Expressway Music Founder/DJ Dave Swirsky
We are not a Nationwide DJ “factory” or a one person DJ “company”. We are a collective of 8 dj’s who have been working together for a long time(most of our dj’s have been with us for over 10 years) and live, eat and breathe music and whom genuinely enjoy and thrive on dj’ing Weddings and private events and making clients happy.
“We want every guest to leave an Expressway event feeling glad to have attended.”
War Story #1: “The Company Party”:
Joan’s boss dropped the hammer: “I’ve got good news and bad news. I want you to handle the arrangements for our annual Christmas party. The good news is that it’s a high-visibility assignment, and if everything comes off perfectly, you’ll receive all the credit. The bad news is that, well, if everything doesn’t come off perfectly.”Joan took her assignment seriously. She searched the Internet, comparison-shopped and decided on a big-name Multi-state DJ firm. The event planner for the Multi-state dj firm (reading from the intake interview that the average age at Joan’s firm was well over 50) mistakenly assumed that everyone attending the event would be over 50 and that the music should be mostly Oldies. Except for one thing – the questionnaire failed to reveal that nearly half the crowd was under 35 and into Hip-Hop; with the other half in their sixties (having grown up with the Beatles). The play-list reflected this and the DJ they assigned to the event had no Plan B to fall back on.
Our DJ’s would have caught this and adjusted seamlessly “on the fly.”
War Story #2: “Sam & Toni (and Bobby)”:
Sam and Toni were helping plan their daughter’s wedding. A neighbor mentioned that “Bobby down the street is a DJ” and could give them a good price. They checked him out, and he sounded OK. But on the eve of the wedding, they received a phone call from Bobby’s mom. He came down with a bad case of the flu and would have to cancel the date. (There’s always a risk when you place all your marbles on a single individual).
We’d never let this happen at Expressway event because we’re big enough and experienced enough to have back up resources to cover any unexpected contingency.
Why us?
Our clients continually tell us that what they care most about is (a) having the best music and entertainment available, and (b) to feel assured that there will be “no surprises.” (They don’t want to spend a lot of time worrying about whether or not their event will be a success. It should be a “given”).
You’d think this would be a “no-brainer”, but there are pitfalls – coming from either end of the economic spectrum:
Big National DJ operations (who are able to leverage large economies of scale) offer a full range of services and tempting prices. But it’s fair to say that the larger, more remote firms are more likely to be impersonal, top-heavy and rigid.
Individual – often less experienced – DJ’s who’ve taken advantage of improvements in technology and picked up inexpensive equipment and offer their services “on the cheap.” While their hearts may be in the right place, they pose the risk of being less stable and lacking the resources needed to guarantee reliability.
Ideally, you want an organization large enough to meet all your requirements; but also more personal, fast on its feet and willing listen to your concerns. Expressway Music has been characterized as “the Goldilocks” of the our industry (Not too big; not too small; but “just right”). Here’s why:
Experience:
What you don’t want to happen is that something goes wrong at your event and your DJ has that “what do we do now?” look in his eyes. We’ve been in business for over 2 decades, and – with thousands of events under our belts – we know what we’re doing and there’s little we haven’t experienced nor dealt with.
Attention to Detail:
While DJ’ing may not be considered a rocket science, it does demand addressing “the little things” and being able to multi-task (i.e dealing with the unexpected things that inevitably will crop up and having a “feel” for the unique musical tastes of your guests – especially considering the increased diversity of our population in general).
DJ Talent
Since founding Expressway Music in 1992, I always proactively sought the most experienced and talented DJ’s available in Greater NYC. This is no easy task. (For every 100 DJ’s I interview, we might typically hire just one). Most of our DJ’s have been with us for over a decade. (One valued associate, Dan Kingman, has been with us for over 15 years).
Longevity:
Rare in our business. Burn out is rampant. One reason, we’ve been in business for nearly 20 years is that we know how to pace ourselves so that you and other clients feel you’re our only client.
Our Focus: What’s Right For You:
We’ve turned down business (not out of “arrogance” or an overabundance of business, but because it was in the best interest of a client). Our mission is to provide you with the best possible DJ and live music services, and owe you our best expertise and judgment. If we feel there’s a better way for you to achieve your objectives, we feel honor-bound to offer you this advice.
I grew up in a family of musical artists. Music and DJ’ing have always been my passion and way of life (As early as age 12, I was asked to DJ many adult events and it gave me an early understanding of what it takes to be a great DJ and make a every event successful).
What event do you have in mind? Give me a call, and let’s discuss!
Sincerely,
David
David Swirsky
DJ/Owner
Expressway Music Inc
315 Madison Ave(on 42nd Street)
Suite 1303
New York, NY 10017
PH: 212-953-9367
info@expresswaymusic.com