There are only a handful of what I would term ‘really talented’ event photographers in the Philadelphia area, and last Thursday we were lucky enough to have one of them come out and do a little impromptu photo shoot with a few of my top event DJs.  Kevin York - whom I have known for about three years now - is one of a group of ‘edgier’ and more creative photographers that I have come to discover.  In my twenty-plus years of being in the event industry it is only in the past three or four years that I have become ‘enlightened’ you might say.  Prior to that my experience with photographers had always been what I term the ‘pose and shoot’ variety, simply aiming and shooting.  To be honest, the first time I ever even noticed a photographer bothering to change lenses was a great photographer named Dawn Deppe about eight years ago, but at the time I thought to myself that she was working way too hard shlepping all this gear and changing cameras and lenses all the time and that she seemed more like she should be shooting for National Geographic.

Let’s just say I’ve learned a thing or two in the past few years.  A videographer colleague of mine - Dave Williams of D’Videography - once told me that if a client wanted to only spend $1,500.00 on a videographer for their event, they would be better off spending that money on a really good video camera and handing it off to a guest to take the footage, because in the end at least they would own the camera when they found their footage wasn’t very good.  Dave couldn’t be more right.  Photography (and videography) is an art, and a camera in the hands of someone without real skills gets you pictures (or video) you might as well have taken the pictures yourself.

So yeah, Kevin York is an excellent photographer.  Over the next six months, I will be featuring several ‘excellent’ photographers here on the blog, professional photographers that are masters of their craft.

I have been asked in the past why I don’t offer photography as an add-on to my service, essentially offering photography through Cutting Edge Entertainment like many other DJ companies do.  The answer is quite simple, and it’s always the same… because at Cutting Edge Entertainment we focus on what we do best, Event Entertainment.  I know what some of these other companies are doing is making them a lot of money, but the product they are delivering is average at best.  If you want an excellent photographer, hire and excellent photographer, not a DJ Entertainment company that ‘also offers’ photography.

Oh, and if the selling point is “Our photographers have shot hundreds…  even thousands of weddings.”  Who cares?  The amount of events an individual has worked does not ensure quality, it might simply mean that the price is cheap enough to book hundreds and thousands of jobs.  Very much like furniture made of cheap materials; It certainly sells more than the good stuff and it might even look good when it’s new, but it certainly isn’t a family heirloom.

Always remember, quality remains long after price is forgotten.  Better yet, you get what you pay for.

-Craig Sumsky

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

Today one of my kids turned thirty.

Well, not one of my kids literally, but figuratively.  I first met (discovered, found) Pedro at a Soph Hop at Northeast Philadelphia High School when he was fifteen years old.  He was tall, towering over most of his peers and dancing away like a Fred Astaire that didn’t yet know he was Fred Astaire.  I called him over and as Pedro would tell me later he thought he was in trouble.  In a way he was.  Little did he know he would be offered a job that he would end up not only coming to love (and having a natural talent for), but a job that he would come to work for half of his life.  Today, on July 8 of 2009 Pedro turned thirty.

Little did I know that on that fateful day fifteen years ago I was meeting someone whom I would someday come to consider one of my best friends, as well as most likely one of the most talented people I have ever met.  Although he was first hired as a dancer, his insatiable appetite led him to excel at not just dancing, but soon after to DJ, to MC and manage events, lighting design and as a student at Drexel University he did a six month co-op at Walt Disney World in Florida, where he worked as a cast member and even donned the ‘Goofy’ hat for a while.

So yeah, Pedro is an uber-talent, and has helped to put Cutting Edge Entertainment on the map.  For the past fifteen years he has been my right hand man (or left leg if you get the pun) and has been an invaluable asset to the company.  He truly cares about what he does, and puts 110% into his work.  Pedro shines.

More so,  Pedro has been a friend.

Happy Birthday Pedro!

Your friend,

-Craig

Photo by Kevin York - www.kyorkphoto.com

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

The United States of America is often times referred to as ‘the melting pot’ or ‘the great experiment.’  Over twelve million immigrants passed through Ellis Island in the twentieth century alone, from dozens of different nations and cultures each with their own traditions and customs.

In all the years that I have been providing entertainment for events, whether they be weddings, bar mitzvahs, holy communions or any other sort of family event, I have had the rare pleasure of being ‘invited in’ to glimpse so many different peoples family and cultural traditions.  I have - through necessity - learned uncounted ethnic songs like Italian Tarantellas, the Greek Miserlou, Irish Jigs, and the Polish and German Polkas.  In the last twenty years I have been a part of hundreds of Korean and Chinese tea ceremonies and Jewish crowning ceremonies, sharing in and becoming familiar with so many customs and traditions from so many diverse and far away places.

I suppose if I had been a DJ in some other, more  homogenous nation or society that learning the nuances of my job would be simpler, but like the United States itself, diversity only makes me stronger.  This is just one of the many reasons I love my job, and look forward to continuing the learning process in which I have been so enlightened.

