Over the past few years, Sage has become one of our favorite and go-to DJs. Scroll on down to see why we would send him to every wedding out there if we could!
1. How are when did you get into DJ-ing?
I started DJ’ing at a very early age. My cousin was a nightclub DJ in NY. I used to take the train out to his events & help him carry crates of records in the club for $10. Then he would send me home because I wasn’t old enough to stay.
2. What drew you into the wedding industry?
I love weddings. They are all different so it never gets boring, incredibly personal & they mean the world to our couples. I’m not going to lie, it is hard work & there is a lot of pressure to make sure every wedding is a memorable experience for both the newlyweds & their guests. After a long, hectic weekend full of successful events… When you finally make it home, sleep deprived & hungry. You take your shoes off, put your feet up & that’s when reality kicks in… All the work you put into someone’s event created a memory that will last forever. That’s the real reason why we do what we do. That’s the reason we’ll get up & do it again tomorrow.
3. You originally started out in New York. What prompted you to want to open a second location on the West Coast?
Even thought I love my home in NY, I wanted to travel & see what else was out there. I moved to Australia for a bit then somehow ended up in Salt Lake City where I met my wife. She was originally from San Diego & wanted to move back home, so we did. Now with offices in both locations we get the best of both worlds. A little bit of sunny SoCal mixed with some NY pizza. Our 3-year old daughter is definitely getting a hybrid of culture.
4. There are SO many DJs out there. What makes Sage Productions stand out amongst the masses?
That is a great question. I think we knew very early on what made us different & embedded it into our DNA as well as our logo & color scheme. Weddings are very unique life events. They start off elegant, graceful, and full of tradition. Then, when the sun goes down, we party our faces off. I’ve seen MC’s that are great at dictation & announcements but fall short when it comes time to dance. I’ve also seen nightlife DJ’s that are only there for dancing & ignore the importance of events earlier in the evening. We believe both parts are equally important & balance each other. Inspired by the Chinese Yin & Yang symbol we chose a White on Black & Black on White color scheme.
5. At weddings you are definitely limited on what you can play. Do you have any favorite songs/types of music to play?
To be honest a great DJ is a chameleon. We have to cater to our immediate audience. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes it can be challenging but I think that’s part of the fun for us. It’s like a puzzle & you have to find the right pieces. On any given day we dig into our bag of tricks to come up with a completely unique experience for each performance. Each event is like a snowflake, haha.
6. I’m sure you are often bombarded with requests. Would we be surprised by any of your “most requested songs?”
Mostly we get asked for the classic “Cupid Shuffle”, or the “flavor of the month” type of song. I know a lot of DJ’s cringe when someone comes up to request a song, and I’ve had my fair share of cringe worthy requests, but you have to keep an open mind. Sometimes you will find that diamond in the rough. Have you ever smelled something cooking/baking that reminded you of your childhood? Then all of a sudden you had a warm nostalgic moment from your youth. I’ve noticed music is a lot like that. Sometimes just hearing a song can take you back to that great ski trip you had or spring break in Cancun. Sometimes, when someone requests a song, they are sharing that memory with you. Although, sometimes, they just wanna shake their booty.
7. You have an amazing and successful team of DJs working with you. How have you been able to find and keep such a talented team?
Unlike the typical corporate model, where uniformity is the law, I embrace diversity & individualism. A team is much more than just a sum of its parts & it takes more than talent to be a good teammate. Before I got into music ice hockey was my life. I was fortunate to have some great coaches that taught me a lot about being part of a team, team building & leadership. I attribute a lot of what I learned back then to the overall team atmosphere we have at Sage Productions. “I’m not looking for the best players, I’m looking for the right ones.” ~ Herb Brooks, Coach of the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team.
8. Sage Productions offers more than just DJ services. Can you tell us a little bit more about everything else you offer?
When you are in a service based business it is difficult to grow & still keep the same quality. The talent pool gets diluted with volume. I find that the best way to grow is laterally. Having a small team of the most elite professionals in their field is the best way to grow, but still keep the quality we are known for. No one calls & asks for the 25th best DJ or Coordinator.
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