First Fridays at the guggenheim Museum- a little storySeveral years ago I got a call to DJ a little experiment uptown. The Guggenheim Museum wanted to launch a series called 'First Fridays', combining the sounds of choice top DJs to pair with the art. This was to be done on Friday evenings, after museum hours. Art After Dark. I was the DJ for the debut of this project on April 1st 2005. I thought to myself, oh great, a big debut on April Fools Day... gotta laugh sometimes, life can be really funny. My music was to be pared with 'THE EYE OF THE STORM' WORKS IN SITU BY DANIEL BUREN. Prior to my arriving at the museum, I thought it was to be a massive cocktail party. I wasn't quite prepared to be DJ-ing as a performance artist along with the art opening that evening, but that's how it turned out to be. There were people clustered all around the stage, as tho they were watching a band at a concert. April Fools right there! When I arrived and saw the fabulous big stage that was built for me, I knew it was to be something special. Very special. By the time I was finished with soundcheck, there was a line down 5th avenue to get in to the museum! Word had traveled fast, and unbeknownst to me, there was some serious press coverage for this event, including a full page promo in the Village Voice. I found out all this after the night was over, and perhaps that was a good thing. I did what I do best, and didn't ride the hype. The one request from the museum to me, was that I made everyone groove & feel good, but not dance. That is something that is a hard task for someone like myself. Somehow, even when I'm playing ambient tracks, someone always wants to 'bust a move'. It's just how it is. But as it was the first night of First Fridays' they were afraid to have too much physical movement around the art. This night was a test. That concept had changed over the years after my debut, but being the first DJ to set the path for the future of this project was a huge responsibility, and I wanted the opening to be a big success. From the feedback I got later that evening ... I rose to the occasion. Hallelujah!!! When I think back on that night, there were a lot of interesting moments during the course of the evening, some really cool, and a few a bit challenging. I was being filmed for various press outlets, as well as being interviewed for quotes while trying to concentrate on DJ-ing. I can walk and chew gum really well, but, not easy when being the focus of attention during a performance. Then there were those random moments when the whole rotunda burst into dance and I had a mild heart attack trying to scale the vibe back. Of course, the rebel DJ in me loved the fact that I could pull off a dance party, even when not trying. Ha!!! I knew all the security guards by name midway through the evening and they would all burst out laughing at my expressions every time I had to figure a way to make the dancing stop! I also must have chosen a really eclectic playlist that night because I spent a good portion of the evening writing down this song or that song as so many in the crowd wanted to know the tracks I chose to spin. As distracting as it was, it's always a good sign that I'm playing something so interesting, people gotta know what it is. This was years before Shazam! The one thing a good DJ learns over time, is not only how to read a crowd, but it's to actually read a thought or two in any given moment. As I looked around the room, I realized just who the DJs were, and I could feel a few of these guys thinking 'who is she and why is she there'. That has happened in the past at clubs, but, you do your thing, and when you get it right, you get your due props straight away. No words need to be spoken. Being a female DJ playing hip hop back in the 80s had a few funny moments, however, just give me a few songs... and all doubts about my abilities changed quickly. I have always disliked the fact that so many feel the need to differentiate between male and female DJs. We're all there to do a great job. Period. But halfway through this event, a few young buck DJ wannabees decided climb my stage, gang up on me, and give me hell because I wasn't spinning with vinyl! How pretentious is that!!! There were also a few snarky 'girl DJ' remarks as well thrown in for good measure. Jealousy is a terrible monster, and it can bring the worst out in many. It's OK in life to wish you had a gig someone else has, but it's not OK to shower that anger and jealousy on a DJ when they're in the middle of a performance. I might also add, that these guys were all early 20s, and probably still in school when I was spinning vinyl at all the big clubs in town! They knew nothing about me, yet they felt it their right to judge, riding a high horse they hadn't earned the right to ride upon. Even when you've paid your dues, it doesn't give you a free pass to be rude, and in this case...dumb and rude. I don't exactly remember my response, but I know it was good as they all froze in their tracks before I cocked my head and waved to one of my pals ... 