Disc Jockey News

Here is my response to some negative remarks on DJ Chat sites and on the DJA Radio blogs made about DJA Radio and it's Pod Cast Personalities

To Mark, Peter, Bill, Jim and everyone involved with DJA Radio:

Your pod cast programs are a major step in the improvement of our industry. DJ’s all around the world are improving their talent, skills and techniques all because you are willing to share your time, experience and talent to anyone who has a need to be better, no matter how good they are.

The “Getting what your worth” tour was the beginning of a movement that has changed the DJ industry for the better. The DJ conventions, magazines, news papers all add into this equation to elevate our chosen profession.

DJA Radio is the next generation of education to the industry. I know that there are feelings that sometimes it’s just not worth it when so many DJs still charge so little, so many still do a sub standard level of performance, and so many just don’t care enough about what they do, what they represent or how they run their business.

Because of you many DJ’s are stepping up and deciding to be better, to charge a rate that represents a professional business and to be the best DJ that they can be.

It is true that this movement is taking what seems to be such a long time, but look how far it has come for those who “get it” and have raised their quality of performance. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Entertainers like myself have progressed so far but still have a long way to go. Things change, updates need to be made, and information needs to be shared.

If you stop now I Believe it will cause an adverse effect on the industry as a whole. In a few years we will be back to where we were five or ten years ago. NO ONE WANTS THAT!

Maybe things like the wedding guild as Peter has spoken of will be the next step. Maybe licensing DJ’s is a step in the right direction, I don’t have the answer, but what ever it takes to continue improving the industry will not happen if educational materials like DJA radio disappear.

You have to forget about all those who are not on board with the program and believe in and trust those who are following you into the future of a Professional Disc Jockey.

I believe that once there is a committed level of Professionalism established among the industry and the general public begins to see this, the majority of those who reject your teachings will fall to the side and eventually disappear.

There will always be “Bottom Feeders” in every industry, we have to stop concentrating on them and concentrate on those who want to improve the industry.

One suggestion I have is not to allow those who make posts on your site that are in a negative, derogative or non productive approach and only allow posts of those in a positive or educational manner.

Like any 12 step program it is acknowledged to get rid of the negative things (people) and only allow the positive in your space no matter the price.

DJA Radio and all the members of the staff are the positive in our world; please don’t give up on us.

From everything I have learned about pod casting this adventure was costing the producers of the show upwards of $30,000 from their pockets. Advertisers would help off set that cost. Who here could put out that kind of capitol for something that is given away free to people who some just don’t seem to appreciate (get it) it at all?

I also believe that if DJs are serious about DJA Radio and really wish to learn and grow, then they should be willing to pay a nominal fee to listen to the shows.

I truly believe that the information given out by the staff of DJA Radio is “worth” a cash value. Why shouldn’t the pod cast hosts expect to receive a paycheck for everything they do? It is time consuming and not as easy as it sounds to put together a comprehensive pod cast every week, week after week.

Those who make negative comments about the value of DJA Radio and the pod cast personalities getting paid for all they do should either step up and try doing the same thing for free or just realize that they might not know enough about running a successful business enterprise.

Many of these DJs making horribly inaccurate and/or degrading comments are those who do a less then adequate performance and/or charge far below the market value and/or cost of running their business and/or all of the above. They are in no way qualified to make such defaming remarks.

Jeff Richards:

http://www.PartyTimeProductions.biz

Posted by Jeff Richards at 11:49 AM | Permalink

Are you like me and having withdrawals from not being able to hear new DAJ Radio Pod Casts?

DJARadio.com took a vacation just before Christmas 2006 with the idea it would be back early in 2007.

Unfortunately the producers of the pod casts found that supplying DJs all around the world with these great pod cast shows was more expensive and harder then they first believed.

They need our help! If you would like to hear DJA RADIO back on the air it is time to step up and be heard!

Producing a show like this is very expensive. In order to offset the expense shows need to have paid advertisers. Advertisers only want to pay to have their products promoted on shows that have a high popularity ranking, a large group of people in the demographics that they wish to sell to and a show that will draw attention to their product and listeners willing to spend their money on said product.

