My Name is Wayne Gustafson and I’ve been performing as a bandleader for Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs and Bat Mitzvahs in the Philadelphia area for almost three decades.  In all those years I’ve seen both trends as well as entertainers come and go, yet some things I’ve found I can always depend on.

One day in the fall of 1995, after ending my tenure with The Entertainment Group, I was scheduling my musicians and dancers for upcoming events.  Speaking with my lead dancer, she informed me that she was retiring from the mitzvah dancing business.  I was disappointed, but more than that, unsure of where to start looking for a replacement.

Not ten minutes later, I answered a phone call from Craig Sumsky, who introduced himself as the owner of Cutting Edge Entertainment, and was calling to offer the services of the dancers from his company for my Bat and Bar Mitzvah clients.  He told me how well they work with bands at Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, and . . .

“Stop”, I said.  “I’m sold”.

He went on to say how well they are trained, and . . .

“Stop”, I said.  “I’m sold”.

He also added that they were very experienced with working with kids, and . . .

“Stop”, I said.  “I’m sold”.

You get the point, I was a motivated buyer.  But after all these years, I am still very fortunate to have a great relationship with Cutting Edge.  I have had the privilege of working with many different artists – Alison, Justin, Monica, Pedro, Regina, Kelly, Shoshana and Tony just to name a few.  Throughout the years there has always been one constant;  every single dancer has been the consummate professional.  They are overly prepared, energetic, enthusiastic, and extremely easy to work with.  It’s no wonder that every party that I do with them is a huge success.

So I look ahead to a bright future of many great parties with Cutting Edge Entertainment, and yes Craig, I’m still sold!

Wayne Gustafson
The Untouchables
www.wayneron.com

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

Guest Blog by Rebecca Druckenmiller

“Hey DJ just play that song, keep me dancing… all night long”-Tips from a planner on hiring your DJ…

It’s what we all want from our DJ at our wedding. We want our guests to have a blast and dance the night away. An experienced DJ will do that for you, you just have to find the right one for you! As an associate planner with Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants, we’re always guiding our brides in the right direction when hiring their wedding professionals so I’m happy to pass along some tips and hints you’ll want to consider when hiring a DJ…

Timing - Don’t leave hiring your DJ until the last minute.  Really awesome DJs can get booked up quickly so make sure it’s not the last thing you’re booking.  Book them shortly after finalizing your wedding date, ceremony and reception venue.

Unique Style - Every DJ has his/her own, unique style.  Just because Aunt Peggy was thrilled with her daughter’s DJ and recommends him to you doesn’t mean you should automatically book.  It’s great to take recommendations from friends and family but always remember to meet with the DJ because you may find that your personalities or taste in music just doesn’t mesh.

Specialization and Variety - Make sure your DJ specializes in the type of event you are throwing (wedding, bar mitzvah etc.).  Weddings are unique events and will require knowledge as to the flow of the event and audience expectations.  It’s okay if they do other events as well but you really don’t want your wedding to be the first that your DJ has done.  An experienced DJ will know how your wedding will flow and how to keep your guests dancing all night! Also, when meeting with your DJ, check that he/she has a variety of music.  Just like weddings are unique, each audience will have different tastes in music.  You want your DJ to have a variety of music to play to appease all generations and music tastes at your reception.

Professionalism - Take note of how your DJ presents himself when you meet to discuss your event.  You want to be hiring a professional so make sure he/she is acting like one.  Also, if he/she is unresponsive when contacted with questions prior to booking then consider this a red flag.

Reasonable Expectations - I must defend our professional partners though and insist that you have reasonable expectations.  Don’t expect to send an email on a Friday night and hear back by Saturday morning.  Most DJs will have events Friday and Saturday nights and many times  Saturday and Sunday afternoons as well, so they may not even get to reading your emails until Tuesday as most wedding professionals consider Monday their “weekend” day off.  Try calling before 2 on Friday, and try to stay away from calling around noon.  LOTS of brides call during their lunch hour so you may not get in touch with your DJ.

