Meet your DJ!

This blog is written by Rodney Charles, owner of Arch Entertainment. It's purpose is to be used as an informational tool by clients and potential clients of Arch Entertainment to meet our talented team of disc jockeys.

Introducing: DJ Rodney Charles

My name is Rodney Charles and I was the first Arch entertainer! I built Arch Entertainment to become the best, most consistent, and most reliable disc jockey company in Hampton Roads. Its been an amazing journey thus far and I'm looking forward to many more successful years! If you'd like to know more about me and my past... read on. I'll give you the abbreviated version. I began to gain interest in becoming a disc jockey during my high school years by playing music at parties for family and friends. It was something my grandmother told me she thought I'd be good at. I carried this interest with me thru my college days at Old Dominion University where I performed at several sorority and fraternity parties and had a blast! After college I soon made my way into the professional disc jockey industry, found a home with the largest disc jockey company in Virginia and learned that my grandmother was right! While there I worked my way from being a part-time disc jockey to being one of the company’s most requested entertainers, as well as one of it's eight co-owners. My popularity as a disc jockey continued to grow as did my understanding of my clients needs. I began to see a need for more personal attention, more detailed planning, and a more professional overall experience for brides and grooms-to-be. Thus in January of 2007, I started my own disc jockey company determined to provide the best available service to my clients. This was the beginning of "DJ Rodney Charles" which was later re-named Arch Entertainment Company. Thanks in part to referrals from the many wonderful and talented friends I've made in our local wedding industry;  business grew rapidly and demand was more than I could handle alone... it was time to expand! Attracting business was the easy part... finding the right people to represent the company is the hard part. It's a slow process but we are continually assembling an amazing team to handle the needs of our much-appreciated clients. Check out our talented team of disc jockeys in the following posts.
Thanks for reading,
-Rodney

Introducing: DJ Ivan James

Ivan was the first disc jockey added to the talented Arch Entertainment team. I met Ivan and got to know him through my Tuesday night softball team. He was a funny and outgoing guy from Minnesota that is a great 1st baseman and terrible as an outfielder. (Haha, Sorry Ivan, I had to say it). Ivan initially started out as an assistant who helped with set-up and breakdown of events. With his can-do attitude and his fun-loving personality, he instantly became a irreplaceable asset to the company and started down the training path to handle his own events. According to Ivan, he has had a passion for music for as long as he can remember. During his younger years he spent most of his time listening to many varieties of music and growing accustom to the various artists that his parents listened to. Fast forward several years... Ivan's interest and knowledge of music was still growing when he crossed paths with me and decided to take his passion to the next level. He began spending many of his weekends working with me and familiarizing himself with the industry, as well as the art of helping those enjoy music for their own special events. Arch Entertainment was a perfect fit for Ivan as we share the same goals, and dedication to our customers.

Introducing: DJ Emer Lunasin

Our next addition was local legend... seasoned veteran, Mr. Emer Lunasin! Emer joined Arch Entertainment to expand our talent base and add a team member with tons of experience. Emer has been in the industry for quite a while. If you'd like to know exactly what "quite a while" means... you will have to ask Emer... I honestly don't know when he got his start. I think he enjoys being mysterious :) In addition to being a talented and accomplished disc jockey and master of ceremony, he is also the owner of ShowBride. Those of you that may still be looking for some of your wedding vendors can visit http://www.showbride.com/ to see when and where the next bridal expo will take place. Emer is also very active in many clubs and organizations as well as the community in general. He is always in the middle of something fun! I'll eventually have some of Emer's own words to add to this little introduction but for now... just give us a call if you'd like to meet him.

Introducing: DJ Phillip Andrada

Phillip joined the team just after Emer did. I was very excited to have another experienced disc jockey to add to our roster. Quick history lesson for you... Phillip started DJing by helping as an assistant at house parties during his high school years in the early 90’s, learning the basics of the DJ trade while mainly collecting music for his personal listening indulgence. He was constantly being asked the same question over-and-over... "Do you DJ house parties on your own?" This eventually grew and transformed into specializing in both social events, corporate events and of course Weddings.  Expanding his repertoire of events over the years, he has experience with fashion/bridal shows, military balls, high school dances (Homecoming, Valentines, Prom/Ring Dances, All-Nite After-Grads, Class Reunions), birthdays, baptismal/christening celebrations and debutantes/cotillions.  Now, Phillip's main specialty is in weddings (ceremonies, receptions and anniversaries), where most of his demand comes from.  No distance is too far for him as he covers the greater Hampton Roads area and beyond, traveling as far north as the Washington D.C. and Maryland areas on a regular basis.  He’s been as far south as Tampa/Jacksonville, Florida and out west as far as Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.  Being personable and working closely with the client is his belief in making sure your event goes smoothly and without any obstacles.  In the past, Phil was mostly known for being exclusively by word-of-mouth referral but not anymore! We are happy to have Phillip on the Arch Entertainment team!

