Two New DJ Mixes - Download Now!

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:10:00 US/Mountain

Available on the downloads page, two new DJ mixes for your streaming/downloading pleasure "Trance Mix" is my first trance mix uploaded, and "Remixes Vol 1" is my first small set in a series of more remixes to come.

Let me know what you think of the mixes! As always head to the downloads page, click on DJ Mixes, then pick the mix you want to listen to.

"Trance Mix" Track List: Tiesto ft. Kirsty Hawkshaw - Just Be (Antillas Club Mix), Armin van Buuren - Control Freak (Sander van Doorn Remix), Markus Schulz ft. Carrie Skipper - Never Be The Same Again (Markus Schulz Coldharbour Club Mix), Tiesto - Love Comes Again (Original Mix)

"Remixes Vol 1" Track List: Tatu - All The Things She Said (Dave Aude Club Edit), Paramore - That's What You Get (Funk Avy Remix), Keri Hilson - Energy (Wideboys Remix), Sean Kingston - Fire Burning (Dave Aude Club Mix)

Video Game Movie Mix Uploaded!

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:38:00 US/Mountain

Just got done doing a quick mix of two video game songs and two movie theme remixes, around 23 minutes long, feel free to stream it, download it and let me know what you think! Available on the Downloads page as always, click on "DJ Mixes" folder, then "Video Game Movie Mix" to stream or click on the arrow by it to download

Track List: Phenyx - Saria's Song, Electrixx - Tetris (Original Mix), Moby - James Bond Theme, DJ Stoltz - Pirates of the Caribbean Megamix

Original Music Mix Uploaded!

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:16:00 US/Mountain

DJ mix of original music is available for streaming/download on the downloads page in the DJ Mixes folder, titled "Original Music Mix."

I know, bit of self-promotion but I'd love to hear what your favorite tracks are in the mix, considering releasing an album on iTunes if I get enough good comments

Track List: DJ Stoltz - Midnight Sun, DJ Stoltz - Airwaves, DJ Stoltz - Ibiza, DJ Stoltz - Congestion, DJ Stoltz - HJW

Wedding Resources Available!

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:17:00 US/Mountain

New folder on my downloads page titled "Wedding Resources" available for everyone who's planning a wedding. They're organized in separate folders that include ideas/templates for newsletters, bridesmaids requests, a camera scavenger hunt, ceremony, clip art/flourishes, wedding favors, fonts (if a template says you need a font then download that font from the folder and move it to Fonts in Control Panel for Windows), guest lists/activities for guests for out of town and destination weddings, how-to tutorials, invitations, kid's coloring books (keep them quiet during the ceremony!), organization for budget and address book, reception and timeline/itinerary templates.

Let me know if you find any of these templates useful, if you have questions on using any of them or problems opening a file let me know and I can assist you with any technical difficulties

Planning A Wedding? Have A Year? Here's A Timeline For You!

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:02:00 US/Mountain

Came across this template from bridaltweet.com - great resource for wedding vendors and brides/grooms alike so check out the site for their other articles, this one stood out to me as a useful template so I figured I should share it with everyone!

Original site is here: http://www.bridaltweet.com/forum/topics/wedding-day-templates

12 month
Announce engagement to friends and family
Make sure both families meet
Throw engagement party if desired
Choose a style, theme, or color combination
Set a date
Decide on basics [season, outdoor, formal, etc]
Decide on ceremony location
Budget
What are the wedding priorities [guest, food, etc]
Determine who will pay for what
Open a wedding bank account
Consider cash back or airmile card
If considering a prenuptial, contact lawyer
If you have preferred ceremony book now
Decide on ball park number of guests
Look through magazines to get ideas
Research potential DJ, florist, bands etc
Have engagement ring appraised and insured
Book photographer for engagement photos
Think about attendants
Start collecting addresses for guests you plan on inviting
Mail out save the date cards [especially for holidays & destination]
Setting up a wedding website
Purchase thank you cards

11 month
Consider wedding insurance
Finalize theme/style of wedding & reception
Meet with several caterers
Meet with bands or DJ's; listen to demo CDs & request song lists
Visit florists for sample bouquet & arrangements
Book ceremony venue & schedule rehearsal time
Book your reception venue & pay deposit; arrange parking & transportation
Rainy day contingency if outdoor wedding
Continue looking for dresses
Finalize who will be in wedding party
Meet with officiant, discussing readings & vows
Set honeymoon budget
Find out what you need for a marriage license

