Taste in music
does your passion really serve you?
I worked for years as a wedding DJ.
I have a confession to make. When I started that job, I was mostly only into it for the money. The pay was great and the hours were flexible. I knew how to set up the gear.
I had (have) a great voice to host / be on the mic.
There was a problem.
I hated pop and dance music.
While hanging out with the other DJ’s back at the shop at three aye ehm, they would go on about Justin and how ‘Sexyback’ was a ‘Banger’ and a ‘hit’.
I couldn’t relate.
Beyonce was terrible. Timberlake? Terrible? Sean Paul and Rhianna? The just seemed like noise to me.
Me?
I preferred the John Coltrane and Myles Davis I would play during dinner. I loved (and still love) jazz from the 50’s and 60’s.
And over time things changed.
Over time, I learned to appreciate a ‘banger’ and grew to recognize what songs would be ‘hits’.
This happened because the music at a wedding is never about the music. The music at a wedding is there to make something happen.
Whether it’s creating atmosphere for a lively cocktail hour or creating a sense of intimacy for a couple’s first dance, the music had nothing to do with me.
Music can be so personal. For many, their taste in music makes a statement about who they are. Music for some is deeply personal. People are passionate about it. As a DJ, who worked with music, there were songs I liked and enjoyed playing. But my passion for the music wasn’t important.
As a wedding DJ, I was more like the waiter. Some songs just worked. They were like a chicken sandwich. (when in doubt, offer the chicken sandwich) With music, I was there to serve it for people who wanted it. Whether I liked it or not was not the issue. The question at hand was: is this working for what I want it to do?
So, with that in mind, where, in your life, do you remove the passion to get to the function?
It was surprising to many when I expressed my ambivalence about the music I played. People upon hearing that I was a dj, expected excitement and enthusiasm. That was there. But more important was the commitment to serve the room.
Having a strong opinion of “The Chicken Dance” one way or another was less important than serving the room.
The last song however was always for the staff.
It’s like the old saying goes:
Closing time, you don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here
"So, with that in mind, where, in your life, do you remove the passion to get to the function?" Cars. I love old cars and sports cars. However, I hate spending money on cars so I don't buy expensive cars and I drive the ones I do buy until they die(or the risk of them dying on a 400-series highway has increased enough that we are unwilling to take that risk with a baby in the back seat), and the dream car gets put off indefinitely.
My son, too, hates current pop music. He was asked to a dance at another school and said yes. As he dressed his feet prior to leaving he asked me if they would be playing the Beatles or classical during the evening. I looked uncomfortable. He realized his mistake. He said, oh no, and the title of a current hit, something about a snake, and I nodded. Big sigh. It was going to be a long night. He does love ELO and George Harrison and Men at Work. He has avoided dances since. He sang along with "Last Train to London" one evening when I picked him up. I never listened to the lyrics before. He changed that song for me. It's now about him. Occasionally he hijacks my Spotify and plays me something. It feels like a pop song about a snake to me. But he is sharing himself and I will always listen eagerly. I haven't listened to anything twice, yet. DJ's don't play the Macarena while they unload the van.