So Typical...

So the dance on this past Tuesday didn't exactly go as planned...


In the beginning everything was going well. The set up was going according to plan. Mr. Holl even brought me the two 12in. speakers AND the two 15in. speakers to be even louder! This time, I set up on the higher stage so that the kids could have the lower stage to dance on without getting in my way. So everything was up and ready!


As usual, it took a little while to get going, but it got there. My friend, Megan decided to come and keep me company. About half an hour in we see a girl (who we then realized was 13 years old) grinding on some random guy, after trying to figure out who it was for a minute, Megan exclaims, "That's my camper!!" The grossness only got worse.


Then, this one kid kept coming up to me trying to look at my iTunes and essentially be the DJ, himself. I kept telling him to just "go away" and made a 'shoo fly' gesture. He also asked me if i had music "to make girls shake their ass" then asked for Reggae... I told him that all I had was Bob Marley and to go away. He did. (This kid was later seen practically having sex on the wall with the 13 year old camper (Stay Classy, Ithaca!)) But these things are all part of the job. Radio has taught me to just tell everyone that you will play their music, even though you probably won't.


So everything was basically on track. My friend came up and informed me that there were cops present. (I guess we made a mark on Ithaca with the last one) Megan and I were dealing with drunk kids coming up and talking to us, falling trying to get on the stage, attempting to take off their shirts, and us trying to not puke at what we were seeing our peers do. It was honestly embarrassing, it got the point where I was doubting wanting to go to our senior prom because this was so degrading and groady. But, it was what it was.


Then around 10:10, with just less than an hour left to go, Erin (the girl's who dance this was) abruptly turns on all of the lights and tells me to cut the music. I did. When I asked her why, she explained to me that a girl, a junior in our school who is actually in my math class, drank so much that she got sick and had to go to the hospital so they had to shut down the dance. Oh yeah, people were pissed. Telling me to turn the music back on as I was packing up, and refusing to leave. Trying to start their own beats, dumb shit. I was annoyed to say the least. Granted, I was slightly happy that it was over early, but I was pissed that these kids wouldn't listen to anyone and were just being assholes. Finally Mr. Holl got there (as i texted him at 10:10 to ask him to come early to help me take down because of what had happened) and we just did our thing and took down equipment ignoring the moans and groans. Kids were still clogging the doorway as we made our way out! It was ridiculous.


But we got out. Avoiding the trail of vomit coating the floor and then the sidewalk outside. The next day, I got on Facebook and had an invite to yet another CSMA 3 hour 8-11 benefit dance, this time with my friend, Nick, being the DJ. I don't know if I'll go to this one, as I only went to the other two because I was DJing, but I guess we'll see. Let's just hope we don't make the papers.

My Current Obsession

'Pocahontas' - Shawty Lo


To be honest, I don't even remember which of my many sites I found this around, I think it may of been one of my random YouTube findings, but I am most definitely playing this tonight- JAM!

ohhh how i love the interwebs

Found yet another site for free music downloads!


HowFlyHipHop.com !


I now have 5 major websites that I visit very regularly to stay up to date on this genre of music, as well as YouTube, the radio, and word of mouth from my friends!

It's About That Time Again

The 19th has arrived, and that means... *drum roll please*... DJing tonight!!


There's less than 5 hours until the dance and I'm currently still downloading more and more music...


I've got 4 1/2 hours of NEW music as of now, normally I would say I should have more just in case, but I am absolutely so in love with the music I already have that I highly doubt I'll be skipping songs tonight.


Super excited!

"please burn me a CD!"

Just a little thing that makes me feel good- when people want me to make the mixes :)


This past Friday night, I was at dinner with a big group of friends before heading to the movies. I met two new people that night (I love meeting new people)


On the way to the movies, as half of the group piled into the back of my car, I plugged in my iPod, and turned on the playlist for the event on the 19th (as of this past friday only had about 2/3 of the music it has now). As my friend, Becca, sat in the passenger seat and started jamming out and dancing (as much as you can while seated), one of the people I had JUST met an hour before just bursts out of her quiet and shy bubble, "You have GOT to burn me this playlist!!!!" I broke out in a huge smile. I loved it.


