cards to include that logo on it so more people can find out about it. Austin Bridal Secrets is a podcast for Austin brides to meet other wedding vendors in the Austin area that they may want to hire. You can subscribe with iTunes to get the latest shows or just listen to the ones you want from the website. Nicole also does monograms and invitations and many other things. Design and printing was once again handled by my friends over at PrintGlobe. They do a great job for me.

Houston This Weekend - And a Wedding @ Winfield

I am excited once again to be attending the Houston Ghamma DJ Symposium this weekend. I will get see all of my DJ friends from Houston and I will also get to interview one of my DJ heroes, Peter Merry for Austin Bridal Secrets. I'm really looking forward to it.

Last night I met with my bride Andrea to do her final planning session for her wedding Saturday night at The Winfield Inn in Kyle. She lives in Houston and was without power for several weeks after Ike. We have a great party ready to roll out an I'm sure it is going to be a great weekend!

Last night I was at the radio station doing some late night production and our midnight DJ did not show up so I did midnight to 3 AM on the air and had a great time. I played old school R&B, hip-hop and some jazz also. It was fun to be on overnight again and just be able to create. I haven't done one of those shifts since my days at KUT in the 90s.

That's it for now.

Have a great weekend!

DJ-RJ

Our station recognized by Austin Chronicle's Best of Austin Critics Poll

Best R&B Dream Come True: KAZI 88.7FM
KAZI started as the dream of University of Texas professor Dr. John Warfield 26 years ago. Austin's oldest community radio station thrives under the guidance of Steve Savage, with a small staff and a team of volunteers who keep jazz, hip-hop, reggae, and gospel music alive and well in the ATX, digging deeper than your average commercial playlist: Where else do Raphael Saadiq, Estelle, Angie Stone, Sam Cooke, A Tribe Called Quest, and Honeybrowne share the air? KAZI also keeps us plugged into the real world with independent news via Democracy Now!, and it broadcasts Austin City Council meetings, making local goings-on accessible to us all. www.kazifm.org

photo by Celesta Danger

Hill-Bert's Closing

We had a great party to close the Hill-Bert's Lamar location on Sunday. I am now the "official" DJ for Hill-Bert's. Here a couple photos, courtesy of my sister Lori. These are my awesome nephews, Andrew and Nathaniel:

  

Big Weekend Coming

This will be a full weekend of DJing!

I have three DJ gigs this weekend, plus doing sound at church on Sunday.

Friday, I will be rocking Fulmore Jr High once again for the fall dance. We have been doing all their dances since 2006 and I expect this one to be rocking as usual. All the latest hip-hop, plus some reggaeton, and cumbias too. Always a blast!

Saturday, I will be at the Omni for Brad & Erica's big day. We have a great evening lined up for them.

Sunday, will be the Hill-Bert's closing party at 3303 N Lamar from 4-8 PM. Come by and say hello to me and goodbye to this Austin landmark that has been around for 35 years.

DJ-RJ

WeTV Features Austin Wedding Planners

I went to a packed premiere tonight for Austin Wedding Planners at Dave & Buster's. They were featured on 2 episodes of The Wedding Planners reality show shot from WeTV. The episodes will air on WeTV on December 14th & 28th. The show, which was shot at Angel Springs was entertaining and very funny. The couple they worked with had a budget of $15,000 and the other couple featured on the show had a budget exceeding $100,000 and had their reception in a very well decorated horse barn.  Kathie & Vivian of Austin Wedding Planners made it a great event.

Congrats to Kathy & Vivian and the whole Austin Wedding Planners staff on the success of their show!

RJ

Having So Much Fun!

I had two amazing gigs this weekend and this week has taken off!

Saturday night I did Kelly & Jon's wedding at S.F. Austin hotel downtown. We all had a great time. Their Grand Entrance/First Dance was choreographed by Kathleen Stegall from Austin Uptown Dance. They danced to Legends Of The Fall and it was just incredible. The work they put into those 9 dance lessons totally paid off. I did an interview with Kathleen today for Austin Bridal Secrets. She is a retired school teacher and is absolutely on fire about dancing in every way and it shows as soon as she talks about it. If you are looking for some dance instruction for your first dance, you owe it to yourself to check her out.

