Sometimes the Music Isn't for Dancing

Most of the time when people think about a DJ, they think about dancing. This wasn't one of those days.

A friend contacted And We Danced about a Celebration of Life for someone they had lost a few months earlier. He was helping the man's wife plan a gathering for the family and friends who knew and loved him.

Penn State had been a big part of his life. He attended school there and played sports, including baseball. Long after college, football season still brought the same group of friends back together to tailgate, watch the game, and spend time together.

He eventually married and had a son. Then cancer took him while his son was still very young.

His family and friends were gathering to remember him. There would be food, drinks, photographs from his life, stories, and a lot of music.

What Did He Listen To?

His friend gave us a list of songs he loved, along with the years and genres he preferred. That was enough to start building the music for the gathering.

The playlist grew from there, staying within the music he enjoyed. This wasn't about deciding what a Celebration of Life was supposed to sound like. It was about what he sounded like.

As friends and family talked, ate, had drinks, and watched photographs from his life appear on the screen, his music filled the room. Marriage, family, his son, old friends, and years of memories moved across the screen while the songs he loved played alongside them.

As the gathering continued, it became clear that some of those songs carried memories of their own.

Some Songs Had Stories

Friends and family took the microphone and shared memories. At times, a particular song played underneath because it meant something to him or to the story being told.

Other songs carried memories shared between longtime friends. A few had already played when someone asked to hear them again.

Normally, repeating a song is something we'd try to avoid. That day, it didn't matter. If a song meant enough to hear twice, it played twice.

Then His Nephew Played

At one point, one of his nephews played one of his favorite songs by The Who. The microphone had to be moved closer so everyone could hear him play.

And everyone listened.

For those few moments, the music wasn't coming from the DJ. It was coming from his family.

A Different Kind of Celebration

There was no dance floor to fill that day. That wasn't what the music was there to do.

It was there while friends laughed and talked, underneath some of their stories, and while photographs from his life appeared on the screen. Some songs carried years of memories between friends. Some meant enough that they were played more than once.

As DJs, a lot of thought goes into what song should come next. That day reminded us that sometimes what matters most isn't what comes next.