Today we’d like to introduce you to Vynce Pham.
Hi Vynce, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I started DJing back in 1997. I always had a love for music, so it was an easy choice for me to get into that field. I was doing small house parties, birthdays, pretty much anywhere they would have me DJ. Once I honed my skills and became more confident, I moved up to opening slots in local night clubs and was soon doing private parties and events. In 2001, I was asked to DJ a wedding for a friend but I figured “How hard could it be?”. I was humbled, to say the least. Weddings were so different from DJing parties or even night clubs. It required being very organized in addition to being creative with the music. At parties and night clubs, you pretty much knew your audience and what they wanted to hear in advance so you could prepare your playlist with a certain confidence. But with weddings, the guests ranged in age as well as musical tastes, so you had to acknowledge all of them in order to engage and entertain them throughout the event, especially on the dance floor.
And all this was in addition to making sure the music selected by the couples were satisfied and played at the precise times they needed to be in order to tell their story as they had envisioned it. I learned quickly that I would have to expand my musical library as well as my knowledge of different genres if I was to be successful in the wedding DJ industry. I became a music hoarder! The internet and downloading music was still a new concept, so I relied heavily on CDs/records to fill out my inventory. I collected any and all artists/songs from Billie Holiday to whatever was Top 40 at the time. It seemed like a never ending task that at times was daunting. But I learned that as I was getting music requests for one wedding, some of those songs carried over onto the next one. And so, I never deleted any songs in my library, but rather, continued to expand it. Even when I was DJing for a multi-cultural couple and couldn’t understand the lyrics or even the song titles, I always kept the music. I knew they could and would potentially be requested again. And that hunch paid off! Through the next few years, I started getting very complimentary online reviews and was establishing myself as a versatile DJ who could play pretty much any genre of music and make it fun for the guests. I was happy that my skill set was paying off and bookings kept increasing each subsequent year! During all of this, I still held a 40 hour work week but would DJ on the weekends. I wanted the security of a regular paycheck, but DJing was my true passion. I just wasn’t confident enough to take that leap of faith to do it full time.
Eventually, in 2012, I did just that! Music Phreek DJ and Lighting was my sole work and source of income. Like most small business owners, the unknown was terrifying, but I had to trust in my talent and my social skills with my fellow industry vendors. To this day, I still don’t advertise on a large scale, but rather, rely on the internet, social media and word of mouth for my bookings. It’s been a Godsend and I’m so grateful to still be in business, despite the pandemic and what it’s done to our amazing industry. I pray we can get back to normalcy soon so I can relish in seeing my vendor friends, but more importantly, seeing people smile, laugh, dance and sing along to their favorite songs while celebrating their friends/family getting married!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s mostly been a smooth road, thank goodness. The struggles/hurdles I’ve encountered have been for the most part, minor. Keeping up with new equipment and technology is an ongoing task. But I find that with most anything that changes, you adapt whatever makes you comfortable and allows you to be better at what you do. Being stagnant is bound to be your demise in this business. Keeping up with and continuing to expand my music library is a must and the lifeline for any DJ. I’ve also incorporated lighting, photo booth and various decor services (pipe and draping) just because couples were requesting them in addition to DJ services. They’ve proven to be a great addition to my packages to offer to clients. It’s more or less a one stop shop for those services for them.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a DJ, I feel empowered because music is the pulse and heartbeat of any fun and successful event! The songs are my “ingredients” and I’m the “chef”. What I put together and how they evoke the emotions of the people on the dance floor is everything to me! I pride myself on watching the energy of what’s happening and that’s what I use to direct me as to what songs I need to play to sustain that high level of excitement and fun. I love and specialize in creating custom mixes so that every event feels unique and special for my clients and their guests. Anyone can listen to songs on the radio and internet stations, so why repeat what they’ve already heard? I like to surprise and keep the guests on their toes when they’re dancing with versions, mixes and mash ups they’ve never heard before. That’s what I’m most proud of. It’s that feeling at the end of the event when they shout “One more song” that you know you’ve made them happy! I relish the challenge to integrate genres that otherwise wouldn’t be normally played together. It keeps me sharp and attentive.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
No one achieves success on their own! I owe a lot to the numerous clients who’ve hired me through the years because they’re the ones who laid blind faith in me that I would deliver what I promised when their events were finished. I also owe a lot to my staff and fellow vendors. Over 60% of my business comes from referrals of other wedding professionals. It’s a great family to be a part of!
Contact Info:
- Email: vyncep@yahoo.com
- Website: www.musicphreek.com
- Instagram: @music_phreek
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musicphreek
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/music-phreek-dj-and-lighting-escondido
- Other: https://www.mixcloud.com/vynce-djphreek-pham/
Image Credits:
Pauline Conway Photography
Laura Christin Photography
True Photography
Josh Mitchell Photography
Your Face is Rad
Sam Tung