The rest of the night was incredible with the dancefloor full. We did a special dance for her grandparents, and her mother was into line dances so we did a few of those too. We had custom created scripts for the Grand Entrance and all the other special dances. We even did a special dance for a couple who was about to celebrate their 1st anniversary. We had a special announcement for everybody thet they were expecting a baby and we played their frist dance from their wedding last year. They had their own special moment and it was sweet.

The event finished at 12:15 and I was able to get a few shots of Jon & Kelly dancing their last dance. The photographers were gone already so I was able to capture a few shots.

I did the math on what we put into this event tonight:

12.5 hours pre-production/planning time, dance rehearsal, and rehearsal dinner
6.25 hours of travel time
9 hours on location day of the reception
--
28 hours total time invested in this event.

I am pretty certain that if somebody is looking to hire a $500 or $600 DJ that they will not be able to get this kind of service since most entertainers working at those rates probably need a day job to be able to pay their bills. If one is looking for somebody to just show up and play music, then they should consider hiring a lower priced entertainer.

What I love is being able to hang out the couples I work with and putting all of our heads together and creating unique ideas that people will remember for a long time.

On Sunday, I played a pool party for Michael in his back yard off of Rundbeg & Lamar. I had a great time and played lots of dance and club music. So I was able to be creative and keep mixes going for a long time. Quite different from a wedding gig and wide open to just be creative. I loved it!

On Monday, "Labor Day," I took most of the day off and realized how hard it was for me to not work. I just enjoy what I do and most of the time it doesn't seem like work so it's hard to stay away and stay offline. Went and hung out with mom that evening and we always have a great time talking about business, music and many other things. She is just so supportive in my life and I don't know where I would be without her.

On Tuesday, Ann Texter and I went shopping at Home Depot for some hanging supplies for our upcoming event in October called Shootenanny at The Nomad Bar. It's going to be a photo exhibit and I am going to playing classic country and honky tonk music. I'm really looking forward to it. The owner Miguel is a sweetheart and has been very supportive of what Ann and I are putting together. Here is the flier:

Later that evening, I went to the radio station and ran a replay of The Dad Show and then met a couple for a planning session. We worked an hour and 45 minutes just on music and got a lot accomplished. Their first dance of The Carpenters, "Close To You" is going to be pure cheese and we have some other great similar ideas that we are putting together in our next planning session that will be fun along with some trance music that he is into.

Today, the other interview I did was with Andrew Perkel of Belvedere's Mens Day Spa at 10th & Congress. Andrew knows his business very well and delivers what men want in a spa experience. From cuts and shaves to shoe shines, waxing, coloring, massages, facials, pedicures, and manicures. The staff is very friendly and I have enjoyed both of my visits there so far. I also took some photos of Cheryl Goldberg of A Beautiful Smile Now that came out great.

Tonight, I met with Caryn & Zach at 360 Primo. We worked on their playlist for about an hour and a half until we were all fried and ready to go home. We didn't even get to the timeline, though we came up with some great ideas for their special songs.

Tomorrow night, I will be at the monthly ISES meeting when Airstar Space Lighting will give an overview of the types of lighting available for use in the special event industry, and how to work with a lighting designer to make your events shine. They have some awesome lighting ballons.

On Friday, I will be interviewing Linda Lucas of Dream Images about her photography services for Austin Bridal Secrets and then I will be DJing and playing with my band Vida Deluxe at Ruta Maya, 3601 S Congress starting at 9:00 PM. Come say hello.

Let me know how I can help you?

DJ-RJ
512-973-8686

Another Amazing DJ Conference

I went to the North Texas Entertainers Conference yesterday in Grand Prairie, TX. I attended some great workshops and drove back to Austin quite inspired despite three hours of sleep the previous night. Three lectures were presented by Peter Merry that were excellent. Peter is setting the bar higher for many DJs by showing how great service can be delivered. His first seminar was about marketing and using web 2.0 websites to expand and share things. I am way into that already in many ways. For instance, you can follow me on Twitter if you want to keep up with my day to day runnings. His second was grand entrances and how to make them more personal to all in attendance. He told a very touching story of a widow that he introduced in a bridal party that I am sure touched everyone in attendance. My grand entrances will be different from now on. And his last presentation over dinner was the Starbuck's Effect and how their model of service and quality can be applied to the DJ profession. Erlier in the day, we had a great presentation on Latin music from Jaime Chavez that gave me a much better understanding of Mexican regional and tejano music. We also saw a great presentation on computer-controlled DMX lighting that amazing. Big props to the DFW ADJA chapter for a great show!

