New York DJ

When we meet to talk with clients about music for their event, often the first thing we notice is that they've already dejectedly decided the music they really like and want to hear won't be able to be played at their event.

It may be a designer in a fashion show thinking that the music she wants to use for her fashion line will be too ethereal a sound to keep the audience interested. Or a couple who loves moody acoustic indie pop but thinks it would be too much of a downer to play a little at their wedding Or an organizer of a corporate party who worries that the employees won’t dance because they tend to like raw Southern hip-hop and their bosses wouldn’t. Whatever the case, whatever the event, it seems this kind of unfortunate premature musical censorship is everywhere.

It often comes from a good place of common sense or consideration, like an organizer at a art opening knowing that prospective buyers might not want to hear his beloved deep cuts of ‘70s classic rock all night long. But some of our clients’ decisions that their favorite songs or genres won’t work comes not from a good place at all, but instead from having met with conventional, unimaginative DJs that tend to work for bigger, more cookie-cutter DJ companies. We’ve heard from these clients that some of these DJs have told them straight up that the only way to get a party movin’ is to play disco all night.

Whatever the reason for clients' doubts in the music they love, one of the first things we tell them – no matter what their event –  is to open up their mind, revisit their CD collection or iPod, and make their “dream list” of songs they want to hear, with no censoring allowed. Put anything in you would love to hear. Not only does it make the process of selecting music easier, but also more fun. It will get you excited about the possibilities of hearing this music, as opposed to nixing songs right away and feeling frustrated that the soundtrack to the event is already not what you would like.

Now, will all these "dream songs" end up making the cut when the event arrives? Sometimes many of them do, sometimes they don't. But what always happens is that when we see these “dream lists” and talk a bit with the client to see what music is most important to them, we can then use our experience in knowing what of these songs will work given the mood that is wanted at the event, as well as what kind of guests will be there, and what kind of structure the event will have. Then we can suggest which songs to keep, which to think about not using. For example, a pair of melancholy indie songs at the more sedate moments in a wedding can feel absolutely right and even moving. So can a set of obscure hardcore punk during the more boisterous moments of a corporate party. And even a little experimental progressive rock can enhance the feeling of an art opening, if played at the right time.

By far, many more of the songs you really want at your event then you ever think you can play are actually able to be fit in, but not only that, they can be made to add to the atmosphere of the event. But to do it, you have to begin by letting the DJ know what you really want to hear. And if that DJ looks at your list, smirks, and says something about how you can't have a party without having "the Y" on your list, well, you know the time has come to find a different DJ.

If you’ve decided to have a Hora at your wedding, we've learned from many years of performing at Jewish or half-Jewish weddings that you then need to make sure you consider a few elements for making the Hora successful that we find couples or even wedding planners fail to address – mainly because these factors are so elementary that they're often not thought about during the overall wedding preparation.

(To help determine what type of Hora to have, or other, less-common but still enlivening ways to include Jewish music at your wedding, read Part I of our “Avoiding Hora Drama” post.)

The Hora, as many probably know, is a type of circle dance that usually results in the bride and groom and sometimes other family members being lifted up in chairs. It has long been popular at Jewish or half-Jewish weddings – something evident from the covers of these two vintage mid-century albums of Jewish music pictured. Part of the Hora's appeal is in how simple it is to create, and how suddenly it can provide a burst of festiveness. So, you might think, what preparations does there need to be? Just make sure everyone’s in the reception room, throw on “Hava Nagila,” have guests grab a few chairs, get a few strong guys and the bride and groom, and Mazel Tov! You’re totally partyin', mensch.

Well, the Hora often seems to happen with that impromptu feel, but just because of that doesn’t mean there wasn’t some planning and choices behind it. Here’s what we've found in are the most important elements often overlooked when it comes to the Hora:

1) Do It Before The Guests Are Too Drunk – Many couples don’t realize as much as they should that too much alcohol and heavy bodies being held aloft in chairs for several minutes could be kind of dangerous. So, if you know your guests are the kind who will be drinking a lot through the night, it might be better to get the Hora out of the way early, at the beginning of the reception, while at least the strongest guys are in control of themselves to not drop anyone. If you know the drinking will be lighter, you have a bit more freedom to do the Hora later in the reception, such as after the main course. If you’re not sure about how much drinking will take place, always assume there will be more, just to be safe, and have the Hora earlier – not necessarily as the first element in the reception, but perhaps in between the first courses or at least before the main course. The one timing recommendation that we can say applies no matter what is to never have the Hora much later than right after the main course, the reason being that not long after this, people are usually a bit tipsy and even tired due to a few solid hours of imbibing and dancing.

2) Always Have the MC Announce It – Though most people, especially in and around New York City, know what the Hora is and what to do when it starts, we find that you usually can’t just put on a well-known festive Jewish song like “Siman Tov” or “Hava Nagila” and have guests suddenly rise to their feet and start singing and dancing like the cast of Fiddler on the Roof. An instance comes to mind where, over our polite objections, a wedding planner insisted we not announce the Hora because, who knows, she figured a movie moment like described above could magically happen. Well, we did what she said, and when the song began, the guests looked around, confused. We knew they were thinking something like, so, wait, do we do the Hora now? A moment later, seeing nothing was going to happen without some guidance, we announced the Hora, and just like that everyone got up happily and started to party. The lesson is simple: Guests need to know the Hora is happening when it is about to happen. They may think it is when they hear the familiar opening melody of a song, but because guest usually don’t want assume too much and risk embarrassment, and because the bride and groom or best man don’t have time to ready all the guests on their own, the reception needs a simple announcement that the Hora is about to begin. This also builds a bit of anticipation as people come out to the dance floor, gives guests a moment to round up some chairs and to get the bride and groom ready, and to get any stragglers back from the bar.