10 month
Select and order wedding gown
If ceremony is in a public place get necessary permits
Talk to wedding party about their responsibilities
Start pre-marriage counseling sessions
Visit lawyer to update your will

9 month
Set up gift registry
Make decision on type of reception [sit down, buffet etc,] amount of food, courses
Decide on liquor [open bar, part free, part pay, cocktails, beer & wine, do you need bartenders
Select & order veil or headpiece
Confirm delivery date of wedding gown
Start looking into airfare, hotel, car rental for out of town guests

8 month
Sign contracts with florist, caterer, photographer, videographer, baker & DJ; pay deposits as needed
Review budget
Start a detailed guest list
Bride should go for first dress fitting; bride should bring her shoes or ones with the same height
Choose style of bridesmaid dresses & accessories
Start a fitness plan if needed

7 month
Notify bridesmaids about dress fittings; collect measurements & order dresses
Decide on groomsmen attire [tuxedo, suit etc]
Select attire for ring bearer & flower girl
Choose style, font, paper & format for wedding invitations & any other stationary
If needed hire a calligrapher or printer
Decide on wording for ceremony programs [order of events should already be decided first]
Book a block of hotel rooms for your guests
Order wedding bands
Buy bridal acessories, including lingerie
Decide what you want guests to throw after the ceremony

6 month
Meet all vendors to verify & finalize selections [table settings, flower arrangements, style of menu etc]
Create maps & write directions for your guests
Hire limousine or car service
Approve proofs for professional printing or calligraphy & make orders
Start thinking of honeymoon plans
Schedule time off from work for last minute details [few days or a week]
Book hair & makeup appointments
Finalize guest lists
Select company to rent linens, place settings, silverware etc if reception site does not provide
Start mailing thank you cards if you've received gifts
Let bride/grooms mothers know what you expect for attire
Reserve grooms formal wear including shoes
Schedule groomsmen fittings & reserve their formalwear
Decide on wedding favors
If staying in a bridal suite book hotel now
Choose gifts for wedding party
Look into dance lessons, if needed
Engagement Party
Shopping for wedding bands
Officiate should be consulted

5 month
Finalize honeymoon destination, book flight & accomodations, verify documentation {passport etc}
Taste test wedding cakes, place order, sign contract, arrange delivery time
Make restaurant reservations for rehearsal dinner & select menu
Update gift registry & wedding website
Review readings & poetry for the ceremony
If writing vows start now

4 month
Finalize your wedding vows
Dress fitting with shoes & lingerie
Start addressing invitation envelopes
Purchase the grooms accessories [cufflinks, tie, socks etc]
Buy attendant gifts
Book trial hair & makeup appointments for bride & attendants
Provide a must play and do not play songs to band or DJ, outline of special dances, planned events [cake cutting, breaks, speeches etc]
Decide whether or not you & your partner will see each other before the ceremony
Book the restaurant for after wedding brunch & select menu
If traveling to a tropical destination, check with doctor whether you need shots before you leave
Bridal Shower

3 month
Weigh & pay postage for invitations
Mail out invitations
If you want wedding announcement in newspaper, submit photo & write-up
Discuss plans for bachelor, stag or doe party with attendants
Set date & time for bridesmaid luncheon
Add or update gifts on registry
Mail out "what to do in the city" newsletters
Select your attire for rehearsal dinner
Start assembling guest favors
Start assembling welcome gifts for guest hotel rooms
If you & your partner are planning to exchange gifts start looking now
Schedule spa appointments
Give photographer a list of must take photos
Book remaining ceremony & reception services [valet, coat check, parking, takedown crew, serving staff, wait staff, lighting, restroom]
Shopping for wedding bands

