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O U R     E M C E E S   &  D J S

A Brief History of Harminy

 

     In 1984, while a freshman at Pittsfield High School,  Joseph Mindlin was a music student and thought it would be fun to DJ the Music Department banquet since he loved music and playing records. After the banquet and throughout his high school years, he would continue to do parties, schlepping cassettes and LPs to numerous places throughout Berkshire County, never thinking that someday he'd be a mobile DJ for over 30 years.  Over the decades, the company changed its name twice, from Digital Sound Productions in the late 80's, then to Gold Platter Productions in the 90's when Joe collaborated with Joe Scapin, a late friend and co-worker of his at WUPE Radio.  In the early 2000's, Joe collaborated with another friend, Thomas Harrison, to create Harminy Entertainment.  People may ask "why is the word Harminy misspelled?"  Well, it's a simple answer!  Tom came up with the idea of using the first 3 letters of his last name (Harrison) and the first 3 letters of Joe's last  name (Mindlin) and add a Y at the end, thus became HARMINY (brilliant, eh?).  Tom Harrison hung up his full-time DJing in the early 2010's due to health reasons.  Larry Kratka joined Harminy in 2012 and is with the company to this day.  Looking back at where it all started, the back breaking days of schlepping heavy equipment, records, tapes and CDs....Joe still says it was all worth it because he enjoys entertaining people!

Our Philosophy

     

We can sum up our philosophy in really one word: professionalism. Since day one, we believe that when you are the emcee of an event or a wedding, you have to be professional in your appearance, your music and your overall performance.  Some other companies hire kids off the street, students or sub-contract.  We don't do that and we never will.  You shouldn't have to take chances with someone inexperienced.  We are two seasoned professionals who have played for big and small crowds and have seen it all over 30 plus years in business.  We know that plans can change in a moments' notice and we're confident and prepared for the unexpected.  That's why we'll take the time, however long is needed, to go over every detail of your event so you'll feel more at ease when the date arrives.

Joseph Mindlin

     Joe became a mobile DJ while a freshman in high school back in 1984 and soon thereafter became an on-air personality at WTBR-FM in Pittsfield and a producer at WUPE radio in Pittsfield. During his years in radio, he was a sought after talent for commercials and live remotes due to his radio voice.  When it comes to originality and entertaining guests, Joe is very outgoing and knows what it takes to make a party or wedding a total success and very entertaining for the guests or attendees too! When it comes to your wedding, Joe caters to your needs and suggests ideas he has to make your dream day perfect in every way.

     When not DJing, Joe spends time with his dog Scout

 and he is an avid mountain climber and snowshoer. He is the co-host of a weekly radio show on WTBR-FM in Pittsfield and a contributor to an internationally broadcast radio show.

You can e-mail Joe directly at min@harminy.com

Larry Kratka

     When it comes to the word "professional", Larry's name is right there in the definition of the word. Larry is one of the most recognizable radio personalities in Western Massachusetts being a veteran of over 30 years in local television and radio. Larry was the News Director and talk show host for Vox Radio/WUPE in Pittsfield and was a host of the TV broadcast of the Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade. Recently retired, Larry in his spare time does voice-over production and is the host of several radio shows in syndication in over 15 states and across the world. Over his career in radio, Larry worked in several states including Florida, Idaho and his native home of Connecticut. As a mobile DJ, he is second-to-none when it comes to setting the tone, knowing the crowd, playing all the best music and being an all-around entertainer. Once you have Larry perform for your event, you'll have a room full of satisfied guests and moreso you'll definitely get your money's worth!

 

You can e-mail Larry directly at larry@harminy.com

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