Let me put this some of this knowledge to use for you!

DJ-RJ

North Texas Entertainers Conference

I will be heading to Grand Prairie, Texas for The North Texas Entertainers Conference on Monday, August 25th. I am excited to be hanging out with some of the best entertainers in the Dallas-Ft Worth area and also attending some great workshops all day long including one with Peter Merry titled "The Starbucks Effect: Working With The Personalized Bride"that will be great.

It's another way that I am working hard to serve those I work with and to keep growing as an entertainer.

DJ-RJ

The Knot

I went to a great gathering of wedding vendors this week for TheKnot.com and I even got to meet the president Janet Scardino. It was a great event with food and drinks and lots of people to talk with. I met some new vendors that will be on upcoming episodes of Austin Bridal Secrets and was accompanied by Austin's favorite PR queen, Dean Lofton. Being an advertiser on the The Knot has really helped me meet some great people who I am proud to serve and be part of their special day.

Let me know how I can help you.

RJ

Monday on RJ's R&B

On Monday, July 28th on RJ's R&B from 1-3 PM on KAZI 88.7 FM, I will be interviewing Austin singer-songwriter Sarah Temple. I am quite excited to have her on the show for her to share with us her story.

RJ

Tonight at Masala Wok

I will once again be playing some awesome Bollywood music tonight at Masala Wok, 1100 Center Ridge Dr. Suite 300 (Parmer & IH35, NE corner, behind Office Depot) from 7-11 PM. Join us for dinner and dancing later in the evening to all of your favorite Bollywood Hindi songs. It is soooo cool. Great food and great vibes too!!!!! Come say hello.

DJ-RJ

Sarah Temple - Great Music!

Wow, I just discovered her tonight via MySpace and she is just awesome! She does jazz, latin, and Brazilian music. Her drummer is one of the best in Austin, Brannen Temple, who I'm guessing must have been very smart and married her. Please check her out: SARAH TEMPLE

Listen to the show here:

Music4Life Podcast

DJ-RJ

Does Your DJ Have Time for You???

I just had an initial meeting with a bride-to-be who is getting married next year. We had a great time and hung out for an hour and 45 minutes.
I was surprised when she told me about another DJ company that she had dealt with who would not let her meet with her DJ and also that they could not guarantee which DJ would be supplied for her wedding reception.
This is the most important day of her life and she needs to know who she is hiring and if they vibe well together. To my way of thinking, that is very important and is one key ingredient to the success of her event. If you have fun together hanging out at a consultation, you will definitely have fun at your reception.
If the "unknown DJ" just shows up at your event to play music, how do you know that it is going to turn out as you expected?

At Music4Life, we prefer that you meet your DJ ahead of time before you hire them and we also guarantee that they will be your DJ on your contract. You have the option to spend as much time as you need during multiple planning sessions to work out all the details from music selection to the timeline.

If you're looking for more in a DJ, contact us and we would love to sit down with you and see how we can have fun together! Because life is a big huge party!

DJ-RJ
973-8686

Inspiration

Wow, I woke up at 7:00 this morning on fire about life and my business! I had to get up and get right into some things. At the moment, I am ripping some Brazilian CDs in preparation for the gig today out in Leander. It's a 4th of July celebration and also Eugenia's 83rd Birthday Party. She is from Brazil and her daughter hired me after seeing me perform at a wedding a few weeks ago in Dripping Springs. We're going to have a lot of fun. The playlist that we built has 141 songs on it! Some things on there I have not heard in a long long time! This will be a great party that they will remember for a long time.

Happy 4th of July to you!!!

DJ-RJ

Two New Shows Today

I met John John "The Wedding Butler" and also singer-songwriter India Taylor and interviewed them both for Austin Bridal Secrets.

Check out the shows: Austin Bridal Secrets.

