#9
Post
by JesseMiner » Tue Jan 13, 2004 2:45 am
Talking on the microphone is a skill that takes a lot of work to develop and is definitely something that most, if not all, of us could stand to work on.
Here are a few tips about making announcements that I've learned through my many years of DJing, both in clubs and on the radio:
1. Know when to make announcements. Pick the appropriate times for announcements, such as at the start of the dance, during a mid-evening welcome, right after a birthday jam or as the evening is ending. These are natural breaks in the rhythm of the evening when people are more likely to be focusing their attention on you, the DJ/MC.
2. Get your audience's attention. You need to start off by getting your audience to focus on you. If your timing is right, as I’ve mentioned above, this will be easier to do. It is helpful to get a “call and response” going. For example, issue a hearty “Welcome to [name of club]!” while making sure to get an enthusiastic response before moving onto what you have to say. This should get a large portion of the crowd focusing on you. The end of a jam is another easy time, as everyone is standing around in a circle waiting for what will come next, often expecting some sort of announcement. Remember though that whatever you do, you’re never going to get 100% of the crowd’s attention, and that’s perfectly acceptable.
3. Keep the announcements to a minimum. Pick a few important things you want to talk about and forget about the rest. If you have multiple important announcements to make, space them throughout the evening and don’t try to make them all at once. If one is really important, keep repeating it each time you pause for announcements. Your audience only has so much attention they are willing to give you. As discussed in another thread, yes, a minute really is a long time. Which announcements do you select to make? I first and foremost focus on important events happening at the venue where I am DJing, secondly on major events coming up shortly, especially those happening locally. Your focus might be different depending on your situation.
4. Keep each announcement short and simple. Pick out the essential pieces of information (usually "what", "where", "when" and occasionally "how come") and stick with those. Don't try to embellish and avoid rambling. The details will quickly get lost if you try to convey much more information about any given event.
5. Repeat information. Emphasis through repetition can help make your point and ensure that the audience remembers your announcements. I try to state the important pieces of information about an event and then repeat to reinforce those points. It’s also helpful to repeatedly mention the important event at different times throughout the evening. Yes, you will still get some people coming up to the booth to ask you what you just said, but those numbers should be minimized through using this technique.
6. Write down the announcements. I make sure to have a piece of paper and a pen at the DJ booth for writing down the important points for each announcement I am going to make. It’s easy to just totally blank something when you get on the microphone. Leaving out important details about an upcoming event or forgetting someone’s name while announcing the birthday jam can be embarrassing.
7. Improve your speaking skills. Speak slowly and annunciate. Too many DJs fall into the trap of being excited or nervous, and they rush or mumble through the announcements. Avoid pauses and other fillers such as “like” and “ummm”. These are very distracting and stick out a lot more than you might think. I learned to cut these out through years and years of doing a radio show and listening to the recordings afterwards. You can improve through practice at home, recording and listening to yourself.
8. Leave the best for last. Your audience is more likely to remember what you ended with, so if there is any single thing that is particularly important, save it for last.
9. Be aware of acoustical issues. Listen to other people making announcements in a particular room (one where you often DJ). Walk around the room and listen to how it sounds in different parts of the room. You want to make sure that the messages you are trying to get across are actually heard clearly by your audience. Just because you can hear yourself talking doesn't necessarily mean other people can hear you. I guess microphone handling would fall under this header as well. Always hold the microphone by its base, don’t ever “cup” the input end. That’ll muddle your announcement at best and give nasty feedback at worst. Hold the microphone close to your mouth and speak directly into it. You don’t need to yell. Adjust the levels accordingly so you can be properly heard.
10. Learn from others. Listen to other people making announcements - timing, tempo, and wording - to see what works and what doesn't.
11. Keep your cool. No matter how prepared you are, you’re never prepared enough for the unexpected: the people who decide they have something to tell you once you start speaking or the occasional heckler. It’s easy to get flustered when people are randomly yelling things out (“it’s so-and-so’s birthday!”) or trying to talk to you while you’re announcing. I’m sure we’ve all worked on focusing at the task of DJing while there is a lot going on around us, including people talking to us, so practice keeping your focus while on the microphone as well.
12. Don’t give up the microphone. Many other people think they can make clear announcements. Most can’t. Unless you have the utmost confidence in them, it’s better to ask them for the details and make the announcement yourself. Also, once you give control of the microphone away, it can sometimes be hard to get it back.
13. Be yourself. If you're comfortable, relaxed and genuine, you'll come across well. Avoid trying to create some sort of "persona" which will most likely sound forced and awkward. You’re not Cab Calloway after all.
Jesse