DO YOUR RESEARCH! - Most entertainment companies will have showcases for you to attend and hear first hand how they will perform at your wedding. In addition to taking recommendations from friends and family, try to attend a showcase before hiring your DJ and also consider asking for references.  It never hurts to follow up with any of their previous clients to ensure that you’ll get what you pay for.

I hope this helps you in your search for your DJ! And of course, if all else fails a great wedding consultant will know plenty of AMAZING wedding professionals so don’t hesitate to call us, (sorry for the shameless self promotion!)

Good Luck and Happy Planning!

Rebecca Druckenmiller
Associate Planner with Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants
www.qohweddings.com

Rebecca Druckenmiller is a wedding planner with The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants, her mentor Mark Kingsdorf is one of only 50 Master Bridal Consultants in the world (and the only one in the greater Philadelphia area)….

Rebecca first started at The Queen of Hearts as an intern and worked her way up through the ranks as an assistant and Wedding Day Director. She brings with her a background in marketing, is a graduate of the Temple University Wedding Consulting program and is an active member of the International Special Events Society (ISES), the Society of Wedding Planners and The Association of Bridal Consultants.

In addition to helping others plan the wedding of their dreams, Rebecca is recently engaged and will we planning her own wedding for 2011. (Congratulations Rebecca!)

-Craig Sumsky

WANTED
(l to r) – Marc ‘Mitzvah King’ Mednick, Pedro ‘Dr. Disney’ Coelho,
Richie ‘Mix-Master’ Abrams and Craig ‘The Leg’ Sumsky.

CRIMES
Causing extreme pain to hundreds of people’s feet every weekend, sometimes resulting in blisters.

Creating a festive atmosphere.

Encouraging people to dance and ‘party’ (The ‘party’ part  has been known to include fun).

REWARD
Book them for your next event and see

Cutting Edge Entertainment
MC, DJ and Dance Company
(215) 938.7950

Serving Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery Counties

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

Photo by Kevin York

Having been in business since 1992, Cutting Edge Entertainment has come in contact with a great many photographers. One of our favorites for many years has been Joel Perlish. Joel has an uncanny knack for capturing our staff in motion, while at the same time never missing a moment of the action on the dance floor.

I recently reconnected with Joel, who was kind enough to provide us with a couple of photos he took a few years back. These photos have been hanging in our office for several years now, but we never had the digital copies of them so as to show them off here on our blog. Joel was happy to provide them, and found the specific photos I requested within moments of my asking for them even though they were taken almost four years ago. Quite impressive.

The first is a photo of C.E.E. dancer Regina (now in her second year of law school), and the second photo is Kelly (now a middle school phys-ed teacher).

Joel Perlish Photography – http://www.joelperlish.com

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

Recently, Cutting Edge carried out a long standing tradition that the company has held since its inception.  Holding the highly energetic and truly enjoyable event known as ‘dancer practice.’  These monthly rehearsals have been going on since the infancy of Cutting Edge Entertainment when the company was based in a small studio office and we would have to clear all the equipment to one side to make room, till today at our current location where we have a private dance studio with mirrored walls roll-out dance floors.

So what exactly is it that we do at ‘dancer practice’ you ask?  Well, it covers quite a bit, including dance routines, techniques in running games, acting/improvisation exercises, ‘Mingling 101′, stage presence, and even crowd psychology (yes, it really gets that deep).

Cutting Edge has always taken a multi-faceted approach when it comes to training our entertainment staff.  Throughout the years we’ve added some things to the practices while taking away others, but our goal has always remained the same . . . Training our staff to be as well prepared as possible to handle every imaginable personality, group or situation that they might encounter during an event.  Every party is different, and there is no set formula, so we have always felt that our staff should have the physical and mental tools necessary to react accordingly.  That is the reason we have always trained our dancers on so many levels .

