Do you need an MC at Events - Part 5

The MC has the task to move people and events from one place to another and make it seamless. The bride and groom chose to dance alone for the entire 1^st dance song which is a rarity nowadays. That decision creates a task for the MC. How do you manage 200 people who are standing around a dance floor waiting to know what to do? Usually you either sit them or dance them. Here it was a Jewish/Irish wedding and they wanted to do a Hora (traditional Jewish dance) right afterward. Again the sophistication of the segue will make or break this moment. A good 2/3rds of the party had never done a Hora before. The MC creates the excitement and to give fun direction for this and if done right it before it will work. Here I caught it just right and it became one of the liveliest Horas ever at a wedding. We had women in the inside circle and guys on the outside and interchanging, and they were just going with the instruction because it was fun. When they look back at that on video they will be amazed at how exciting and crazy it was.

A top MC will also be able to lead and direct live and create live as it’s happening. And the people don’t need to know how to do anything. Imagine trying to do that without an MC. It is very difficult. Bands rarely even know how to lead these dances well or when to let them breathe.

Anyone who’s been to a few weddings knows how deadly toasts can become. I was at a wedding last week where the toasts of 2 people went on for 30 minutes. To take up 30 minutes of someone’s wedding with something you can say in 5 minutes is just unfortunate and a drag for everyone. The toasts can happen by themselves of course, but what would you do after a 30-minute toast? There was a friend of the bride’s who was going to sing a song to the bride and groom scheduled to go on after the toasts. I went out at the 15-minute mark and told him I have to cut you here, because these are too long. I promise to get you on at a time that will be more appropriate. He was very unhappy because he was set to go on – and got himself all ready. But I put him on ½ way through dinner and had the bride and groom sit on the dance floor with him as he played. He had the undivided attention of everyone. He thanked me profusely afterward saying “you were SO right.” This is another gift of a top MC: good decision making and timing. He manages the party in the moment so it doesn’t crumble into an abyss.

Toasts with a top MC orchestrating as opposed to no MC, the beginning is not jarring. There’s a flow from the ending of the last segment to being seated to getting people ready for the toasts, to making the ‘toaster’ feel relaxed and confident with the microphone, to the perfect segue from one to the next, again not announcing but flowing in conversation. At this event there were 4 toasts to be made and 4 champagne glasses on the table. After the second toast I asked everyone to raise a glass again and informed the guests there were 2 more to go so by the end everyone will have a nice little buzz going. This made a nice laugh for everyone and provided an easy transition for the two more to come. It also created a relaxation point for the next speaker.

Next up the meat and potatoes of the wedding.

Do you need an MC at Events - Part 4

The MC starts the positive vibe right off the bat with the bridal party. He goes to them, meets them and has some laughs, loosens them up, and infuses them with the energy to have fun, and be lively. It’s a great moment pre-entrance. It’s like rallying the team for the big game. I’ve personally had bridal parties laughing and whooping and enjoying themselves so much that the party is set in motion right then and there. The guests in the ballroom can hear them and the buzz of the “life” of the party has already begun. This is no easy task with a bunch of folks in mourning, but to remove peoples’ nervousness and change it to excitement is a great ability. Brides and grooms that are hiring the DJ who say we don’t need an MC would miss this incredible opportunity. And should anything unfortunate precede their affair, they would never have the capacity to do this pre-party rally-jump-start.

Secondly without an MC it is virtually impossible to get the same level of excitement and emotion from the crowd during an entrance. The one man DJ is of course familiar with entrances and knows how to do them, but the ‘top’ MC makes it an EXPERIENCE to enjoy and savor. He enhances the entrance with live commentary perfect to the moment. The DJ is often times tasked with playing 3 to 9 pieces of music at the exact cue points for each entrance, he cannot be focused on being “LIVE” with the entrances as they are happening. The MC builds and connects with the crowd escalating to the crescendo of Mr and Mrs. and the guests emotions rise with him. Imagine the quality of the pictures and video as well. That’s a moment in time meant to relish forever.

The first dance one would think is a simple enough job to do, and it is. But how is it set up? The MC makes sure their family; friends and guests surround them with support and love. If it is elected he makes the perfect transition to bring them on the floor with them. If not he finds a way to create the perfect segue to the next section - the crowd dancing. This can be the difference in having a sporadic indifferent dance floor and a crowd that WANTS and NEEDS to be out there. Without an MC perfect segues are virtually impossible. It is in fact the perfect segues that makes the ‘top’ MC the Master of Ceremonies and indispensable for important events. Couples without an MC cannot set this up for themselves and direct folks in this way. Single DJs who are also talking cannot create perfect in the moment segues, it’s just not possible for them to concentrate that kind of effort and take care of their own musical cuing and segues.