Introducing: DJ Luke Barton

Luke has been in the industry for several years now and has built a solid reputation as an amazing entertainer and talented master of ceremony. He's extremely outgoing and effortlessly talented. He absolutely loves what he does for a living and it shows at every single event he's a part of. Disc jockey entertainment is merely one of Luke's many talents. He's also an actor, and a drummer in an up and coming local band called Mirlo.  I asked Luke what he thought I should include in this profile and he felt it would be best said in his own words. Here it is...

"Hello everyone... I'm Luke (obviously)! I'm a local Virginia Beach guy with big personality and a passion for excellence in disc jockey and MC entertainment. Whether a private party, sweet 16, wedding ceremony or reception, DJ Luke will be rockin' the house and leaving smiles on faces. I pride myself in providing the most excellent sound system and light show on the market and I always bring a personable level of customer service to the table. I look forward to making your celebration, the best celebration you can imagine!"
-Luke

Introducing: DJ Delvin Peeks

Say hello to DJ Delvin. Delvin is currently our most recent addition to the team. He's a former client of ours who had a difficult time finding a DJ for his own wedding reception. All disc jockeys seemed to be the same... cheesy, self-absorbed, and unorganized. Delvin found something very different in Arch Entertainment. So much different, that it eventually led us into a conversation about having him join our team.
Delvin is a professional process engineer by day so his attention to detail is second to none, and his organizational skills are off the charts. Delvin also does a lot of public relations work, which makes him a natural at public speaking. If you are looking for a classy and refined, yet still fun and entertaining disc jockey... DJ Delvin is your man. In his own words...

"Music is the shorthand of emotion." ~Leo Tolstoy

Music has always provided me inspiration and played a huge part in many different aspects of my own life. Whether it was a celebration or a moment of reflection, music had its place. I believe that when playing the right music I cannot only make your special day memorable but also unforgettable. Working with people and making them happy is truly a passion of mine. I would love the opportunity to put a smile on your face by not only providing you excellent customer service but also playing great music at your event. Playing the right music that reflects your personal taste and style is my number one priority. I'm here to ensure that you and your guest walk away feeling like they just had a great (music) experience. I look forward to working with you and promise that I will do thy duty that is best to ensure that your event is everything YOU want it to be.
 
-D. Peeks

Introducing: DJ Shawn Cox

Welcome Shawn Cox to the Arch Team! Shawn is the person who introduced me to the life of a DJ when I was 18 years old. He was the resident DJ at a local nightclub that I visited from time-to-time. I modeled myself and my style as a DJ after Shawn because I believed then (and still do now) that it was the most well rounded and polished production I had ever seen. Several years later, Shawn and I now share an office, which is the home of  his business "The Boardwalk Photobooth Company", as well as Arch Entertainment Company. Shawn was a DJ for a long time before getting into the photobooth business and its not something that is easy to walk away from. It's too much fun! We are proud to be the reason that he made the decision to put his skills back on the market.

Here's some info in Shawn's own words....

Years DJing?:
22

Fun Facts?:
Almost everyone who knows me cannot understand my affection for the 1980’s. I absolutely love the 80’s. The music, the cheesy but awesome TV shows (like Knight Rider), old school friends, roller skating rinks, the arcades…I still eat it all up. I actually collect and restore classic arcade games like Ms. Pac Man and Donkey Kong in my spare time. My garage is my man-cave.

Related Experience?:
Well, let’s see…other than a short stint working in a pet store when I was 15, I have always been a DJ. It’s really all I’ve ever known. Over the past 2 decades, I have honed my “skills” performing for almost any type of event you can imagine. Local nightclubs, private parties, corporate events, anniversaries, birthday parties for young and old, and of course, wedding receptions.

What got you started?:
I began my career in 1989 as a part-time DJ for Z104 FM. One night after a shift, I met the owner of another local DJ company who must have detected a hint of talent and offered me an audition for an open DJ position that needed to be filled. I accepted his offer, rocked the audition, and before you know it my life was a balance of college, a full-time position on the air with Z104, and a night life full of gigs!  Performing for a crowd quickly won me over and, in the long run, I walked away from a 12-year career in radio to focus more on my future as a mobile wedding disc jockey.

When DJing, whats your goal?:
Every event is different, and that’s what makes this job a blast. My goal is, of course, to make sure that people have the time of their lives. That’s a given. For me, though, the ultimate goal is to make sure that the final “product” ends up the way that my clients originally envisioned. That’s most important.

Specialties?:
Wedding receptions.  Early in my career, they quickly became my favorite type of event, simply because of their importance and the fun challenge that each one presents. Some clients want their weddings to be wild n’ crazy. No problem. I can do wild n’ crazy. I’ll make sure the guests are swinging from the chandeliers by the end of the night, if that’s what a client wants. Wild & crazy is actually really easy to pull off. Most of the brides and grooms that I work with are looking for a more polished and professional approach. In other words, they want just the right amount of interaction with the crowd, without coming off as the annoying “game show host” DJ. The music is actually the star of the show. Making an event both fun AND upscale? That actually requires a bit more finesse. That’s my specialty.