What good is an event without some groovy music to shake your leg to? Occasional Sounds Entertainment is that channel which commits itself to filling that void and bringing to you music that not just complements the ambiance and spirit of the occasion but is also melodious to listen to. Be it wedding functions, birthday parties, anniversaries, sweet sixteens or a serious event for that matter, there’s music for every occasion.
Jay Silverstein is the man of the moment here at Occasional Sounds Entertainment who brings to his business a zest that reflects in his Musical offerings. A DJ himself, he shares with us the passion and ideals that make him successful in his long running stint as a musician and entrepreneur.
Q. Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business.
Occasional Sounds Entertainment is an owner operated DJ service company that was founded in 1994. After receiving training from a top company in the business for 2 years, I realized immediately that this is what I wanted to do. We are located in Toms River, NJ and we service all of NJ. We have entertained at countless weddings, sweet sixteen parties, corporate events and more. Occasional Sounds provides professional entertainment with a high level of personal service to our clients at a reasonable price; we are passionate professionals that love what we do!
Q. Kindly give us a brief description about yourself.
I started entertaining at a very young age, playing the drums in the school band and singing in chorus. My experience with music reaches all genres, growing up listening to 50’s and country music that my mother introduced me to the Doo-wop, a genre that my father loved listening to. As I grew up I found I enjoyed all styles of music, from Bob Marley to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, from Sinatra and Dean Martin to Motown, from Elvis and Michael Jackson to today’s top artists! This is why I love being a DJ, I get to play all styles of music; there are no two events the same. Every time we go out and perform it’s a different audience with different tastes in music and this keeps it from getting monotonous! I stepped onto the business working for my music teacher’s company after seeing him performing at a wedding that I attended in my early twenties. After 2 months of training I was out doing events on my own and realized that this was my passion and decided to start my own entertainment company. Along the way I worked for fortune 500 companies such as Nestle Waters where I learned how to run and manage a business.
Q. What ignited the spark in you to start a new business venture? How did the idea for your business come about?
I was motivated to making changes in what my company offers when I attended a DJ convention this year, where I met other professionals in the industry that inspired me to take my business to the next reliable level.
Q. How important have good employees been to your success?
Employees with experience are very valuable to the success of any business. I have a team of well trained individuals who specialize in certain aspects of an event, such as lighting and video or beat mixing. These employees are representatives of Occasional Sounds Entertainment and they understand the importance of professionalism.
Q. How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
3-6 months
Q. How many hours do you work a day on average?
10-12
Q. How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
It has, while being able to attend all the sports events my daughter participates in during the week, I sometimes miss events on the weekend due to important events for clients.
Q. What motivates you?
Happy Clients and my daughter.
Q. How do you generate new ideas?
I stay on top of industry trends and try to create my own ideas by discussing with friends and family, employees and the other DJ’s I am friends with in the industry.
Q. How do you define success?
I define success when I see a bride and groom at the end of their wedding smiling! When they are happy, I am happy. Success is when a client comes up to me, gives me a hug and kiss expressing how much they loved my job.
Q. What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
The freedom to make decisions and the pride I feel when my ideas and hard work pay off.
Q. In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Exciting!
Q. What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?
Playing my DW drum set, building model cars and planes, doing things with my daughter and family. It’s a tradition to go to Disney World every year with my parents and my daughter, one of my favorite places to be!
Q. What makes you happy?
Watching my daughter play sports and compete, seeing people have a good time at my events and spending time with family and friends.
Q. What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?
I have sacrificed a lot of my weekends on account of event organization on Saturdays and Sundays.
Q. Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Sound Connection, Create Excitement and Preferred DJ’s.