Today, (two days later), I was sitting on my couch with yet another friend who randomly just said "Make me a mix!... Please." So I did.


Every time I find a new song, I want to share it with someone, anyone! I usually do this by getting the YouTube link and sharing it on a person's Facebook wall, but tonight, I seemed to be running out of people! I LOVE the fact that sitting down in front of my lap top for HOURS on end finding, listening, and downloading music, is considered part of my ENGLISH homework! I love WISE!

My Current Obsession

'Summerbreak' - Fatman Scoop (feat. DJ Alidin)


Came across this on hiphopearly.com- absolute JAM.

goal *CHECK*

So, as you know, I am DJing a dance party for another student on the 19th. When I was first approached to do this event, I made a goal for myself: I wanted to have COMPLETELY new music. I didn't want to play a single song that I played at the 'Fundrager'. As of tonight, I have 3 hours and 40 minutes of new music for the event on the 19th! While the event is only 3 hours long, I still intend to find more music. It's always important to have more music than you'll actually be able to play, hours more. Simply because you're going to decide that you don't want to play certain songs that you had originally planned on playing. BUT, I still have enough NEW music to get through if I don't skip songs! I'm honestly surprised that i've found that much new music in three-ish (?) weeks since I was asked to do this. I can't wait!

My Current Obsession

'Best Love Song' - T-Pain


I can't, for the life of me, get this song out of my head! I LOVE IT!

Makin' Moves

Went to Z tonight! And in the course of the evening Anthony started talking on the studio phone with one of his DJ friends from Long Island (so i could hear and talk as well) and they just mentioned about needing someone to voice track mid-days. Anthony asked if I'd like to do it, partially joking, and i just assumed he was completely kidding. As I was leaving I started thinking about how great that'd be! So I texted him asking if there was any possibility of me ACTUALLY doing it, and he said he'd shoot the idea to Corey (Program Director at Z) and see what he thinks! I hope Corey goes for it!

My Current Obsession

'Party Animals' - Chris Young The Rapper


Most definitely playing this on the 19th!

April 19th Preview :)

Britney Spears - 'Till The World End (DJ Kue Remix)

Cee Lo - 'F*ck You (Get Low! Remix) 

Far East Movement - 'If I Was You (feat. Snoop Dogg)'

 *CLICK MEEE*

Can We Fast Forward, Please?

I've started the playlist for my event on the 19th! It's a lot more techno/ electronica than my first (solo) event, but everything still has a great beat (kids don't know how to dance to anything without a beat...)
Sneak Peak of the playlist is to be coming shortly! I'm so excited!!!!

WISE got me in trouble....

I've so far spent two hours just TODAY looking through my music. I've been absolutely GLUED to the computer. My mom kept yelling at me to get off and do other things... I took a short break (including writing this) only planning on getting right back to it after this! (sorry, mom...) But anyway, in my search, I've found some GREAT new songs, a few of which are irritating me on belief because they aren't yet available to download and I want them SO badly :( I've been trying to find away around it but I can't!


But I did come across a new site and source for music! http://www.bangerzonly.com/ :)

Happiness Revisited

When do you feel most happy?
I'm most happy when my work pays off. When it brings a swile to wither my face or someone else's. When a whole group of people instantly spark and energize because of something I've done, a song I chose, there's no better feeling.


React/ Respond to 'Happiness Revisited'
How we achieve 'happiness' has crossed my mind before. What is happiness? Don't we define it? So why is it that so many of us aren't happy? The concept of 'flow' very much plays into my project. When I'm getting into my music, I can just keep going, it's not work, even though technically I'll be getting a grade for this, but i thoroughly enjoy this. I feel as if more people are actually on the 'boredom' side of the flow chart and their reaction to that manages to point them to the 'anxiety' side. We set goals for ourselves so that we will be successful (not bored bums), but attempting to reach that 'success' causes us anxiety. I'm honestly not sure if anyone can actually achieve 'flow', but I believe that we all can come close, to a healthy level.


