Creating a Mood: Event-Specific Music Mixes

I beleive that it's the conference producer's responsibility to use every point of audience contact to create the right environment for the show - from badge design and layout, to lighting, signage and decoration; from the flow of registration and the tempo of the agenda, right down to the music.

I know it's pretty common for event producers to leave the music to the A/V folks, expecting them to pipe in whatever the venue has available in its house system, or by plugging in an iPod. And in truth, if you say absolutely nothing about music to your A/V company, a good one will ask you about it directly, and even an unattentive A/V company will at least put something on that they think is cool.

But cool is not always appropriate for your show. I was a DJ in college, and while trying to program a decent two hour show where I had to include selections from the program director's A, B and C lists, respond to requests from listeners, and insert my own editorial selections, I learned a little bit about the art of the mix. I'm no Mix-Master-Mike by any means. But I am an enthusiast. There are about 30 mixes on my iTunes currently - some are 45-minute jams for spinning classes; others are 2-hour journeys for long workouts; some are compilations of favorites for my fiancee, or songs about trains for my two train-crazy kids. And a bunch are mixes I created expressly for some of the shows I've produced.

Lou Rossi and I butt heads about the composition of the Event Mix a lot - he's the Stage Manager on most of the shows I produce. He prefers ambient music which is more neutral and programmed to chill (I'd expect nothing else from a Texture Guy). For most shows, I prefer something more energizing. I don't always assume that at 8am attendees are bringing with them the mood I think will make them most receptive to the show content I've spent months working on. So I leave nothing to chance and tend to fill my mixes with Big Beats - both from songs that attendees have heard before, and innovative newer cuts. My mixes are a sort of metaphor for the show content, in fact.

Joseph Jaffe understands this well, and not only programmed a very specific mix for his Battle for the HeArt Road Show last year, but crossed the boundary between walking-in music and show-programming when he played the title cut from Steve Earle's 'The Revolution Starts Now' at the beginning of each show, and even put an animated slide up onto the screen with the song's lyrics.

I tend to write in long paragraphs, but know most people only read short lists. So here's my list of Top 5 things to remember when creating an Event Mix:

1. You actually should have to create an event mix. It's your responsibility to set the show tone. If you're not much of a musicologist, outsource the task to someone who is. But give it the same attention as you do the design of signage or the composition of the show book. Attention to detail makes or breaks a show, and music is an important detail.
2. Your first song and your last song on the mix are the most important. Program your last song as the one you'll jump to when you're ringing the chimes and dimming the lights. I always bring the volume up on this one as I bring the lights down, using the visible and audio cues to move networking attendees into their seats.
3. Your first song is the one you'll go to as you move into breaks, so make sure it's got the right tempo. Remember also that if you only make one mix, or provide A/V with one set of instructions, your audience will hear the first 30 seconds of this song several times over the course of the event. If that's unacceptable, either find a better song or make a point of going into the break with a different song. Deciding you've heard a song too often and then not flipping on the music as you go to break isn't a solution.
4. It's not a bad idea to make 2 CDs - one with the complete mix, and one with just the final song. That way you're reducing the likelihood of error. (I think the music just before the show starts is that important.)
5. Aim to surprise and delight your attendees - surprise them with some theme-appropriate songs they'll remember and recognize, and delight them with a fresh musical perspective.

Here's a link to the mix I built for MediaPost's OMMA EAST in New York last year, if you want an example (or, given your preferences and show objectives, just as easily a warning):

Link to OMMA EAST iMix via iTunes (must have iTunes to open this)