After years of playing drums in bands, Brian found DJing after moving away to college. With no room for a drum set in his dorm, DJing became a way to keep track of and share all the new music he was exposed to while also making friends and planning parties and events. After graduating and moving to DC, DJing became more than a hobby as Brian sought out new venues, and eventually found the perfect match working with MyDeejay. “DJing gives me an incredible chance to connect with a huge group of people through music,” he shared. We asked Brian to answer a few questions about his DJ career and his love of music – here’s what he said!
What is your relationship with music? What does it mean to you?
“I grew up listening to the classic rock and folk my parents loved, and learned some basic chords on my dad’s acoustic guitar. It seemed like all of my friends played guitar, though, (and much better than I did!) so I took an interest in drumming. It was like I found my calling: rhythm! Since the age of 12, I’ve been playing with different bands and musical projects, covering many different genres and styles of music. Music has always been a very social thing for me. Whether from playing together or meeting at a concert, some of my best friends were made through music.”
What do you enjoy about being a wedding DJ?
“I really enjoy finding ways to keep each crowd guessing. By staying flexible and really reading the crowd, I look for opportunities to play off everyone’s expectations. Since every crowd and every wedding are different, I take a lot of pleasure in the challenge of maximizing the energy on the dance floor – I love the spontaneous energy that somehow exists only in that moment between the DJ and the crowd. I think my favorite moment is when a guest comes to request a song, and I smile and point to my computer to show them that was already the next song I was going to play.”
What’s your favorite kind of couple/crowd to work with?
“I always enjoy working with couples who want to show off their personal music taste and have an awesome party. I love helping couples pull off special moments and surprises, doing custom edits of songs or mixes, and bringing each couples’ vision of their perfect party to life. My favorite crowds are diverse ones – the more varied the age-range and musical taste, the better, because it challenges me to keep everyone on the floor the entire night.”
What’s the best one or two pieces of advice you give to couples?
“Background music doesn’t mean boring music! Before the ceremony, cocktail hour, and dinner are all great places to include songs, artists, and genres that you like that may not be ideal for the dance floor. Don’t settle for elevator music!”
What are some fun or interesting things about you that couples might want to know?
“Ceci (my wife) and I live in Silver Spring with our cat, Lynx. We are consummate concert-goers and we even had a music festival-themed wedding in 2017. When I’m not DJing or at a concert, I play music with my band, homebrew beer of questionable quality, take bicycle trips and camping trips, watch Studio Ghibli movies, and host pub quiz nights around the DMV.
Throughout my life, I’ve always been somewhat of an entertainer. Whether through music, parties, trivia, or planning a trip, I’ve always placed a value on enjoying life and fostering fun.”
