Music Profile - Part 2

As I pick up from last week, I was beginning to elaborate on the fact that professionals never wing it. We do improvise, as I previously stated, but winging it can be disastrous on many levels. Planning for an event, by anyone in the entertainment industry, is a must, especially when you have to perform and keep people happy throughout the evening. As a DJ for a wedding, or any private event, we are usually (on average) only 3% of the budget but we are 90% of the fun. Music will either make or break your event and there is no in between. Also, as a DJ, if I know not only my client, but also whom they have invited, then I am going to be able to please them with no problems.

Now, how do we begin this process? We begin by picking your brain. My initial thought is that I don’t care what you may wish to have played at your event (because I do) but I want to know each and every song that has made you either snap your finger, tap your feet or made you look like a Karaoke star while singing in your car at stop light. And what I mean by each and every song is anything that has made you happy, when hearing it, throughout your life. It comes down to one simple thing, “the more I know, the better the show”. Reason being is that if you like it, then nine out of ten times your family, friends and guests that you have invited, will also be pleased. As a professional, with this approach, it provides me with more leverage to insure music gratification.

My goal is to get to know the makeup of the crowd prior to the evening. By going down a list of music, likes and dislikes, and then formatting what you, the client, wants from the beginning of the event to the end, a formula is used to insure that your dance floor is packed the entire evening. Do all DJ’s use this approach? No and please do not be fooled. If a DJ is only asking for twenty songs and eras of music that you may or may not prefer, then you are probably not going to get exactly what you want. We are not iPods. We are professionals who must be able to put our finger on the pulse of the crowd and, based on what we obtain from you, manipulate them until they wear holes in the bottom of their shoes.

I have said this to numerous people in the past; the difference from a professional DJ and a hobbyist is that a professional plays for the crowd and hobbyists play for themselves.

This all boils down to a simple philosophy. Get to know your crowd. If we are incapable of doing that, then we, the DJ, will not be able to do our job and to do our job well. Talent is only one trait that a great DJ must have, however, the others, such as dedication to one’s craft, are not only needed but are required. We at DJOC insure success for your event by carrying these traits as well as our reputation on our sleeve. Music profiling is our approach and it has been proven effective each and every time.

Music Profile - Part 1

Today’s approach to music and music entertainment by any DJ has to be solid, concise and fundamentally sound. This is needed as preparing for any wedding; private or corporate event requires a process that must be personalized and unique. Restaurant, clubs, lounges and bars market their entertainment for a particular niche. A particular segment of society that they feel will benefit their establishment. That being said, people will now go to those venues to hear a music and entertainment format that they know will be featured. For all other types of events, research is needed to insure perfection.

Back in 2000 when I came to Washington DC and started Disc Jockeys On Call, I began working with several other DJ agencies as a subcontractor so that I could get a solid feel of the market. When contacted by an agency I would receive basic information on the event that would generalize the client’s need. Music surveys were completed by the client that would say that they wanted music from the 80’s, 90’s, Top 40, Big Band, Jazz, etc. Performing music for many years prior to this I knew that this approach was too presumptuous.

As a DJ, when you are doing an event, you need to know your crowd. You need to know all of their likes and dislikes so that you can get your finger on the pulse of the crowd to control the dancing. Performing at a club in which the patrons are aware of the marketing format, allows you flexibility by building on artists and music titles that have been proven effective time and time again. With your private event your intelligence comes from the client. You need to know all of their specific likes and dislikes so that you will have a true understanding of your soon to be audience. A music list does not accomplish this at all. Why? Because DJ’s are not iPods.

Let’s look at a particular scenario: when I meet with a client I am very specific when I set up an account for them on my website. As I begin my music consulting process, I ask them to tell me everything that they like. EVERYTHING. I advise them that a list of 20 specific songs is a “compilation CD” and that they are hiring me for my knowledge, professionalism and talent. I need to pick their brain and I request their help in doing this by asking them to trust my judgment. I must have a complete understanding of the crowd that will be attending. Now, the list of 20 songs is a great start, as I know the client wants to hear these specific songs listed. We now take this and begin to build a extensive music profile that may or may not be similar in style to the listed genres.

Why do we do this? Well, let’s look at the facts. Clients are not going to pay $1,000.00, $2,000.00 and $3,000.00 for any DJ or musician who just wings it. Like anything in life, if you want to succeed, you have to have a plan in place. And as a DJ we have to take into account that maybe the initial selection of songs may not set the mood that the client desires for their event. What if those songs are just a list of two or three artists? What do you, as a DJ, do as backup? Do you just wing it? No as professionals play for their audience and hobbyists play for themselves. In other words, Professionals never wing it, but we will improvise (smile).

(To Be Continued 10/14/2009)