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July 2007
NO REQUESTS, PLEASE!
By DJ MARK BISSON
A DJ, like any performer or spokesperson, has the ability to have a direct influence on other people. One of the first things I decided to do as a DJ was to choose a motto. I spent quite a lot of time on this, and what I finally decided on was “Let The Music Lift You Up!” What I want foremost when DJing is to make people feel better through the music that I am playing. My reasoning behind this was drawn from my own life experiences. During just about every major event (good or bad) in my life, it was music that helped me make sense of, or get through it. Even to this day, I can still vividly recall specific feelings and emotions from past experiences when listening to certain songs.
When you think about the huge volume of dance songs that have been produced over the years, along with all the new releases, you can imagine there are songs relating to every situation we encounter in life. Add to that all of the instrumental tracks with the varied emotions they can convey, and a DJ with a large music collection has an immense library to draw from. This gives the DJ the ability to create, or tell, intricate and detailed stories with the music that they are playing. This is the main reason most DJs prefer not to take requests. If a DJ is creating a story, or a particular feeling or emotion (with the music), and all of a sudden plays a request that has nothing to do with the particular music being played prior, it will disrupt the flow and make no sense. Instead, the listeners should rely on the DJ to use their expertise and knowledge of music to take them on a journey and share the music they have discovered. Most DJs, like myself, spend innumerable hours searching out new tracks on a daily basis. Hiring a DJ to play a party, event or nightclub, and then just having them play requests would be like telling a doctor your own diagnosis and what medication to prescribe. A DJ just playing requests is really doing nothing more than what a jukebox could do, and their knowledge of music is not even being used.P.S. Be sure and come hear me play the dance stage at San Diego Pride, check my schedule page for more details at www.djmarkbisson.com
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