RJ

Free Personalized Wedding Maps

This site is very cool:

WeddingMapper.com
RJ

Special Edits

I worked with Brandi yesterday, one of my brides who is getting married in July. She really wanted Tim McGraw's song "My Little Girl" for her Father-Daughter Dance. She told me about the song and one line from the lyrics that was not acceptable to her:

I know he'll say that he's in love.
But between you and me. He won't be good enough!

So at the coffee shop we were working at, I was able to pull up the song and make an edit and remove that verse from the song so it would work. She was quite happy about it and so was I.

On Wednesday, I was working with Jesse and Elizabeth and put together a nice medley of 5 songs for their first dance that was about 5:40 total time. I gave them a CD to take home with them so they can practice and get their moves down.

Being an audio engineer gives me other skills that I can bring to my events to add more spice to the night.

If I can help you with any special ideas you have, let me know. I am here for you.

And also, don't forget to check Austin Bridal Secrets for some great interviews with other wedding service providers around town.

DJ-RJ

What A Weekend

Wow!

Saturday, I had a wedding at Vista West Ranch in Dripping Springs that was great! Congrats to Monica and Tyler!

Sunday, had the morning off from my audio gig at Unity Center and then played for the first time at Marriot in Round Rock. The staff was fun and friendly and we all had a good time. Congrats to Amber & Taylor!

Both events featured a lot of country music on the playlist. I give them exactly what they want and have fun doing it!

I took a few pictures at both events and I have been having a lot of fun doing some photography again. I am also playing with Twitter if you want to follow me there.

RJ

Hands in The Air

A shot from Friday night at the Fulmore Jr. High School dance.

Last Night at Barr Mansion

Wow, what a great wedding last night at Barr Mansion! I started with cocktail music at 3PM, then dinner and dancing, finishing at 10PM. It was an awesome musical marathon!

Congratulations to Natalie & Andy on their big day. They gave me some ideas of what they wanted and really let me be creative and wow the people with music. Played lots of great classics and standards with some pop things through dinner and then rocked the dancers with some great rock-n-roll, country and 80s things.

It really feels great seeing people light up when they hear a song that delights them.

RJ

Tuesday

Today, I met with Nycia from Inspired Events and we had a great time together. I interviewed her for Austin Bridal Secrets.

Next I am off to finish production from Sunday's Unity guest speaker, then off to do The Dad Show and then a planning session and dinner with Monica & Tyler who are getting married on June 7th.

Another great day!

DJ-RJ

Tuesday...

The morning started out with ripping CDs and accounting. Thank you Michael & Judy for the help!

Then met with Jesse & Mylissa to begin putting the works on their May 11th ceremony & wedding at Mercury Hall. Welcome onboard! They also told me about a place in Fredericksburg called Boot Ranch that looks like a nice wedding venue. I want to go and play golf there! Golf Digest voted it one of America's Best New Courses in 2007. It looks beautiful.

After that, a quick jaunt to mix The Dad Show from 6-7 pm and then off to Dillard's for some new pantalones. Very exciting.

Tonight, reading a few tech and photog blogs and trying to wrap it up so I can sleep.

RJ

Big Weekend

Austin Bridal Secrets continues to grow and bring me great joy. I did some voicework today with Hemma Jani. She is from London and is new in town and she did a great intro and outro for the show which will be in the next episode.
One of the challenges with the show I see has been to keep interviewing people and not ask the same questions. I got a book on The Art of The Interview this week from Amazon that is going to help me improve. I have an interview in the morning with photographer Eric Hegwer that I am excited about. We worked together a few weeks ago and had a good time together, so I expect more of the same. The launch party for Austin Bridal Secrets (see flier in this post) will be held on Sunday, May 4th from 6-10 PM at Casa Chapala. All past and future clients are invited to come enjoy some great Latin music, food and fun.

I met with Debbie today to put the final touches on her wedding which is Friday. On Saturday, I will be doing Tara & Rick's wedding at San Michele in Buda. My band Vida Deluxe will play on Sunday on Sunday morning at Unity and then I plan to take the rest of the day off. It will be a full weekend.

Big congratulations to Holly & Todd and also Elizabeth & Jesse who both signed on this week for their wedding receptions.