3) Consider How Much Hora They’re Going to Want – Though it’s often difficult to predict how long a Hora will last or how wild a Hora will be, it’s important to spend a few moments at least considering it. Think of your guests a bit – is there a group that you know that really loves Hora dances from other celebrations you’ve attended with them? Or are you having the Hora not mostly because you want it but simply to please your parents or other relatives? Do your guests as a whole tend to be a more rowdy group, or do they need some encouragement to let loose? Do the bride's and groom's sides know each other, or is there not much crossover of friend groups between the two sides? Considering factors like this may help you determine how long of a Hora should be played, and if the traditional songs can go deeper than the usual favorites or if there should be simply a quick medley of the most familiar festive Jewish songs. Once you’ve decided on the length and type of songs, or if you simply can’t determine it – you can then, in the case of the former situation, ask if your DJ has the appropriate length and/or song selections you need, or, in the case of the latter situation, make sure the DJ is prepared with a variety of songs to play it by ear and let the MC know to be ready to possibly encourage the crowd a bit if they're a little shy.

Because we’ve DJ-ed at many Jewish – and/or partly Jewish – weddings over the years, we’ve become quite familiar with the importance of the Hora – the spirited traditional circle dance that usually results in the bride and groom being lifted on chairs into the air during the reception. But often, it’s not just making sure the dance is included that’s important – also of concern to the couple is where to place the dance during the reception, or how long it should last, or if it should take a less or more traditional style. And sometimes, there are couples who wonder if they should even have a Hora at all.

Basically, clients have different expectations when it comes to the Hora, and they often turn to us for advice since we have much experience orchestrating many styles and lengths of Hora dances. Here are a few tips to consider that we think will make you come to a more definite decision on what kind of Hora is right for you – from a 20 minute klezmer blowout dance marathon to, perhaps, no Hora at all but instead simply a few old and new Jewish tunes sprinkled throughout the wedding.

1) Don’t Underestimate the Old Favorites – Some couples, when first thinking about the Hora, wearily  roll their eyes and tell us they probably have to “throw it in” to satisfy the parents or to give their wedding a respectful nod to tradition. These couples often feel the typical songs in the Hora, usually performed with the klezmer, like “Hava Nagila,” “Siman Tov,” and “Ose Shalom,” just to name a few, are either too square, or the couple is sick of hearing them at events over the years and want to steer clear of what they think will be a stale moment. And while we’re always sensitive to the overplayed – or simply to a couples specific tastes – we often gently tell clients skeptical or pessimistic about the traditional Hora (which, on average, lasts about 10 minutes with medium-sized crowds) to imagine the mood that will be present during the reception – the guests in an exuberant (and often somewhat liquored-up) mood, the lights low, the music pumping. In this festive environment, a well-timed, traditional Hora usually raises the energy. Keep in mind, the Hora is about your guests wanting to celebrate you, so this might be a time to go “big” and familiar so they all can be included.

2) Look Beyond the Klezmer – Some couples, after considering the first point, still feel they want a less traditional Hora. They want to have the circle dance and to be lifted up in chairs, but they want a more original soundtrack – using songs the crowd will know, but that are performed in an unexpected way. In this case, we tell these clients that there are plenty of  killer cover versions of many of the well-known Jewish songs listed above. Probably the most famous, “Hava Nagila,” has many great cover versions out there, from futuristic-sounding electronic house remixes, to hip-hop renditions, to jazzy lounge remakes. A recent popular cover of the song was done by a young British R & B singer, Lauren Rose, and was a huge hit in England a couple winters ago. A version of “Hava Nagila” recorded much earlier but that still sounds quite badass and hip is Dick Dale’s surf guitar instrumental version. Stringing together a few old favorites covered in unique ways – or simply repeating one of these songs twice or three times if you want a shorter Hora – offer a way to be more offbeat but also not baffle the crowd with your Hora music.

3) Use A Dash of Jewish Music, Even if You’re Not Having a Hora – There are still those couples – often who aren’t very religious or who are only having partially Jewish weddings – who don’t want a Hora at all, but do want a bit of Jewish music of some sort played at their reception or cocktail hour. For these couples, we recommend playing some of the aforementioned cover versions of well-known songs in a style or styles that they enjoy, or playing a few klezmer songs here and there throughout the night to offer a nice reminder of heritage but not so much as to get people up and dancing, or still yet to explore new Jewish music in a variety of genres that may nod to tradition a bit in sound and/or lyrics. A great example of this last category is Matisyahu, an orthodox Jewish singer who has gained worldwide notoriety for his fusion of a sunny reggae dancehall sound with lyrics about his devotion and faith.

Below are some examples of songs mentioned here – first, covers of “Hava Nagila” by Lauren Rose and then by Dick Dale – and last a great tune from Matisyahu, “Jerusalem (Out of Darkness Comes Light).”

Lauren Rose – Hava Nagila (Baby Let’s Dance)

Dick Dale – Hava Nagila

Matisyahu – Jerusalem (Out of Darkness Comes Light)