Well... in all honesty we can't fault the promo music companies. They release what they're given to release. Radio plays what it's given to play.
We don't have to play it.
We don't have to play it.
Feeling old and out of touch...
- Thread starter DJ Zac
- Start date
Well, mine is tonight and have a partial list put together of where it's going to go, and it's 100% video, which adds another dimension to the review process...not only lyrical content (at least heavily masked or bleeped to pieces) but the visual aspect as well (can't have too much t & a.)
I was told that middle schools gals are dancing to the physical levels that high school girls were ten years ago while looking as old as the college girls did ten years ago.
Here's the partial tentative personally selected music list, not in any particular order (there are no silly set songs listed but are on the ready anyway...silly set e.g. cha cha slide, electric slide, gator, cotton eye joe, headbangers hokey pokey, etc.)
Gym Class Heroes - Cupid's Choke Hold
Perry, Katy - Hot And Cold
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Spears, Britney - Womanizer
Metro Station - Shake It
Cascada - Everytime We Touch
Evans, Faith - Love Like This
Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up
Lady Gaga - Just Dance
Soulja Boy - Crank Dat
Pink - So What
Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Round
FiftyCent ~ Robin S - Give Me Love In The Club Mashup
Rihanna - Disturbia
West, Kayne - Heartless
Beyonce - Single Ladies
Common - Universal Mind Control
West, Kanye ~ Daft Punk - Stronger
FloRida ~ Corona - Rhythm Of The Low Mashup
Soulja Boy - Birdwalk
Mad Swede - Apache
Enur ~ Natasja - Calabria
Timbaland ~ Salt N Pepa - The Way I Push It Mashup
Usher - Yeah
Rudolf, Kevin ~ Lil Wayne - Let It Rock
Jones, Jim ~ Browz, Ron - Pop Champagne
Huey - Pop, Lock And Drop It
Brown, Chris - Forever
Presley, Elvis - Jailhouse Rock
Green Day - Basket Case
Jonas Brothers - Burning Up
Pussycat Dolls - I Hate This Part
Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
Savage - Swing
TI ~ Rihanna - Live Your Life
West, Kanye - Love Lockdown
Brown, Chris ~ Hilson, Keri - Superhuman
We'll see.
I was told that middle schools gals are dancing to the physical levels that high school girls were ten years ago while looking as old as the college girls did ten years ago.
Here's the partial tentative personally selected music list, not in any particular order (there are no silly set songs listed but are on the ready anyway...silly set e.g. cha cha slide, electric slide, gator, cotton eye joe, headbangers hokey pokey, etc.)
Gym Class Heroes - Cupid's Choke Hold
Perry, Katy - Hot And Cold
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Spears, Britney - Womanizer
Metro Station - Shake It
Cascada - Everytime We Touch
Evans, Faith - Love Like This
Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up
Lady Gaga - Just Dance
Soulja Boy - Crank Dat
Pink - So What
Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Round
FiftyCent ~ Robin S - Give Me Love In The Club Mashup
Rihanna - Disturbia
West, Kayne - Heartless
Beyonce - Single Ladies
Common - Universal Mind Control
West, Kanye ~ Daft Punk - Stronger
FloRida ~ Corona - Rhythm Of The Low Mashup
Soulja Boy - Birdwalk
Mad Swede - Apache
Enur ~ Natasja - Calabria
Timbaland ~ Salt N Pepa - The Way I Push It Mashup
Usher - Yeah
Rudolf, Kevin ~ Lil Wayne - Let It Rock
Jones, Jim ~ Browz, Ron - Pop Champagne
Huey - Pop, Lock And Drop It
Brown, Chris - Forever
Presley, Elvis - Jailhouse Rock
Green Day - Basket Case
Jonas Brothers - Burning Up
Pussycat Dolls - I Hate This Part
Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
Savage - Swing
TI ~ Rihanna - Live Your Life
West, Kanye - Love Lockdown
Brown, Chris ~ Hilson, Keri - Superhuman
We'll see.
Sorry Tom......we're Dj's.
We HAVE to play what they (the kids) want.....
(do we have a "I'm being sarcastic" icon?)
G
Guest
Guest
Well... in all honesty we can't fault the promo music companies. They release what they're given to release. Radio plays what it's given to play.
We don't have to play it.
True; however, we can exercise our rights by how we spend our money. We can tell the subscription companies that the music they are including is garbage and if they don't stop we can drop the subscription. Enough dropped subscriptions will get the word across. In the mean time we can get choices with MP3 downloads from Amazon, for one.
G
Guest
Guest
DjDennis
RIP- My Dad (2011), Sister (2013) and Mum (2017)
Cap I was told last night Friday that the songs you have listed are old ones now - these guys want new stuff!!
so now what!
so now what!