2 month
Secure a wedding day dressing room for bride, groom & attendants
Final dress fitting, bring lingerie, shoes, veil & accessories with gown, have final alterations made, pick-up or delivery
Assign someone to bring gown where it needs to be on wedding day
Purchase ceremony extras [wine glass, aisle runner, candles etc]
Blood test if state requires
Get marriage license
If partner is changing name get paperwork together
If you are moving after wedding send "change of address" information to post office
Meet with your bank to discuss joint account, change to insurance policies
Meet with lawyer to discuss wills & finalize prenuptial agreement
Double check sizing of wedding bands & check on engraving
Secure tent, chair, & table rentals
Make bookings/reservations for weekend activities you have planned
Buy a guest book
Check with bridesmaids dress alterations are complete, dress picked up, shoes & accessories
Check with groomsmen to make sure formalwear rentals are booked, shoes & accessories are in order
If writing your own marriage vows

1 month
Send out invitations for rehearsal & dinner
Confirm music list with DJ or band
If you need clothes, swimwear, luggage, shoes, accessories buy now
Go to trial hair & makeup, bring veil & hair ornaments plus fabric swatches, confirm wedding appointment
Order liquor if not provided
Confirm floral orders, delivery times for ceremony & reception
Decide how programs will be distributed at ceremony
Schedule setup & takedown times for band or DJ verify they have necessary electrical hookups for their equipment
Create seating arrangement for reception
Color or Highlight touch-ups
Confirm manicure/pedicure appointments
Finalize wedding day arrival & meeting location for photographer/videographer
Arrange for transportation to & from airport
Arrange for mail pick-up & pets
Double check passport & visa information
Make sure relative or friend has photocopies of your passports & copy of travel itinerary
Arrange to hae groom & groomsmen formalwear returned
Let attendants & special guests know how long speech or toast should be
Give copies of readings & poems to those who will need them
Designate master of ceremonies
If children are coming make arrangements for kid-friendly area
Assign task of handing out bubbles, confetti etc
Assign who will collect flower arrangement, candles, centerpieces
Make sure witnesses know who they are

8 weeks
Mail invitations 8 weeks before wedding date

3 weeks
Set RSVP deadline 2-3 weeks before wedding date

2 weeks
Call any guests who have not rsvp
Finalize guest list & give to caterer a final head count
Fill out place cards & finalize seating arrangements
Start wearing dress shoes around house to break them in
One last dress fitting complete with accessories & footwear
Bride/Groom should write speech or toast for reception

1 week
Start packing honeymoon bags
Exchange money for foreign currency
Have brides gown picked up or delivered
Update caterer on final number of meals needed
Have facials, eyebrows shaped, body treatment or spray tanning done now
Confirm hair & makeup appointments
Give wedding party & family list of phone numbers needed for ceremony
Organize envelopes with vendor payments & tips
Pick up wedding dress & take to to cleaning/preservation
Give wedding day schedules to all attendants
Bring honeymoon luggage to hotel
If doing speeches at rehearsal dinner, finanlize now
Wrap attendant presents to distribute at rehearsal dinner
Organize place to securely store wedding gifts
Take a break - day of rest

1 day
Drop off welcome baskets at hotel
Confirm all transportation arrangements
Attend manicure/pedicure appoinments
Attend rehearsal & rehearsal dinner go over everyone's duties
Mail out marriage announcements
Assign task for someone to bring marriage license to ceremony
Give wedding rings to designated attendants
Set your alarm have a back up ready

Day of
Take a deep breathe
Have luggage delivered to hotel
Switch engagement ring to other hand
Eat a good breakfast
Attend hair & make-up appointments
Get dressed
Have a great time!!!

After wedding
Arrange for transportation of gifts to bride/groom home
Pick up gown from cleaners
Submit name change forms
Send thank you cards
Return any gifts
View photo proofs & order desired prints
Update wedding website

Drum n Bass Mix Uploaded!

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 14:42:00 US/Mountain

More music that I mixed from Wipeout HD - these are the three drum n bass songs in the game, less than ten minutes long but it's pretty fast paced so enjoy! Download available on the downloads page in the "DJ Mixes" folder as always.

Track List: Mist - Smart Systems, DJ Fresh - X-project (100% Pure Mix), and Ed Rush, Optical, Matrix - Frontline

Techno Mix Available!

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:33:00 US/Mountain

Techno mix available on the downloads page in the "DJ Mixes" folder titled "145 BPM Techno Mix" - enjoy some techno yah?

