Most Special Event Club DJs fail because they don't understand how to separate DJing a private function vs playing at a nightclub. Its not that they dont know the music or how to mix, its that they dont know the business side of being a DJ at a private function.

Their lack of knowing that their main purpose at a function is to provide the soundtrack of the evening. However, the problem with a lot of DJs is their perceived self-importance. A lot of DJs will brag about there skills with a certain computer or program and all the music they download. As a 25 year disc jockey I have seen and heard it all.

A good event Disc Jockey leaves their ego at the front door. While they're confident in managing the crowd and they dont brag about their skills.

Crowd control is a must have skill. This along with changing the dance floor and good customer service skills make a good DJ.

I remember one of my bigger DJ jobs I had was in BET Soundstage during Grad Night. There must have been over 2500 people. Per management I was to use the music to help keep control. So even though I had all the latest music to get the crowd hyped up, sometimes I had to play some old school as well. Amazingly the crowd had a good time and there were no issues!

In a night club setting the DJ normally needs to create energy in the nightclub to energize the room. If it's too early in the night and you might exhaust the crowd out way too early in the night. At this point an experienced and good Disc Jockey will be able to tell if the crowd is willing to hit the dancefloor. If they arent ready to be energized than the DJ should see out how to produce the excitement to get the crowd to dance.

Customer service is a detail in which many a lot DJs seem to either miss or ignore. If all DJs would concentrate on customer service as much as their mixing, the DJ industry would be a better environment. If any DJ ever told me in an interview that they didnt take requests, they could never work for my company. Importantly, you shouldn't let the crowd run the night either. A good DJ would be able to take requests and work them into the show without a problem and without letting the crowd take over.

These are just some of the many things I've picked up over the last two and a half decades.....

- DJ Ron Love