What do presenting and DJ-ing have in common?
As I recently discovered... a lot.
If you love your content, want to give it generously to the audience, and you arrive prepared, presenting and DJ-ing are both a blast!
A Little Background
Two months before the Toastmasters Fall European Conference (D59), the Basel organizers bought into my pitch: let me be the DJ for the post-gala dinner dance party.
Yep, DJ Jacko would spin the tunes.
Over the years, I had taken over the turntables and stereo equipment at many a party. But in Basel, this wasn't just a party. This was 250 people wanting to let it all hang out after a day-and-a-half of workshops, competitions, a gala dinner and award ceremony.
Outcome?
In my own view, it went great. A few things to improve upon, but overall a big success.
You may chuckle and say, "Come on, Jacko. A little more self-awareness." But I have three reasons for believing it went well.
- It felt good. Be as analytical as you want, but your own gut is something to be contemplated, too.
- The dance floor was filled from the third song right through to the end. (The first two songs were mood setters by design.)
- The feedback was positive... and some of my fellow Toastmasters just couldn't believe an old guy me could rock the house!
That doesn't sound very humble, I know. But back to Point 1. I had a tremendous buzz from beginning to end and, yeah I admit, from the feedback and comraderie afterwards.
And that's one of the great things about Toastmasters: the more you give, the more you get. I not only got compliments, I got great memories and a first DJ job in my CV. Yeah, look out DJ Bobo. DJ Jacko's on the rise!
So what are the similarities between a good presentation and a successful night of DJ-ing?
Content Is King
Yep. This has been my big focus as a Toastmaster specifically and as a presenter generally in recent years. Delivery is important, but it's my belief that great content is what puts you over the edge.
It's the same thing in DJ-ing. You could play it safe and just bang out cookie-cutter club music. You could boom-boom-boom the same beats and similar rhythms all night so that the masses just keep on keepin' on. Or you could inspire people with music, and content, that pulls at the heart and soul.
I went with music that has inspired me over the years and even over the recent weeks. And I didn't play it safe.
Sequence & Organization
A great presentation takes the audience on a journey. Why shouldn't a DJ's repertoire do the same thing?
I put a lot of preparation into selecting the music, and I put even more into sequencing it.
As soon as the award ceremony was over, I didn't want to force the dancing on everyone... at least not in the first two songs. The segue should be easy and unpretentious. So I started with a bit of loungy pieces with the type of rhythms that, I believe, built an expectation that something big was coming.
By Song 3, the train had left the station... and my fellow Toastmasters had left their chairs... for the dance floor. Fun, upbeat tunes to express one's self on the dance floor, a bit of Latin, a bit of funk, there was no turning back. We were partying.
But you can't hold that pace all night. So toward the middle, the journey had a sensuous, slow section so that humans could do what we long to do.
And then it was time to build toward the finale... a crescendo that had the place screaming past the moon, with no hope of earth's gravity holding them down.
Houston, we have a problem. We just passed Pluto!
Preparation
I alluded to this above, but I can't emphasize this enough. For a presentation, a pitch, or spinnin' music to inspire people to shake their booties and party like there's no tomorrow... preparation is critical.
If I would've shown up with a bunch of good songs and then started to assemble my playlist and sequence on the fly, it would've been a disaster. I had all of this prepared, including the cues -- the points at which you cut into and out of each song.
We had a few challenges just before "going live." But because I was prepared, I didn't have to worry about the actual presentation of the music at that point; I could focus wholly on solving the problem.
It's the same thing in a presentation or a sales pitch. Improvise at your own peril.
Pour Your Soul Into It
I'm sure you've noticed passion in a presentation or pitch. There are those who just go through the motions of getting the job done, and those who love their content so much that they want you, the audience, to love it, too.
Well, it's the same thing in DJ-ing. I love music. I love to dance, and I have so many dear friends and inspiring colleagues within Toastmasters District 59, that I gave this every ounce of my soul.
By the fifth song, I was enjoying it so much that I often went out and danced with everyone. I was inspired... and I couldn't hold back.
Don't Obsess Over a Mistake. They'll Forgive You!
I made a few errors. Early on, I wasn't happy with my fading/transitions between songs. No one seemed to notice, and I got better by that fifth song. And twice, while cueing up the next song in my headphones, I abruptly crashed away from the heart of the live song in progress into the middle of the cued up song.
What do you do in this situation? What else can you do? Push on.
Yep, when you're presenting and something doesn't go perfectly, don't belabor it. If it's minor, just push on. If it's major, acknowledge it with good humor and... yep, push on!
And so it was when I miscued. I looked up and saw an entire dance floor with startled looks and some even a bit disappointed because they were just finding their own groove with the previous song.
I just looked at everybody, laughed, shrugged my shoulders and yelled, "Oops!"
Within a few seconds, the next song had found its way into their souls and the journey continued, speed bump forgotten!
If your delivery is solid and your content is inspiring, your audience will forgive the small stuff and appreciate the big stuff.
It's a Virtuous Cycle
And that's just one more thing I love about Toastmasters. We're all there to bring out the best in each other. It's therefore inspiring to just keep giving.
So thank you Basel organizers again. Thank you District 59, Euro Toastmasters. And thank you fellow Toastmasters.
I poured my soul into it, and I felt your friendship and warm support every second of it.
And I have to admit, it was a blast watching everyone shake their booties, too!
Photo taken spontaneously by friend and Fellow Toastmaster Douglas MacKevett. Damn, I wish I would have thought to take a photo to show my view of all that booty shakin'.