RJ

Van Halen

I'm up way too late tonight, listening to Van Halen for the last few hours and enjoying sounds I have not heard much in quite a few years. All the stuff from the first four albums mostly with David Lee Roth. Great stuff!!!

Working on learning more about Photoshop and having some fun seeing what I can do with some of the digital images I have taken over the last 5 years.

Also, cleaning up the database online so I can get ready to send out invites to the Austin Bridal Secrets salsa launch party coming up in May.

Saturday night I played at Courtyard Marriot on 4th street for the first time. Played 5 hours! After dinner, the dancefloor was full almost the whole time until 11:30. Congrats to Alan and Tracy!

Got to see Culture perform this weekend twice. Saturday night at Flamingo and Sunday night at ARF. Kenyatta Hill is filling his father's shoes quite well I must say! He is such a dynamic performer. We were all impressed with the rebirth of Culture.

All fun and exciting stuff!

Now I must sleep... on the air in 8 hours.

RJ

Great Wedding Ceremony Music

If you are looking for something classical, yet different and modern, check out The Vitamin String Quartet. They do classical covers of a lot of different rock and pop songs which Tara & Rick and I are using for their reception on the 26th. Great stuff!

DJ-RJ

Secrets That Brides Want To Know

Stay tuned here for a new project that I am working on! It is very exciting and Austin brides will want to know about it to find the perfect vendors for their event.

Today, I just finished a planning session with a couple that is getting married in April. Everything is wrapped and ready to go except for some more music, which they will add to their playlist later.

They turned me on to Richard Cheese. His group is called Lounge Against The Machine and they do cheesy covers of rap, rock, and pop songs. The version of Baby Got Back is hilarious!

Gotta get back to the studio. Work continues on the Vida Deluxe album. So far we have three songs down and we are putting down overdubs and vocals today. We will be playing on Friday at Ruta Maya at 11PM. Come out and join us!

RJ

Salsa y Bembe

I worked with Marion Sanchez yesterday to create a demo and proposal for a new weekly show tentatively called Salsa y Bembe that will air on KAZI. She hopes to have the show on-air by May 1st. We are very excited about the show.

Today, I am working with Patrick Timpone of The One Radio Network creating some audio bits for his shows.

RJ

Weekend Gigs

I have two drumming gigs this weekend!

Friday night with Vida Deluxe at Flamingo Cantina. We recently added a new vocalist, Jah Lion, from Antigua and he is going to be great!

Saturday night, I will be performing a short set with Urban Roots at Freddie's at 1703 South 1st street at 7PM.

Hope to see you!!!

DJ-RJ

Great Bridal Show

Just finishing up at the Bridal Events of Distinction show and it was great!

Special thanks to all of you who came by to visit with us.

Let us know how we can help with anything. We are here for you.

RJ
973-8686

Pandora / Vida Deluxe / Bridal Show

So, I've been hearing about Pandora for awhile and I finally decided I would jump in and take it for a spin. It is a music streaming thing that learns what you like and gives you more. Been listening to some Drum-n-Bass and seeing how it works. Cool so far. Some things I've heard and a few new things too. Haven't had a glitch in the stream yet after almost an hour listening. And speaking of drum and bass, I finally have some ideas about the project I spoke of earlier with the 40 songs and it is going to happen at the end of the month. I am very excited about this project--on fire actually!


And one of my bands, Vida Deluxe will be opening for the Mau Mau Chaplains on the 21st at Flamingo Cantina. That came out of nowhere, thank you Angela! That is up pictured above at Aster's on February 18th, 2008.

And of course, the Bridal Show this Sunday at Austin Convention Center will be great fun too!

So many good things happening--Music4Life is my life and how great it is!

RJ

Quite A Weekend

Did a lot this weekend and made some new friends too.

Friday night, went to the grand opening for Rozone Productions. They are a new provider in town for Versatube lights which are used in concert and stadium productions. Graphics and video can be shown on these LED lights with huge screens. They had some set up and I took my camera and got to take a lot of amazing pictures of people using them as fill light as they cycled through the colors. Met a sweet couple from Australia who have recently moved to town, Tracey & Andy Seymour. Andy is a singer and one of the things he does is called The Gospel According to Elvis. Great renditions of Southern gospel as Elvis would have done.

