To quote the great lyricist Cole Porter “Begin the Beguine”…let’s start the dance. I am so ready to play music for the entire world. I realize that is a tall order but I am basing my vision on this year past. I have been reflecting on all the wonderful events and special groups that I provided music for in 2011.
I am always taken by the impact music has on a person to the point were it inspires one to move their bodies and rouse their emotions. I am filled with joy when I spin a tune and a group of dancer explodes verbally with excitement and freedom. I feel empowered when people connect with me as one expresses what a song really means to them. To see a person jump, tumble and roll to the beat of a drum thrills me. Music is there to celebrate the union of a loving couple to feeling the love of a passed loved one. The tone and melodies of a voice can soothe the unease of a crying infant. A song can transport us back to the moment of our first kiss and helps us celebrate the moments of our life. Music has granted me the privilege of working in peoples homes and being apart of milestones in a person’s life. Music has brought me to exotic events and locations at home and abroad. As I look forward to the days ahead, I want to use my life’s commitment as a DJ and the hundreds of records, CD’s and gigabytes of music I have amassed within my lifetime and share it with the masses. Being a DJ is not only an occupation, being a DJ is an avenue that unites me to something greater than I.
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One of the great things about hosting a weekly radio show on 89.5 KPOO San Francisco is sharing the music that I have been collecting for the past 35 years. The music that I share represents the soundtrack of my life. With each and every song that I program, especially if it a 12’ single or a Vinyl LP, I am able to recount a memory that is associated with the purchase of that piece of music or where I first played it or the people connected to it.
While growing up in Connecticut the greatest impact that I was influenced by was the connection my mother and I had to music and New York City Radio such as WBLS and WRKS. Because of that influence I was driven by the sounds of the city. My friends and I would each have $100. One of use would drive our car to New York City while the rest of use pitched in for gas and tolls. The feelings that we all expressed as we where heading to the big apple 75 miles from our home and 90 minutes south were beyond excitement and anticipation. Once we arrived in the West Village we parked the car and ran to Vinyl Mania Records only to be welcomed by a room of hardcore music enthusiasts. The joy, the joy, the joy. Records were flying off the racks onto the central listening stations the was managed by one of the rotating employees. At Vinyl Mania Records you would find world class DJ’s producers, and artist listening for new music , yet everyone was there under one roof sharing the same passion. Back in the 1980’s the average 12’ domestic single was valued from $3 to $5. My friends and I both would almost spin are entire $100 or 15 to 20 records however, we would save just enough to buy a slice of Pizza at Joe’s Pizzeria on Carmine and Bleecker Street. At the completion of our meal, we would finally head north back to the Constitution State. We would do all that we could to avoid all tolls and additional expenses to get back home because we only had coins left on our pockets and a feeling of purpose and excitement. We played out this ritual for years until I moved to San Francisco. When I visit the east coast and my friends and I try to recreate the pathway to our youth and music only to find that changed has replaced a way of life that was so real to us. If you were to tune in to my radio show the Fingersnaps Music Salon , Wednesdays 12midnight to 3:00am you will hear many of those Classic Disco, House, and NuJazz records. On 11.11.11, I was booked to spin a sweet 16 Birthday party in Tiburon California. The host of honor requested I show her a play list of the songs I would be programming for her party and I informed her that I don’t have play list, I play spontaneous. She responded that’s great but can I see a list. I told her I have over 7000 songs on my computer and that she was welcomed to look through them all. She was surprised by my response to her but I could to think of any other way of letting this young lady that I had things covered. She ask me repeatedly if she could see a list and I responded with the same answer. As the night started to take shape and as her school mates and peers begin to show their presents she came to me once again and ask if I was going to play “this” type of music for long. I was playing a current dance hit from the radio. The type of music that I was playing at the time were many of the songs that she requested along with current hits and genres of her generation. I assured her once again that I got the music covered and to relax and enjoy your party. Friends arrived. The music increased in volume and the room became completely dark for the exception of the glow sticks that were handed out as party favors to her guest. LMFAO Shots was the very song the solidified that her night along with mine was going to be unforgettable. That group of teenagers worked me all night long and I loved it!
It’s been great working with all the community groups that I have been spinning at over the past few weeks. I spun at a Gala for the non-profit organization, Positive Resources at the RH80 Gallery in San Francisco. With the variety of music that I played within a four hour span Donna Summer would be proud to know that her music still inspires a dance floor 30 years after the fall of Disco. Although Disco never died based on my experience.
A friend from Gallery 1307 invited me to harvest vegetables at an urban garden in East Oakland on Sunday afternoon and as I was walking out my front door I got the bright I idea to bring along my flash DJ unit: laptop, DJ controller, and rechargeable power speaker (pictured on home page). I spun music, took pictures, tilled the soil, picked some fruit, planted some seeds, waved at some live chickens, met some new friends, and ate some amazing food in the sun, at the garden with a group of passionate colorful people. I have been loving my radio show on KPOO 89.5 San Francisco (www.kpoo.com) The vision that I had for being on the air is ringing true with the programming of Disco, the Fingersnaps House Mix, Nu Jazz & Soul music. Most special is hosting the talents such as Byron Mason (www.byronmason.com), Anthony Williams(www.anthonyjuliuswilliams.com), and Carol Francis & P. Segal The Adventures of Sasha & Malia at the White House (http://www.facebook.com/theadventuresofsashaandmalia), of bay area artists broadcasting to the world the great things people are doing in San Francisco. Tune in if you are up. I was fired from my part-time position at Fort Mason after 4 years of service. It was a great experience working with large scale events. I met some wonderful people, made some great contacts, and learned valuable skills about producing events. With the efforts of Fingersnaps my future is now open. With the openness of my future I can now create something new for myself and others. I look forward to the next chapter. I am totally amazed with the quality of music that has influenced my life over the years. Just like the gospel for some, music as been my source for inspiration. I have learned to express myself, create relationships, and travel the world because of music.
As a DJ, I not only create a sound collage of rhythm, tempo, and emotions. I am able to take the time to study human behavior: the group of people in my environment and understand what they want and need and then delivery. It all started back in the early 1970’s when I would steal my big sisters reel to reel player and for hours I would be fascinated with how the reels would rotate. When I learned the reel to reel could record I was impressed with the sounds I was able to capture. Over the years as I progressed and as technology changed the way I DJ, I am challenged with a feeling of withdraw. I feel I am cheating the system when I do mobile Djing. Under normal conditions, such as a even walk way, a ramp, or a short flight of stairs, I can have my entire system, two active speakers, laptop, DJ controller, and cables set up in 15 minutes or less from the time I park my vehicle. It blows my mind. 10 years ago I would take me 45 minutes , 15 years ago it would take 1 hour before I had sound., now it is under 20 minutes. I find myself double guessing thinking i forgot something. Although technology has changed the way we live and interact with each other, I just realized that after amassing vinyl records, CD's, reel to reels, cassettes, digital audio tape, and various other DJ related electronics that most the items in my studio is now obsolete.
I asked myself, what am I gonna do with all theses records? This vary music that is housed in my studio and which takes up the space of the entire room can now all fit in a flash drive that can be carried in my 5th pocket of my blue jeans. The answer to my question come to me with ease, Earth dosen't need more discarded stuff thrown into her belly, such as a land fill...a big hole in the ground. This very library that I have been building for the past 30 years contains artifacts that represents an era of yesterday, you know, the 20th Century. Because of the willingness and openness of my students I can now inspire, educate, and share my life's work with the many persons that are training to be the next generation of DJ's |
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