ADJA Summer Conference & Show!

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Ron you know ya want me !!!! If I were going would it be worth the price for you then lol? Rox thanks for your view as it is also mine. Rick I totally agree with your point and in fact with some of your pull and with your business you could certainly benefit your product by helping this movement get under way. The one about licensing music etc.
 
SoftJock Rick said:
I've also heard from many, that they don't want to join the ADJA (or any organization for that matter), because they don't feel the lobbying efforts are enough, or successful.
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And wouldn't there membership add to the numbers? Add to the support? Can you imagine what could happen if Drax could walk up to a congressman and say, "I represent over 10 million DJs and two thousand of them are right in your district"? That is something they live and die by because the numbers of their constituents you represent means something to them.

Ask good old Charlie Wilson. His buddy, Clarence "Doc" Long was a powerful committee chair in DC but when he lost the numbers here in Maryland, his number was up.
 
Rick,

I can tell you why there isn't a music license deal. There isn't enough money to get it done. If you took all of the money from all the associations it would fall way short of what is required. This is a huge project. It won't happen with the current level of funding available.

AVLA type thing is NEVER going to happen in the USA. Or at least not until the Sherman Anti Trust act is repealed. Your not talking about cutting a deal with one body, your talking about cutting deals with each label individually. Additionally each artist has some input & say as to how their content is provided. Now your talking about hundreds of negotiations that would need to take place.

For most what they are really looking for is a get out of jail free card for getting their music anywhere with no risk of fines. Yes some would buy, but many would not. Look at people offering 75K songs willing to work for $200. We all know that there is no way they have a legal library under any sense of the definition.

Now your also talking about working with congress to change the current copyright laws.

Are we starting to get some idea of the magnitude of the task in real terms?

Everybody says they would join ADJA if, well BS. They won't, because after we have done it, they will just say, hey isn't it great that they did that? I get the benefit & I didn't have to pay a dime to help it get done. That's the typical DJ mindset. Many steal music online & offer any excuse under the sun for theft.

The levels of govt that have to be involved. The levels of negotiation required are not something that is ever going to happen on a shoe string. ESPECIALLY right now.

Do you think Congress gives a rats butt about Mobile DJs concerns given the state of the world? We are pretty far down the food chain. I am continuing to keep the lines open with my colleagues in Congress that have listened to what I have to say, but it is going to take a lot more $$ than either organization has to get there.

I am trying, & will continue to do so, but I felt that you deserve to have a clearer understanding of the size of the mountain to climb.
 
DJRox :
If you seek leadership and are not finding it, become it. Otherwise, .... wasting...energy publicly complaining about those that are making the [any] effort. I guess it's the old "Lead, Follow or get out of the way."
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Friggin' to the point and brilliant. That answers 3/4s of the posts in this thread alone.
 
DJ Dr. Drax said:
I am trying, & will continue to do so, but I felt that you deserve to have a clearer understanding of the size of the mountain to climb.
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And you haven't even gotten to the foot of the mountain yet.

I've been involved in politics on the local, state, and national level. That's what this is, politics.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are people in both houses that are true to their oath of office but you still have the "what's in it for me" crew. Deal making will always be part of the game for them and the only way to counter it is with numbers. Unless people are willing to pony up the membership dues and show support for an organization that does have a leader that is trying to do something then the numbers to convince the "what's in it for me" crew just won't be there.

Folks, I am going to tell you that I've had some arguments with Drax on line and through PMs. His given back as good as or not better than he's gotten on that front. In all of that and in what he is attempting to do to move the ADJA forward he's earned something that I don't just give away; my respect.

At one time I said that I would never rejoin the ADJA but I sat on the sidelines and watched. I have seen what was happening and decided that if any organization was going to make a difference it would be the ADJA so I ate my words and rejoined. Actually, because of Drax, they didn't taste too bad.

If you are not interested in the conference, move on. If you have some value to add, please add it. Me, I'm going to try to make it.
 
DJ Dr. Drax said:
That's the typical DJ mindset.
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Slow down Hoss!!!

Don't become what you detest. Stay focused and positive. When you let the detractors set the tone, you are on a downward negative spiral that is very difficult to climb.

Certainly there is/are a multitude of, many, numerous scumbags that practice unethical library acquisition, among other unethical behavior, but that should not be a trait assigned to Typical "X."

A very astute individual, whose name escapes me, but rhymes with ZASocks, has frequently stated, "Not every client is MY client." Brilliant, huh.

