Hello my lovely music enthusiasts! Today we’ll break down major music mistakes that can wreck an event and how to avoid them like a pro. Why should we care about it? Imagine a DJ mistakenly playing high-energy Brazilian phonk at a funeral, turning a somber event into an accidental rave (actually sounds not that bad, but definitely not for this blog).
Music sets the emotional tone of any event, and when it’s off, the entire occasion suffers.
Have you ever thought about the reasons of why a heavy metal would not work as a good combo with networking event? Genre dictates the mood for the event and it is not vice versa as you all might have guessed. Let me tell you more about various syntheses:
- Too intense – High-BPM tracks at a calm event make people anxious (think funeral + phonk).
- Too slow: Low-energy music at a party can bore guests and empty the dance floor (might be exceptional at a prom when it`s finally time to hit the partner of your dreams and have a dance).
- Too niche: Experimental genres might alienate the crowd instead of engaging them (ambient + gender party).
In order to not repeat the mistakes above, the best advice would be as simple as it sounds – if people aren’t vibing, adjust on the fly. Be flexible but, nevertheless, consistent in your efforts to find as appropriate music as possible. Consider preparing a playlist as essential as any other organizational aspects since it might impact your event the most.
Going further with the topic, let`s talk about the sound itself. Nothing ruins an event faster than poor sound control. Too loud, and people can’t talk; too soft, and no one notices the music. There is a specific syndrome and I find really funny – Dinner party DJ syndrome. Basically, that is when a DJ (or whoever’s controlling the aux) cranks the volume to “festival mode“ at the absolute wrong time—like during dinner when people are just trying to vibe, chat, and chew without yelling over a bass drop. Or when your grandma is visibly suffering because the deep house remix of “Bohemian Rhapsody” is blasting at 150 BPM while she’s trying to enjoy her soup. But do not be radical in this case, do not drop the music too low so the event feels awkward. Better use sound checks and/or invest in proper audio gear (no for real, that will pay you off eventually).
Also, from my personal perspective, a lot of times I have noticed that sometimes there are DJs or just other people playing the music that is attractive only to them. For example, during an event, guests can hear only techno just because that is the favorite genre of the host. Thing to remember here:
A successful event isn’t about personal taste—it’s about the crowd’s energy.
Sometimes, when participants ask for “white girl music”, you have to fight with yourself but, yet, play it because that`s what your audience wants at the moment, and your only task here is to satisfy their needs of Ed Sheeran. Along with the previous paragraph, an experienced host knows how to read the crowd and deals with any hesitations magnificently, having several playlists ready to match different moods.
Now we know that throwing on bangers is one thing, but keeping the vibe alive – that’s an art. The best DJs and event planners know it’s not just about what you play—it’s about how you move between tracks. With that smooth transition, I want to cover a painful topic of having Aqua “Barbie girl” right after XXXTENTACION (happened to me in a karaoke bar, do not recommend the experience). Imagine running full speed and hitting an invisible wall. That’s what it feels like when you shift from a 130 BPM banger to a 70 BPM ballad with no transition. The shift is too sudden for the body to adapt. Besides, as I have said before, with playlists we build a journey and a flow, and a jarring transition can snap people out of that flow, making it harder to regain their interest.
How to fight these demons you ask me? Just build your blending strategy like crossfading or beat-matching and create a seamless flow. BPM should be the hero of the event – drop the tempo step by step, instead of making an extreme shift. This way, the audience transitions with you rather than feeling like they were thrown into a different mood.
Okay, let`s wrap this up, as I do not want to reveal everything to you at once. Anyway, going back to the topic, I believe you have understood, why you should be careful with playing techno at a nursing home… When it comes to organizing events, put music part in the first line along with planning a venue, decorations, program etc. It might be not so obvious for everyone, but sometimes wrong music can ruin the most expensive and perfectly planned event.
Let me know in the comments if something like that happened to you and was the problem solved or not. I am very looking forward to your funny stories (maybe someone actually managed to have rave in a church).
P.S. Here is my previous post, check it out if have not done it before!
