DJ D-Mac Private Events

FAQS

What gear do you carry to events?
Are you insured?
How much experience do you have?
Where'd you get your DJ name?
Is this your full-time job?
Can we come and hear you play?
What areas do you cover?
Where have you played?
How extensive is your music collection?
Do you provide lighting or any other props?
Do you provide karaoke?
Do you have backup DJ(s) just in case?
How are you attired for weddings?
Can you furnish references?
Do you provide discounts?
How do we get started working with you?
How often may we contact you about our event after the agreement is signed?

What gear do you carry to events?
My mobile gear includes:

Are you insured?
Yes, as many venues require outside entertainment vendors to carry insurance, I carry a comprehensive $2,000,000 liability insurance policy.

How much experience do you have?
I have over 10 years experience as a professional DJ, including weddings, corporate events, and club experience. I am also a current member of the American Disc Jockey Association.

Is this your full-time job?
No, I am not just a DJ. Like many creative professionals, I have more than one creative outlet that helps pay the bills. I am also a senior graphic designer at Virid Design & Interactive. Virid is a solutions-driven firm focussed on building and supporting e-commerce sites.
And yes, I did design this site (Vin at Blue Oryx built the CMS). More of my personal work can be seen at my portfolio site, Faction Theory. Between working at Virid, DJing, and the occasional freelance design gig, I don't get much time to update it, but I've got plans to do so.

Where'd you get your DJ name?
Growing up in Lackawanna (a steel town south of Buffalo, NY) my paternal grandfather, Walter Maciocha, was known by his boyhood friends as Mac. In honor of him, I added an initial and a dash and became DJ D-Mac.
He liked polkas and a bit of doo-wop (he used to like to sing the Coasters' "Charlie Brown," which is pretty cool for a Polish steel working grandfather). I decided to branch out a bit more.

Can we come and hear you play?
Weddings and corporate events are private affairs so I cannot extend an invitation to potential clients, but you are very welcome to come and hear me play at any of my club gigs. While it is definitely not the same environment and playlist that you'd experience at a wedding or corporate event, you can still get a good sense of my DJ skills and the diversity of music I always play. Indeed, I have worked with several clients who have told me they knew I was the right DJ for their event after coming to a club gig.

What areas do you cover?
I cover primarily the Metro DC area, including Washington, DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia. But I have provided my services in the Outer Banks and as far away as Philadelphia and Chicago. With any travel to destinations greater than 50 miles away from DC, there is an additional charge for overnight accommodations and travel expenses.

Where have you played?
701 Restaurant (Washington, DC)
American Visionary Art Museum (Baltimore, MD)
Annapolis Yacht Club (Annapolis, MD)
Antrim 1844 Country House Hotel (Taneytown, MD)
Arts Club of Washington (Washington, DC)
The Barns at Wolf Trap (Vienna, VA)*
Bartram’s Garden (Philadelphia, PA)
Belmont Country Club (Ashburn, VA)
Birkby House (Leesburg, VA)
Bluemont Vineyard (Bluemont, VA)*
Carnegie Institution for Science (Washington, DC)
China Garden Restaurant (Rosslyn, VA)
Circle D Farm (Woodbine, MD)
City Palace (Manassas, VA)*
Clifton Inn (Charlottesville, VA)*
Collingwood Library (Alexandria, VA)
Columbia Country Club (Chevy Chase, MD)
The Cosmos Club (Washington, DC)
DAR National Headquarters (Washington, DC)
Darnall's Chance House Museum (Upper Marlboro, MD)
Decatur House (Washington, DC)
Dumbarton House (Washington, DC)
Evergreen Country Club (Haymarket, VA)
Evermay (Washington, DC)
The Fairmont Hotel (Washington, DC)
Fairview Marriott (Falls Church, VA)
The Four Seasons Hotel, Georgetown (Washington, DC)
George Washington Masonic Memorial (Alexandria, VA)*
Glenview Mansion (Rockville, MD)
The Governor Calvert House (Annapolis, MD)
Halcyon House (Washington, DC)
The Hay-Adams Hotel (Washington, DC)
Henry House Inn (Arlington, VA)*
Hidden Creek Country Club (Reston, VA)
Hillsborough Vineyards (Purcelville, VA)
Hilton Embassy Row (Washington, DC)
Hollin Hall (Alexandria, VA)
Hotel Monaco (Washington, DC)
Hotel Washington (Washington, DC)
The Inn at Brookeville Farms (Brookeville, MD)
Jurys Hotel (Washington, DC)
Karma (Washington, DC)
Kentlands (Gaithersburg, MD)*
L'Auberge Provencale (White Post, VA)
Living Classrooms Foundation (Fells Point in Baltimore, MD)
Longview Gallery (Washington, DC)*
The Lowes Annapolis Hotel (Annapolis, MD)
The Mansion at Valley Country Club (Baltimore, MD)
The Mayflower Hotel (Washington, DC)
Meridian House (Washington, DC)
Musket Ridge Golf Club (Myersville, MD)*
National Building Museum (Washington, DC)
National Museum of Women in the Arts (Washington, DC)
Newton White Mansion (Mitchellville, MD)
Normandie Farm (Potomac, MD)
Oatlands Historic House and Gardens (Leesburg, VA)
The Occidental Grill at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel (Washington, DC)
Old Town Hall (Fairfax, VA)
Omni Shoreham Hotel (Washington, DC)
Omni Shoreham Hotel (Charlottesville, VA)
The George Peabody Library at Peabody Institute (Baltimore, MD)
Phoenix Park Hotel (Washington, DC)
The Regency at Dominion Valley (Haymarket, VA)
Rehoboth Beach Country Club (Rehoboth Beach, DE)
Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel (Baltimore, MD)*
River Farm (Alexandria, VA)
The Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center (Washington DC)
Rosehill Manor (Leesburg, VA)
St. Regis Hotel (Washington, DC)
The Sanderling Resort & Spa (Duck, NC)
Sheraton Hotel (Crystal City, VA)
Sheraton National Hotel (Arlington, VA)
Stone Manor Country Club (Frederick, MD)*
Strathmore Mansion (Bethesda, MD)
Tabard Inn (Washington, DC)
Thomas Birkby House (Leesburg, VA)
Torpedo Factory (Alexandria, VA)
Tregaron (Washington, DC)
The University of Maryland at College Park (College Park, MD)
Vertis Winery (Charlottesville, VA)*
Waterford at Fair Oaks (Fairfax, VA)
The Washington Club (Washington, DC)
The Washington Hotel (Winchester, VA)
The Westin Alexandria (Alexandria, VA)
The Westin Grand (Washington, DC)
The Westin Hotel (Tysons Corner, VA)
Whitehall Manor (Bluemont, VA)
Women’s Democratic Club (Washington, DC)
Woodend Sanctuary (Chevy Chase, MD)
Zaytinya (Washington, DC)