Do you need an MC at Events - Part 3

In regard to people not liking MCs, well I understand that as well. Many young MCs as well as experienced MCs tend to hype and over hype parties by yelling into the microphone. This can be annoying. Additionally when these MCs are not in party mode they have “announcer like voices” and make proclamations. People tend to “feel” the lack of authenticity and turn off to them. This is pretty much how all MCs start out and some never find their true voice. It is the very rare one man DJs who spins music as well MCs who is able to break this mold either, because he has to be concentrating on the music.

In contrast a great MC does not make announcements. He NEVER makes announcements. He always speaks to and informs you as in a friendly conversation. Even when things are exciting there’s a quality of authenticity to his voice. A top MC will raise his energy in his conversation with you and his voice will ebb and flow with the importance and excitement of his communication. But at all times it will feel true. He will present something to you rather than announce something at you or for you. It’s all very personal as opposed to impersonal. This is an ENORMOUS difference, and one that EVERYONE feels. It takes enormous care and practice to perfect this, because it’s so easy to “use the voice” and fall into the announcer mode. The announcer mode is safe and impersonal. The top MC is speaking and revealing his heart and his true self to the crowd and that in turn creates warmth.

Do you need an MC at Events - Part 2

What does a great MC do? I will be getting to that. But I realized after last night’s wedding that a great MC is a must have for a wedding. Let me preface this by saying I’m referring to a ‘top’ MC someone who truly knows and cares about events. Like the MasterCard commercial they’re priceless. Here’s why:

The groom for last night’s wedding lost his father at the rehearsal ceremony 2 nights previously. He had passed from advanced stages of his disease. It wasn’t unexpected but nonetheless the timing hit the family very hard as I'm sure you could imagine. They decided to go forward anyway and make the wedding the celebration his father wanted it to be.


On a side related note, truth be told, this kind of situation is not at all that uncommon at a special event like this. With 100 to 300 people as your usual guest size, there’s often times a recent illness or someone has recently passed, or simply a wondering if someone in the family is going to be able to make it; and there are powerful emotions stirring. I experienced this at my own wedding. My father was coming up from Florida and was unable to make it due to emergency bypass surgery. Two days before the wedding we were waiting to hear he was in the clear. My best man announced during the party that my father’s wife called to send his love and that he wished he could have been there, but he’s recovering.

These emotions combined with the usual heightened emotions and anxiety that accompanies these occasions can really compromise the host and hostesses’ and guests’ intentions to generate a great party on their own. But none of this is ever imagined when they are thinking about the wedding and desire or need for an MC. I wasn't planning to have one at my own wedding and changed my mind 2 weeks before. What a GREAT decision that was.

As an MC coming into this kind of evening, referring back to the wedding after the father's death, I knew there would be a lot of emotion, both triumphant and poignant, bitterness and sweetness. The direction we were given was to celebrate the night, and that’s what we did. For this reason alone, which no one would think to consider, it is essential to have a really top MC running the show. He carries the weight of the party and keeps it moving for everyone.
(continued on next part)

Do you need an MC at Events - part 1

Hey Everyone - this will be a 12 part series. Too much for one reading. Enjoy.

Part I -Why have an MC at an event?
By Michael Sage Schindler of Lightning Shakes New York

A good majority of all events we do with DJs the clients want an MC: Most likely 80%. There are some events that are strictly background and ambient music that really do not call for MCs, so that covers maybe 10% of the gigs. The other 10% of gigs that select a 1 man DJ is generally due to budgetary constraints, and of course that’s understandable.

When I get a call I don’t push clients to “get” something or demand they get a “minimum” package. I do suggest services based on my experience. I had an experience last night at a wedding that led to a small epiphany about MCs. There are certain events that absolutely call for an MC. Certainly mitzvahs and kids parties of any kind need an MC. But many people, and I was among this crowd prior to my own wedding, don’t think they need an MC for their wedding. In asking them why it’s usually for this reason: They don’t like what they have seen in the past, and feel that it’s a wasted expense.

When I ask if they’ve ever seen an MC that they have liked typically the answer is no. When I ask what it is about the MC they didn’t like, it usually has to do with a grating style and lack of personalization and warmth. Honestly, I wouldn’t blame them for not wanting an MC if this were my experience. Funny thing is there are many top event and wedding planners in the industry who hate DJs for the same reason. Either they’re too cheesy, or too loud and obnoxious or too arrogant, or they can’t create with taste. When I tell explain what a great MC does and ask them if that were something they would like the answer is almost always yes. More tomorrow.