Track listing includes:

D.H.T. - Listen To Your Heart (Dance Remix), DJ Splash - You Spin Me Right Round (Remix), Vibeout - Time After Time (Original Remix), Cascada - What Hurts The Most, O-Zone - Dragostea Din Tei (Techno Remix), and Usher - Yeah (Techno Remix)

Short electro mix of tunes from Wipeout HD!

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:27:00 US/Mountain

New mix available on downloads page in "DJ Mixes" folder - "Wipeout HD - Electro Mix" featuring some of my favorite tracks from the game. Warning to people who don't like instrumental music, most of it is instrumental! As always message me with requests for future mixes, now it's time to go outside and enjoy the sunshine

Track List: Move ya! & Steve Lavers - Chemical, Stanton Warriors - Tokyo, DJ Mason - Exceeder, Noisia - Machine Gun

Valentine's Dance @ Agate Hall from February 13, 2010

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:58:00 US/Mountain

Here are some videos from the Valentine's Dance I did at Agate Hall last Saturday for Narcotics Anonymous, party went really well, 8:30-11:30 and the group made quite a bit of money so I'm proud for them! This is also the same group I did the New Year's Dance for so it's great getting repeat business from them

DJ Mixes Available!

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:09:00 US/Mountain

Just uploaded two DJ mixes in my downloads section - this is a new thing which I hope to dedicate time to at least once a week outside of gigs, so check them out in the downloads section in the "DJ Mixes" folder! There's a Britney Spears and Lady Gaga set, next set of mixes will be more than one artist, if anyone has requests for mixes then let me know via e-mail or leaving a comment on this post!

Quick note about the audio quality - both mixes are compressed at 96kbps cbr (constant bit rate) mp3PRO file - meaning on standard mp3 players the audio will be radio quality, but if you have a player that supports mp3PRO codecs then you should receive better audio quality. I had to compress them to save disk space and not go over my 25MB limit for uploading files. If anyone wants the original uncompressed mixes then I'll have to give you a CD in person

Track Lists:

Lady Gaga Club Mix: Paparazzi (Moto Blanco Remix), Love Game (Marilyn Manson Remix), Bad Romance (Chew Fu H1N1 Club Mix), Poker Face (Jody Den Broeder Remix), Just Dance (Guena LG Glam As You Club Mix)

Britney Spears Club Mix: 3 (Wolfgang Gartner Remix), Piece of Me (Mysto & Pizzi Dance Remix), Gimme More (Kaskade Club Mix), Circus (Mysto & Pizzi Electro Mix)

Updated Music Library!

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:48:00 US/Mountain

Music Library just got updated, so if you've download the list off my website then download it again for the updated version or send me an e-mail to request it!

Karaoke Library Updated!

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:47:00 US/Mountain

Finished organizing all of my new karaoke music and added it to my library, they're available in the Downloads section under DJ Documents. Almost doubled my collection

Updates Coming Soon!

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:48:00 US/Mountain

So if you've been following the past couple of tweets from Twitter or Facebook, you'll notice I'm actively organizing more karaoke music, and with that I plan on having an update in my karaoke library within a week, along with updates to my music library and Guitar Hero library as well. I won't have Guitar Hero: World Tour as an option anymore because I figured out how to import that music library into Guitar Hero 5, plus I've added some downloadable content for Guitar Hero 5 and will put up the song list for Guitar Hero: Van Halen soon.

I'm also in the works on creating a couple mix demos to pass around to local bars and clubs, hoping I can get a relationship with a few local venues for monthly or weekly gigs

Last of all I'm in the process of upgrading the rest of my halogen lights to their LED models - this will be more power efficient for venues and I won't have to run duty cycles on any of my lights, so if you want all of my lights on all of the time, you'll have that option soon! The newest member to my lighting family is the Venue BLG Burst Laser, it's a dispersion laser with Gobos (designs), meaning I can project a green starfield or several other patterns: circles, smiley faces, stars, skull faces, hearts and two hearts with an arrow through it. I'll plan on doing a video for the laser as there are none on YouTube right now.

That's all folks!

Happy 2010!

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:19:00 US/Mountain

Happy 2010 everyone! Now that it's the new year and the holidays are over, I'll be removing my holiday music on the downloads page tomorrow so tonight's your last chance to download those songs before next year! Also changed the look of my site, so let me know what you think!

Guitar Hero Song Lists Are Up!