Here are a few ways you can help to possibly get these advertisers to pay for the advertising.

1) Go to I Tunes and make a posting about the DJARADIO show. Let everyone read how good it is. You need to do this every month to help keep them in the top rankings.

2) Download past shows and put them into a file on your computer and listen to them over and over.

3) Purchase products from the advertisers on DJA Radio and let them know you are buying this because you heard about the product on DJA RADIO.

4) Go to djaradio.com and post a blog to the shows you like and let them know that you want to hear more from them.

5) If you or anyone you may know has a product to sell, speak with the producers about selling it on their shows.

6) Call the phone number on DJARADIO and leave a message saying you miss them and want them back!

7) Spread the word! Tell everyone you know to go back and listen to all the original shows from the last year. Get everyone listening to http://www.djaradio.com

It would be shame and a terrible set back to the DJ industry if great, helpful and important information like DJA Radio disappears from our world. Many DJs need to hear the truth about being a DJ and how to be a better one.

Jeff Richards: Party Time Productions

http://www.PartyTimeProductions.biz

Posted by Jeff Richards at 02:01 PM | Permalink

If nothing else will convince you why you shouldn't eat at your next event, maybe this will.....

I normally don't like to eat at events because eating at an event where you are being paid to work does contribute to the loss of your credibility as a performer and as a professional when you sit and dine with the guests at the event. It also takes you away from your job leaving the music "just playing" while you eat.

During this time you should be interacting with guests, taking requests, paying close attention to who in the crowd seem like they will be fun, dancers and real party people and who are the ones you may have to work a little harder with to have a good time.

There's more to dinner music then just letting Kenny G play. There will be toasts, important announcements; special moments being created that can be worked into the dance portion of the evening.

I recently did a Banquet reception for a local city Volunteer Fire Department. The majority of the evening was playing background music before and during dinner followed by sound reinforcement for the awards being presented and then a Hypnotist doing his act.

The last two hours (already late into the evening) was myself doing a dance portion for them.

I decided that since it was going to be several hours before my dance portion to take up the event coordinators kindness and eat with the group. I got to sit with the mayor of the city and other important political dignitaries, how could I pass on that?

I ate dinner and the night went as scheduled and all had a great time. During the dance they brought out sandwiches and snacks for the guests to help control the drinking on an empty stomach problem and curb possibilities of being arrested for a D.W.I.

While I was tearing down the manager of the location offered me the three last croissant sandwiches and since I was so hungry, decided to eat them while I packed up.

I only lived a few minutes from the location and was home and in bed quickly. It didn't take long before I was awoken from a horrible feeling in my body.

To save you the gross details, I'll just say that I spent the next four hours sitting on and hugging the toilet. When this finished I was dehydrated and suffering from extreme chills.

Even in bed with extra covers and the heat turned up I could not stop shaking. My wife filled our soaking tub with hot water and after some time in the tub the chills finally stopped but the vomiting began again.

After looking the symptoms up on the internet it turned out to be a severe case of FOOD POISONING that I was suffering from.

It took three more days before I was feeling anywhere back to my normal self.

I was lucky that the effects started after I was home and not during the middle of my performance because the show would not have gone on.

I have entertained at other parties where I did not eat the food and unfortunately the Bridal Couple and most of the guests did get sick from the food being under cooked or have a virus of sorts passed on from one of the cooks or wait staff.

Just another great reason NOT TO EAT at your events.

Jeff Richards: Party Time Productions

http://www.PartyTimeProductions.biz

Posted by Jeff Richards at 02:35 PM | Permalink

Can the "Wedding Guild" be exactly what higher quality professional Disc Jockeys are looking for?

If you have not heard by now, Peter Merry a very well known and leading force in the improvement of the DJ industry has written a book aimed at Brides.

His book is entitled "The Best Wedding Reception Ever" and can be purchased on amazon.com. It explains to Brides all the aspects of creating a successful Wedding Reception including how to select a DJ/Entertainer for their event.

It is a wonderful book of important information that all Brides should learn about. I also believe that all DJs should buy themselves a copy and learn from it.

