John Beck

“What do you want to do for a career, Johnny?” asked the careers counsellor. I thought about it for a few days, and at 15 years of age I wanted the easiest job I could think of: a radio DJ!

In 1983 I did work experience at a Melbourne radio station, 92.3 EON FM (now MMM), and also established and ran the college radio station, before studying at Clark Sinclair’s Radio School. That landed me my first job in radio as the office assistant at 3KZ (now GOLD FM). I was there for 17 months doing everything from photocopying to producing commercials and editing pre-recorded shows.

To cut a long story short, my on-air career never made it to fruition and with two friends I started a mobile DJ business. We were too young and inexperienced at that time to make a living from DJing and had to get a job. For me it was in retail and while at the time I didn't like it much, I did learn a lot about customer service and how customers think when they shop, which helps me now running my business as a wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies.

Since then I have worked for several larger DJ companies and seen how they operate. I’ve DJed all sorts of private functions including nightclubs in Melbourne, Sydney, Las Vegas and San Francisco. But I got the most satisfaction from seeing how much fun the brides and grooms were having and how much they appreciated my help and service. I have now found my passion in weddings and, since 2011, I no longer do any other functions.

I believe a wedding is the most challenging and rewarding event a mobile DJ can do. Challenging as two people have trusted you with their once-in-a-lifetime event, they have asked you to stand up in front of their closest friends and family and take responsibility for their reception. So you had better get it right. Rewarding when the couple send you a thank you and talk about the impact you personally had in making their day so special and memorable, in more ways than just playing music.

I found my passion for weddings after my first trip to America to attend the Mobile Beat DJ conference in Las Vegas in 2009. There I met some very talented, passionate and inspiring people, who showed me how serious they were about their craft. I returned again in 2011 to attend more seminars where I discovered I could do intense training workshops to improve my skills in all aspects of entertainment and to start working on becoming a true Master of Ceremonies entertainer and DJ.

I’m sure you will find something in this book to help you become a better DJ and in the end the clients will benefit, because that’s what it’s all about.

There is always something you can improve upon.