Hosting for DJs
Real, Practical Information for Mastering Any Ceremony
Josh Yawn
With foreword by Marc Summers
Smashwords Edition
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© 2012 Mobile Beat Publishing
table of contents
Preparation
Education
Presentation
Eleven: This, That and the Other
by marc summers
Passion is the key to almost anything in life. With it, the chance of success is increased. Without it, there is no chance. Josh Yawn has the passion.
As the host of the show that put Nickelodeon on the map, Double Dare, I would often receive tons of fan mail from our young viewers. Every now and then one would stand out and I felt motivated to pick up the phone and freak a kid out! This happened when I called a young 15 year old by the name of Josh. From that day we became lifelong friends. Why? Because he convinced me, over the phone, that someday he wanted to become a host, an emcee. An MC! He has done it and quite successfully as well.
I felt his passion. Some are born with it, some discover it down the road, and some never find it. Through Josh's passion, you will learn the ins and outs of becoming a professional emcee. This is not an easy task. Most people want to phone it in, not put in the work, and then hope that success happens. Good luck! The harder one works, the luckier they get!
There used to be a sign in my seventh grade shop class that said, "plan your work and work your plan." This is another one of those phrases that has significant meaning in life. Study, talk to those in the field you are going after and ask for advice. Put yourself in an environment that teaches and educates you on your passion. Mr. Yawn has done this since I first met him and this is why I admire him and this book. He walks the walk and talks the talk which is why you will learn this very difficult craft of being an emcee. And something tells me that if any one of you wants this profession as badly as I wanted it and Josh wanted it, and you happen to find his phone number, he just might pick up the phone and call you, and pay it forward.
Best of luck in whatever your passion may be.
Marc Summers
MC of the longest running show on Food Network, Unwrapped
Executive Producer, Restaurant Impossible
acknowledgements
I'd like to thank a few people that have impacted this project in some way.
Mom and Dad: thank you for always telling me that I can do anything, and for the continued and consistent support in all of my endeavors.
Ryan Burger, thank you for believing in my ideas for both this and DJ Crash Course. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with you and the Mobile Beat team these past years.
Chase Erwin: for being my editor and the brilliant jack of all trades that you are. Thank you for always having an answer to any roadblock I may encounter. And, thank you for double-checking my spelling and grammar mistakes to make suer I do gooder than usual. This book would not be possible without you.
Kevin Herrin: for fitting me in in a matter of hours when I called with the crazy idea for this book's cover. Also, for turning around in a matter of hours and having the final product ready. Your photography and imaging skills are truly amazing.
Marc Summers: Not many people get to call their childhood hero their friend. I've been fortunate to be able to do so. I cannot thank you enough for being a constant source of encouragement and honesty, and for providing the foreword to this book. There is still no other host I'd rather learn from.
Rayanna Barker, a.k.a. Traci Stevens: for daring to put an 11-year-old kid on the radio time and time again and for seeing something there that you seeded into. I place a lot of blame on you for me getting into this career! Just kidding: You're still a source of encouragement to this day and I thank you for that.
Dr. Mary Alice Baker: my college interviewing and organizational communication professor, for being a wealth of knowledge and for providing help on the “Interviewing” chapter of this book.
Gordon Williams: for replying to my statement of “I'm writing a book” with, “You're writing a book? You're writing a book!” Your constant and consistent encouragement is always a source of fuel for me.
Jake Feldman, Seth Leopold and Tom Haiback: for the support and kind words toward this endeavor, as well as DJ Crash Course, while we all traveled the Mobile Beat tour together.
Donna Marx: my “identical twin” and partner in crime. Thank you for always making me laugh and supporting my crazy ideas!
Mike Sheffield: the kindest soul in the entertainment business. I sound good in DJ Crash Course because of you and your support for “what's next” has been a major source of encouragement.
Clint A., Jessica G., Candice H., Brianna M., Kate R., Zach G. and Ross C. (a.k.a. “That Guy”) for being the best friends and greatest supporters anyone could ask for.
Anne and Paul Smith, at the La Paz Bed & Breakfast: thank you for being such gracious hosts while I stayed in your beautiful century-old log cabin to write this book. Had it not been for the focus and peace I found at your bed & breakfast, I might still be at home sitting in front of a blank computer screen!
Finally, to all of the wonderfully kind and talented DJs I've met all over the country who have shaken my hand, complimented my work and have paid their hard earned money to buy the products I've created, thank you. This includes you, right now, for buying this book. I feel in a lot of ways I should be learning from many of you. It is truly humbling to have your support. Thank you again.