-Craig

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

Comcast is a great company.  Their success can certainly be measured in Philadelphia, as it is the Comcast building that tops the Center City skyline.

Yet people still complain about their customer service.

Ok… So sometimes you have to wait to go through their teleprompt system until you get to the option you want, but compared to companies like AT&T, Comcast soars as high as it’s new skyscraper in its customer service.  Heck, I can even get to a live representative within four options, and they actually give you that option as opposed to other companies that hide it.  Yes, yes, I understand, you need your internet back NOW.  You’re not happy when your cable TV goes out in the middle of your favorite show… Nobody is, so join the club.  I think that for their sheer size they [Comcast] do a bang-up job of getting the problem fixed as quickly as possible.

As the owner of a small DJ business, I understand the difficulties of managing efficient customer service. What I couldn’t do is imagine that responsibility times millions.  The reason I say this is that through my social media surfing, I cannot help but notice the occasional “Comcast sucks” and think to myself, “There goes another impatient and unrealistic cusomer.  “Sorry if that sounds as if I’m being overly sympathetic to a muli-billion dollar corporation, but I honestly believe it. The older I get I am beginning to wonder about the old saying; “The customer is always right.”  Certainly it iseasy to apply that when we are the customer, but when we are working doing the best we can for that customer who just can’t be reasonable (and sometimes can’t even be nice) do we really feel that strongly about it?

I’m old enough to remember dial phones, where when you couldn’t get through to a representative you just got a busy signal and had to call back.  I think in comparison we’ve made leaps and bounds since then.

Like I said earlier, I’ve been there… On hold with muzac playing waiting for sometimes twenty minutes or more for any range of services (power, telephone, hospital, computers, etc) and I wasn’t happy at all, but I don’t think I’ve ever had to wait that long for Comcast.  Did they give me their infamous ‘window,’ telling me the service guy would be out (on a work day) between 11;00am and 4:00pm?  Sure they have, but I deal with it.  Life goes on and for a company that services so many millions, Comcast does a fantastic, no… a ‘Comcastic’ job IMHO (in my humble opinion).

Currently, Comcast is saving me almost 75% compared to what I used to pay (with AT&T).  They aren’t perfect, but they’re really, really good, and that combined with their prices is perfect enough for me.  I think the saying “You can’t please all of the people all of the time” would be more appropriate whenever discussing customer service as a whole.  I get the feeling that Comcast representatives truly care, and talk ‘to me’ not ‘at me’ in contrast to other companies like Dell for example that farm out their customer service departments where you end up dealing with a representative named ‘Buddy Smith’ who has such a heavy foreign accent that I hardly understand him, much less believe ‘Smith’ is even a surname in the country the call is actually being received in.

Heck, you can even reach Comcast on Facebook and twitter!  This is a company that breathes accessibility, and that shows me that they truly care.

I own a small DJ company with fifty employees, but the way Comcast treats me I feel like a Fortune 500 CEO.

Keep up the good work Comcast.

-Craig

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m sixty-four?
~Paul McCartney

Debbie Harry, front person for the 70’s/80’s band ‘Blondie’ turns 64 today, and how appropriate that The Beatles song ‘When I’m 64′ keeps playing in my head, because for me both Blondie and The Beatles have similar significance in the grand scheme of Rock & Roll.

Now before you Beatles fans get yourselves all in a tizzy, let me assure you that I am quite aware that the fab four’s contributions far outweigh that of Debbie and the boys, having many more hits, many more songs, and certainly a larger impact.  But is Blondie’s impact any less significant?  The Beatles ‘invaded’ the U.S. in 1964, and split up by 1970 leaving us with a brilliant and diverse library of songs that pulled from many music influences, while helping to usher in the psychedelic era (thus doing a bit of their own influencing) at the same time.

But what about Blondie?  Certainly fewer hits, and fewer years of hits as well.  According to Billboard, Blondie only charted seven top 40 songs, while only four of them went to number one… So here is the irony.  Debbie Harry and Blondie were first and foremost a punk band, with Debbie’s on stage antics going as far as appearing bottomless (no pants, no panties) yet none of their four #1 hits were very ‘punk’ at all.  What is notable is that this little kick-ass punk band from an almost forgotten pre-Mtv era are credited with two of these number ones to be in previously ‘uncharted’ categories (or at least #1 charted).  The song ‘The Tide Is High’ which charted at #1 in November of 1980 is widely regarded as the first number one Reggae song to top the pop charts, a year later in 1981 Blondie reached #1 with what is not just regarded, but acknowledged as the first #1 rap song to top the Billboard top 40 pop chart.  Yep… Skinny white punk rock girl helps to usher in the now chart dominating Hip Hop phenomenon.  Again in a strange twist, the other two hit songs were considered Disco, with ‘Heart Of Glass’ in 1979, and ‘Call Me’ (From the Richard Gere film ‘American Gigolo’) in 1980.

Quite significant if you ask me.

