FAQ

Thanks for taking the time to visit my website. Here you'll find general info about me and answers to common questions that many of my clients have prior to booking me.

• How long have you been DJing?
  I've always had a strong passion for music, but I got my first DJ gig when I was 16 years old at a local radio station, WKBI, in St. Marys, PA. I hosted the Sunday morning polka party and was an occasional fill-in for the pop shows in the afternoons and evenings. From there, I attended Point Park University for broadcast journalism and continued DJing house parties and eventually, bar gigs. After ending up with an information technology degree, I entered the corporate workforce in 2009 while continuing to work bar gigs on the weekends. Around 2012, I became friends with some wedding DJs that taught me how to port my skills over to the wedding world. I quit my IT job in 2014 to pursue DJing full time.
• How would you describe your DJ style?
  I'm a club or mixing-style DJ - which doesn't necessarily mean that I only play club music, it just means that I blend each song into the next with no gaps of dead air. This keeps a constant flow of energy on the dance floor and keeps your guests engaged.
• Have you received a COVID-19 vaccination?
  Yes! I got my second Pfizer shot on 3/23/21 and will continue with booster shots as they become available.
• What does your wedding package include?
  Head over to my wedding page located here to find out more specific information about what I offer.
• Will you DJ my non-wedding party?
  Yes.
• What are your favorite styles of music to play?
  I have a very eclectic taste in music and can comfortably cover many different genres and decades. If I had to pick a few favorites, I would say 90s/early 2000s pop and hip-hop, 70s/80s funk and disco, and 90s/2000s rock and pop punk. Mid-2000s/early 2010s hip hop and dance music never get old to me either.
• How many events do you do per week?
  At the time of this writing, I have 3 DJ/Video DJ residencies at bars in the Pittsburgh area, and I also host 3 weekly trivia nights at bars and restaurants. When I perform at weddings, I never schedule myself for any other DJ gigs that night in case the party goes late.
• Can we come see you perform?
  Absolutely! Contact me to see where I'll be performing.
• What sets you apart from the competition?
  Anyone with a set of speakers and a laptop can call themselves a DJ these days. I am a student of the DJ culture and absolutely love what I do. I am very well versed in many different genres and decades of music and create custom soundtracks for each event. I don't have a pre-set list of songs to play - in addition to taking your requests into account, I am constantly reading the crowd to see what people are responding to in order to determine which song to play next. Besides playing music, I also act as a day-of coordinator - interfacing with all of the other vendors to work as a team. I'm very comfortable on the mic and have extensive knowledge on how to use my equipment, with backup plans in place for everything imaginable. And of course, I sometimes have a handlebar mustache that is always a hit with guests.

• Will you teach the guests how to do the Cupid Shuffle?
  No. I'll play the song though, and hopefully everyone catches on.
• Do you get out on the floor and dance with guests?
  No.
• Do you say a bunch of cheesy stuff on the microphone?
  No.
• Do you take requests from guests?
  Absolutely, unless you'd prefer that I didn't.
• How much do you charge?
  Check out my wedding page for more on that.
• Can you provide sound in multiple rooms?
  Definitely! An example of this for a wedding would be different locations for ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception.
• How far will you travel? Is there a travel fee?
  I'll go anywhere - I've DJed weddings in Arizona, Florida, New York, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and of course, Pennsylvania. There are additional travel fees for events more than 50 miles from Pittsburgh. If air travel is necessary, an equipment rental may be required.
• How do I secure you for my date? 
  A signed contract and deposit are required to secure the date. The deposit is usually around 1/3 of the total fee.
• When is the final payment due and how do we pay?
  I usually try to collect the final payment about 2 weeks to a month out from the event. I always like to collect the payment prior to the event just because things can get chaotic and I don't want to have to bother you on the day of your party. Payments can be made using cash, check, Venmo, PayPal, CashApp, or credit card.
• How far in advance do we need to book you?
  Most popular Saturdays from April-November, I'm booked for weddings about a year in advance.
• How early will you arrive to our event and how long does it take to setup?
  For weddings, I typically arrive 2-3 hours before the guests are scheduled to arrive. For other events and parties, I usually arrive 1 hour before music is scheduled to start. For most events, I can usually be loaded in, setup, and soundchecked within 1-2 hours depending on the scope of services.
• What will you need from us at our wedding/event?
  All I need is a 6 or 8 foot table (with a linen cover) that is reasonably close to a power outlet.
• Do you require a hot meal?
  I tell people all the time that the reason I got into DJing was because I get to eat amazing food all the time. A hot meal is always appreciated, but not necessary.
• Do you offer discounts for first responders and veterans?
  As a thank you for your public service, I offer all first responders and veterans at least a 10% discount.
• Do you DJ multicultural events?
  While I do not bill myself as a multicultural DJ, I am comfortable playing any genres that my clients request. I ask for a list of specific songs ahead of time and study them prior to the event. I truly enjoy doing research about cultural traditions and learning about new music.
• What if the party is still going at your scheduled end time? Will you stay later?
  I don't schedule myself for multiple events on the same day, so I am always willing to stay later. Overtime rates are reasonable, just let me know that you'd like me to stay longer and we can negotiate a rate.
• Do you play clean, edited music without profanity?
  Unless directed otherwise, all of the songs I'll play at your event will be radio edits. Some subject matter and most profanity will be removed and would be appropriate for public radio play.
• Do you host trivia or karaoke?
  I offer trivia services through Trivia Jockeys, another company that I co-founded. Our website is located here if you would like more information. I do not offer karaoke services, but can give recommendations for karaoke jocks.