Good Luck!

Ron Auger said:
Who's complaining about someone making an effort? Let me at them.
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I wernt tawkin at chu!!!
 
Rox,

Unfortunately it is more typical than not.

Those that join ADJA, Network regularly, participate online are those in the upper 10% of the industry. There are close to 100K mobile DJs. How many of them have visited here or eleswhere? How many of them have insurance? How many of them have no idea what their production costs are? How many of them sell their services on Craigslist for less than a case of beer?

You get the idea, I am not down. Just objective on how far we have to go.
 
Papa Deuce said:
Um. I absolutely do. I worked in a convention center. I was the AV manager for a while, and was the manager of the convention center as well for a short time. ( 2 different companies ). I've put together shows with 30,000 people in attendance over a weekend.
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Ummm,, no Chuck, you haven't... Now you may have been a point person in charge of a certain aspect of an event, but in reality, you had nothing to lose or gain... It was not your livelihood. Not your money. Not your vision to bring who together.

You may have experience in staging a show, but not putting it all on your shoulders... With all dues respect, it is not the same.
 
DJ Dr. Drax said:
Rox,

Unfortunately it is more typical than not.

Those that join ADJA, Network regularly, participate online are those in the upper 10% of the industry. There are close to 100K mobile DJs. How many of them have visited here or eleswhere? How many of them have insurance? How many of them have no idea what their production costs are? How many of them sell their services on Craigslist for less than a case of beer?

You get the idea, I am not down. Just objective on how far we have to go.
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Unfortunately, I forget that your position is substantially different than mine and that of most of the legit providers I respect.

It is easy for me to discount, ignore, and enjoy the demise of those less than ethical "Johnny come Latelys" that have plagued this service segment since, at least in my experience, 1982.

As an advocate, you are forced to recognize more than 10% of the potential membership base.

Maybe the focus should never be on the 90% that will never behave like professionals. But, hey, WTF do I know. Good Luck with the nonsense that always seems to permeate this ego driven industry.

:sqwink:Hope to see you at the horrible summer seminars you so selfishly have produced, you turd!:sqwink:
 
Although I am sure as in any thread concerning ADJA that my thoughts will be construed to be negative, however they are not!

Drax the problem I see so far with what you have posted is not what you are trying to do, I support you on the intention. The problem as I see it once again is the ADJA leadership once again calling anyone who is not a member a unethical bottom feeder, and once again this is a turn off for the very people I would think you would want to attract to the ADJA.

I worked last Saturday with 6 DJs from my area, one was pure vinyl, three were pure CD and myself and one other were digital.

I know for a fact that the venue requires liability insurance from every vendor working at the venue...

I know for a fact that 5 of the 6 DJs had legitimate music... The one lone guy I can't say because I don't know him.

One of those DJ's has a library in excess of 75,000 songs, I am personal friends with him and we trade disc from time to time.

I personally have in excess of 75,000 songs vinyl and CD some 23,000 of them already ripped to digital files.

I also know not a single one of the six are members of the ADJA or any other "national DJ organization"....

Yet you imply in your post here that DJs with this number of available songs just have to be thieves!

You imply in these post that DJs who don't charge as much as members of the ADJA claim to be charging must be thieves.....

You imply that DJs who don't charge as much as ADJA members claim to charge don't have liability insurance!

I am not saying that there aren't some out here who do just as you state but I think it is far from the unwashed masses that you imply in your post.

Yes I have made several attempts to get the vocals of the ADJA to soften their approach to those of us you consider the unwashed masses. I realize you probably don't realize how you are coming across and maybe it is just me that sees it this way! Or it could be that too many have toed the party line for so long that they simply don't see it.

It may be time to seriously consider having some new blood take over the reigns of the ADJA if you can find any who are not already fully doctorinated into the better than thou additude!
 
Steve,

I am sorry. That is not what I said or what I meant. What I said was those that sell their services for nil yet claim a 75K song library.

NOWHERE did I say anything about if they charge fees like ADJA members. THAT SIR is your personal inturpretation. I don't care what people charge as long as they are working from a business plan because that will lead them to running a real business, not a hobby. With that, it matters not to me if they are FT or PT. I couldn't care less. I care that they run a real business & do so profitably.