Folks,
While I agree that there's not much "music" in today's music, we are, as DJs, expected to provide new and popular releases when we contract to do a show. If we don't have it or refuse to spin it we're not fulfilling our obligations to the client.
Morality cannot be defined to anyone's satisfaction. Playing Music Police is not in our collective job description. People pay us to play what they want to hear. Whether we like it or not is of no consequence.
Start telling your clients and guests what you'll play and what you won't... and see how long you last in this crazy biz. Book a middle school dance and don't spin the tracks the pups like. See if you get an invite back.
I DJed middle and high school dances back in the day. A lot of the tracks I played I despised. But I played 'em anyhow because it was my responsibility to the audience to do so. They're the ones who were signing my paycheck. I just wore earplugs, that's all.
If'n yas don't like the stuff and don't want to play it, don't take on bookings where you'll be expected to play it.
While I agree that there's not much "music" in today's music, we are, as DJs, expected to provide new and popular releases when we contract to do a show. If we don't have it or refuse to spin it we're not fulfilling our obligations to the client.
Morality cannot be defined to anyone's satisfaction. Playing Music Police is not in our collective job description. People pay us to play what they want to hear. Whether we like it or not is of no consequence.
Start telling your clients and guests what you'll play and what you won't... and see how long you last in this crazy biz. Book a middle school dance and don't spin the tracks the pups like. See if you get an invite back.
I DJed middle and high school dances back in the day. A lot of the tracks I played I despised. But I played 'em anyhow because it was my responsibility to the audience to do so. They're the ones who were signing my paycheck. I just wore earplugs, that's all.
If'n yas don't like the stuff and don't want to play it, don't take on bookings where you'll be expected to play it.
Fred - I disagree..and I've said this a million times; this argument only applies to middle schools.
I think in some respects we have to be more than dj's. I think if you have it in your mindset set that you are going to be cognizant of what you are going to play.....sit down with the school staff, explain your reasoning....you will be back; you will have their full support......
That's what makes me different. If I met with every middle school, I bet I'd be doing all their events
The kids aren't the ones hiring you; they're not writing the paycheck
Saying I'm just the dj...well to me, that's the easy way out.
As DJ's we exercise creative control at every event.....I won't play the Dan Band at a wedding.....For the most part we play radio edits at weddings.....
Not playing one or three songs at a middle school dance, or a wedding won't break the event...
Let me conclude this by stating; this is my opinion only......
I think in some respects we have to be more than dj's. I think if you have it in your mindset set that you are going to be cognizant of what you are going to play.....sit down with the school staff, explain your reasoning....you will be back; you will have their full support......
That's what makes me different. If I met with every middle school, I bet I'd be doing all their events
The kids aren't the ones hiring you; they're not writing the paycheck
Saying I'm just the dj...well to me, that's the easy way out.
As DJ's we exercise creative control at every event.....I won't play the Dan Band at a wedding.....For the most part we play radio edits at weddings.....
Not playing one or three songs at a middle school dance, or a wedding won't break the event...
Let me conclude this by stating; this is my opinion only......
Steve you are right the kids don't sign the check but some if not all have a say who is going to be doing there dances . we as djs know what music will cross the line and as you know the kid have got the x rated version down loaded to there ipod no matter what song we play someone can complain about it . the whole idea behind doing a dance is so the class putting it on can earn money for the class ( of course everyone knows this ) but we as djs should do our job and play CLEAN radio edit versions of the songs the kids want to hear, and as you said that was your opinion and this is mine, if it is played on the radio (top 40 station ) then i will play it for the kids
Last night was my first middle school event since before most of them were born. Whatta a friggin blast! Those three hours flew by so fast, I hated to quit. Everyone had a great time, even the chaperones and janitors, who, at the end, were very complimentary. The facility staff wouldn't stop drooling and proclaiming praises on my L1s and how they handled the gym acoustics perfectly, even though the three of them kept calling the brand name Bow-zee. Finally had the correct the pronunciation for them.
The challenge of last night was not only having the current music, but 100% with video. Thanks to suggestions made by friends here and ripping monthly subscription videos into files religiously (liking the music or not) I did not have just two requested songs/videos. All the rest was either on my own list or was already in the video library. Here's what blew me away. In both cases, the kids said, "Oh, that's okay.", smiled, and walked away and danced to what I was already playing. Damn!. I wish the 26 year old wedding reception blond babe bimbo in the black sheath dress who just consumed her annual quota of chardonnay in four hours was as nice to me with their requests...check that...um, their demands.