Some people don’t understand why we include acting, improv, and psychology into our practices, after all, Isn’t a dancer just supposed to be a good dancer?  NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!  A dancer needs to be a dynamic, charismatic, and engaging individual at an event.  If all they are going to do is stand there and look pretty, we’re simply not interested.  Their energetic personalities become infectious during an event, influencing everyone around them and therefore catapulting the crowd (and the party) to a whole new level.  For that reason our dancers are requested to perform for other DJ companies and bands throughout the Philadelphia region.  The pros know where to go for great staff!

So hopefully this will peel back some of the mystery as to what happens during our dancer practices.  (By this point you should be able to understand why I prefer to call them ‘entertainers’)  Its a lot of fun and everyone always walks away learning something new that they didn’t know about themselves, pushing their skill set up one more notch.

If you are ever interested in stopping by to see what all the noise is about, let us know.  Till next time . . . Ciao!

-Pedro Coelho
Creative Director
Cutting Edge Entertainment

Photos by Eli Allen at Majestic Images – www.majesticimages.net

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

“Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that’s ours and ours alone. Something that can’t be learned… something that’s got to be remembered.” ~Will Smith as Bagger Vance

Photographer Jean Valentin captures the style of Cutting Edge Entertainment’s Nate Jones with just the authentic swing that Bagger Vance was referring to in this nostalgic photo (above), depicting Nate sporting a stylish and classic Jazz 1930’s/1940’s look, with the Gramophone in the background.

“Achievement in Every Field of Human Endeavor” ~Kappa Alpha Psi Mantra

Nate, a Fraternity man at West Chester University and the current President of The Black & Latino Greek Council, has been an employee of Cutting Edge Entertainment since his days at Abington High School, where he served as his Senior Class President.  Nate is a born leader and gifted entertainer, having won the ‘Rookie Of The Year’ award his first year with Cutting Edge.

“Confidence is one of the key elements to becoming a great entertainer, and Nate oozes with confidence” ~Pedro Coelho, Creative Director/Cutting Edge Entertainment

It takes a confident man to wear pink, and of all the outfits Nate brought to the photo shoot, the smile on his face shows his response to the chiding, teasing and taunting remarks from his co-workers as Valentin took the pictures.  Nate is seldom bothered by such silliness, and like a true performer, laughs with them during a less serious moment seen in the photo above.

“If I were to choose three words that best describe Nate Jones, they would be style, professionalism, and intelligence.” ~Tony Azzaro, MC, DJ & Dancer/Cutting Edge Entertainment

Whether as a dancer, or an MC, Nate brings ‘it’ to every event.  He works a dance floor with the same strategic approach that a Superbowl Quarterback works a football field, entertaining and charming audiences as if it were second nature.  He also understands the legacy of Cutting Edge, and works hard to deliver the level of excellence expected of a CEE employee.  With hundreds of Philadelphia area events under his belt, from bar/bat mitzvahs to corporate events, Nate is a seasoned veteran and consummate professional.

The combination of Jean Valentin’s artistic eye, and Nate Jones sense of style (and extensive wardrobe) made for quite a photo shoot.  Thank you Valentin for these beautiful photos, and more we will be posting in the upcoming weeks.

Photos by Jean Valentin – http://www.jean-valentin.com/

Valentin on twitter

Nate on twitter

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

In a discussion I had recently with one of my DJ employees, he asked me if I thought the song ‘Just A Gigolo’ by Louis Prima (and later re-done by David Lee Roth) was appropriate for a wedding, and my answer – as cliche as it might seem – was “If you question it, then the answer is no.”

Now certainly if it were a request of the bride & groom, it should be played, but I would pose the question of it’s appropriateness in the context of a wedding.  Perhaps if it were used during a garter toss to connotate ‘the single guys’ then yes, but I certainly wouldn’t want to play a song that might infer the Groom was gigolo, or a ‘player of women’ at his wedding.