'SECURITY'! And away they went, gone gone gone. Perhaps those boys learned some manners down the road. One can only hope. I think a lot has changed since 2005, and hopefully the whole Female DJ/Male DJ nonsense has faded. I know it still exists, but I also know things have changed a lot from the days I was still a puppy DJ. There are so many women rocking the decks these days, and many are FABulous! Props! And I might add, doesn't matter if you're spinning analog vinyl, or digital via Serato (or the like), the skill is in in the mind, heart & gut, combined with technique (no train wrecks please) when it comes to being a great DJ. Magic can happen on what you choose to make magic with. The evening was a huge success and the museum was packed wall to wall, floor to floor. We had no idea that this little idea would blow up to be one of the most successful promotions the Guggenheim Museum ever did, and the series ran for years featuring some of the most amazing DJs from all over the world. I'm thrilled to have been the first DJ to kick the party off! Special thanks to the Guggenheim for trusting me with their newborn series, and calling me later that year to DJ their International GALA at the Four Seasons in NYC (designed by the fabulous David Monn), an event that was a 'who's who' in the art and entertainment world! But that affair will have to be another blog! 🎧 "Welcome to First Friday, an evening art viewing and cocktail party at the Guggenheim Museum, where schmoozing and boozing to the loungey vibes of DJ Dina Regine in the famous Frank Lloyd Wright-designed rotunda on opening night took precedence over actually walking up the ramp to view the collection!" - NYU Livewire News Service  DJ-ing First Fridays at the Guggenheim Museum photo Thomas Simon   People tend to mostly focus on the reception for weddings when it comes to music, but I encourage couples to think outside the box when curating the music flow from pre-ceremony, to the first dance. It makes a huge difference when you get a little creative! Setting up a gorgeous half hour of music as a backdrop (played low) as guests are arriving is a wonderful way to greet everyone. It's a far better greeting than silence! The three songs you choose for processional (family and bride) and recessional (bride & groom) should be personal to you. There are no rules, only what makes you happy, and what feels right. The song you choose as a recessional will in a way, set the tone for the rest of the evening sometimes. I've DJ-ed weddings where the song the bride and groom have chosen to walk off to was so cinematic, the guests went wild, like an encore at a Broadway play! That's how exciting it can be. Have fun with it, pick a really upbeat track that resonates with you, the choices are endless! There's something to fit everyone's vibe. Here are some of my photos that I took, while DJ-ing my weddings in this little 30 second trailer. The music is Andrew Loog Oldham's song 'The Last Time' (which you may recognize as the loop used in The Verve's 'Bittersweet Symphony'). It's also a song I've used on a few occasions for the bride's entrance. Goosebumps! What makes a great wedding? Creating a little journey from pre-ceremony, to a packed dance-floor of happy party people at the end of the night. That's how ya do it! A custom mix before a ceremony really sets the mood as guests arrive to hear you say 'I do', and a cool choice of music for the actual ceremony is so important to set the stage for the vibe you want to create around your big moment. Each portion of your wedding should have your signature. Be creative, & think outside the box. Have fun! Here's a few photos from a super-fun wedding I did for an absolutely awesome couple (with equally awesome family and friends) sound-systems for each tent and outdoor ceremony provided by Eli Gold    On a mountain, in a tent, with the most gorgeous sunset surrounding us, this was a perfect day (as Lou Reed would say!!!) 💜 Kudos to an amazing staff that made the magic happen. Sound-system Eli Gold, Planner: Paula Smith 'Your Event'
So great to do a little guest spot backing up the fabulous Darryl DMC McDaniels (RUN DMC) last week, as well as kicking a killer 70s-80s disco jam for a super fun crowd, under a tent, on a dock of the bay. Oh, and did I mention Gloria Gaynor stopped by to sing a few... yep it was a great way to start off the season. Hello summer! Get in touch for any last minute private or corporate events, it's time to kick up our heels again!  