On Saturday, I went to the Texas Media Summit at the Texas Union at UT. It was an all day event and for the first time brought together those of us involved in community media from across the state to see what we can do to come together and address common concerns while networking. Made some good contacts and earned a lot about SB5 and the effect it will have on cable systems across the state.

On Sunday, did audio at Unity and then went to Fast Frame for a wedding event. Met some real sweet people who were wedding vendors. Brides looking for frames for their wedding pictures should go by and talk to Candice Rush about options for framing and also shadow boxes. I met two of Matt's sisters from Matty Cakes. The white raspberry cake was yummy! I met Steve Armstrong, a photographer who also has taught photography at ACC for 25 years. He showed us some amazing books that he had put together for clients. I met Jennifer Smiley, a mom of three who has recently started her calligraphy business and is able to address invitations and cards with calligraphy (512-301-6227). I met Jaime Arevalo from Circle C Cafe & Catering. They have a cafe at the Wildflower Center and also do catering for weddings and events. And I also met Renee Dahl with A Bed Of Roses. She is a Tx Master Florist and has been doing flowers for more than 20 years. She also does invitations. All great people and a fine day it was!

It is Monday morning and I am off to do my radio show.

Let me know how I can help you with anything!

DJ-RJ
973-8686

Bridal Showcase & Fashion Show Monday

Fashion Show And Vendor Showcase

Rare Weddings is HOT! Whether you're a bride-to-be or just someone who LOVES free food and drinks (and who doesn't), Rare Weddings is where you should be on Monday, March 3.

The event is from 6:00 - 9:00 pm at Laguna Gloria. Picture a Rare-style fashion show against the mansion featuring your favorite local boutiques and salons. Also, check out the vendor showcase featuring free food from Austin's best caterers and an open, FREE bar (yep, free booze).

Monday, March 3, 2008 (Rain Date: March 10, 2008)

Amoa - Laguna Gloria

Bridal Showcase 6:00 Pm - 9:00 Pm

Fashion Show Promptly At 8:30 Pm

Free Food And Bar (Yep, Free Bar)

Drum 'n' Bass 2008

I am up way too late tonight! Just so excited about a new lil project I am doing with DJ Soultrain. We are putting together 40 fresh new Drum 'n' Bass tunes for the podcast. Not sure how we are going to put it together just yet. Just trust that we will figure that out as we get there. I found some killers and I can't wait to see what he is going to bring. I hope to have it done before I got to Vegas in 2 weeks. It shall be exciting so stay tuned!

DJ-RJ

Sunday - Soca Time!

Inviting you to tune in this Sunday, January 20th on KAZI 88.7 FM from 3-5 PM for the latest Soca music from Trinidad & Tobago for 2008 carnival. Some really great stuff!!!!

RJ's R&B - New Podcast

I posted the 2nd half of my radio show yesterday to the podcast site. There is some great new R&B and neo-soul on it. Get it while it's hot:

Music4Life Podcast
DJ-RJ

Reggae Evolution - Best of 2007 Show

Jah Ray and I have joined forces for the Best of 2007 show and it will air on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 from 7-10 PM on KAZI 88.7 FM. We have picked out the very best tunes for the year so I hope you can tune in.

If you missed it, you can download the full show here: Music4Life Podcast.

DJ-RJ

Duran Duran

I got to go to the show this week at Austin Music Hall and it was awesome! They announced that their new single Falling Down, which was produced by Justin Timberlake was #1 on Mix 94.7 FM. They played it and it sounded great along with all of their obvious hits. My favs: Notorious, Wild Boys, Rio, Reach Up For The Sunrise, and Girls On Film (encore). For some reason they did not do Hungry Like The Wolf. Amazing that they can still be relevant and great after so many years!

First Dance Idea

This is great!



RJ

New Pictures Coming

We finally did a team photo shoot tonight with Jenny Rhea and enjoyed ourselves. Look for them on the website soon.

RJ

More Latin Vibes

My renewed passion for salsa continues daily.

Finally got a chance to see El Cantante with Marc Anthony & J.Lo on DVD this week. It's the story of Hector Lavoe. The music is great! Get the CD or check out the video.

