Behind The Music - A chat with All Star DJ Alliance
When a bride is looking for a DJ, what should she consider?
She should consider the fact that, like snowflakes and the stars in the sky, no two DJ’s are alike! The title of Disc Jockey is not handed out as a degree earned by completing an accepted curriculum at an accredited college.
Every Disc Jockey has a different personality, different talents, and a different level of experience. That’s why I’m always amazed when I answer a sales call and the first question the customer asks is, “How much do you charge?”. I truly understand that “price matters” . But I will never forget a Bride that approached me on Superbride Sunday. She had talked to every DJ in the building and had narrowed it down to three possible choices. So she walked up to me and said, ”Ok, you have one shot, step up to the mike and wow me on why I should hire you to DJ my wedding. Now she is giving me a chance to explain all the different services I provide and why I have set my minimum charge for a wedding reception on a Saturday at $795.00, (Which includes up to Eight hours of service.) Once I had completed my sales pitch, she commented that $795.00 seemed like a very reasonable and realistic price based on the fact that I had done this a thousand time before, (over 1300 times to be exact), and she was confident that I could provide her with everything that I promised her. She whipped out her check book and wrote out the deposit right there on the spot. So I think a Brides first question to a DJ should be “Wow me with your sales pitch!” Then consider if the price they are asking is a reasonable and realistic price based on their professionalism, personality, talent, experience, and the services that they can provide.
How much does experience play into hiring a dj?
Imagine yourself deciding one day that you want to become a mobile DJ. You have no experience whatsoever. How long do you think it would take to learn the trade? I can tell you from my experience that it took over seven years of working night and day before I was comfortable with the show I was presenting to the public. Fourteen weeks of my vacation and most every weekend was spent in my garage working on building my show and hundreds of hours taping music and thumbing through albums at department stores trying to find requested music, and so forth. That was 1985 and since then, I have chosen to persevere and learn every innovation that has come along. The hardest learning curve I have went through was trying to understand the concept of DMX lighting and how to operate it. Now after 30 years in the mobile DJ industry, there is no question you can ask me that I can’t answer, there is no situation that can come up that I haven’t dealt with, and I’ve met and worked with virtually every vendor that provides services to the wedding industry. When you hire an experienced professional, you are also purchasing peace of mind.
Is the type of equipment important?
Only if the groom is involved in the hiring of the DJ. The Groom usually makes comments like “that’s awesome” or “I wish I had your system in my (car, bedroom, living room, garage, basement, etc.) The Bride has spent months investigating and shopping for her big day and she knows that every DJ uses professional equipment and lights and there are others issues to consider when hiring a Disc Jockey.
What seems to be more popular slow songs or fast paced dance music?
It’s different with every crowd. It is extremely important that a DJ be able to read the crowd and play the music that is going to keep the highest percentage of the people in that room, on that night, on the dance floor for as long as he or she can. My musical format has been built based on trial and error and taking requests over a thirty year period. If I play a song at several different functions and I get a favorable response, it stays in my format. Of course if it bombs, it’s out forever unless someone requests it. And it is interesting to note that most guests request the same songs over and over again from one function to another. I always give the bride and groom and even their guests an opportunity to construct a request list before the day of the function. This is done through e-mail, telephone calls, and by using the interactive menu on my website which includes a data base of over 60,000 songs to choose from. This request list serves two purposes. First and foremost in is imperative to me to have every song on the brides request list in my computer and ready to be played when I arrive at the reception. By getting the list in advance, I can download any song she has requested that I don’t have and flash it into my computer before the function. Secondly, a request list is not only a gauge of what the bride and groom want to hear and dance to but it is also a reflection of their entire family, friends, and co-workers. Eventually, it all comes together after the formalities are concluded and the guests are invited to take the dance floor for the open dancing portion of the evening. Now comes the true test of the DJ you have hired. If he has done his homework, at the end of the night the newly married couple will give him an A+. It is also very gratifying to know that the memories you have helped to create for all the guests who have attended their wedding will last a lifetime. And nothing says “Thank you” like the smiles of contentment and gratitude on the Bride and Grooms faces when the night has concluded.
You can view more information about All Star DJ Alliance by going to their vendor page here.