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.

Contact Joe:
805.773.0860
joelabarbera@charter.net
www.joelabarbera.com/

Malik Miko Thorne {Wedding DJ}

I’m excited to share about the pure and undefiled awesomeness of Malik Miko Thorne. I feel like he is one of San Luis Obispos best kept secret. He is a tall skinny curly-haired character who is often seen riding his bicycle downtown or selling music at Boo Boo Records. Most everyone who has lived in San Luis knows or has seen Malik. He is kind, unassuming and soft spoken. He is also an amazing wedding DJ. I have worked quite a few weddings with him and have been impressed with his organized and calm demeanor and more importantly his wealth of musical knowledge. If you looking for a DJ who flies under the radar to deliver a soundtrack that will set the perfect tone for your wedding, than you have to have Malik!


How did you get started spinning tunes?
If you are a fan of music you just inevitably fall into it I think. I was the one at college parties who would bring all of my own CDs and I would change the CD player every 2-3 songs. As a kid I would make my own mixed tapes. -Like holding up a portable tape recorder to the television. I would make mixed tapes from solid Gold, American Band, Soul Train. I’ve been musical since like 2nd or 3rd grade. It wasn’t that big of a leap. In retrospect it was a natural progression.

How did you get to where you are now; DJing weddings and working at Boo Boo Records?
While I went to school at Poly I fell into working at their radio station, KCPR, met all of these great people, and was able to dive bomb into music of all sorts. From Indie Rock to Reggae to Metal. They have such eclectic taste there and you meet these people that you normally wouldn’t associate with. I fell into that and got my start in radio and then eventually got a job at Boo Boos. Its weird because I could do something else that’s more career minded. I’ve got friends with kids and mortgages who are working jobs that they don’t love. I feel fortunate that I get to just do what I really love.

When did you first DJ a wedding?
A friend asked me to DJ his wedding. At the time I had turntables; I was doing little house parties and Public Radio. So, I did the wedding for free and was able to get my feet wet. I started seeing things that worked out and things that didn’t. I knew every bodies taste ahead of time and It was a blast! Once I did one or two; guests started approaching me and asking me to do their weddings.

How long have you been doing weddings?
I would say 7 years off and on. When I first started I wasn’t doing that many. It began to snowball and now I do about a dozen a year. Its nice because I get to meet a lot of great people.

Do you advertise at all?
Im horrible at the marketing aspect. I love music. Put me behind a DJ set and let me do my thing. The business side is the part I am still learning. I recently purchased some new software and a laptop which helps out having more music on the day of. If someone walks up and wants the Beach Boys I have it, where as before if I didn’t have it in the crates of records I brought I would have to simply apologize. But now I have a surplus of music. That’s why I ask lots of questions before I do a gig so I know what to bring.

How has working at Boo Boos helped as a resource to being a wedding DJ?
I talk music. I can understand music. I hear more things. I interact with customers. I see what people are listening to. All those small threads weave together at a wedding helping me to be able to pull something out of nowhere because I realize that it will work perfectly. Its just about being around what I love.

How do you get your business then?
Mostly word of mouth. If I do a DJ gig those who like what they hear find out about me.

So how does your interview process work with your clients? How do you figure out what their style is?
I just ask as many questions as I can. Not everyone knows what they want. Some couples have outlines for the whole day, others do not. So I bring up everything, do they want a money dance? Really, I talk about the day -the amount of time, do they want the ceremony miked, what type of music do they want for dinner? I come with experience. I know what I like to hear so I can suggest music. But I want to see what my clients have to offer. Some people are sharp on their music while other people know what they like to hear, but have trouble putting it into words.

So you help them figure out how to make the soundtrack to their wedding basically?
I would like to thing so! I make people tell me exactly what they want to hear. I stay away from genres. Popular doesn’t work. Old school doesn’t work. I want them to say, I want Frank Sinatra, this song. I want Michael Jackson, this song. Because once they say that, I can immediately start thinking of 3 or 4 songs that go around that song. Once I do that I have a little set of music that can be a good 30 minute set; which is a good amount of time. So If the couple gives me a few more songs, I can start building little cones, I start seeing patterns. I can build a whole set.
Like math almost?
It kinda is like math. I was really good at math at one time.

Do you do any mixing or scratching during a reception?
For weddings I think that scratching takes away from the dance floor. It’s a percussive noise. Most people just want to hear the song. I can mix in and out of songs. If Im doing a house party or a DJ set downtown where its what I want to play the mixing is a little different. I can do sets ahead of time, its more dance music, I play a steady beats per minute that’s pretty high. Weddings you shift so wildly between playing Popular music to Motown and jumping fast into 80s music, that I just put everything together as appropriately as I can. I do arcs and curves. I go from a slow song to a little bit faster song. I build more on musical tempos so that it all fits together really nicely.

What would you say your style is?
I try to stay away from songs that are really popular. There is so much music out there that I try to think outside of the box. For dinner music I try to play Brazilian music or Afro music or Jazz; something that’s upbeat. People always think mellow is good for dinner music. But when people are sitting down for dinner talking they are not really focused on the music so all they can really feel is the vibe or tempo. If I keep the vibe bubbly and upbeat they feel bubbly and cheerful. Dance music is the hardest thing. I have to ask as many questions as possible. I love Old Soul, Funk, Motown, and 80s music. I bring an arsenal out of songs that I think always work. Rarely have certain songs ever failed me. But I want to know what they want to hear.

Once I booked a wedding where early on I didn’t meet with the bride. The groom knew me and said, I love you –do your thing! Day of the wedding comes, the bride is Persian. Her family wanted Persian music. I never talked to the bride, so I didn’t know. They luckily brought Persian music so I put it on for them. Instantaneously they got up, they danced around and brought everybody into the mix. Lesson learned. I have to find out more about the people who are coming, more about the family members.

I had another wedding where the couple told me they had an aunt who was really picky and bossy. Day of the wedding I’m playing Frank Sinatra and this woman comes up and says I hate this song, what are you playing, can you change it? I was like, It’s Frank Sinatra. I never thought anyone wouldn’t like Sinatra! So I figured this was the aunt. She asked what else I was going to play that night. I told her slyly, I don’t know, maybe some Rolling Stones? She was like, Really?! Rolling Stones? I love the Rolling Stones! A few songs later I played and she got up to the dance floor. She was happy! Its those small tid-bits of information that I try to pull from people.

What kind of Personality do you bring to the wedding day?
I’m not Mr. Entertainment. I never try to be. I always hear about people complaining about wedding DJs that talk the whole time. I’m there to do the music. I’m not there to talk to the audience. The music is there to entertain. That’s what I know the best. I’m pretty reserved in that aspect. I just try to stay calm through the day and take my time so that people feel that the music was flawless.

Contact Info:
Phone: 805.801.7959
Email: malikmiko@gmail.com