Got turned on to Cortijo y Su Combo today from a friend and been checking out some of his songs via iTunes. He was popular in the 50s and 60s and incorporated the plena and bomba rhythms of Puerto Rico into his music.

Found that Andy Montañez was in his band in the 70s. He released an album called Salsaton in 2006, where he merged salsa with reggaeton that is very good. Nice that they kept most of the acoustic vibes of salsa as opposed to the same cliched reggaeton beat. Check out Se Le Ve.

All for now!

DJ-RJ

Great Weekend

I had two great gigs this weekend.

Saturday night, I did a Sweet 16 party for Paige. Played almost all hip-hop all night over at Chez Zee's Gallery Room on Balcones. I spoke with Mary Frances after the event and was surprised to find out that the place is quite affordable to rent. Great for cocktails or a small party. They can comfortably feed 70-80 people.

On Sunday, I did sound at Unity and then hustled over to Pfluger Hall for a wedding. It was an Indian-Filipino union and we had a great time. Played some bhangra music and lots of other Top 40 hits. Also did the ceremony earlier in the day at her parent's house in Pflugerville. The ceremony was an hour long and was so beautiful. They had Filipino and Indian rituals. I had a great time and feel so fortuante to be part of their special day. Big shout out and congrats to Venu & Liezl !

DJ-RJ

Persian Reggae?

What next?

These sisters have some sweet music!

ABJEEZ
RJ

Two New Interviews

Two great reggae artists, one from Germany and Kris Brown from Ohio plus you can hear me playing drums too on one of them. Hope you dig these:

Music4Life Podcast

Here is a shot from Saturday night doing the hokey pokey:

Bless You in all that you do!

DJ-RJ

Excited

I am working this morning at Sacred Shelf bookstore and excited to be getting back to full speed in my life! So many good things happening.

Been updating the website and scheduling a photoshoot for the whole team. Tonight Lori and I will attend a dinner with ISES memebers. Have a new print ad for Austin Wedding Day that I am quite excited about. Got a great image and design that I think is going to grab people's attention.

And then of course there is music. The new Annie Lennox Sing is great. Interesting also to me is the return of the Spice Girls and their new single that seems to making some noise, as well as their tour and other deals.

Had two nice interviews on my Tuesday night radio show. One with Umberto Echo from Munich and also Kris Brown from Austin about his CD release which I was fortunate to be able to play drums on. Look for them on the PODCAST very soon (today hopefully).

This weekend I have a 14 year-old birthday party at Chez Zee and a wedding at Pfluger Hall.

Life is good!

DJ-RJ

Wedding Folks

Last night I performed at a wonderful wedding at Great Hills Country Club. The dancefloor was full almost the whole night. Got a chance to play some cumbias for a change and enjoyed that. They also had Mariachi Garibay and The Texas Dragon Dance Team that were very cool. The officiant who did the service was Larry Todd with Austin Wedding Chaplains. We got to hang out for awhile during the evening and he told me about their organization. The money they collect to do weddings helps out veterans, police and firemen and their rates are pretty affordable, plus you get to write off that expense as a tax deductible donation. Great deal for everybody!

Great Swing Music

Mom, Lori and I went to see A Ride With Bob last night at Paramount Theatre. It was a play that told the story of Bob Wills written by Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel. The music was incredible and the actors were great too. Learned a lot about Bob's life and what he went through.

I was really impressed by The Quebe Sisters, who my sister had seen a few weeks ago in Ft Worth. These 3 young sisters play fiddle and sing like The Andrews Sisters. Simply amazing! We go to meet them and buy a CD. Quite impressive to see so much talent! Check them out!

RJ

October 13th - Salsa Time!!!!

I am really excited about this show!!!!! Come out and celebrate with me and dance your butt off!!

RJ

On Saturday October 13th, Flamingo Cantina continues its exploration of international flair as Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca fuses an entire diaspora’s worth of influence to a chassis of Afro-Cuban origin. Born in the Congo of Angolan ancestry, Ricardo Lemvo formed Makina Loca 17 years ago in Los Angeles and the 10-piece band quickly attracted worldwide attention with their seamless blend of Cuban son montuno and Zairean soukous. With Lemvo fluently singing in each of Spanish, Lingala, Kikongo, French, English, and Portuguese, a Makina Loca set conjures exotic travel as an escape route from American cultural isolation. Promoting its fifth album titled Isabela after Lemvo’s newborn daughter, Makina Loca expects to open the hearts of those long-due for the Cuban clave’ rhythm to act as their Afro-Latin tour guide.

