What is in a name?  My DJ handle, "Minnesota Cowboy" has nothing to do with country music, although I do enjoy it, along a very wide variety of music.  My belief has always been that a song would not have any popularity if it was "worthless", rather every song speaks a message and there are people who relate to that message.  There are no bad songs but rather bad times to play a song (when the audience or client has no desire nor appreciate for the song being played).  It is a disc jockey's job to learn about the client's and the guests' desires and then cater to their tastes and preferences. 

The name I chose as a DJ has more to do with who I am, how I live my life, and how I approach my work.  A cowboy had to have a high degree of self reliance and be extremely versatile, I own and operate Blue Moon Clydesdales with my family, work full time as a information technology specialist,  and am a DJ., my personal hobbies are also as wide and varied.  Any DJ worth their salt must be versatile, not only in their  knowledge of music but also in their ability to react to the situation.  At any time equipment may malfunction or otherwise not operate as desired.  A DJ must be able to quickly and effortlessly resolve the situation before it impacts the event.  There will rarely be enough time to make a phone call to have an "expert" come on site to resolve the situation.  Also, as a "cowboy" I adhere to the following two codes by Gene Autry and Hopalong Cassidy.

Gene Autry's Cowboy Code 
The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage.
He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.
He must always tell the truth.
He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.
He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas.
He must help people in distress.
He must be a good worker.
He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.
He must respect women, parents, and his nations laws.
The Cowboy is a patriot.

Hopalong Cassidy's Creed for American Boys and Girls
The highest badge of honor a person can wear is honesty.  Be mindful at all times.
Your parents are the best friends you have.  Listen to them and obey their instructions.
If you want to be respected, you must respect others.  Show good manners in every way.
Only through hard work and study can you succeed.  Don't be lazy.
Your good deeds always come to light.  So don't boast or be a show off.
If you waste time or money today, you will regret it tomorrow.  Practice thrift in all ways.
Many animals are good and loyal companions.  Be friendly and kind to them.
A strong, healthy body is a precious gift.  Be neat and clean.
Our country's laws are made for your protection.  Observe them carefully.
Children in many foreign lands are less fortunate than you.  Be glad and proud you are an American

Trust

My clients trust me to work hard to make their event special and for me to not take advantage of them.  They must be able to trust that I will be on time, bring the music I promised, and provide the services they paid for.  The last thing anyone wants to worry about on their special day is whether or not their DJ won't do their job.

Honest

Closely related to being trusted is the need for honesty, while I always use a contract for my services, I honor my word.  The contract only serves to document what it was that was promised so that no miscommunication occurs.

Lawful

Unfortunately there are some, luckily not many, DJs who are not lawful.  There have been cases where a DJ has stolen gifts from clients or forced clients to pay for damaged equipment that was already damaged prior to the event.  Unfortunately, there are many DJs who do not adhere to copyright laws and who have musical collections that are mostly pirated.  As a DJ I believe it is unethical to use pirated music  and then charge a fee to play it, I cannot justify earning a profit for playing a song and not compensating the artist for it.  Furthermore, karaoke music is becoming increasingly more expensive due to piracy and at least one major company, Sound Choice (www.soundchoice.com), has ceased its production of new discs as a direct result of piracy, for more information see http://www.karaokeantipiracyagency.com/ .  As a Disc Jockey, I have an obligation, to follow the law, to not take advantage of others by breaking the law, and to act in a manner which will preserve the industry for generations to come.

Professional

As a disc jockey it is imperative that I give a professional and clean presentation, both myself and my setup must convey this.  Nothing is more out of place at a wedding, where the bride and groom have spent hundreds to thousands of dollars on formal attire, than a DJ wearing a ragged t-shirt and torn pants.  While performing at your event I promise to be dressed for the occasion and to keep my setup looking professional .  My setup will not have a big sign shamlessly promoting the name of my business, the only marketing I find permissible at an event is doing a good job!  I will also promise to not use vulgar, obscene, threatening, or offensive language.  Furthermore, I will strive to play music that is appropriate for the venue and never play music which has been specifically added to the client's "do-not-play" list

Finally, Fun!

The reason why you are looking for a DJ is to have a fun filled event and the DJ must be able to get the party going by choosing the right, high energy music, that gets people out on the floor and dancing!  With over ten years experience combined with constant musical research I will play the music to keep the party going from start to finish!