• Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Shuffle Projects

Swinging Projects for Lindy Hop & Balboa Dancers

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • DJ CHRiSBE
    • Song of the Week
  • RESOURCES
  • CONTACT

Search Results for: chrisbe song of the week balboa

How to Organize Music in iTunes. Part 3: Smart Playlists

22.10.2011 by Chris

I have the feeling that many iTunes users still don't know how powerful Smart Playlists (for my German speaking readers: Intelligente Wiedergabelisten) are.

When Apple introduced them many years ago, I was immediately hooked and it changed the way how I organize and sort music forever.

To really benefit from the flexibility of Smart Playlists, you need a good system of pre-organizing your music with tags, BPM and ratings.

If you missed these posts, please check out part 1: Tagging and part 2: BPM & Rating of the series «How to Organize Music in iTunes» before you read further.

How to Organize Music in iTunes. Part 3: Smart Playlists | Shuffle Projects

Now, let's dive into the topic:

Smart Playlists for Swing DJs

I use Smart Playlists in many different ways, but in this post I would like to focus on Swing DJ playlists.

An Example

I would like to have a playlist with all the Balboa tunes in the library, they should have BPM included and a rating between 4 and 5 stars. Christmas songs should be excluded.

As you know from my post about tagging, my genre tags for Balboa are «Sw Bal» and for Christmas «Xmas».

How to create a Smart Playlist in iTunes

So, I step you through the process of creating a Smart Playlist.

  1. in iTunes, click in the menu bar «File» and then «New Smart Playlist…» (in German: «Ablage», «Neue intelligente Wiedergabeliste …»)
  2. a window «Smart Playlist» opens and «Match the following rule:» is checked
  3. change «Artist» to «Genre«, keep «contains«, write in the empty field «Sw Bal» and press «+» on the right
  4. in the new (second) row choose «Genre«, then «does not contain«, write «Xmas«, press «+» on the right
  5. in the new (third) row choose «BPM«, then «is greater than«, write «1«, press «+» on the right
  6. in the new (fourth) row choose «Rating«, then «is in the range«, click four stars on the left and five stars on the right
  7. check «Match only checked items» (optional)
  8. make sure that «all» is chosen for «Match all of the following rules:» and also that «Live updating» is checked
  9. press «OK«. In the right side bar, you find now a playlist called «untitled playlist«
  10. click on this new playlist to edit the title and write something like «Swing DJ Bal»

After step 8, it looks like that:

If you want to edit the playlist, just go back to «File» and click «Edit Smart Playlist«.

Why is this so powerful?

When you checked «Live updating«, then every new tune you add to the library will be automatically added to this playlist, in case it matches all the defined rules. Your playlist is always up to date!

From my everyday life as Swing DJ

  • I've created many different smart playlists. For my Swing DJ sets I usually use two: one for Lindy Hop and one for Balboa. These playlists consist only of 4- and 5-star rated songs, BPM are mandatory for me.
  • Some are sorted by tempo, for example 110-120 bpm, 120-130 bpm and so on.
  • One playlist includes all swing songs without bpm and rating. That's my source to find new suitable songs for dancers.
  • There are also smart playlists with 3-star rated songs to listen through. It might be that my music taste has changed and I would rate some of these songs higher now.
  • In Herräng there was this masquerade night where I needed Hawaiian swing (check out Staff DJ in Herräng). First of all, I created a smart playlist, as explained earlier in this post, and set additionally «Genre» contains «Haw». Then I browsed through my library and wrote in all Hawaiian swing songs the «Haw» tag in the genre field (so it looked like «Sw Bal Haw», for example). I didn't have to care if I had got all of the songs, they were all automatically in the right place.
  • Of course, I also have regular playlists in use. For example for dance or musicality classes, or for my Song of the Week :).

Well, we have reached the ending of the series.

I hope, this post has been helpful and inspiring!

Let me know what do you think about it.

What else are you interested in? Please share your thoughts!

Do you have any questions about Smart Playlists? I'll answer them in the comments below!

Here are the links to part 1 and part 2:
How to Organize Music in iTunes. Part 1: Tagging
How to Organize Music in iTunes. Part 2: BPM & Rating

If you like this post, then check out Swing DJ Resources for more articles for Swing DJs.

Filed Under: Swing DJ'ing Tagged With: iTunes, Knowhow, Music, Organize Music, Resources, Smart Playlists, Swing DJ

Staff DJ at Herräng Dance Camp 2011

24.09.2011 by Chris

I know, Herräng is over since weeks and this post is long overdue… eventually, here is the report about my week as staff DJ. Herräng Dance Camp (HDC) is a unique event, you know it or you have heard about it.