As a DJ for over twenty years, and somewhat of a music aficianado, knowing lyrics is second nature to me.  When I sit down with a bride and groom or a mitzvah client or any client for that matter to discuss music I see myself as the person they are trusting in for guidance, and sometimes it is important to illustrate for them why a particular song choice may not be the best choice, and 99% of the time it’s pointing out something in the lyrics.

A great example that I cannot soon forget is that of a bride and groom requesting the song ‘Careless Whisper’ by George Michael as their first dance (you know, the ‘bride and groom’ dance that happens at the beginning of the reception).  when they asked I paused for a moment, and then asked if they wouldn’t mind my taking a moment to excuse myself from the meeting for a moment so that I might print out a copy of the lyrics for them to review.  Here is a short excerpt of what i printed…

I feel so unsure
As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor
As the music dies, something in your eyes
Calls to mind a silver screen and all those sad goodbyes

I’m never gonna dance again
Cause guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it’s easy to pretend
I know you’re not a fool

I should have known better than to cheat a friend
And waste the chance that I’d been given
So I’m never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you

Time can never mend
The careless whispers of a good friend
To the heart and mind
Ignorance is kind
And there’s no comfort in the truth
Pain is all you’ll find

Essentially, the song is about a relationship where someone cheated.  Don’t get me wrong, musically it’s a great song, it was a popular hit and it’s pretty good to slow dance to, but in the context of starting off your marriage with a first dance to a song about cheating, it’s probably not such a great idea.  When the bride read the lyrics the look on her face spoke volumes, and the two of them chose another song.  The same idea goes for so many other songs as well.  ‘Let’s Get It On’ by Marvin Gaye may be risque for a bride & groom’s first dance, but how awkward would it be as a father/daughter or mother/son dance?

Take some time to think about your song choices.  Most song lyrics can be found on the internet using Yahoo, Google, or some other search engine.  Check out your song and its lyrics before making it a song of significance, and if you aren’t sure about the artist or title, ask your DJ.  A good DJ should always be an invaluable resource for you regarding song choices, if not at the very least a second opinion.

-Craig

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

So… Craig has been asking me for months to write a little something about myself for the blog.  At first I figured it would be no sweat, but as I started writing I realized that there is just so much to say.  When you love something as much as I love being DJ, you can talk and write about it forever, so I’ll try to go easy on everyone and give you just a brief history about Richie Abrams, the MC, DJ, Event Coordinator & Entertainer.

I probably decided I wanted to try becoming a DJ at the age of thirteen.  I’d been to many block parties, mitzvahs, and school dances by that age and had witnessed many ‘human jukeboxes,’  playing music and shouting out cheesy lines to the crowd.  After each party, I would think to myself, “I could play better music than that,”  and so it started. A few months later I had found a job at Cutting Edge Entertainment.  I would start off as a DJ assistant (as my co-workers at Cutting Edge might call it a ‘grunt’) where my job was to carry and set up equipment, and then when the party was over to help break everything down.  The job I thought was going to be a piece of cake was harder and much less fun than I originally expected.  I was told that to become a DJ I needed to know all genres of music; not just the Top 40 stuff I listened to as a kid, but Motown, Disco, Classic Rock, and even Country.  I kept asking myself “Country?  Who listens to Country?”  Within my first two years at Cutting Edge I studied music, mostly by listening to oldies radio stations and going through my parent’s vinyl records.  I would spend time watching and observing the older more experienced DJs at Cutting Edge.  Over time, I started to do less grunt work and more DJ work as I learned to put together dance sets for every genre of music.  I also learned how to ‘read a crowd,’ which I still believe to this day is the most important skill a DJ should have.  To ‘read a crowd’ means knowing what to play next to get the crowd dancing and involved, and once you have people out there dancing you need to continue ‘reading’ the guests of the party in order to keep them on the dance floor.  Merely knowing songs isn’t enough.  As time went on I began to master the art of beat mixing, which is perhaps  the hardest to learn but best way to transition between songs seamlessly.  I began to earn a lot of praise not only from my co-workers at Cutting Edge, but also guests I would meet at events I worked,  and naturally my love for the job grew, which only made me want to work harder and get better… striving to be the best.