Darryl McDaniels and I (above) Gloria Gaynor (below)  It's beginning to look a lot like 'normal', everywhere I go (at least here in the NYC area). I'm now booking both outdoor/indoor summer/fall #events #weddings now! Cocktail parties, Private Events, Corporate launches, and of course, Weddings. For weddings, from your ceremony to reception, I'll curate a perfect & fun night for you, start to finish. There's still a few August and September dates open, so get in touch ASAP! We've waited a long time to get back to what we do... so let's do it people! #NYCeventDJ #NYCweddingDJ   #fbf I just came across this photo from early 2019 spinning a guest spot at Rumpus Room NYC, and thought to myself, it feels like forever since I've rocked a room. Way too long!!! I'm praying this pandemic is coming to an end soon, and I look forward to doing my little guest spots at various clubs in-between doing my wedding and event work. Hope to see you all real soon! I'm currently booking weddings for this summer and fall, so please reach out and say hey! Stay safe, stay healthy, and have a great weekend! 🖤  Last year, I was nominated by the poet Puma Perl for an Acker Award in the category of musician, and lo and behold... I got the award! The awards recognize artists, writers, musicians, and those who enliven the downtown arts scene here in NYC. For those of you that aren't familiar with all that I do aside from DJ-ing, have a look at the mini bio below. Due to the pandemic, the award ceremonies were cancelled, and all of the winners had a quiet celebration in our minds. That was the way it was for a lot of things in the past year. But the Acker Awards are now doing a little catch up and did a program for what was to happen last year, and there will be a celebration at some point down the road for us all. But for now, this is a little clip of the list of winners, and the bio they attached for my category. Pretty cool!  A little #TBT for today, kicking back to when I got a call from Richard Gere's organization 'Healing The Divide' to DJ at Lincoln Center for this massive charity. Every so often a gig comes along that is a bit mind blowing, but this event...just wow. For those of you who know me, you know I'm a huge Tom Waits fan. Literally impossible to ever get a ticket when he plays (which is rare), so this was very special for me. It was the first time I ever got to see him perform. Even more special since I had to go on right after his performance, and make sure I kept every single person in the audience there for a few hours for the after-party to hopefully donate to this very worthy cause. I recently met Elvis Costello (who was at that party) and he told me I had the hard job that night...making sure the donations kept rolling in! I played a very eclectic set of world music, and it was the perfect soundtrack for the evening. Good vibes and a lot of love all over Lincoln Center! From what I heard after the fact, it was a very successful evening, and I got a beautiful 'thank you' letter from Healing the Divide. The Dalai Lama was super inspirational and I'm so glad I had a chance to be a part of this magical evening (which was also recorded for a live album). All in all, one of those gigs you never forget.  Throwing back to one of the many events I DJ-ed at Metronome NYC back in the day. Here I am (back in my curly hair days), with the fabulous Deborah Cox hanging in my DJ booth with me.  I'm happy to let you all know that I am now booking for Summer/Fall wedding season. It will be great getting back into the groove again, literally! Stay safe and get in touch! 🖤
As yesterday was World DJ Day, it got me thinking & missing what I do; So, a little shout out to myself and all my DJ buddies out there is in order. It's been a long tough year for us all, and we're ready to get out there and make some magic happen again soon !!! Here's a few shots of me at work over the years, Italy, NYC, St. Barts & New Orleans. Hello 2021, I'm ready for ya!  