There was a time, 10 years ago to be exactly, when I thought it's too overcrowded and I decided not to attend it anymore, which I did for the following four years.

Nowadays, everything is different to me. Yes, there are even more (much more) people. But I couldn't imagine to let the summer pass without having been in Herrang for at least one week. So, in July I went there for the seventh time.

Premiere As Staff DJ

In April, while staying at the Balboa Experiment, I was booked by head DJ Mark Kihara as one of the staff DJs in week 2. Wow, what an honour!

I was DJ'ing before in Herräng for several years as a volunteer DJ, though, but I haven't been a staff DJ before.

Week 2 (and also week 3) are Balboa weeks, which means that one dancefloor (the library) is assigned to Balboa dancers. This became my main DJ place, but I also DJ'ed the other two dancefloors (Folketshus upstairs and Dansbanan).

What is the difference between Staff DJ and Volunteer DJ?

Before I write about the life as staff DJ, I would like to explain you the difference between the two types of DJs in Herrang.

Staff DJ

As a staff DJ you get booked by the head DJ before the camp. I suppose, he knows all of these DJs personally. They are from different swing scenes worldwide to guarantee a certain mix of styles, and they are chosen because of their proven capabilites.

Staff DJs can take liberties while DJ'ing. That means, musical experiments are allowed, depending on the mood of the crowd and the time frame (when they are DJing).

It is expected, that staff DJs know their responsibility they have for the dancers and for the camp. Staff DJs get certain benefits (see below).

Volunteer DJ

As a volunteer DJ you sign up for a DJ slot right at the camp. There is a meeting you have to attend and when you are lucky you get one or two slots, most likely not during prime time. Also musicwise there are certain rules you have to follow. But hey, it's a great starting point to show your DJ skills and to become known as a Swing DJ. Volunteer DJ get paid per hour.

Benefits

Oh yeah, there are benefits. Beside getting paid per hour (DJs are probably the only ones who get paid for their work in Herrang), you get transportation from/to airport, private accomodation with the other staff DJs, access to all the parties, breakfast and dinner from the volunteer kitchen, entry to the DJ box with WiFi. I hope, I'm allowed to write all of that here 😉

My Life as Staff DJ

Arriving in Herräng is always a little bit weird. There are already lots of people in the camp groove and you are coming from the outside and first have to adapt. Seeing so many people again you have met before somewhere helps a lot! It usually takes me one day until I'm back in this groove.

My arriving day was Saturday. We had a short staff DJ meeting to get to know each other (we were six staff DJs) and to get the necessary informations. Then I settled into the «DJ Dungeon» nearby Kuggen, the supermarket. Basically it's a cellar room, which I shared with Leru from Russia/China, Fred from Sweden and Haydnfrom the UK.

Then the my first DJ was scheduled from 1.30-3.30h in the library (the Balboa dancefloor), quite a reasonable start!

A Typical Day

After my first set I was dancing myself a little bit. Actually, I always was dancing before and after my DJ sets. That's the cool part about this job, you «work» and still have plenty of time for dancing.

I rarely slept more than 3-4 hours in a row. I don't sleep that well during day time, it was quite bright in our room (yes, we had a window). But maybe there was another reason: I simply was not used anymore to sleep more than a couple of hours because of my baby boy at home…

So I got up around noon, grabbed a coffee and some banana bread at the icecream parlor and did some work (eg. writing for this blog). I could have had breakfast from the volunteer's kitchen but I mostly missed it. DJs have their own daily routine because of the late night shifts.

During the day I was hanging out, chatting, listening to music and watching classes. I especially was interested how the different instructors teach, to get inspired for my own teaching skills.

Then I had an early dinner and after that I tried to sleep another 2-3 hours before the Meeting. My goal was to sleep at least six hours per day, that's the best way not to get sick in Herräng.

The Daily Meeting was a must for me. I like the atmosphere and the creativity. Herräng is an unbelievable melting pot of highly talented people!

DJ Sets

Most of my DJ sets were scheduled somewhen between 3.00h and 5.00h. The majority of sets are fixed, between one and two hours.

But you also could get the last shift and that meant you are spinning until the last couple left the dancefloor. Then, three to four hour sets are quite common, especially on the Folkets Hus dancefloor upstairs!

One highlight was for sure the masquerade party on Friday night. The subject was «Tiki Herräng» featuring Hawaiian culture. This was a special challenge, because I wanted to play some Hawaiian swing as a surprise.

So I spend all day to go through my library and through my music sources to purchase some tunes. I found some really great songs (one example is the album «Jazz Goes Hawaii«) and it was a pleasure to see the positive reaction of the dance crowd to the unusual songs.