Throughout my college years I continued to DJ not only at parties for Cutting Edge (weddings, bar/bat mitzvas and corporate events), but also at bars and nightclubs in the Philadelphia and New Jersey areas.  Some of the bars I continue to work at to this day include Fat Tuesdays & McFaddens (in Philadelphia), and Katmandu (in Trenton).  At college, I took an interest in event and meeting planning.  My internships and classes had me setting up and running fundraisers, events, and parties.  I graduated from Temple University in 2005 with a degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management, and  afterwards I went through through job after job, working for a few months – not liking them- and quitting.  The cycle continued for about three years,  all the while still working hard DJing and becoming a popular MC.  I learned through the many talented MC’s at Cutting Edge Entertainment how to work together with my clients, plan with them, and put together (with their help) the amazing parties they would envision.   Finally, I got to the point where I decided to take being a DJ and MC at events as a career. So I’ve been a full-time entertainer for over a year now and haven’t looked back once.  I have never been more happy in my life than I am right now.  I have a great family, awesome friends, and I look forward to going to work.  Although I have probably worked thousands of parties and events so far, I still look forward to doing thousands more.  However, still to this day after each party I do, I find myself critiquing my own performance, always striving to find ways to improve and become better at my craft.

As of late, I have taken a liking to teaching younger DJs who are just starting out what I know, hopefully passing on some of my passion for music and my DJ skills to them.  I am thankful that I have found something that I enjoy doing so much, and I work hard not to forget that.

Thanks Everyone for Reading!!

-Richie

Photo by Kevin York – www.kyorkphoto.com

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

We posted a FAQ blog about a year ago, and after taking some time to review it I realized that although it was almost exactly the same today as it was in 2008, it could use a few more questions and a little tweaking.

Cutting Edge Entertainment provides DJ entertainment for all sorts of events, including Weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, Sweet 16s,Graduations, Proms & school dances, etc, etc, etc…

Q: How long have you been in business?

A: Cutting Edge Entertainment has been in business since 1992.

Q: Are clients allowed to submit a music list of requested songs?

A: We encourage it.

Q: What is the attire suitable for your wedding DJs?

A: Tuxedo, unless otherwise specified.

Q: Do you have specific packages?

A: Yes, but they aren’t etched in stone.  We invite clients to customize and create their own packages to suit their wants and needs.

Q: How vast is your music collection?

A: Interesting question.  Our music library was vast and our music knowledge was quite broad before the Internet.  With the Internet it it limitless.

Q: How many functions have you performed at?

A: Cutting Edge Entertainment performs at over 400 events a year.

Q: Do you require a deposit?  If so how much?

A: Yes we require a deposit to hold a date.  How much depends on the entertainment package, but is typically 1/3 to 1/4 of the total event price.  There are no installment payments required and the balance is not due until the week prior to the event.

Q: Do you accept major credit cards for payment?

A: Yes.  We accept MasterCard, Visa and American Express.

Q: Is there someone to replace you in case of sickness?

A: Absolutely, we have five DJ/MCs on staff that have been with the company for over ten years, as well as another eight that have been with us for five or more.

Q: Does the entertainer require a meal?

A: We do not require our clients to feed us… but we are grateful when we are fed.

Q: Do you offer a free consult prior to the function?

A: We encourage it.  For Weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs and some larger production events we like to meet with clients at our office prior to the event to go over the agenda and all of the event details.

Q: Do you have a video?

A: Yes, we actually have several.  We welcome clients to come meet with us prior to booking.  Let us show you video footage and tell you all about our services.  Our videos are also available here on our blog and can be viewed by clicking on the ‘Videos’ link in the categories section in the menu to the right.

Q: Are you insured?

A: Fully insured, and can provide a certificate of insurance to your venue if so required.

Q: Are taxes included?