I hope everyone is hanging in during this rough spell we all find ourselves in. No one could possible prepare for, or imagine how life could change so quickly. Every year, I DJ the Dance This Way benefit for the Felix Organization, and we raise a lot of money to send foster kids to Camp Felix where they not only have fun, but they learn life skills to help them navigate the world. I also get to DJ for Darryl McDaniels from RUN DMC and that is a huge thrill for me too. But this year, unfortunately the event can't take place due to our lockdown and social distancing. Instead, the Felix Organization will be holding a virtual online fundraiser telethon style, Friday evening, May 1st at 8pm on Facebook. This year, I won't be DJ-ing, but instead I will be singing one of my songs from my home. Please join us, and if you can ... donate! Big love to you all, and please stay safe 💜 Felix Organization link: https://www.thefelixorganization.org/  To wake up and have your heart broken, and then realize, it's the beginning of what may be something we all are going to have to get used to is painful. Really painful. Thinking of friends as casualties, is not the way I thought life would be. Alan is the third friend in a week's time to leave us, and I'm getting notified every day about so many friends that are struggling with this vicious virus. Alan Merrill was a sweetheart in every way, and a super talented musician and songwriter (for those of you who don't know Alan, he wrote 'I Love Rock'n'Roll and was a massive rockstar in Europe and Japan with the band the Arrows). I loved that he loved to do shows, and it didn't matter where he was playing. He would treat a gig at the Garden on Avenue B the same as if he was playing Madison Sq. Garden. He loved to play & create music. We hit it off instantly, talked for hours and did many gigs over the years together. He used to love taking pics with me cause he said we both had big apple cheeks and we looked cute together. He was a hard man not to adore, and I will really miss his smile. I send love to his family and bandmates. Farewell Alan. I send love to all of you, please stay as safe as you can, and be well 💜🌹
 Ten years ago this week, still with a head of curls (before I fell in love with Keratin!!!), DJ-ing at Eden Rock St Barths for a super-fun wedding. I've spun there a few times and I have to say that the island is my favorite, the beach is stunning, and the locals are so cool and chill. St. Barths... I love you 💜 Oh, if you are planning a wedding in St. Barths and need a DJ ... holla!!! These photos by Brian Dorsey are from a feature in NY Magazine Weddings.    Pic by me, day off ... view from my beach chair! As some of you know, I've been doing little pop-up DJ guest spots at a few venues in Manhattan recently (Ethyls Food & Alcohol, Berlin, Rumpus Room, Bowery Electric, etc), and it's been a blast!!! Anyway, this is what a Friday night looks like when I'm DJ-ing over at Berlin on the Lower East Side (with a little help from the late, great Avicii's track 'Levels') 🎧 There was dancing on the stage, at the bar, in the VIP, literally everywhere till closing. Superfun night.💃🏻🕺🏼 TGIF!!! 2019, as every year we live had it's ups and downs, and a lot of in-betweens. But in DJ land, I had a blast. I decided to start doing a few guest spots at clubs again, and it's been a lot of fun spinning a variety of jams from throwbacks to all the contemporary movers and shakers now (hello Lizzo!!!). It's also been great meeting new people, and getting to rock their nights. Then there were the beautiful weddings. Nothing like spending an evening with people who are all in a good mood all night. It's all about the love! A Few Highlights... I DJ-ed a couple of fantastic corporate events last year, including a massive ribbon cutting ceremony for Citibank at their new headquarters downtown. I called it an intimate cocktail party for well over 15oo people. Then there was The Felix Organization 'Dance This Way' charity that I do every year, and I'm happy to say we raised an insane amount of money to send foster kids to camp last summer. I not only got to DJ the dance marathon, but I was so jazzed to be asked by Darryl McDaniels DMC (RUN DMC) to spin for his performance. Yep, yours truly, for a few moments... being IN THE BAND! That was a massive for me, and I will be doing it again this year. Stay tuned! Last November, I got a call to DJ for Stevie Van Zandt's first annual Rock and Roll Forever Foundation Gala. This year Steve was honored for his commitment to arts education, and it was a beautiful thing. It was a star studded evening with DJ performances by myself and music by Southside Johnny w/special guests, hosted by Drew Carey. Superfun night. Last, I shared a bill as a DJ with Stevie Wonder. Need I say more... In my non DJ world I've been writing up a storm, and I've been performing all my new songs all over town. I'm very close now to begin recording my next album 'Astoria' and I'm beyond excited. My band is amazing and I'm beyond blessed to have them all making what I