Happy Birthday Debbie… Your poster has hung over my desk for over a decade, as I am one of your biggest fans.

-Craig Sumsky

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

Here is professional dancer Ashley Seldon posing for a photo shoot for the Me Phi store in Arizona, modeling the spring/summer 2009 clothing line at the Cutting Edge Entertainment studio.  And check her out onstage at the Wachovia center this past Friday as one of Beyonce’s dancers.  Ashley is a former Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader and LA Clippers dancer.  She’s currently on tour with Miss Knowles.

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

In the aftermath of Michael Jackson’s death, his music has overwhelmed me.  When I first found out, I called a co-worker from Cutting Edge Entertainment, Tony, whom I know as a huge MJ fan. While remembering him, we tried to compile our Top 5 MJ songs.  As we started to compose this list, we realized it was almost impossible.  As one song was added, two or three more popped into our heads, which had to be on the list.  After a half hour conversation, we deemed it impossible to come up with a Top 5 list.  Michael had so many number one hits, thirteen to be exact, which makes it extremely difficult to condense the greatest ones into such a small list.  As a DJ, I could spin ‘Thriller’ or ‘Off the Wall’ and the dance floor would be packed for every note.  This is how Michael should be remembered, by his music and the way that he impacted the music industry. His music videos are unforgettable, and his dance performances on stage was unlike any other performer’s.  How could we forget the red leather jacket in the Thriller video, or the moonwalk; these moments were Jackson’s gifts to us.

This past weekend at Columbia Station in Phoenixville, I had my first opportunity to pay tribute to Michael.  We saved our MJ set for the middle of the night, when the dance floor was packed with all the guests.  Putting aside all of the jokes made by our team throughout the day, we shared a moment of disbelief; the voice that we heard was now gone , making the music all the more powerful and inviting us to listen to its real meaning.  During our set, I thought of an interesting question.  Was Michael’s voice lost in his death, or was it lost before he was taken from us?  I’ll explain…

Michael’s life was surrounded by controversy. When I think of Michael Jackson I see the entertainer, the man who changed the music video forever, the amazing dancer, the incredible songwriter, the isolated soul… not the other things.  However, I cannot speak for the rest of the world, who unfortunately remember him for the negativity that became his legacy, though never proven.  For those that see the stories as the truth, his voice was lost many years ago. Looking back on his life, I am amazed at how the ‘King of Pop’ became this anomaly that cannot be explained.  The greatest entertainer in history was left behind, as a new man was born, one who was completely different from the man he was in his previous life.

I do not let his two lives clash when I think of Michael because it just wouldn’t be fair.  There have been many celebrities that have had their legacies tarnished by personal problems; their contributions and accomplishments become less important because of the blemish they create for themselves.  In Jackson’s case, nothing he did could tarnish my appreciation for the artist that he was. I am not deeming Michael an innocent, but instead a sad and tormented soul, searching for the childhood he never was allowed to live.  That much I know to be the truth. I am just offering my take on his life, as well as suggesting that people judge too freely, and far too harshly.

Michael Jackson’s voice was long gone before his death, and when thinking about him, or making any judgments about his legacy, take that into consideration.

- Steven Foltz

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

Her posters hung on my walls and on my ceiling… and I loved her.  Today, Thursday June 25 of 2009 I heard the news that one of my first loves - Farrah Fawcett - lost her ‘battle’ with cancer.  I was speechless at first, because although she was 62 years old, she has remained forever young in my memory.  I always felt she left Charlie’s Angels much too early, and I think she has left us too early as well.

I’ve watched her battle with cancer, and have thought to myself how ironic it was that suddenly the media had remembered the pin-up Goddess… but I had never forgotten her.

Like the Elton John lyric says, “I would have liked to known her, but I was just a kid…”  I still am that kid.  There will never be another Farrah, and for those of you who had her posters on your walls, you probably know exactly what I mean.

In a strange twist of fate and irony, my father, who has been fighting a similar battle with prostate cancer and winning, got the news yesterday that his PSA levels had risen and he would begin his battle once again.

Cancer… You are really starting to piss me off.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Ryan O’Neal and Farrah’s family.

-Craig

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

Kevin and Ashley went all out with options adding an extended lighting package,  custom gobos and even a live percussionist to play along with the music.  The event - held at Spring Mill Manor in Bucks County, PA - was a complete success.  Special thanks to Carl our production manager for designing the lighting structure for the event and to the Burstin and Mednick families for inviting us to share this special day with them.

As you can tell by the photos, a great time was had by all.  Gabriel from Deja Vu Studios was kind enough to provide us with these amazing pictures.  Deja Vu did a fantastic job on both photography and Video, and we look forward to posting some of the video footage very soon.  Not only did Deja Vu do a great job, but they were complete professionals and an absolute pleasure to work with.  I would highly recommend them.

Deja Vu Photography & Video - www.DejaVuStudio.com

Kevin and Ashley, we wish you all the luck and love in the world, and congratulations on your marriage!

-Craig

www.cuttingedgedjs.com