Sunday, December 30, 2012

My Latest MobileBeat article...Don't Panic!!!


Panic Button
By Geoff Short
for MobileBeat.com

Any good DJ worth his weight in MP3s has a back-up plan in case Murphy's Law kicks in at a gig. There's a ton of advice available about back-up plans. Not so much about the psychological impact of DJ panic when things go wrong. Panic kills. I was a lifeguard throughout high school and college. We learned the first option to save someone drowning is to reach something long to them and pull them to safety. If you approach a drowning person who is panicked they will most likely drag you down with them. On a gig, panic can drown the event as quickly as a floundering swimmer. You lose control to think and act quickly. Survival is the only instinct that kicks in. Being able to calmly come up with a solution goes right out the window. We've all had flashes of panic on gigs. Forget the sync button. Wouldn't it be cool if there was a panic button for those panic-inducing situations on gigs? Just press the button and poof! Problem solved. Panic recedes. Here's a few of my mental "panic buttons".  I've had to use them before to save myself from drowning.

Click here to read the full article on MobileBeat.com 

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Cool Shots from Last Night's Gig!

The Avenue and The Orchestra formed a Justice League of Bands last night!


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"Some shots of last night's amazing gig. The 3 of us singers from The Avenue performing with The Orchestra plus a string quartet for the Recreation League Assembly Debutante Ball!"

My Latest Mobile Beat Article: Finding DJ Inspiration Away from Other DJs


Finding Inspiration
by Geoff Short for MobileBeat.com

Everyone can use a little inspiration. Especially those of us in the entertainment business who need to continually find creative ways to stimulate audiences. But it's easy to fall into the rut of time-worn habits.  We could all use a creative makeover to do things differently sometimes. DJs spend a lot of time learning from other DJs but true evolution of your DJ skills and outlook may require you to look outside of the DJ community to discover unique ways of approaching your craft. If your eyes and mind are open enough you can discover new things about stuff you do everyday that can get your creative juices flowing enough to lead to real creative growth and increased income as an entertainer. If you find your creative energy sagging along with bookings and income, it may be time for an inspirational fill-up.  I've talked about some of my personal sources of inspiration before, most notably live theatre.  Here are a few other non-DJ sources of DJ inspiration:

For the full article on MobileBeat.com click here.

Friday, December 21, 2012

New Episode of STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theatre Program - Senior Year, Episode #3

My latest episode of STAGES!  Senior Year Episode #3.  In this episode Showgirls, Sheldon and Follies...Oh My!  In this episode, STAGES goes behind the scenes of the dress rehearsal for the Fall musical "Follies", including a special Showgirl Dance Masterclass by Guest Choreographer/Dancer Wendy Pasquale.  Then a Broadway Legend visits campus - Tony Award Winning Fiddler on the Roof Lyricist Sheldon Harnick gives students an amazing workshop as they perform his songs!


Thursday, December 20, 2012

M Latest Article for MobileBeat.com: The 30-Year Old Black Woman

by Geoff Short

"I'm a 30 year-old black woman. What do YOU think I want to hear?"

That was the question one party-goer posed to me at the event I DJ'd for last weekend. And I thought it was a great question. But let me start at the beginning.

The event was a corporate holiday party in a large ballroom at a local hotel here in Cleveland. I haven't been that challenged by a crowd recently and although I had a couple uncomfortable moments as the DJ, I don't think I've felt more invigorated by a gig in a long time. I learned some really good lessons that night.

The crowd was well over 300 people, a large number of which were African-American. Naturally, as a black DJ, I always feel comfortable with black guests. We love to dance. Black people, in fact, are very active dancers and have very specific tastes (and opinions) about what is or isn't being played. We want to be on the dance floor and we will challenge a DJ to keep us there - on our terms. The challenge this night was that I was the DJ and there was also a large number of guests who were older and not black. I knew this was a professional event with a mixed crowd and my goal was to try to appeal to everyone. We all know you can't just pay attention to who's on the dance floor, but also to who isn't. Unfortunately some guests didn't see it that way and saw fit to challenge me throughout the night. And, as frustrating as it can become, I love a good challenge!

Click Here fof the full article on MobileBeat.com