Stagefright

As a DJ, I consider each wedding, or party, a performance by me. Even when my job is to stay behind the scenes, let the guests take the lead, I am indeed performing. I have lines. I have trigger points and blocking. The booth is where I feel comfortable, but often I have to step out from behind the booth and be the show, the leader. I have to direct attention, give attention to, and so on.

I still get nervous.

Every wedding and party I do I still get nervous. According to the website, I've done over 150 weddings. I think they've 'edited ahead' of the game considering the reality of it, I believe I'm around officially 95 weddings as an MC, probably about 10 or so of those as a DJ. Some of that 95 is also corporate or private gigs most likely. Before that 95 I probably have an additional 15-25 weddings and events as a DJ only, before I became an MC and while I was in training.

That's not that much, if we break it down that way. I think its a good thing that I still get nervous. It keeps me on my toes... keeps me alert. When I'm nervous I take full whooping deep breaths, shake it out of my body a little bit. I run over the things I'm going to say, practice the names of the bridal party a 15th time. I close my eyes... listen to the air flow by, think about the energy level. Then my eyes open again, I glance at the booth from the dancefloor, make sure everything is straight. Presentation is very important to me.

I like the production of it. I love making weddings a showcase, a showcase of two people that absolutely love eachother. Am I a bit corny? Cheesy? Inside, yeah. I'm a big fan of watching love happen, seeing it first hand, and you can really tell too... the couples that REALLY love eachother versus the couples that settled for each other. There IS a difference! But the day of... the most important day of the couples' lives... its always magical.

And its up to me to make it memorable - in a GOOD way! I mean lets face it, any schmoe can make it memorable for how much it sucked!

So damn right I get nervous. Without it, I'd be a cocky, know-it-all DJ that trainwrecks every time.