Recap of Latest Event

Its been a long time since I have actually made a post, so I figured I better check in once again. Last Saturday (February 28) I DJ'd at the Temple of Performing Arts in downtown Des Moines for the first time, and I am going to give you my thoughts on the event.

Jeff warned me to show up early as the event is on the 4th floor. I showed up 3.5 hours early and DJB and MC Dubs (Bill and Wade) showed up to program some lights and help me get everything setup. It was a larger than normal setup as I brought 2 additional speakers to provide sound reinforcements for the very elegant and large room.

So, I am there 3 1/2 hours early, giving me an extra 1.5-2.0 hours compared to my normal setup. I quickly realized I would need every minute available. Don't get me wrong, the Temple of Performing Art is a top-notch venue, probably the elite venue in Des Moines, but it is a DJ nightmare. First of all, I was told that the electrical in the building is 100 years old....making me run extension cords nearly 500 feet to prevent blowing fuses. Long story short, got everything up in plenty of time, and had not problems with any of the equipment.

The night got rolling pretty well....with a very high class meal. One different thing about the event was a large number of special dances. We had the traditional first dance, bride and father, groom and mother, but then we had the bride's parents dance, groom's parents, and an anniversary dance for all married couples. Then we had a dance with the bride and her godfather.

The crowd was great, as the drinks were flowing. I felt that I did a pretty good job incorporating the songs they wanted with songs that would get the crowd going, and had people dancing the entire time. The one thing that helped is that it was a short dance, only about 3 hours.

All in all, it was a great event and went very well. No major issues, but it ended up being a long day as I didnt make it home until about 2 am.

Des Moines, IA Bridal Show

We recently sponsored a bridal show in Des Moines, IA on September 28, 2008. It was a very successful day as we had a chance to meet hundreds of potential clients. Also, we are in the early stages of negotiating with a couple of reception halls regarding a permanent contract / house dj type of gig! Jeff (owner) was also honored to give a seminar on entertainment planning on the center stage.

You can check out some of our photos from the bridal show here.

We have extensively updated our YouTube Channel with recent event videos featuring a variety of gig logs. So check out our channel if you're bored!

Iowa DJ | Check us out at the Everything Bridal Show

Just thought I would make a quick post before I get ready for a reception I get to do tonight in Oskaloosa, IA. Its about an hour and half drive and I have to swing through Pella to pick up the gear. DJ B (Bill Burkett) dominated Pella High's homecoming dance last night and left the stuff there for me to pick up. It is going to be a long day for me, but should be a lot of fun.

Tomorrow your very own Musical Edge DJ Service will be a sponsor for The Everything Bridal Show at the HyVee Center in West Des Moines. DJ Kor (Jeff) will be giving a presentation on how to select your DJ and what you should look for in picking one out. We will both be there handing out information and we will have a little slideshow playing on a monitor for interested brides to check out. Not that anyone would need an extra excuse to check out the Bridal Show, but I heard they are giving away CASH. I read there are 4 $1000 dollar cash drawings.

So if you don't have anything going on tomorrow between 10-3 come check us out at the HyVee Center in West Des Moines. Its a great chance to meet us, ask us some questions and get to know a little bit more about our company.

Iowa DJ | Learning Experience

Hey everyone, this is Jesse Veenstra, Iowa Manager of Iowa DJ back on to make another entry.

The most recent event I did made me think about how each event is a learning experience for me as a DJ. I take something away from each event, and use it to make me a better DJ. At Iowa DJ we offer online music requests before the event, and we get a fair share of unusual and unique song requests. Before the event I try to listen to all the songs and kind of figure out which ones to play when. The beauty of this is usually I find a song that really works, and can add it to my "repertoire."

The most recent wedding liked a lot of 80s and 90s music and had some very different selections. I got a chance to play a few songs that I have never played before and one such song really stuck out. They requested "Ma Ya Hi" which is most popular as a workout song. I played it and it was a huge success. It is a high tempo song that I plan on playing in the future.

This simple example shows that every wedding is a not only a "performance" for me, but also a valuable learning experience. I plan to start taking very detailed notes after each event so I can learn and build upon my success and also my failures.

Summer Mix Download!

> Download my mix here <

26 songs packed into an hour of non stop beats! This mix was recorded live, which means there a few errors in my mixing - :)

Nothing too fancy here - just awesome music and quick mixing skills.

Enjoy!

Jeff Meuzelaar
Iowa DJ dot com

Iowa DJ | Gig Log 7-12-08

Just another gig log to share with potential clients, current clients, and other DJs. Enjoy.



Jeff Meuzelaar
Iowa DJ dot com

Iowa DJ | Gig Log

Interested in learning more about the work DJs put into each gig behind the scenes? Then check out my most recent gig log that I filmed last weekend. 2 states, 1,000 miles traveled, 2 events, in under 48 hours. This is a 4 part series and you can view the entire playlist on our YouTube channel. Below, I have embedded Part III.



Jeff Meuzelaar
Iowa DJ dot com