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 01:57:00 US/Mountain

The song lists for Guitar Hero 5, Guitar Hero: World Tour, and Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock are available to download on the downloads page in the DJ Documents folder. I also created a master song list with all the Guitar Hero songs I have available.

Also to avoid confusion with file types I deleted the other file extensions for my music library list, so if there are any problems downloading or opening a file just contact me and I'll e-mail you another version of it

Keyboard/Saxophone Lists Are Up!

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:01:00 US/Mountain

Uploaded my lists of commonly played songs for both keyboard and saxophone, they're in the DJ Documents folder so if you're thinking of having live saxophone or keyboard at an event then feel free to download "Saxophone List" or "Keyboard List"

Karaoke List Added!

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:20:00 US/Mountain

Just uploaded my karaoke list finally! Just getting started so right now it's less than 2,000 songs, but feel free to take a look and if you think I'm missing any songs let me know!

Keyboard recording of Canon In D uploaded

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:49:00 US/Mountain

Recorded Canon in D on keyboard, listen to it on the downloads page in the keyboard samples folder!

Utilizing Craigslist and RSS Feeds

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:56:00 US/Mountain

One cool feature about Craigslist is the ability to use RSS feeds to notify you when something you're searching for comes up. Most people will use this feature for items being sold, but for the wedding and event industry there are brides and others who post opportunities on Craigslist, and because time is money the sooner you respond to a posted gig, the more likely you'll either get the gig or at least be considered for it.

Since I'm a DJ I have my RSS setup to search for DJ gigs and jobs in every Craigslist area in Oregon. Most internet browsers or mail clients have an RSS feed option, so it's a matter of performing the search, then scrolling down to the bottom of the page, click the RSS button and copy the URL to your RSS reader. Now you're up to date on all posted gigs for your area, and they're delivered right to you

I have booked numerous gigs using this and figured I should share it with everyone, this feature can be applied to any business that has an applicable area market on Craigslist. I urge everyone to give it a try, if you need help setting up an RSS feed leave a comment or e-mail me and I'll be glad to help

Google Chrome in - IE8 out

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:47:00 US/Mountain

I finally decided on my default (and only) browser for my computers. I use to be a devout Firefox fanboy, then I decided to see if Microsoft finally did something right with Internet Explorer 8. Although it is a step up from 7, I still ran into problems on multiple websites and realized that IE8 still does not support the open web standards that are popular in most websites today. After test driving Google Chrome for a while I have been impressed with it's speed, usability and reliability that I believe is superior to IE8, and although Firefox is a great browser once I started using add-ons and themes it quickly became bloated.

I'm sure this won't be the last time I change web browsers, but for now Chrome is the best one for me. Let me know what you think and if you agree/disagree with my views on IE8 and Chrome. And if Chrome somehow fails in the future, then back to Firefox

Updated music library, finished saxophone samples (for now), and will be posting a review on my favorite BlackBerry apps soon!

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:16:00 US/Mountain

The music library documents got recently updated so feel free to download the new versions, it's available in four different formats organized by Title and Artist. I now have 15 saxophone samples online, which means it's time to record more piano samples in the near future: right now my plans are to record Canon in D, Air On the G String, Fur Elise and Moonlight Sonata. Let me know if you have any other requests for demos and feel free to leave comments here on the Blog page, on my Guestbook or on Facebook, MySpace or Twitter.

Now for something not music related - since I've been the recent and proud owner of a BlackBerry I've been running my course through apps and will be doing a review on the ones I find useful and use on a regular basis, so BlackBerry owners be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed for this blog to see what I like and then afterwards feel free to leave comments on what else I should check out, if you agree/disagree, etc.

Things are looking good for my business, thanks to everyone for all the referrals and comments, it really is all of you that keep me in business

Four saxophone samples are up!

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:33:00 US/Mountain

Decided to get a head start in recording tonight, have four samples uploaded in the downloads page in the "saxophone samples" folder. Since these are samples they fade out after I play the melody, I figure this way I can get more recorded and uploaded, for those of you not familiar with jazz songs most of these are structured as melody, soloing, melody.

Should have more songs uploaded by Monday!

Recording saxophone this Saturday!

