{The Wedding Standard}: LaBarbera Sound {Wedding DJ}

Joe LaBarbera is a Renaissance Man if I ever met one. He surfs, skis, played football, danced ballet, practices yoga, and even spins music for some rockin’ Central Coast weddings! I have had the pleasure of working many events with the awesome LaBarbera Sound. Not only is Joe good at all of the aforementioned activities he also rules at managing the soundtrack, feel, and timeline of wedding receptions. It’s his passion for music and his love and respect for people that make him one of the top DJ’s on the Central Coast. He attacks a wedding play list with his heart; seeking to feel out the couple and their guests to accommodate their musical mood and style. Joe isn’t your typical cheesy DJ personality; he blends in and never make his time on the microphone about him. He is always professional and friendly. When you hire Joe you are banking on the fact that you are booking a seasoned professional who will serve you on your wedding day not because it’s his job, but because he clearly loves people, music, and life.

CDs, records or iPod?
I don’t use records – I love them but I listen to them at home. Cd’s is what I primarily use because when I started it was all about CD’s. It depends on what I’m doing. Sometimes I use my iPod because of the music I have stored on there but most of my music is in CD format.

I've noticed that you like to have your CD’s out at weddings to look through -tell me about that.
I select music for a reception by being spontaneous. I like to feel it out and see what is happening in front of me. I like to look for moments and match the music accordingly. Sometimes while I am looking for a particular album I run across another song I also want to play and that inspires me to play other music I hadn’t previously thought of so I lay that aside. It works really good for me.

What's in your car CD player?
In my car… Joni Mitchell –an old compilation. I love it; it’s cool!

Who is your favorite artist?
I don’t think I have one. I just really love music and I think because of that it would be so hard to just pick one.

What band had the greatest influence on the music you play at weddings today?
Hmmm… Good Question. I’m not sure if I can say. Well, the Stones are classic! (It’s a trip they came to my mind). They have stood the test of time and still keep up. I also really like soul. I am most drawn to that. Aretha and Marvin Gay. I like that sound and the feel that it inspires.

How many gigs do you do a year?
I like to do about 35. Between 30 and 40 is good for me. I want to give my best to each client as well as myself. I don’t want to be burnt out by the end of the year.

Your favorite part of the reception?
I really get emotional when I hear a really good toast. Some are really lame but others are thought out and heart felt. I came from a really big Italian family and when I see that love and hear those genuine toasts it can be a real emotional experience. I laugh at myself because sometimes I do get teary. That’s the kind of feeling I want at my parties. That all translates into the party after the toasts into the energy on the dance floor.

How long you been doing this?
17 years.

How do your years of experience benefit you on the wedding day?
Clients wouldn’t know it but I know it –I still get a nervous anticipation on the wedding day. I think it’s healthy to still get excited before a wedding. A healthy nervousness. I think that my years of experience really does help. I do things on the wedding day to reduce the level of stress or save something that needs to have attention taken away from it and sometimes help something happen that otherwise wouldn’t have and that only comes from raw experience. I really try to be a buffer and serve so that the day is seamless for the bride. I thought that my experience was paying off when I was 7 years in and then again at 10 years and even now. I just keep learning year after year. It helps me to handle things calmly.

What do you love about music?
I love the way it makes me feel inside and how it alters my mood. A lot of times if I hear the right music it inspires me.

How did you get started doing this?
I got started by a fluke. When I got married the DJ flailed, which was a big disappointment for me because music was really important to me and most important on my wedding day. Also at the time I was working internationally and I got laid off. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make my mortgage; it was a scary time. I remembered the DJ disappointment and that I loved music and I was a dancer before. So one day I had jury duty, and there was this lady there who was really involved with the wedding industry and she was actually the florist at my wedding. She said I should do it and that I would be great at it. So I contacted some friends from the Hollywood area (I grew up down there) that did sound for films and television and they helped me get my sound system set up and collect all my gear. I put it together and fell into it just like that.

Now you say you used to dance… –what’s up with that?!
That was a fluke too! I was a football player, surfer, skier in High School and after High School I got an ankle injury while surfing. In the recovery I was on crutches. At the time I was dating an actress/dancer and she suggested that I go to one of her dance classes because it would be good for my ankle and my recovery. I walked into the class on my crutches and thought “Phfffft!!! This was the time of year I would normally have my face in the dirt and in the locker room with a bunch of smelly football players!” I walked into the class of dancers and there were 30 beautiful women in tights. I was one of the only guys and the other one was gay so I thought this was great! I loved it because dance led me to body alignment through the ballet technique.

Do you have a recommended first dance song?
I do not. I really shy away from questions like that. If a couple really presses me I would come up with a few suggestions but I really try not to. Music is so broad and music is so individual. I encourage them to spend time and energy to find something that is for them. Even when clients want to come to a gig to see how I work or want to come to a wedding if they are not sure if they want to hire me or not, I don’t like to do that. I know a lot of wedding magazines or wedding tips encourage to do that so you can ‘try out your DJ’, but everybody’s party is individual and I don’t think it’s a good way to make up your mind. I know first impressions are a big thing and if people are requesting polka because that’s the bride’s favorite music I would hate for a couple to walk up at that moment to hear me playing polka and judge me because I am playing what the bride and family likes. Haha!

What sets you apart in your industry?
Many DJ's come into the profession from the technical side; really liking electrical equipment. Having grown up in a large Italian family that owned a very well known restaurant -I spent years in LA catering and assisting Hollywood parties and functions. I came into being a DJ from the angle of the entertainment industry. This has really influenced the "way" I work at weddings. I learned that timing was everything. Also, being seamless and virtually invisible makes the party seem as though it was happening on its own. The music creates the tone but the DJ sets the stage.

Another thing that makes me unique is for 10 years I have seriously studied Yoga. My wife Catherine teaches it but I too have studied with a well known and respected master of the art. I’ve traveled to India to learn and currently continue to spend many hours weekly continuing my yoga practice. How does this translate to LaBarbera Sound? I am able to be sensitive to the "feel" in a room. As we know sometimes weddings have moments of stress. The yoga has helped me learn not to feed into the stress.

Any recommendations for couples searching for the perfect DJ?
I think the best way to find a good DJ is to ask around. I think photographers are always good people to ask because they are actually at the reception. (Not many wedding vendors are at the reception.) Ask your married friends. Meet the potential DJ or talk to them on the phone. You need to feel good about them. You have to click with them, you should really like them because it will decide the spirit of your day.