10 REASONS YOU SHOULD BOOK OTL
#1 PERSONAL TOUCH
OTL is owned and operated by a small husband-and-wife team with dedicated roles designed to benefit our clients. Heather is a wizard when it comes to clear, concise client communication, prompt responses, organized processes, and a friendly, kind, and empathetic demeanor that can be felt in her daily interactions, while I’m a passionate and versatile musician and DJ with an obsession for providing exactly what clients need and want. Keeping our team small and focused means your experience is guaranteed to have a warm and genuine personal touch that you typically won’t find with other companies in the entertainment industry. We’re always available and always willing to help.
#2 EXPERIENCE
Together, we have over 40 years of combined experience in the hospitality and service industry, ranging from sales and operations to production management and executive leadership. Heather has been a General Manager, Operations Manager, Director of Operations, and Vice President at companies ranging from food and beverage to banquet centers, app development, and even non-profit focused solutions. As a singer, drummer, and pianist, I’ve released several albums with multiple projects in addition to touring the country several times. I’m also an actor and composer for film and TV, have worked in broadcast and lighting for live events, and have been a full-time DJ for the last 10 years. We bring all of these experiences into our events, planning processes, and conversations so that you can benefit from the lessons we’ve learned and the expertise we’ve acquired.
#3 PRODUCTION
I’m extremely fortunate to have had first-hand experience working in world-class venues like Scotiabank Arena, Coca-Cola Coliseum, BMO Field, Real Sports, and the Rogers Centre as a DJ, Lighting Operator, Broadcast Technician, and Entertainment Manager for the Leafs, Raptors, Blue Jays, Live Nation, and more. This has allowed me to be a part of some of the most significant moments in Canadian sports and broadcast history, providing me with unique and rare experiences most DJs would only dream of. I’ve learned how the very best productions execute at the highest levels, and we bring those same standards and expertise to every single event and client we work with. Having been a musician my entire life, I’ve gained valuable expertise in the operation of sound equipment, lighting, and FX. This ensures clear microphones with no feedback, properly programmed and positioned lights, and pristine audio perfectly balanced to the very frequency of the room your event is in.
#4 INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Heather has managed several prominent, high-volume banquet centers that frequently host a large variety of events. This provides us with intimate knowledge and experience of the inner workings of the wedding and event industry—insight most entertainment companies simply don’t have. This includes trade secrets and industry knowledge that most clients won’t even think about and is yet another quality that sets us apart. We coordinate with kitchens on serving times when MCing a wedding, discuss signals and music transitions with officiants for ceremonies, check in with venues for access to power, audio, and lighting controls, and ensure the bar is stocked and close to the dance floor. These behind-the-scenes interactions are vital to the success of an event. We handle all the planning, logistics and coordination so that you can focus on the most important part: having a good time.
#5 LEADERSHIP
Heather has personally opened and operated several flagship restaurants in Toronto, including Planta Queen, Planta Bloor, John & Sons, Old School, and Kelly’s Landing. She knows how to manage and train staff, work with budgets, organize tasks, prepare schedules, and provide consistent, unwavering service to clients. She does an amazing job working with our DJs, musicians, and performers to coordinate schedules and provide event details so that everyone is ultra-prepared and informed on event day. Prior to my career in music and live events, I also managed several retail locations, ranging from clothing stores to electronics and appliances, where I trained staff on sales, procedures, and product knowledge. Together, we just know how to get things done and provide the right information to the people who need it. Our clients provide a vision, and we do what’s necessary to achieve that goal by taking control of the situation and being leaders for our talent, vendors, and clients.
#6 TALENT
All of our DJs have extremely dynamic and diverse musical palettes and backgrounds. They are musical chameleons, able to blend any genre or culture, tempo, or rhythm. Many of them also happen to be musicians, which gives them a level of expertise and creativity you’ll rarely find elsewhere. As a lifelong musician, I’ve always held high standards for my performances and those around me. I’ve always felt that the stage is a sacred place and that the attention of a crowd comes with a responsibility to provide a show filled with passion, professionalism, and substance. That’s why I’ve always gone out of my way to employ the best talent I can find. Our DJs are full-time professionals and look at every event and dancefloor as a chance to put on an engaging performance. Trust me when I say there’s a big difference between someone who does this as a hobby and someone who does it as a career. This is what we do for a living, so it’s in our best interest to give you and your guests an amazing time.
#7 PREMIUM
As I get older, I find myself more concerned with quality over quantity. I’m obsessed with providing the very best to our clients, whether it’s curated music, top-of-the-line speakers, high-end cables, crystal-clear microphones, or industry-leading lights. I spend an ungodly amount of time comparing and contrasting hundreds of reviews to ensure you’re getting the very best of everything. I obsess over the smallest details—things most clients would never think about—but that attention to detail translates into quality experiences for our guests at every event. We use brand new, italian-made, high-end, RCF Speakers and subwoofers, the best Sennheiser microphones, heavy duty K&M speaker stands, pro-level Pioneer DJ equipment, Chauvet Lighting, shielded, weatherproof, high-rated, thick guage XLR/power cables and more.
#8 CULTURE
We are travelers from diverse melting pots full of dynamic culture, including Latino, Slavic, African, Asian, Middle Eastern, European, East and West Indian. This has allowed us to learn about and understand each culture’s diverse music, cutoms and traditions. We take pride in being cultural music experts, and this is reflected in the service and entertainment we provide. Most of our team and talent are culturally informed and diverse. Heather is from Liverpool, a multicultural port city, and has either traveled to or lived in Kenya, Indonesia, Australia, South America, Europe and Canada. I was born in Toronto and grew up in Brampton with deep ties to both East and West Indian communities, as well as Arabic and Asian cultures. I speak Portuguese and conversational Spanish, so Latin music is also a significant part of my identity. I also trained in royal conservatory opera and often sang in Italian in addition to DJing and attending hundreds of mediterranean weddings. If you have any cultural concerns about finding the right DJ for your event, rest assured that our DJs are chameleons who can make you feel like they’re specialists in your culture’s music.
#9 MOMENTS
Heather was a professional model for many years, and I’ve been acting, modeling, performing, directing and video editing for several years. How does this apply to live events you ask? It means we understand the process of filming, staging, motion, editing, and lighting. We’ve been on both sides of the camera for years. We actively think about how things will appear on camera, knowing the footage will last forever. On top of acting in big-budget films, I’ve directed and edited multiple ads and music videos. This experience means we know how to coordinate with the photographers and videographers at your event to create goosebump-inducing, eye-catching moments that will last a lifetime. Great video content requires great footage. When the cameras are on us, we perform. When the cameras are on you, we’ll play the perfect tracks to get you and your guests moving, giving your photographers and videographers the footage they need to create phenomenal memories.
#10 COMMUNITY
We take pride in volunteering our time to help grow and give back to our local community. We love where we live and spend our spare time improving our neighborhood by sharing ideas, training others, and attending events that empower and benefit the community. We provide music for public events like the Winona Peach Festival and “Open Streets” on Barton and King. Heather coordinates and participates in female empowerment groups like the Fempreneurs and YWCA. We’re also members of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, the Barton Street BIA, and the Steel Town Athletic Club. I teach children’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes twice a week, substitute teach drums, piano, and vocals when needed, and run an annual four-week voice acting course at Vogue Models & Talent. All of the above reflects the personal touch we bring to everything we do. We believe in helping others and providing positive experiences, including for our clients.
