New England DJ Vet Looks Back, DISHES ADVICE

offer fantasy casino tables, sporting activities, lawn games, fun foods, inflatables, 4K videography, photography, glitter tattoos, and even a mobile escape room – all in house. When you show great client service and options that other DJs don’t have, it’s pretty easy to differentiate from other companies. Quality of client service is paramount, though.

DJ LIFE: How long have you been full-time?

Cosco: My mother says I haven’t had a real job since the summer of 1992. I did this in college until 1996, but full- time since ’92.

DJ LIFE: You’re doing all types of events – what’s the most profitable?

Cosco: Right now, it’s post-prom/ post-grad and corporate events with weddings moving up fast. If you asked me 10 years ago, it was bar/ bat mitzvahs. But we have noticed that cellphones and Covid shutdowns have really stunted the growth of many 13-year-old kids.

DJ LIFE: How so?

Cosco: These kids in Massachusetts were in their houses for about six months, then behind masks for over a year. It socially stunted their growth. They

So, yeah, we go where the money is... right now, corporate is solid year ’round.

DJ LIFE: How has your marketing changed over the years?

Cosco: We started in the 1990s with the Yellow Pages. We moved into the internet in 1995 with our website, www.ATouchOfClass.com. Shows were huge in the 1990s and 2000s. Now, venues and clients and referrals drive our business.

DJ LIFE: Do brides communicate differently than they did 10 years ago?

Cosco: Oh, yeah. I think it’s a real problem, too. Years ago, it was phone calls and in-person meetings. They got to see the actual personality of the MC that would be at their event. Now, emails and texts are the predominant communication styles. Zoom is a nice middle ground. I don’t understand how a bride can book the face of their wedding based on only emails and texts.

DJ LIFE: Do you consider yourself primarily an entertainer or a business owner? Why?

Cosco: I enjoy the entertaining, but I am certainly more of a business operator. Ironically, I can’t stand the office portion. Put me on a “stage,” my headset is a Crown CM311 — now it’s AKG. I have a Rane mixer, Cortex MP3 backup, a BBE Sonic Maximizer – all in a combo case. I use two Ultimate Support stands, and my trusty JBL EON15 G2 powered loudspeakers from the ’90s. I own eight of them, and I will never replace them, as long as they work. I have had to repair them a couple of times, but newer speakers just don’t compare in durability. I am old-school that way. Lastly, I use a drum case to hold all my wires, and supplies. It’s perfect for circular wire bundles.

DJ LIFE: What advice would you give to a young DJ?

Cosco: Be a client-service fiend and a chameleon. The toys – the controllers, the lighting, the PAs, etc. – are great, but that won’t make you money. Those are just tools of the trade. Think about those as a hammer and screwdriver to a carpenter – essential, but not exciting. Focus on returning emails and calls quickly. Also, personal finance is so important. Try not to buy items with a credit card that you can’t pay off in full. Invest, save, and invest in yourself with education. That will last a lot longer than any mic, speaker, or computer.

By Joshua Volpe