As for insurance, I KNOW how many are insured in our industry based upon research. It is a far lower number than even 40% of the industry. I am not implying ANYWHERE that those who aren't ADJA members don't have insurance, or that if they weren't members that they are bottomfeeders. NOWHERE did I say that.

What I did say is that there are a large number of DJs that do operate unethically, many simply because they don't know any better. I talk to a lot of DJs that think that getting their music off MTV is legal. We know that it's not. They just don't know it isn't. They don't even know there are pools that they can get it from affordably.

What I did say inclusively was that the upper 10% of the industry are those that Join ADJA, participate in online forums, network regularly are the upper 10%. That list was not as you would read it that they are ADJA + Network + frequent Online Forums + Attend Conventions. Rather it was they belong to ADJA OR they network regularly OR they frequent forums OR they attend conventions.

Does that make it more clear for you? I simply stated that out of the 100K DJs out there, the best are found doing the above to one degree or another.

Your indoctrinated diatribe really get's old. I am nobody's zealot. I am my own man.
 
DJ Dr. Drax said:
I am sorry. That is not what I said or what I meant. What I said was those that sell their services for nil yet claim a 75K song library.
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Mayhap I misunderstood what you wrote! What do you consider "nil" my own interputation is that "Nil" means nothing and you can't sell something for nothing... at that point it becomes a give away!


DJ Dr. Drax said:
For most what they are really looking for is a get out of jail free card for getting their music anywhere with no risk of fines. Yes some would buy, but many would not. Look at people offering 75K songs willing to work for $200. We all know that there is no way they have a legal library under any sense of the definition.
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I have DJed many events for that price and at times still do one or two for that price, and yes I can offer a 75,000 song library!

DJ Dr. Drax said:
Everybody says they would join ADJA if, well BS. They won't, because after we have done it, they will just say, hey isn't it great that they did that? I get the benefit & I didn't have to pay a dime to help it get done. That's the typical DJ mindset. Many steal music online & offer any excuse under the sun for theft.
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I don't steal music online (if I am going to steal it I want the CD in hand) I have "stolen" more than a little from pawn shops and other DJs who are retiring or simply couldn't make it in the business (I consider getting a good CD I want for under $2 a steal)


DJ Dr. Drax said:
Those that join ADJA, Network regularly, participate online are those in the upper 10% of the industry. There are close to 100K mobile DJs. How many of them have visited here or eleswhere? How many of them have insurance? How many of them have no idea what their production costs are? How many of them sell their services on Craigslist for less than a case of beer?.
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I am not sure of the numbers but I believe that at one time DJchat.com was claiming 40,000 members plus there are some here that are not members of any other site some from the "other" elite forum who aren't members anywhere else, so if your numbers are correct and there are close to 100,000 DJs out here and DJchat.com claims that 40% of them are members doesn't that sort of blow away you 10% figure?

I personally know three DJs who aren't on line at all, aren't members of any organization, are full time DJs and have been so for over 20 years, does this mean that they are not ion the top 10% of DJs in this country. It is apparent that their business plans have been working for some time now.

Up until the mid 90s I wasn't on line either yet my business was flourishing and my only networking was with a very small number of DJs in my working area.

I appologize if I misunderstood the intention or the wording of your post!
 
Drax Im wondering why you are going after a man or womans hobby. Its like Pro football players teaming up with the Players Association and saying hey no more sandlot football games its cutting into our spotlight. The minor league teams will no longer exist and that darned arena league must go. Canadian Football? No way Ay!! Lets get back on topic here.
 
Chuck The DJ said:
Ummm,, no Chuck, you haven't... Now you may have been a point person in charge of a certain aspect of an event, but in reality, you had nothing to lose or gain... It was not your livelihood. Not your money. Not your vision to bring who together.

You may have experience in staging a show, but not putting it all on your shoulders... With all dues respect, it is not the same.
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It was my paycheck. And I did it for 2 years. EVERY SINGLE working day. I could lose my job... I was involved in staging, AV, catering, ticket sales, promotion ( to a small degree ), It wasn't uncommon to have a 10,000 person event on one floor and 5,000 on another, and 40 breakout rooms.

Did I own the stuff? Of course not. But I damn well feel qualified to understand what Drax is doing.
 
Jon,

I am not, but I am trying to build an industry. We can be either committed to building an industry or a hobby interest. All that Rick talks about is related to an industry, not a hobby. We need consumers to be able to understand the difference between hiring a professional Mobile DJ or a hobbyist. Is our goal to build an industry or is it not?
 
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