Where am I on the 'flow chart'?
I'd say that I'm pretty close to finding a healthy balance, but am more toward the anxiety side. I stree out about making my own mash-ups and finding the "PERFECT" music (funny because I'm going by my own definition of what "perfect" is...)


How has my "flow" changed throughout my project?
I've started to do more! So I've brought myself completely out of the 'boredom' side, and then a little past 'flow' and into anxiety, but I think it's a healthy level of anxiety. Personally I feel that if there was no anxiety, I would end up getting bored with my project, I would have no incentive to keep working and reaching new goals.


How can you achieve flow?
Simply put, KEEP WORKING! :) The more I do, the more advanced I get, the more fun I have! And then the more I want to keep doing it and challenge myself to reach new heights!

My Current Obsession

'Bomb (feat. Wiz Khalifa)' - Chris Brown
Completely obsessed with the beat and the background music in this song. I just found it while messing around on youtube the other day! I'm definitely going to play in at my even on the 19th!

only $3,000...

So I've started looking more seriously at DJ equipment, mostly using the website Musiciansfriend.com. And I wish more than anything that this stuff wasn't so damn expensive! A starter package is like $3,000! Looks like I'll just be trying to find bits and pieces to work together :/ Mr. Holl has nicely offered me his old mixer and then first stab at some old lights!

Hang on...

So this past week I went into Z95.5 for my (at least) weekly visit, but this time, as desired, I pushed things along a bit! I spoke LIVE! It was the first time I had been left to make up a decision about what I wanted to say! Anthony literally left the room and simply says to me, "I'm gonna let you do your thing, TALK!". And I did! :)


I had to announce the song 'S&M' by Rihanna for the High 5 at 9. In the song she sings "those chains and whips excite me." So, to announce it I got all into in and professional and just managed to pull out, from somewhere in my lungs "Next up on the countdown taking the number 3 spot is Rihana with 'S&M'. If you haven't seen this video yet you've GOTTA check it out! It's up on our web page at Z955.net, it's almost as exciting as those chains and whips!" It's safe to say that I left Z that night feeling very accomplished! 


It gets better:
The next day in school, I went to get math help from my teacher Mr. Noyes (he knows I have an internship at Z). Now imnagine my surprise when I tried to start speaking to him and he cut's me off with this, "Hang on, before you talk lemme say something. Last night I was driving home from the Senior meeting and I turned on the radio, tuned to Z95.5 because I always try to hear you but have never caught you..." (I saw what was coming) "Oh God..." I mumbled. He continued, "Now imagine my surprise when I finally hear you and you're talking about chains and whips on the radio! And I'm thinking, 'No way is one of my students talking about chains and whips!" It was a little awkward, but mostly funny, and hey, it was my job to say what I said and I still think that I did a good job!

Would you like to?... YES

So my mentor meeting with Mr. Holl got bumped up from last Tuesday to last Monday because I hadn't been in school for a week, but it went really well! First we talked about me definitely DJing the event on the 19th of April. As it turns out, the mother of the girl who is throwing the dance, called Mr. Holl to ask him to help chaperone, this made me quite happy to know that there would be someone responsible there. Not so much to help out with DJing, as I can handle that on my own, but keeping the kids off the stage and away from the equipment. 


Then there is Junior prom, which I am most likely only going to be assisting Mr. Holl in. But here's where it gets cool, he said we'll most likely hook up BOTH of our laptops to the speakers instead of just one, and we'll mix and make our own LIVE mash-ups!


And THEN there's a wedding! This, will be my first paid gig! As Mr. Holl is going to be attending the wedding as a guest, he's going to be leaving me alone most of the time and paying to do the work! I'm pretty excited, but this will be my first event not in front of my peers who I know will be supportive so I am somewhat nervous.


And finally, some exciting news, as my biggest mountain to climb is getting my own equipment, Mr. Holl is going to be replacing some of his old equipment and said he'd let me take the first stab at it! Things are looking really good for my project!