do sound so awesome. These guys & gals have worked with everyone from David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, Bill Frisell, Rosanne Cash & the Rolling Stones... and they play with me! I'm a lucky gal. There was a wonderful feature article written about my show at LOLA in the Aquarian last year as well (scroll back a few blogs to read). In other news, I sang at a benefit for Alzheimers backed by members of Blondie and The Patti Smith Group (we raised a lot of money that night), at The Bowery Electric. I had a blast singing some backup vocals on the Circle Line's 'Rocking The River' cruise with my buddies James Maddock and Willie Nile, and experienced what it was like to truly 'rock the boat'. In my world of photography, I got news that a photograph I took when I was a teenager, was picked by Led Zeppelin for their first ever official coffee table book, and another of my photos of Grammy Winning composer Maria Schneider was chosen for a book on Jazz artists. 365 days, and no time to get bored. Or sleep! Hello 2020, I'm ready for ya!!! Cheers everyone!  FELIX fundraiser at Rumi Space
 11th St. Bar w/ the incredible Mark Plati (David Bowie) & Charlie Giordano (Bruce Springsteen) . Photo jsoxy  I've been lucky through the years to get to DJ some pretty fabulous parties, but none came close to my excitement getting to DJ for the guitar player of my hands down favorite band The Rolling Stones. Keith Richards has been my personal music hero for as long as I can remember, and that's a long time. Back when I was just a puppy DJ starting out, Keith and his wife Patti came by Heartbreak, a hot club that I was DJ-ing at the time (the same club that Cher gives a shout-out to every night at her shows). Keith spent a real long time in the DJ booth with me telling me tales, and basically DJ-ing along side me. I might add that his instincts were spot on picking some great old Soul/Motown & vintage Rock 'n' Roll songs to play to keep that dance floor going too! He was so generous with sharing his stories, and I loved the way his eyes twinkled like a teenager. I suppose it's true that when you do what you love, you stay young. Keith Richards is one of the sweetest down to earth artists I've met to this day. Plus, he's cool. Some people try to be cool, Keith is cool. Period. Not to mention, he is a walking encyclopedia of music history. No joke! Anyway, shortly after that meeting, I was asked to DJ Keith's surprise 50th birthday party. That was 26 years ago today! Phew, time flies don't it! It was a star studded event, however the one thing I remember the most was Keith's joy in having all his friends and family gathered together to celebrate not only his birthday, but his wedding anniversary as well. He nicknamed me 'Baby Sounds' that night too. Not sure exactly what he meant but it was endearing and sweet. Today Keith Richards turns 76, and the man still inspires me. Happy Birthday Keef and cheers to many many more. Oh yeah, and Happy Anniversary to Keith and Patti too 🌹 Above new clip I believe was from the NY Post Below photo was taken by me at the Apollo Theater a few years back  It's that time of the year again! Please get in touch if you would like to have me DJ your holiday event, and I promise to make it one to remember! Don't wait till the last minute as I'm booking events now. I've flown all over the country rocking the holidays over the years, and would love to make your party a really fun one too. Be it having me DJ for the whole night or co-billed with a band or for an after-party, all combinations are possible. I have worked for some of the largest companies & biggest celebrities, shared the bill with artists like Elton John, Stevie Wonder, & The Beach Boys, and have worked venues like The Met, Guggenheim, Lincoln Center, Cipriani, & Gotham for larger events (just to give you an idea). But I'm also just as comfy DJ-ing cozy home parties and corporate events at various spaces and hotels. Full sound-systems are available as well if needed. Let me put together a package for a party to remember for this 2019 season. Cheers & Happy Holidays!  Cipriani NYC  DJ-ing Google's holiday event |
Welcome!Welcome to my virtual loft party, make yourself at home. I'll put on the kettle, pour a few, and order a pizza. I've many tales to tell, some fun stories, and lots of helpful hints to share to help ignite your imagination when planning a party, grand event or wedding. Stay tuned! Archives
February 2023
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