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:55:00 US/Mountain

For those of you asking for saxophone samples, your wish (and mine) will come true since this Saturday I'm devoting the whole day to recording music. I should have everything edited and uploaded by Monday morning at the latest, so if you want to listen to those head over to the downloads section on Monday

Future documents to look forward to

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:32:00 US/Mountain

In preparation for rolling out next year's level of service, I'll be working on a few additional documents to upload on my site:

- Karaoke song list

- Saxophone song list

- Piano song list

- Document that will lay out tier pricing for additional services in addition to DJ service (live music, karaoke, Guitar Hero, etc)

- New information sheet to outline ceremony events, current information sheet will be renamed Reception Information Sheet

- More audio files available for piano and get around to recording saxophone!

- Song lists from Guitar Hero games (Guitar Hero 3, Guitar Hero World Tour and Guitar Hero 5, including a master list and all purchased downloadable content

Guestbook Added!

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:02:00 US/Mountain

There is now a Guestbook link above the link to this blog page so check it out and sign it!

Remix of Love Lockdown available for free download!

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:59:00 US/Mountain

Head over to the Downloads page in the Remixes folder - I made this remix in a few hours before doing a dance last Friday night, primarily used Vanguard and Nexus VST plugins for this remix

Download music anywhere (with cell phone coverage) and plans for next year.

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:06:00 US/Mountain

Thanks to one of my friends I got a Blackberry Pearl 8120 for dirt cheap, and pairing that with the Blackberry data plan and connected to my laptop I now have internet connection anywhere I have cell phone service by using my phone as a modem. This will be a huge benefit for those last-minute requests at gigs where I simply don't have the song or access to free wi-fi, as I can now download that song and honor the request!

I will also be making some changes next year for my DJ service - most notably I will be adding karaoke as an option, and paired with my projector and projector screen that will make for a nice addition to any wedding or party, or anyone who just wants to throw a karaoke party! I'm still sifting through and organizing my collection, which right now is at 2,000 songs and I hope for that to grow as I start out on the karaoke venture. Pricing for services will also slightly change, due to the economy and cost of living and details on that will come in a later blog post once I've decided.

DJ Documents Updated!

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:57:00 US/Mountain

Title is pretty self-explanatory - all my DJ Documents under the downloads section have been updated, so if you're looking for my playlist I've updated that in several formats sorted by Title and Artist, I also removed audio files that don't really count as songs (play-along tracks, beats, audiobooks, etc).

I also uploaded a reference letter that was sent to me a while ago but I forgot about, also there are a few more people added on my references file :-)

New Trance Song!

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:28:00 US/Mountain

New trance song for the summer "Ibiza" - it's a free download under the Downloads section of my website. You can also find it on MySpace and SoundClick.

Hope you enjoy the song and leave comments!

Google Voice

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:19:00 US/Mountain

Well I've been testing out Google Voice (formerly Grand Central) for a while and I'm pretty impressed with the service. If you're not familiar with Google Voice it allows you to have one phone number that forwards to your other phones, so whether you're at home, work or on the go with your cell phone people can contact you with your Google Voice number. Also did I mention it's free? Yeah - it's Google, so it's free .

Some neat features are transcriptions of Voicemail - definitely not perfect but if you're in a situation where you can't answer a call and receive a voicemail (library, computer lab, business meeting) but happen to be at a computer then you can read the voicemail. Just a warning though, if the person can't pronouce words clearly then it'll definitely be off from the recording . You can also have the service use your phone to connect you to anyone in the nation for free, or send and receive free SMS messages from your Google Voice number. If you have an unknown number or that one person you always ignore who calls to talk about meaningless stuff you can listen in on voicemails as they're being recorded in real-time. You can transfer a call between phones, so if you're at home and have to leave then there's the option to easily transfer the call to your cell phone. There are a lot more features but those are the notable ones for myself.

Personally I only have a cell phone, but I'll start using my Google Voice number as a business number to sort out phone calls for my DJ business. I'll know later down the road if this proves to be effecient or merely one more thing to worry about checking everyday.

Google Voice is currently invite-only but you can sign up for an invite at Google.com/voice. Once you get an invitation and accept it, all you have to do is sign in to your Google account and then go to that same url to access your account.

For smartphone users there are mobile apps for it which will extend the functionality of your device, however iPhone users you're out of luck, the official app from Google was rejected by Apple.

To close with, my Google Voice number is: (541) 357-9098