Having been invited back as hoped, the reduced rate has paid off. (Only charged them $500/3 hours). Now the doubters understood why the cost is twice what they are used to paying. It's not all about the music, it's all about the entertaining...music being a primary tool, not the ultimate purpose. It's the event, the mood, the getting lost from reality for a brief time and not as much being judged on each 5 minute song. That's way too much pressure on everybody. Being real with them, harassing the boys, complimenting the girls, tidbits of info, challenging them, busting on the chaperones, all lead to a fun, entertaining, DJ/audience relationship and rapport. Yep, we like each other a lot.
That's why I think taking Fred's and Steve's observations and coming to a 50-50 compromise is a truer picture of middle school job responsibility.
The challenge of last night was not only having the current music, but 100% with video. Thanks to suggestions made by friends here and ripping monthly subscription videos into files religiously (liking the music or not) I did not have just two requested songs/videos. All the rest was either on my own list or was already in the video library. Here's what blew me away. In both cases, the kids said, "Oh, that's okay.", smiled, and walked away and danced to what I was already playing. Damn!. I wish the 26 year old wedding reception blond babe bimbo in the black sheath dress who just consumed her annual quota of chardonnay in four hours was as nice to me with their requests...check that...um, their demands.
Having been invited back as hoped, the reduced rate has paid off. (Only charged them $500/3 hours). Now the doubters understood why the cost is twice what they are used to paying. It's not all about the music, it's all about the entertaining...music being a primary tool, not the ultimate purpose. It's the event, the mood, the getting lost from reality for a brief time and not as much being judged on each 5 minute song. That's way too much pressure on everybody. Being real with them, harassing the boys, complimenting the girls, tidbits of info, challenging them, busting on the chaperones, all lead to a fun, entertaining, DJ/audience relationship and rapport. Yep, we like each other a lot.
That's why I think taking Fred's and Steve's observations and coming to a 50-50 compromise is a truer picture of middle school job responsibility.
Hey Cap,
I do like "let it rock" and "Stronger".
I haven't made the leap to video because I concentrate on running lighting so much...I don't want to have to review all that crap just so I can put an overlay in....
Maybe I'd do video if I could to the overlay to hide the T and A ahead of time? Any thoughts on that or how to do it?
Sheez...then I'd just hit play and work the lights....
I do like "let it rock" and "Stronger".
I haven't made the leap to video because I concentrate on running lighting so much...I don't want to have to review all that crap just so I can put an overlay in....
Maybe I'd do video if I could to the overlay to hide the T and A ahead of time? Any thoughts on that or how to do it?
Sheez...then I'd just hit play and work the lights....
kind of agree with thatmusicguy and fred.
I always tell the advisors that everything I have is radio edit AND I will watch content as well. If that means I have to shorten a song to do it, then so be it. Kids know they are getting variety when I come and I usually wind up doing B-day parties for chapperones etc.
Kids around here for the most part are really kind of over Soulja and they can still dig on some Motley Crue too.
Not every request flies at my dance for sure. I don't really care about pleasing the hip hop crowd because that would mean nothing but hip hop all night.
I always tell the advisors that everything I have is radio edit AND I will watch content as well. If that means I have to shorten a song to do it, then so be it. Kids know they are getting variety when I come and I usually wind up doing B-day parties for chapperones etc.
Kids around here for the most part are really kind of over Soulja and they can still dig on some Motley Crue too.
Not every request flies at my dance for sure. I don't really care about pleasing the hip hop crowd because that would mean nothing but hip hop all night.
Thanks, Steve.
I fully understand your point of view. I'm just sayin' from experience. It was a lesson in what to play, not what not to play.
Redhot makes a good point ~ while true that the students don't directly sign the DJ company's paycheck they indirectly determine whether the company will get an invite back. The students are the reason the DJ company is booked in the first place. The more students you play for, the better the likelihood of a return show.
If ya dictate... say you're not gonna play this or that just on general principle, the students aren't going to participate in future dances. If they don't like the DJ, they just won't go at all.
Clean versions? Absolutely. It all came from Promo or Wally-Mart purchases in those days. Nobody ever complained that I wasn't playing tracks with cuss words. Mainly, squawks came from too much Country, not enough slow songs and so forth.
You want to make the school staff happy? Keep the students at the dances happy.
I fully understand your point of view. I'm just sayin' from experience. It was a lesson in what to play, not what not to play.
Redhot makes a good point ~ while true that the students don't directly sign the DJ company's paycheck they indirectly determine whether the company will get an invite back. The students are the reason the DJ company is booked in the first place. The more students you play for, the better the likelihood of a return show.