Last but not least, I would like to thank God for all of the blessings, dreams, passions and ambitions He has given me. None of this would be possible without Him.
introduction
When I was a kid, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. In fact, there was no doubt in my mind that when I grew up I was going to follow this profession. It was outside of the realm of the standard doctor/lawyer/fireman trifecta and wasn't something one could buy a Halloween costume for. There were no classes in school for it, and no books to buy to learn about it (editor's note: until now). Even so, the appeal of being a host found me at an early age and I still haven't been able to shake it.
I grew up watching game shows and talk shows with my mom and there's no doubt in my mind that that's where my career stems from. Being a big fan of these host-driven formats herself, it was only a matter of time before they caught on with me as well.
There was something about seeing a host drive the show, build exciting moments, improvise unscripted magic and put a smile on people's faces that captivated me. I would later find this same fascination in the art of DJing, but, I'm getting ahead of myself.
My childhood spare time was mostly spent trying to figure out what next “big” thing I could tackle. I hosted game shows in the backyard with a set as accurately re-created as cardboard boxes would allow. I wrote a weekly neighborhood newspaper with my two best friends and effectively aired all the neighbors' dirty laundry (who says hemorrhoids aren't news-worthy?). I did entire radio shows in my bedroom with a speaker placed next to an open window hoping someone walking by would listen. I was an enterprising little kid with a near-copious mixture of curiosity and drive. But, even then, I knew the volunteer arts weren't always going to put Legos on the table, so, I started enterprising: I first had a lemonade stand, then a lawn mowing service, and finally, at the ripe old age of 11, a DJ business.
DJing
If you pictured my career as a coin, you would see hosting on one side and DJing on the other. This came about through an interesting series of events. My dad has been a professional musician and singer my entire life. Because I grew up watching his concerts and being around his sound equipment, I learned at a very young age what everything was, how to hook it up, and how to run it. I was running his sound before I was out of elementary school. I have vivid memories of being perched behind a stage, sitting at eye-level with his powered mixer and cassette deck (Note to kids – I'll explain what that is one day), quickly swapping out each track for the next, cueing it by turning the tape with my index finger until the clear tape underneath showed brown.
After I finished running sound for the show, I'd quickly move to the merchandise table to wheel and deal. I'd sit patiently and draw eyepatches and funny mustaches on my dad's headshots until the first patrons would exit the concert and make their way to me. I quickly learned what would make a sale and what wouldn't. The added motivation of getting a buck per $10.00 cassette I sold put enough fire under my feet to take it seriously and do a good job. It was fun, and it taught me a lot.
One particular night around this same time, I was over at my next door neighbor's house with a couple of the other kids on the block. We were listening to a countdown called the Top 9 at 9 hosted by a DJ called “Dancin' Dale.” The show was your basic top-nine-songs-of-the-day countdown, with a contest at the end. Listeners were told to write down the title and artist of all nine songs and then, at the end of the show, listeners called in to be the lucky ninth caller. If the chosen one could correctly identify a randomly selected song number from the night, they'd win a free pizza, ice cream sundae and two movie passes. That was the gold brick equivalent to a room full of 11-year-olds.
But, the real attraction of the Top 9 at 9 for me was that it frequently had “guest DJs,” which were spunky kids and teenagers that called in to introduce songs on the air. One of my friends had the idea to call in and ask to be put on the radio to do exactly that. She called and actually got on! The next friend called and had the same success. Finally, the phone was outstretched in my direction and all eyes were on me to make the call. Even though I've always loved the euphoria of performing, I'm actually a pretty shy and anxious individual, so, I had major reservations about calling – but peer pressure ultimately prevailed. I called and asked, “Uh, can I be on the radio?” A happy voice piped back, “You sure can! What's your name?”
“Josh.”
“Josh, where you callin' from tonight?”
This was well before the days of Caller ID, so poor Dancin' Dale had no idea he was putting on kid after kid from the same room.
“Beaumont.”
“What're you doin' in Beaumont tonight?”
“Just chillin!”
At this point I had to hold the phone away from my mouth to keep from cracking up at myself. I remember that well.
“Well, tell us what the number 4 song on our countdown is!”
“Movin' On Up by the M People!”
And that was that. I did it. I was going to make my radio debut as a guest DJ. Because they pre-recorded these “guest DJ” segments, I had time to run back home next door and start recording it on a cassette. A few minutes later, my piece played. And, in an instant, an obsession was born.
For the next year, I would call this same radio station a non-exaggerated total of 1,480,862 times and ask to be “put on the radio.” Sometimes they'd let me. Sometimes they wouldn't. But EVERYONE there knew me. I took a genuine interest in what these DJs did and found it fascinating that they made a living playing music while still using their voices and personalities to do what the TV hosts I loved so much did.
One DJ in particular, who went by the stage name Traci Stevens, was particularly patient with me. Because she herself got into the business at a young age with similar interests, she took the time to entertain my silly requests to constantly hear my own voice on the radio. She would answer any questions I had about how to do what she did. And she never declined my request to introduce a song on the radio, even if her show didn't call for it.