DJ-RJ opens the show with a hot mix of salsa, merengue, bachata, reggaeton and more.

Doors at 8:30 p.m. Cover is $12/$14; tickets are available at End of an Ear Records located at 2209 S 1st St and Flamingo Cantina located at 515 E. Sixth Street, venue phone 512/494-9336. www.flamingocantina.com.

Amazon selling downloads now!

I just tried out Amazon's new digital music downloads and I'm impressed! There is no copy protection on the files and they are at 256k bitrate which is higher than iTunes. No copy protection means I won't have to burn them to CD and then rerip them to run them in my DJ software. Their price is the same as iTunes at .99 cents a song. Amazon also has things that iTunes does not have. So I know where I might be buying a lot more of my music now.

iTunes does offer some of their music without DRM copy protection, though those are $1.29 each.

DJ-RJ

I Know You Got Soul

That record had a lot of influence on me and many others who sampled it.

Rest in peace Bobby!

RJ


Funk/Soul/R&B/Gospel musician and songwriter,Bobby Byrd past today in an Atlanta Hospital
Bobby Byrd was best known as James Brown's longtime sideman and co-vocalist on songs such as Licking Stick - Licking Stick, Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine and Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved. Byrd also recorded many solo funk tracks, most famously I Know You Got Soul (1971), which have been sampled by musicians including Public Enemy, Eric B. & Rakim, Ice Cube, LL Cool J and A Tribe Called Quest. He was the original leader and founder of The Famous Flames, the vocal group with which James Brown first became famous. Byrd is actually the man who discovered James Brown.

Bobby Byrd and James Brown met in a Georgia youth detention facility. Brown was an inmate, Byrd was not. Byrd's local baseball team played the prison team of which Brown was a member. It was Bobby Byrd's family that sponsored his release and took him in afterwards.

Byrd was leader of a vocal group called The Avons when Brown joined in the mid-1950s. The Avons later became The Flames, then The Famous Flames, before they were repackaged with Brown as the frontman. James Brown and the Famous Flames, with Byrd as a member, recorded many hit songs, including Please, Please, Please, Think, Bewildered, Oh Baby, Don't You Weep, I'll Go Crazy, and many more. Brown and The Flames were also known for their powerful on stage performances across the United States in venues such as the Apollo Theatre in New York, the Regal in Chicago,and The Royal Theatre in Baltimore (where they recorded the 1964 Top 10 Pop live album "Pure Dynamite: Live at the Royal}, among numerous other concert venues, and on film in the 1964 concert film the T.A.M.I. Show, where Brown, Byrd, and the other Famous Flames (Bobby Bennett and "Baby Lloyd" Stallworth) upstaged The Rolling Stones. Byrd also appeared with Brown and the group in the 1965 Frankie Avalon motion picture Ski Party, Dick Clark's American Bandstand, and twice on The Ed Sullivan Show. Byrd was the only member of The Flames to remain with Brown when the group disbanded in 1968.

He was married to soul singer Vicki Anderson, another James Brown collaborator. His step-daughter is Carleen Anderson.

In October 2004 Bobby Byrd's songs I Know You Got Soul and Hot Pants were featured on the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack, playing on fictional radio station Master Sounds 98.3. Also, in September 2005 his song Try It Again appeared on the soundtrack of Indigo Prophecy.

Blood Diamonds

I watched Blood Diamond with Leonardo DiCaprio last night and learned a lot about the issue of conflict diamonds and how they are used to fund civil war in Africa.

I want to encourage all of you who are buying diamond rings to ask the people you are buying them from if the diamonds they are selling you are certified "conflict-free." The Kimberly Process was put in place in 2003 and it requires governments to certify that shipments of rough diamonds are free from blood diamonds. Apparently it is not working totally and diamonds are still being sold that have not been certified.

Here are some more links to get more information: Global Witness, Democracy Now.

DJ-RJ