Some Statistics

  • Total of 16 hours of DJ'ing during the week
  • 9 DJ sets: 6 Balboa sets in the Library, 2 Lindy sets at Dansbanan, 1 Lindy set at Folkets Hus
  • Two times 2 sets per night
  • 1 last shift set of 3 hours

Bottom Line

This week in Herräng was one of my best ever, because I had the best job you could have at this camp!

I'm indeed a passionate social dancer but I'm also a passionate swing DJ. I love it and it's really fulfilling to play for such a crowd of awesome dancers!

It hope to come back to Herräng as staff DJ next year.

Related posts:

DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #73: Ta-Hu-Wa-Hu-Wai

Filed Under: Event, Swing DJ'ing Tagged With: Herrang, Herräng Dance Camp, Swing DJ

Workshop Musikgeschichte Jazz/Swing 16.10.2010

Quellen

  • JAZZ – A Film By Ken Burns [UK Import]
  • Weitere Empfehlungen: Buch-Tipps zum Thema Jazz & Swing

Erwähnte MusikerInnen

In der Reihenfolge der Erwähnung:
Buddy Bolden
Jelly Roll Morton
Papa Jack Lane
Freddie Keppert
Kid Ory
King Oliver
Sidney Bechet
Louis Armstrong
Duke Ellington
Paul Whiteman
Fletcher Henderson
Bessie Smith
Bix Beiderbecke
Frank Trumbaucher
Benny Goodman
Chick Webb
Jimmie Lunceford
Woody Herman
Casa Loma Orchestra
Bob Crosby
Kay Kyser
International Sweethearts of Rhythm
Ina Ray Hutton and her Melodears
Earl Hines
Benny Carter
Charlie Barnet
Tommy Dorsey
Glenn Miller
Teddy Wilson
Billie Holiday
Count Basie
Coleman Hawkins
Lester Young
Ella Fitzgerald

Erwähnte Aufnahmen

Livery Stable Blues (Rückseite: Dixie Jass Band One Step) von Original Dixieland Jass Band
1. Jazz-Aufnahmen überhaupt (26.2.1917)
Chimes Blues von King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band mit Louis Armstrong
Kornett-Duett-Stil und Armstrongs Improvisation/Solo (1923)
Heebie Jeebies von Louis Armstrong
Scat-Gesang (1926)
Singin› The Blues von Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra mit Bix Beiderbecke (1927)
Chicago Style
West End Blues von Louis Armstrong mit Earl Hines
Eine der berühmtesten Aufnahme des Jazz, machte Armstrong zum ersten Sologenie des Jazz (1928)
King Porter Stomp von Benny Goodman
Typisches Beispiel eines Henderson-Arrangements für Goodman (1935)
In The Mood von Glenn Miller
Eine der beliebtesten Melodien überhaupt (1939)
Body And Soul von Benny Goodman Trio
Anfänglich reines Studiotrio mit Gene Krupa am Schlagzeug und dem schwarzen Pianisten Teddy Wilson (1935)
A Fine Romance von Billie Holiday
Billie singt wie ein Instrument, typischerweise hinter dem Rhythmus = Laid Back (1936)
One O'Clock Jump von Count Basie
Swingstück mit 12-taktigem Bluesschema, typisch für den Swing aus Kansas City. Wurde zur Erkennungsmelodie von Count Basie. Er spielte sie danach jeden Abend sein Leben lang (1937)
A-Tisket A-Tasket von Ella Fitzgerald mit Chick Webb Orchestra -> auf YouTube
Altes Kinderlied wurde zur Swingnummer (1938). 17 Wochen lang Nummer 1 in den Charts
Jack, You're Dead von Louis Jordan
Verhilft einer Musik, die später «Rhythm and Blues» heissen wird, zur Popularität (1946)
Ko-Ko von Charlie Parker und Dizzy Gillespie
Wird von vielen als erste Aufnahme des Bebop bezeichnet (1945)

Links in eigener Sache

  • DJ Chrisbe's Song of the Week Das ist eine wöchentliche Serie, die während 5 Jahren lief. Die meisten Songs stammen aus der Swing Ära und sind geeignet zum Lindy Hop oder Balboa tanzen.
  • DJ Chrisbe auf Facebook
  • Shuffle Projects auf Facebook


Hast du weitere Fragen? Kontaktiere mich und ich versuche sie zu beantworten! Du kannst auch gerne einen Kommentar am Ende dieser Seite verfassen.

Noch einmal herzlichen Dank für deine Teilnahme!
Christian

14 Tips To Become A (Better) Swing DJ

23.04.2010 by Chris

14 Tips To Become A (Better) Swing DJSwing DJ'ing is quite different from Club DJ'ing.

Neither do we have to mix the songs nor do we have to scratch. Nevertheless it's much more than just running a playlist!