*forthcoming 2010

How extensive is your music collection?
Approximately 7,500 vinyl LPs, 12 and 7 inch singles and counting. The number rises on a weekly basis as I am constantly looking for new vinyl and building the collection. I am first and foremost a traditional vinyl DJ (nothing beats the sound and feel of vinyl records), but my digital collection is equally formidable and growing every day. This makes obtaining special songs for your event that are not already in my collection that much easier. I will work with you to make sure we have everything covered.

Do you provide lighting or any other props?
No, I do not. My primary focus is on the music and the dancefloor. The only equipment I bring to an event is the gear you see in the list above. [However, if stage lighting, fire jugglers or pyrotechnics are requested, I am certainly willing to discuss it with you in detail. Just a little joke there.]

Do you provide karaoke?
In a formal, technical sense? No, I do not. Again, my primary focus is on the dancefloor. But I have tracked down original backing tracks for brave bridesmaids. Such as the original Motown 45 for Gladys Knight & the Pips' "Midnight Train to Georgia." The instrumental version is on the flip-side. The bridesmaids surrounded a couple of Elvis mics and killed it.

Do you have backup DJ(s) just in case?
Yes, I do. I work closely with two exceptional DJs--Neville C. and the Secret Chimp. Both are top-shelf DJs with lots of wedding and party experience. Together we are the Deep Crate Collective. I also have associate DJs that help to ensure your event is covered.

How are you attired for weddings?
For weddings I typically dress conservatively in a suit and tie. Upon request I can dress more formally in a tuxedo.

Can you furnish references?
Yes, [with their permission] I can provide the contact information of recent clients who will be glad to share the details of their experience with you.

Do you provide discounts?
Sorry, no. I do not operate a volume-oriented business and I do not compete on price so discounts are not part of my business. Every client is given an exceptional level of attention resulting in high quality service at their event.

How do we get started with working with you?
After a no obligation initial meeting about your event in which I find out some details including date, location, start & end times and the kind of music you are looking for, I will prepare a personalized letter of agreement and send it via email as a PDF or mail a printed version (your choice). Once it is signed and returned along with the requested 10% deposit (payment can be made by check/money order or via Paypal--see Online Payments), the date of your event is officially reserved. With few exceptions, due to the nature of the business, the date of your event can only be guaranteed after a deposit has been received.

How often may we contact you about our event after the agreement is signed?
As often as you like. I certainly appreciate a client who takes an active interest in the music at their event! Customarily, I expect the play list from the bride and groom 6 to 8 weeks prior to the event so that I can properly prepare the tunes you'll hear throughout the evening. Working from your play list, I'll fill in the gaps and provide the audio glue, so to speak, that holds it all together.
But most clients will continue to revise their playlists with a few additions as their wedding approaches. No problem. This is your big day and I will work to make sure all your favorite tunes are included.
I understand this is a very important event and that you want responsive, timely vendors especially in the coming short weeks prior to your wedding day. Admittedly, I maintain a *very* busy schedule and cannot always immediately reply to an email. So please do not hesitate to call me. Often a 5 minute phone call is more effective and to the point than a long chain of emails.

PRIVATE EVENTS

FAQS