A glimpse into
the fun and engaging personality of professional Master of
Ceremonies and DJ, Tony Schwartz:
Becoming A DJ: My start as DJ came my freshman year at the
University of Puget Sound. On "KUPS The Sound 90.1
FM", I hosted an old school hip-hop radio show from
1 am to 3 am on Saturday nights - that was the roots
of my career.
Becoming A Wedding MC & DJ:
I was at a family friend's wedding and witnessed
"the cheesy DJ". I instantly knew I could do better
- and I was told to put my money where my mouth is.
I spent a year networking with both local and
national DJs to develop my skills and learn the
difference in what constitutes a great and not-so
great wedding entertainer.
Most Unusual Wedding Moment: One night at the Pioneer Park Pavilion in
Puyallup, I was playing "Footloose" and the women
were going crazy! Suddenly, my bride slips and
falls as she is dancing - so, on her wedding night,
she broke her arm! She hid it initially so only a
few noticed - the party continued for another half
hour!
Musical Guilty Pleasure:
I love
to listen to groups from the 80s: Hall and Oates,
Journey, etc. In my opinion, from a pop music
perspective, it's the last
decade of music where the lyrics had any meaning
and soul - and you could still dance to it.
And I love country music too, mainly because every
song is a story that can be related to.
Keys to Success: I believe you MUST be passionate and
enthusiastic as a wedding DJ - guests instantly pick
up on that vibe of energy and excitement. I believe
if I properly interact with guests and create this
notion, "Tonight, we are one big family" -after the
formalities, the dance floor is the natural
destination to celebrate!
Mostly, I enjoy the pre-planning and creation aspect
- my clients come up with some of the most creative
ideas to incorporate into their wedding reception!
I love trying to figure out ways to make those ideas
a reality; it keeps things fresh - there is never a
dull moment as a wedding entertainer!
Pet
Peeve as a DJ:
I can't stand the term "Disc Jockey"! I know, it's
a very ironic thing for a DJ to say!
Why I
Love This Profession:
I am
lucky - I realized what I loved and wanted to do
when I was just a sophomore in college. Ever
since then, I had a secret motivation to establish
my business right after graduation - I never wanted
to work a normal 9 to 5 job. I love being my
own boss.
Outside Hobbies, Passions, and Interests: I enjoy watching baseball and football - my
favorite teams are the Boston Red Sox and the
Seattle Seahawks. My favorite television program is
"24". I enjoy boxing workouts, running, and playing
Nintendo Wii. And of course, I have my best
friend, an English Bulldog named Chesney - he takes
up any remaining free time I have!
