Private party DJ
on Vancouver Island

A good private party playlist usually starts with one question: what was the guest of honour listening to when they were twenty? A 40th, a 60th and an 80th birthday call for very different songs, and so does an anniversary that looks back to the year a couple met.

Before the party I’ll ask for the songs that matter, the artists or decades to lean on, and anything that should never be played. If a song comes with a story, like a first dance from years ago, tell me about it and when you’d like it to play.

Private parties often bring grandparents, teenagers and everyone in between together. Getting all of them onto the floor at some point means moving between eras and styles instead of sticking to one, and paying attention to who gets up for what.

Tell me who’s on your guest list and how you expect the night to go, so the early part of the party suits the whole family and the later part suits whoever is still dancing.

Plenty of private parties happen away from a traditional venue: a backyard, a garage cleared for dancing, a community hall rental, a cabin or a friend’s acreage. These spaces can be the best part of the party, but they come with practical questions that are easier to answer before the day than during setup.

When you check your date, I’ll ask about:

• Where the music will be set up and how far that is from parking
• What power is available near that spot
• Cover if the party is outdoors and the weather turns
• Neighbours, and any time the volume needs to come down by
• Any toasts or speeches, so the microphone is ready for them

If the party is a surprise, timing is everything. Let me know when the guest of honour is due to arrive, what signal you’ll use to let the room know, and whether you want a particular song ready for the moment they walk in.

The same goes for toasts, a slideshow, the cake or a vow renewal. Let me know what’s planned and roughly when, and the music will make room for it.