If you're like me you spend many hours working and planning each reception with your clients. This book will give you more ideas, expectations and general information that you should take into account when planning your events.

At the convention in Vegas and on his promotional tour for the book Peter is also speaking of forming a "Wedding Guild" as a way to help empower Brides and inform them of Disc Jockeys who are above and beyond the other DJs out there.

This guild will be designed to only allow the best of the best to become members. The criteria to be a member will be very difficult, on going and will cost big money to be included. The dream of this guild is to inform the general public of who is a true professional and accountable DJ/Entertainer and who are just pretenders.

I don't know if I will qualify, as good as I believe I am and as good as my clients tell me I am, I may be lacking in a element of what it takes to be a qualified member. But I'm not getting upset about the guild, I'm not going to bash the guild, instead I'm going to try my hardest to do what ever it takes to live up to the standards and qualifications to be a proud member of this guild!

I originally joined DJ Associations with this higher quality and standards idea but have found that most if not all the Associations are trying to improve the industry but are lacking in the authority and strength to create a truly viable presence as I had hoped they would be.

Not all the details have been worked out at this time, but already the rumblings have begun by disc jockeys all around the U.S.A. and a general "hatred" of this idea has already started.

WHY? Because the DJs who are upset already know that they will have absolutely no chance at becoming a member of the guild. They already know that they will not qualify, they are not the best of the best or that they have any means of becoming better and qualify for the guild.

They don't want anyone to point out and inform the public that they do not stand up to the qualifications of their own chosen profession and thus educated clients will not hire their services.

If you don't believe me, go on any DJ chat room and start talking about the Wedding Guild. Be prepared to be dumped on, called names and hear many untruths and misconceptions about the idea of a Guild.

Then step back and look at those who are bashing it without even knowing the full details of the guild (It hasn't even been developed yet) they just want to try and smash this idea before it takes form.

I would be willing to bet that those who are against the idea of a Guild are those who could not even come close to qualifying for the Guild.

Can the "Wedding Guild" be exactly what higher quality professional Disc Jockeys are looking for?

I believe so! You can count me in on the praises and development of this Guild.

Even If I don’t qualify at first, this would be the motivation to be better, to try harder and to be the best DJ/Entertainer that I possibly can be!

Remember the TV commercial…“Don’t hate me just because I’m beautiful…"

Don’t hate the idea of the Guild just because you’re not good enough. Make the change, become qualified and enjoy the respect, accolades and increased income from being better.

Jeff Richards: Party Time Productions

http://www.PartyTimeProductions.biz

Posted by Jeff Richards at 12:31 PM | Permalink

Have you ever noticed when a new business appears in your neighborhood and it’s new and exciting, then before you know it there is one on every street corner?

Sometimes in business some company’s don’t take into consideration the area of saturation, population or the economic status of an area when it comes to their business.

Take for instance McDonalds back in the seventies. There was one restaurant every twenty to thirty miles, now there is one every few blocks. It has come to a point that many McDonald’s restaurants are closing down because there are just too many of them in a limited area and can not hold a sustained cash flow or employees due to the lack of population, over saturation and/or economic status and similar restaurants willing to undercut the price in order to steal the customers away.

Many years ago one of the first Subway restaurants in Minnesota was a few blocks from where I lived. I actually looked into purchasing a franchise before I decided to go full time as a DJ. The Subway Corporation was smart enough to devise a limitation plan so that they wouldn’t over saturate any area. They do this by selling not only a store front to a buyer, but also a geographic area to the purchaser. This limits the closeness of the restaurants to each other. If you own a geographic area and decide to place multiple restaurants into this area, then you have only yourself to blame if your restaurant can not hold enough revenue to sustain the business.

Subway now has to fight (much like DJs) with the new guys in town who try to sell their product at a lower price while promising the clients a superior product.

I only bring this up as an example because I was reading a forum post from a fellow DJ who complained that he couldn’t raise his rates because he lives in the middle of nowhere with a low population and must drive a minimum of thirty miles to the nearest location that holds events. He claims that all the other DJs charge so little that he couldn’t charge more and lose business to them, so he charges the same as they all do.

