Professional & Experienced DJ

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Take the time to get to know the DJ prior to booking.
You're guaranteed to have a much better time if you feel comfortable with the DJ. Getting to know them will let you know what to expect on the day of your event.
Consider the old saying, "You get what you pay for." People say it for a reason - its true. A DJ offering services for less than $100/hour is not going to have reliable equipment or the experience to keep your event moving forward if something "unexpected" happens.
Make certain the DJ has the type of music you like, already in their library. If they don't, chances are they will not know what the appropriate songs are. I personally specialize in Top 40's - so if you're looking for a DJ with a wealth of yodeling music, I'm not the DJ for you.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. When it comes to DJs, don't skimp on quality. Several independent special event websites have done surveys regarding what guests remembered the most about the events they attended. The thing that most people remember from any event is the DJ. Your DJ is a major focus of the event and has the power to make it a success or a failure. Do a little bit of research when you book your entertainment, don't just make a decision to book from price alone. Ask the DJ questions - if you are hiring an employee, you interview them - interview your DJ and ask questions that are important to you. If you like a cool light show, ask about it. If you like good audio quality, ask about the media they play and the equipment they use. These are all common-sense ideas that are often forgotten when booking.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. #1 - How long have you been DJing? (Hopefully over 3 years)
#2 - Is DJing your only job? (If no, hopefully in a related field)
#3 - What is your highest level of education? (The more educated, the more likely they will be to speak correctly and be prompt with their timing)
#4 - How many *insert your event type* do you do a year?(Obviously, if they do several of your event type a year, they will be more prepared to handle the quirks your event may run into, and more smoothly handle them)
#5 - What type of equipment do you own?(Equipment is often a great way to tell how serious they are about their DJing. Custom built equipment is usually a bad sign. Companies such as Pioneer, Yamaha, JBL, Denon, Technics, EAW, Rane, QSC, Crown, Mackie, ElectroVoice are some of the nicer DJ brands available and all make professional grade equipment)

Here are my answers:
#1 - Since 1998
#2 - No, but all of my income is from the entertainment industry from lighting, sound, and design related jobs.
#3 - I have a BA from UCI where I studied theater with a specialization in lighting, sound, and scenic design.
#4 - I do approximately 8 holiday, 10 wedding, 15 school, 7 corporate, and 3 miscellaneous events a year.
#5 - I use all Pioneer Players and Mixers, and either Yamaha or JBL speakers. They are always at most 3 years old - after which I replace them with newer models.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Do you take requests?
Of course I take requests. While I may not be able to fill every request, I will do my best to play a similar song, or another song by that same artist.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. We recently provided our services to a couple getting married. They needed several systems set up at their ceremony/reception site to accommodate their schedule of events.
We initially met with the couple several months in advance to talk about their specific needs for the wedding. We sat down with them at a local coffee shop and went over their ideas and music requests and helped them create a timeline for their wedding day that was realistic and flowed smoothly from one part to the next.
After our meeting, we set the couple up with our Online Event Planning software which allowed them to view and edit the details of their wedding including the members in their wedding party (who were not finalized at the time of our first meeting).
A few weeks prior to the wedding, we met with the couple to finalize all the aspects of their wedding. We made certain they had all their special songs chosen, and verified that we had the pronunciation of their wedding party's names correct.
The day of the wedding arrived and we were at the site 3 hours ahead of time setting up the ceremony system and testing our wireless microphones' settings for clarity and reliability at that site (wireless microphones should be configured at every place they are set up).
Once the ceremony system was set up, we began setting up a completely separate system for the outdoor cocktail hour that was taking place immediately after the ceremony at the same venue. We adjusted volume levels so guests would be able to converse without the music taking away from the social atmosphere.
The final setup, also the most complicated was the indoor reception...
...to be continued