I never just listened to the radio to just listen to the radio – I was soaking up technique, style and etiquette. And I'd come back to Traci with all sorts of inquiries about why and how these things were the way they were. I was interested in how they kept the music going with no dead air (two CD players), how they knew when to stop talking right before the lyrics of the song started (eight bars and a good instinct to feel it out), and how the commercials were played (Digicarts). I constantly bought CDs with my allowance so I could have the same music the radio stations played and so I could practice my trade in my “off-time.”
Eventually Traci started putting me on live to do my song announcements, which could've cost her the job if anyone found out, or if I decided to get mischievous. But I was serious about developing my chops and always made the most of the opportunity. Her encouragement was just as valuable as the experience I was gaining. “You're destined to be a DJ,” she'd say. And she was right—I was.
When I turned 11 and began middle school, I went to my first school dance. I had never heard of a mobile DJ, but quickly discovered this was something I needed to know about. Out of 400 kids, 399 were on the dance floor and one was pestering the DJ. Guess who.
Spinning that night was another DJ I looked up to named Patrick. Patrick was from the same radio station as Traci and Dancin' Dale. He was there specifically because my mom was the dance coordinator, and I begged her to hire him. And yes, I spent the entire night in his shadow.
Something clicked that night though. I realized that in a live DJ situation, I could apply everything I had been so adamant to learn about. I could entertain crowds and utilize my personality in a live setting just like the hosts I watched on TV with my mom, while still playing music and applying all that I had learned from calling the radio station. Plus, I already knew the ins and outs of sound equipment from my time spent with my dad. And, I knew how to make a sale from my time at his merchandise table. It all added up. It made sense. The pieces just fell into place. So, naturally, I did what every 11-year-old kid does: I booked a DJ gig.
Yo DJ! That's My DJ!
A kid I knew was having a birthday party – a dance. He told me his dad was going to hire a DJ and I was off to the races. I pitched him on how I could do it and all the reasons why it would be better than hiring someone else. I must've said something pretty promising because I landed the gig. At the age of 11, my dad hitched up his equipment trailer and drove me to my first DJ gig. I used his sound equipment with my CD players and music bought with allowance. And the rest is, as they say, history.
I founded a professional DJ business at the age of 16 and worked all through the latter portion of high school and all of college as a mobile DJ. I also began to pursue my career as a television and stage host. This eventually branched out into producing, casting, and even writing music for television (another one of my life's passions). To date, I've been a national host for Game Show Network's hit show GSN Live, worked behind the scenes on Nickelodeon's My Family's Got GUTS, produced the reunion of the cult-classic You Can't Do That on Television, and had a hand in the casting of shows such as Biggest Loser, Last Comic Standing and Supernanny. And if you're curious of my devotion to DJing, the answer is yes; I still own and manage my mobile DJ business as well. I've been very fortunate to follow these two career paths for nearly my entire life.
In 2010, I was given the amazing opportunity to merge my television career with my DJ career for the first time with a series of DVDs called DJ Crash Course (www.djcrashcourse.com). DJ Crash Course is an educational tool, published by my friends at Mobile Beat, for DJs to expand their knowledge and grow their businesses. I wrote, produced, hosted, and even composed the music for this series that combines broadcast-quality production value with valuable knowledge and visuals. If you're interested in growing your business overall, training new DJs or just brushing up, I'd like to invite you to check out this series. It has been a ride beyond my wildest expectations.
Hosting truly opened up doors in my DJ career. When I discovered I was able to come back and apply my hosting knowledge to my DJ business, my range of work expanded and I began performing in all sorts of new venues that previously were not available to someone just branded as a DJ. It was quite amazing. It truly was the springboard that allowed me to transition over to television and stage.
So, I'd like to offer you a unique perspective on the world of hosting and how you can use it to your benefit as a mobile DJ. This isn't business advice, or a get rich overnight kind of thing. These are principles based on my own experience and career. I truly wish for you amazing success in implementing these in your own career. Please write me an email at the address below and let me know how this book has helped you. I would love to hear from you.
If it wasn't for an interest in hosting, I wouldn't have become a DJ. If I hadn't become a DJ, I wouldn't be writing this book on hosting.
I owe quite a bit of credit to a mom that watched game shows and a dad that played music.
-Josh
josh@joshyawn.com
If you're like most people I speak to about how hosting can benefit your DJ business, the first question you have is, “Okay, I'm already billing myself as an emcee...why should I become a host?” Lucky for you, I've gotten this question enough times that I've gotten answering it down to a science.
We know as business owners and operators - as well as entertainers - that we have to have something that sets us apart and makes us different. We need to have a hook. We tell our clients that all DJs are NOT created equal and that our premium services are more valuable than Scooter's part-time, home stereo DJ service.