loving—so after I met Carl, DJing
seemed like a good fit for me too,” she
says.
"When we did our first show, I only
had one microphone. Sophia turned to
me and asked, ‘Where's mine?,’” laughs
Carl. “The rest as they say is history!”
When discussing retirement, the
empty nesters talked about finding a way
to have fun and stay young while helping
others through community involvement
and entertaining at weddings, parties,
retirement homes and more. "I DJed
hundreds of weddings and other special
occasions over the years, so continuing
to be a DJ after retirement, was a natural
next step for me," says Carl. “It's so
wonderful to play songs that will either
create new memories for our wedding
couples or bring back so many great
memories for people we perform for in
Retirement & Nursing Homes.”
The couple started Music & Memories
DJ Services in 2016. They do it all—
from Weddings to Sweet 16 Parties, Car
Cruises, Family and Class Reunions to
entertaining at Retirement Homes and
more.
“We love our name ‘Music &
Memories’ because that's what music
is all about to us,” says Sophia. "People
will come up to us after our show and
say things like, 'Thank you for playing
Tammy by Debbie Reynolds—that was
my daughter's name.'" Sophia was the
primary caregiver for her parents and
so when they’d visit them in a rehab
center or an independent living home,
the couple would see first-hand how
so many residents had no one visiting
them. “It is so very sad,” says Sophia. “So,
we love chatting with these folks while
playing the music they remember. We
also do sing-a-longs with them and play
trivia with them—giving away prizes
like crossword puzzle books, small
flashlights, hats and more.”
The couple feels they are unique to
not only Monroeville but to the entire
Pittsburgh area. “One week, we'll be
DJing & MCing a wedding and playing
the latest hit songs by Taylor Swift, The
Jonas Brothers, Ariana Grande, Maroon
5 and more, and in the next week or so,
we'll be playing songs by Glenn Miller,
Dean Martin, The Ames Brothers, Perry
Como, etc., at a retirement home,” says
Carl. “What we do isn't about us or
about making a ton of money. For us, it's
about getting personally involved with
our clients to help them make the music
and itinerary for their wedding reception
and/or ceremony (or other event) as
unique and as special as they are.
Earlier this year, Carl and Sophia
were awarded the 2019 Couples'
Choice Award for DJ's by WeddingWire,
Inc.—a leading global online wedding
marketplace which annually celebrates the
Top Wedding Professionals across more
than 20 service categories throughout the
country.
"Working together to create memories
as well as bringing back memories
through the songs we play is the best
thing about sharing this DJ business
with my husband,"says Sophia. "It's an
extension of our love—doing something
we love together."
To contact Carl and Sophia, email
[email protected]. Also, visit
their Facebook Business Page at
facebook.com/tohelpucelebrate or via
Weddingwire at weddingwire.com/
musicmemories. n
MONROEVILLE
❘
FALL 2019
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