A: All taxes are included in our pricing.  There are no additional hidden fees.

Q: Is it customary to tip a DJ?

A: Totally up to the client.  Naturally we appreciate it, but it isn’t required.

Q: What areas do you cover?

A: We are based in the Philadelphia area, but can and have traveled as far south as North Carolina and West Virginia, west to Harrisburg, north to New York and Connecticut as well as east to the Jersey Shore.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to call us at 215-938-7950, check out our website, or to inquire about booking an event click here.

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

It all started with a small ad in the Bucks County Courier Times. The year was 1998. I was a freshman in high school. This was before craigslist was anything more than maybe an inventory of grocery items for some guy named Craig. When you were looking for a part time job, you had only word of mouth and the newspaper to rely on. A little box in the local classifieds beckoned, “Dancer Auditions”.  After assuring my horrified father, “No, daddy not that kind of dancing,…” I asked my mom if she could drive me to the Street Road Holiday Inn try outs for a company called Cutting Edge Entertainment.

They were looking for dancers with BIG personality, energy and enthusiasm.

I made it through the Cutting Edge Entertainment auditions and officially became a CE dancer. I’d come to find out that dancing was only a fraction of the job description. It was my job to make sure others’ special day was truly an EXPERIENCE. Not only was it gratifying to see the genuine smile of a kid who had a blast…but it was fun!

While at CE, I got the itch to try out for a second dance job. I started cheering for the Philadelphia Eagles my freshman year at Temple. I made Dean’s list and proved to my parents I could hack college so I figured it was time to take on an extracurricular activity. I missed dancing and again, it was a little ad in the Courier Times that tempted me. “There are 3.8 million women in the Greater Philadelphia Area…we’re looking for the Top 36.” I guess I’m a sucker for a challenge (or who says  newspapers are dead?!) I didn’t tell anyone I was auditioning, including my parents or Craig, until I made the final cuts and thought I actually had a chance. Subsequently, I made the most of my four years and had the time of my life; I became captain, did numerous national media appearances, performed at the SuperBowl, was fortunate enough to be chosen as the 2005 Pro Bowl cheerleader and experienced a domestic military tour.

Being a Cutting Edge dancer got me started on the right foot to working a room, starting a conversation with anyone and everyone, and exhibiting my enthusiasm unabashedly and with vigor! That helps when you’re entertaining 65,000 fans in a stadium or securing a client signing a check for a big sale. As a marketing and PR professional full time now, the skills I learned as a CE dancer come into play. Make people feel comfortable, genuinely enjoy the interaction (and they will too!), satisfactory communication, and…most all -have fun!

I’ve tapped CE for my consulting gigs too. We recently used CE studios for the background for a photoshoot for Me Phi magazine. It’s an internal cata-zine based out of the Scottsdale, AZ store Me Phi. NFLer Javon Walker and his best friend, owner Derek Bourque, run the unique east coast streetwear boutique in old town Scottsdale. Check out their blog: www.me-phi.com. We brought some very hot east coast flavor with models Maxim cover girl Ali Ciotto, LA Clippers dancer and Beyonce tour dancer Ashley Seldon , and up and comers Derilyn Devlin and Dana Schliep…check out the photos! Skratch Makaniks DJ Adam Bomb was gracious enough to show up and spare some time for photos (and fun). The 6 degrees of CE connection never ends…

From shimmying around the dance floor with the proud grandpop, to chatting up the tween girls on who likes who, to jumping around on the dance floor with the shy little boy (who an hour prior wouldn’t even leave his mother’s side or  crack a smile) marked my Cutting Edge Entertainment experience.

Yes, well that…and mini clown bikes paired with Rastafarri hats. It’s a CE signature. Don’t ask-just sign up!

Our team is truly a family and our job was really just to be make sure others enjoy the ride…and maybe make you do the Cotton Eyed Joe too.

-Monica Devlin

Follow Monica on Twitter – http://twitter.com/KestrelChick

www.cuttingedgedjs.com