Last School Event tonight- I am done.

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MADNESS

MADNESS

Well-Known DJ
Dec 20, 2006
2,293
48
63
Florence, AZ
www.primetimedj.net
I can't say never, but I am going to focus on weddings and those type events. I have lost my flair for these. Do not like alot of the music (also how quickly it changes) and do not enjoy them any longer. It is not so much the music but the actions of the kids. So demanding and ungrateful. I am going to leave the schools to the youngsters!!
 
You need to do whatever you feel is right for your business.....

I may not agree, but that doesn't matter....
 
Scott I too applaud you and anyone who isnt in it for all the right reasons. When all that matters is the greenback I likely will fold em!!
 
Small world. You are giving up school dances to focus on weddings, and I can't stand weddings anymore so gave them up to focus on corporate...Who'da thunk it? :sqlaugh:
 
I used to feel that way about weddings.. I still hate them, but i can't afford to take a $40,000.00 pay cut by cutting them out.

90% of people hate their job. most people work at least an 8 hour day...

I don't care how much my job sucked, if I could make in one day's work what most people work 1-2 weeks for, and actually, earn it in less than 6 hours, I'd find a way to drag myself to work.

I'll never look a gift horse in the mouth.
 
Scott:

Right there with you. In many cases the administrators give you a do not play list that contains all the songs the kids want and when they request them and you try to explain that it is on the do not play list from the administrators then you hear "YOU SUCK!". It really is a catch 22 situation with the schools.

I haven't done a school dance in about three years now. The last one I did, since it was going to be the last one I was going to do, I ignored the do not play list and played everything the kids wanted.

One of the administrators came up to me and said something to me and I told her point blank that they'd have to be finding a new DJ after that night anyway as that was going to be my last school dance ever and if she wanted me to shut down I'd be more than happy to tell the kids that she wanted me to shut down. She walked away.


The school did call me back to do another one the next month but I told them I was done. I did offer to have one of my other DJs do it but they said the kids wanted me. Who'd have figured?

I still get requests for pricing on school dances but price them out of their range. If one does book, it won't be me doing it.
 
I will do the elem dances at my local school and I did do the 2 middle school dances this year. I don't enjoy them but it is extra money usually on Friday nights. I only do a handful of Friday weddings.

I won't do the proms or High school dances. (Unless it was a no show emergency or something and I would charge plenty).
 
Steve Lynch said:
I used to feel that way about weddings.. I still hate them, but i can't afford to take a $40,000.00 pay cut by cutting them out.

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Didn't lose any income. When I say corporate, I'm not talking small. I can charge about the same as a wedding, without having to deal with Bridezilla, Groom Kong, and a bunch of others who think THEY are in charge. Large corporate events are usually at luxury hotels and upscale banquet halls just like a wedding ( They ARE tryng to show off). If they can afford these venues they can afford my fee. You only answer to the corporate event coordinator ( sometimes 2). These events are usually based around such things as mergers, where the two ( or more ) companies are both celebrating the merger AND intermingling for the first time.

The same goes for conglomerate holiday parties.

Think a Company Picnic won't pay? Try doing one for Hewlett Packard- It PAYS.

Don't get me wrong. I do ALL types of work EXCEPT weddings ( as of this year, though I still have a few left that were previously accepted) and school dances..... I did a Communion Party for 130 two weeks ago, A Sweet Sixteen last week, and am about to do a Graduation Party this Sunday.

The Point is, you CAN have fun AND make money. I didn't know this for many years and worked at something I hated for quite some time- no more.
 
I have to agree with Joe, I personally hate wedding... I have just been doing clubs/ bars and schools, and I love it... I probably honestly get paid about the same per hour... And the drunks at weddings are just as bad as at the bars, most times they are more attractive at the bars :)
I guess we just all have our expertise and preferences.... Just goes to show there are many many different kinds of DJs out there...
 
Madness
but the actions of the kids. So demanding and ungrateful.
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What makes you think that Brides under 25 years old are any different? They are worse!!! Add to the equation"know it alls".

It's not the event type, it's the people attending holding them, the people running them, some of the folks attending them, and [frankly, for me] all of them are a whole lot less "fun". Maybe things [people] will turn around when the market and economy does.
 
Cap you are right. maybe I am juist in a rut right now. It is nearing the end of the busy season here and I am really getting wore out working 60 hours a week at my day job then working a couple days a week gigging. Just tired.
Brides and grooms can be demanding to. It just seems like middle school kids seem to be so bossy and unappreciative of what we do. One bad song that that grouip does not like and "YOU SUCK".

But if you know the kids you work it well and they love ya.
 
Do what you love. I hate school dances, especially high school. Clubs and bars wont pay me $200 hour that a bride will pay me. Putting the money aside I love weddings. 14 years and still going strong. I have only had 4 bridzillas in my life and they haven't changed how much I love weddings.

Ultimately do what you love. It will show, and you will enjoy your DJ business so much more.
 
Madness, maybe you need a vacation. :)

That's what Shirl and I did after an especially grueling summer of grad parties and other youth-oriented shows. We were just plain beat. Face it, the stuff that passes for music these days just isn't fun.

That said, you might wish to market to a different class of schools. Charter or magnet schools tend to be easier to DJ for. Parochial and private schools ain't bad neither. Get some needed rest and give it a little thought.
 
jkcomputers said:
. I have just been doing clubs/ bars and schools, and I love it...... And the drunks at weddings are just as bad as at the bars, most times they are more attractive at the bars :)
I guess we just all have our expertise and preferences.... Just goes to show there are many many different kinds of DJs out there...
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That's a biggie.I have always found that drunks at private events are usually worse behaved then at bars- and I do over 200 bar shows a year, Maybe because public drunks actually realize that they are in public? Of event drunks are surrounded by people they know and fell more confident? Never figured it out...
 
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