He also speaks about how easy it would be for a DJ in a big city when compared to a DJ out in the country. How city DJs have the benefits of many locations to perform so close to home and how the city clients are willing to pay more for their entertainment then the clients out in the country.

My only question to this particular DJ is WHY?

Why would you decide to open a business in an area that can not sustain the business?

Why would you open a business in an area that you have to drive thirty miles or more to get to any venue?

Why would you open a business where the economic situation is poor and people can’t afford to pay you your needed salary?

Why would you open a business in an area that already has other businesses exactly like yours struggling to stay in business?

Why would you open a business where you have to fight to be the lowest priced DJ in order to sell your service?

Why do you continue with your business knowing all that you do now and the situations that you must face?

It makes as much sense as building a McDonalds in the middle of the desert in India.

1: The desert would not have the needed traffic.
2: They do not eat meat from cows in India because cows are considered sacred.

I would hope anyone opening a business would do the research in order to create a business plan and a profitable and successful business.

As my prices began to rise greatly above the standard "average" DJ in the area of my business (Northern Suburbs of Minneapolis) I had to consider the economic situation of the area.

I was hanging on to hopes the stadium would be built there because this would bring more event locations and the possibility of an economic growth spurt for a slowly declining area.

Being in the chamber involved with this stadium plan, I was able to speak with important political dignitaries during the planning process. When I heard things that lead me to believe the stadium would not be built there, I decided to uproot the business and find a new location.

In order to draw more of the quality, higher paying events I decided to move the location of my office. I did research to find areas that had a standard of living (higher incomes, higher class, and greater disposable income) and then while looking for a new home, concentrated on these areas.

Eventually we purchased our home in a "fast economic growth" area. The growth of the area was quickly raising, the economic situation was on the upswing, and the population was that of a wealthier class of people.

I'm slightly out of the big city but still right on the edge and close enough to attract a class of people who are willing to pay more for a quality DJ Service.

These are the kinds of things one must investigate before opening a business.

Just my thoughts......

Jeff Richards: Party Time Productions

http://www.PartyTimeProductions.biz

Posted by Jeff Richards at 03:20 PM | Permalink

Do you still hang signage for your business at events?

Signage at the event has always been a hot topic amongst DJs, here's my experience with it.

For most of my career I had some form of signage. I thought that I had to have a sign in order to get people to remember and possibly hire me in the future. At one event I even got into an argument with the location manager because she thought it was blocking the view from the window behind me. Through the years my signs got smaller and at the same time more professional and attractive. My last sign looked like a compact disc in the colors and design of my company.

After a long conversation with a fellow DJ whom I respect greatly, he challenged me to not hang my sign and see what effect it would have.

I completely stopped using signage over eight months ago and have found not having a sign did not hurt my business, but may have actually helped it.

Not displaying a sign helped to look more professional and at the same time helps me to qualify possible clients. I’m not the DJ for everyone, but for those who enjoyed my work, they will come up after the event and ask for a business card.

This gives me a chance to have a one on one conversation with them. They get to know me a little better and qualify myself as their possible DJ while I qualify them as my possible clients.

Looking around the internet I have noticed that a majority of DJs are using signs at events like weddings, corporate events and bar/bat mitzvahs.

For many years I thought it was the right thing to do....why? Because every other DJ does it. But looking back now, hanging a sign at a private event like a wedding is very, very tacky and very unprofessional.

IT JUST LOOKS HORRIBLE! No matter how nice of a sign you have.

Try this experiment: don't hang your sign up for the next three months. See if your sales drop because of it and also keep track of how many business cards you are asked for at events.

If they like you and possibly want to hire your service in the future, they read the sign and think to themselves, "I'll remember the name” but they don't and they call someone else.

If they liked you and want to possibly hire your services in the future and they have your business card in their hands, what are the chances they will call you.

Think of all the other wedding professionals vendors at that event - the caterer, the flouriest, the cake baker, the decorator, the chair and table covers rented.....etc...etc..etc.. Do you see any of them hanging a sign up advertising thier business?

Jeff Richards: Party Time Productions

http://www.PartyTimeProductions.biz

Posted by Jeff Richards at 07:11 PM | Permalink