I often get asked for tips about Swing DJ‹ing. So I have put together this list of 14 tips to become a (better) Swing DJ in a more or less random order.

1. Listen to Swing music

Do it as much as possible: CDs, radio, internet radio, live concerts. Get a feeling for the music. Which songs make you dance? Why?

2. Know your music library

Build up your library steadily and in small steps. Avoid getting large amount of songs in one go. You rather have only 300-500 different songs in your library and you deeply know them. That means being aware of tempo, rhythm and style (lindy hop, balboa, charleston), mood (light, driving, bluesy) and so on.

3. Learn about Jazz/Swing History

Have at least basic knowledge about the history, there are great sources out there to learn from. It helps you distinguishing between different styles, knowing the main musicians of the era, and eventually building up your library.

4. Play SWING

Maybe that sounds weird, of course a Swing DJ should play Swing. Well, I attend a lot of Swing events and sometimes I'm really wondering if some DJs even know what Swing is. It doesn't matter if the song is an old or a new one, but please play Swing music! If you are a beginner: check out my series Song of the Week to get an idea.

5. Feel the crowd!

Where is the comfort zone of the dancers? In which mood are they tonight: high energetic or more laid back? Watch who is dancing. Can you attract the advanced dancers as well?

6. Challenge the dancers

This is very important to me. As a DJ I'm responsible for the dancers. In beginner classes you usually don't learn to dance to faster music. So, where else beginner dancers learn it? You got it, on the social dancefloor. So give them a chance, challenge them (not overwhelm!) and play faster songs even if it's at the upper end of the comfort zone. It was too fast? Don't worry. Play a safe winner to bring them back on the dance floor.

7. Don't DJ and dance

Take it seriously and don't dance and DJ at the same time. One song inbetween, why not, but be focused. Nothing sucks more than a DJ who is the only one dancing because he's lost his crowd. No kidding, it happens!

8. No prepared set lists

Never ever prepare a whole set list and just play it! You won't be able to react to the dancers. Feel the crowd and build your set on-the-go!

9. Only play music you like

That was the main reason why I started DJing. I rarely heard my favourite music on the dance floor. It's as easy as that, only play Swing music you like and your set becomes much more personal. BUT keep in mind, it's about the dancers, not about you.

10. Find your style

This is related to the point above. Why having different DJs when everybody is playing the same stuff. It's boring! Dig for the gems and surprise the crowd!

11. Have safe winners prepared

Some tunes are just awesome and fill the dance floor immediately. Keep some of these songs prepared and play them when you start your set, the energy falls or when the song before was too fast.

12. Know the technical equipment

Have an idea how a PA or mixer works. Why not asking a professional sound engineer or tour technician for help? I once had a private workshop with a sound technician in the afternoon. It was great!

13. Bring your own cable kit

Especially when you don't know the venue, make sure to bring your own cables and adapters, and don't forget your headphones. I usually have a kit with me that includes: high quality cables in two lenghts with golden plated jacks, 3 different adapters, an external sound card and my DJ headphones.

14. Interact with other Swing DJs

Join communities such as swingdjs.com etc. and discuss about music, skills and technical equipment. Learn from the more experienced DJs in your local scene. Don't hesitate to ask for advice. Most of them are more than happy to give you some tips.

Do you like this list?

Did I forget something to mention? Please leave a comment!

Related Posts:

Swing DJ Resources has been launched

Filed Under: Education, Swing DJ'ing Tagged With: Knowhow, Swing DJ

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 17
  • Go to page 18
  • Go to page 19

Primary Sidebar

Welcome, I'm Christian Bossert. Since 1999, I‘ve been passionate about Swing dances as well as their culture and history. I‘m a Swing dance instructor and international Swing DJ Chrisbe, based in Zurich Switzerland. Read More…

Neueste Beiträge

  • Alphabetical Jazz Steps – Edition 3 (2017) with Chester Whitmore
  • Marcia & Chris unterrichten bei Dance2bee in CH-Muhen, 10.-13.07.2017
  • WhatStep – Your Dance Move Assistant App: The Story
  • Februar-Aktion: 15% auf iTunes Geschenkkarten
  • Marcia & Chris are teaching Balboa in D-Dortmund, 27.-29.11.2015

Most Popular Posts

  • 33 Tips & Actions How To Become A Better Swing Dancer
  • Swing Summer in Europe: Studio Hop Summer Camp in Eauze France
  • Competing at ABW and ESDC
  • Dance Teaching Idea: Ask & Tell
  • A Day At The Balboa Experiment
  • Frankie Manning: Never Stop Swinging (Documentary)
  • 14 Tips To Become A (Better) Swing DJ

Copyright © 2023 · Lifestyle Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in