If ya dictate... say you're not gonna play this or that just on general principle, the students aren't going to participate in future dances. If they don't like the DJ, they just won't go at all.
Clean versions? Absolutely. It all came from Promo or Wally-Mart purchases in those days. Nobody ever complained that I wasn't playing tracks with cuss words. Mainly, squawks came from too much Country, not enough slow songs and so forth.
You want to make the school staff happy? Keep the students at the dances happy.
I guess my point is that we have some who say we can't be the Morality Police... well, sorry; by default you are. By playing radio edits, clean edits, or your own edits you are in effect purveying your morals standards on others. Don't want to be the morality police; play cd cuts....
I find it interesting that with adults at a reception we won't play certain songs at a reception for fear of offending them, yet some have no compunction about playing songs for a 10 year old that are generally offensive.
Red Hot...I don't necessarily disagree, but do you really think you gig would be ruined if you did not play those 1 or 2 songs that perhaps" crossed the line". I really think, in the end, 99.9 % of the kids won't remember the one song but will remeber the "show" that you out on..
Again...just my thoughts....
I find it interesting that with adults at a reception we won't play certain songs at a reception for fear of offending them, yet some have no compunction about playing songs for a 10 year old that are generally offensive.
Red Hot...I don't necessarily disagree, but do you really think you gig would be ruined if you did not play those 1 or 2 songs that perhaps" crossed the line". I really think, in the end, 99.9 % of the kids won't remember the one song but will remeber the "show" that you out on..
Again...just my thoughts....
Isn't ironic that some families at weddings who don't like rap and its message still require Big Butts and Pussy Control?
It's interesting how as music ages it somehow transforms from shocking to traditional.
It's interesting how as music ages it somehow transforms from shocking to traditional.
Jeremiah : I get my monthly videos (in mpeg2 format) from TM Jones. I don't know what their policies are, nor who makes the calls on what goes on the discs every month, nor their religious or political views, nor what standards are the company norm, however there's no vids, visual or lyrical, that I'm overly uncomfortable playing.
Based on what the young ladies were wearing to this middle school dance last night, there damn well not be a single grumble about what I played. I feel so bad for today's guys. They are so much farther behind then ever in history. Even grandmothers are friggin hot nowadays.
Based on what the young ladies were wearing to this middle school dance last night, there damn well not be a single grumble about what I played. I feel so bad for today's guys. They are so much farther behind then ever in history. Even grandmothers are friggin hot nowadays.
Steve,
With due respect, how can we (or anyone else for that matter) police by default something that cannot be defined to anyone's satisfaction?
Everyone's morals are different. There is no industry standard.
Music or tracks played at school functions vary greatly from market to market. What bombs in Utah may fly in New York and vice versa.
If it's any help I agree with the basis of your stance. We have to police ourselves at school functions. An example: The Green Jelly head-bangers got one track between sets. The Juvenile and Red Man cliques got one apiece. Any more and somebody might get injured. So yes, we are responsible for policing ourselves. We have a responsibility to maintain order on our dance floors.
Defining morals, no. That isn't part of our job description.
With due respect, how can we (or anyone else for that matter) police by default something that cannot be defined to anyone's satisfaction?
Everyone's morals are different. There is no industry standard.
Music or tracks played at school functions vary greatly from market to market. What bombs in Utah may fly in New York and vice versa.
If it's any help I agree with the basis of your stance. We have to police ourselves at school functions. An example: The Green Jelly head-bangers got one track between sets. The Juvenile and Red Man cliques got one apiece. Any more and somebody might get injured. So yes, we are responsible for policing ourselves. We have a responsibility to maintain order on our dance floors.
Defining morals, no. That isn't part of our job description.
cap: Is there a way to do overlays just in case? Or dump into a program that will allow me to "record" an overlay ahead of time? Maybe I should start a thread in the video forum...I'm pretty darn clueless. I know that overlays can be done live, I just can't do it because I'm on the lights etc.
I know in KS some schools would take issue with some of it. As a teacher, it kinda makes me leary. I know from experience, if I did my own editing (lightly of course) of the videos ahead of time, it wouldn't matter much to the kids. They get enough sex at the dance over text on their phones as it is.....Could be a sales point to kids/parents.
Don't get me wrong, I'd play most everything you had on your list from CD.
Thanks Cap, just curious....
I know in KS some schools would take issue with some of it. As a teacher, it kinda makes me leary. I know from experience, if I did my own editing (lightly of course) of the videos ahead of time, it wouldn't matter much to the kids. They get enough sex at the dance over text on their phones as it is.....Could be a sales point to kids/parents.
Don't get me wrong, I'd play most everything you had on your list from CD.
Thanks Cap, just curious....