How do you control a toddler that doesn't understand words yet but is hypnotized by what your doing or your lights?
Is Lighting, Frontboards, Etc. Superfluous?
- Thread starter SemiRetired DJ
- Start date
How do you control a toddler that doesn't understand words yet but is hypnotized by what your doing or your lights?
That can happen anytime! I would not invite a toddler to come up to my Booth. I also don't just make a request for all or anyone to come up, I randomly pick someone.
So the parent seeing you with other children up around your DJ Booth thinks you don't have a problem with it so they don't see a problem with their child wondering around your area.
The parent seeing that you want to maintain a work area and produce a professional product like you were hired to will try to keep their children away from your area so you can do your job.
Let's not forget those parents that don't even try to control their children and think you are a fixture to entertain their kids so they can have some fun.
The parent seeing that you want to maintain a work area and produce a professional product like you were hired to will try to keep their children away from your area so you can do your job.
Let's not forget those parents that don't even try to control their children and think you are a fixture to entertain their kids so they can have some fun.
Sometimes even a facade and an assistant doesn't help when you have idiot parents that bring their kid to a wedding in which it said on the invitation, "NO CHILDREN".
Harken back to a year or so before I packed it in. The bride and groom put "NO CHILDREN" several places on their invitation. I was told that this would be the case at the interview and at the finalization.
This was a ceremony and reception in the same room. So, my assistant and I are setting up when an older lady (the grandmother) and the little darling four year old of our story shows up. Immediately this little girl runs over to us and starts getting in the way and grandma does not stop it. I finally had to ask the grandmother to take control. She did for a little while until she got into a conversation. This time I had to take the little one by the hand over to grandma and ask her to keep her there.
That happened several times. Finally, the gear was up and ready to go but, to make sure that the little one did not disturb the gear again, one of us stayed by the gear while th other changed. It was a good thing because grandma got into several conversations.
It turned out that both the parents were in the wedding party and left the little one with grandma.
Ceremony time comes around. The little one bolted up to the parents several times. It was difficult lining them up because mom or dad always had to take the little one back to grandma, who kept getting into conversations and forgetting why she was there. The ceremony itself was disrupted several times as well. The parents and grandmother didn't get it. The bride was pissed.
First dance... disrupted
Father/Daughter ... disrupted
and so on...
Finally we get to dinner... Mom and dad conversing and not watching... same with grandma. I or someone else had to lead the little one back to the table several times.
The clincher for me was when the little darling made a beeline for my facade with a fork in her hand. I asked my assistant to watch her and had a conversation with the bride and groom. They like my plan.
I took the little one up onto the dance floor and asked her parents and grandmother to come up. I then asked all of the guests if they thought that it was time for the little one to be taken home. Everyone agreed. The parents and grandmother weren't happy but, at that point, I dodn't care.
So, how would you handle that one????
Harken back to a year or so before I packed it in. The bride and groom put "NO CHILDREN" several places on their invitation. I was told that this would be the case at the interview and at the finalization.
This was a ceremony and reception in the same room. So, my assistant and I are setting up when an older lady (the grandmother) and the little darling four year old of our story shows up. Immediately this little girl runs over to us and starts getting in the way and grandma does not stop it. I finally had to ask the grandmother to take control. She did for a little while until she got into a conversation. This time I had to take the little one by the hand over to grandma and ask her to keep her there.
That happened several times. Finally, the gear was up and ready to go but, to make sure that the little one did not disturb the gear again, one of us stayed by the gear while th other changed. It was a good thing because grandma got into several conversations.
It turned out that both the parents were in the wedding party and left the little one with grandma.
Ceremony time comes around. The little one bolted up to the parents several times. It was difficult lining them up because mom or dad always had to take the little one back to grandma, who kept getting into conversations and forgetting why she was there. The ceremony itself was disrupted several times as well. The parents and grandmother didn't get it. The bride was pissed.
First dance... disrupted
Father/Daughter ... disrupted
and so on...
Finally we get to dinner... Mom and dad conversing and not watching... same with grandma. I or someone else had to lead the little one back to the table several times.
The clincher for me was when the little darling made a beeline for my facade with a fork in her hand. I asked my assistant to watch her and had a conversation with the bride and groom. They like my plan.
I took the little one up onto the dance floor and asked her parents and grandmother to come up. I then asked all of the guests if they thought that it was time for the little one to be taken home. Everyone agreed. The parents and grandmother weren't happy but, at that point, I dodn't care.
So, how would you handle that one????
That's exactly what i was thinking when i ready your reply and posted my response.
C'mon... stop over thinking everything.
Is this superfluous?
Every gig has it's own set of needs and whatever gear is required to deliver on that has to LOOK good otherwise it lowers the vlaue of everything else in the room. Why rent a 5 star hotel space and then fill it with make shift solutions?
Is this superfluous?
Every gig has it's own set of needs and whatever gear is required to deliver on that has to LOOK good otherwise it lowers the vlaue of everything else in the room. Why rent a 5 star hotel space and then fill it with make shift solutions?
Exactly, there's no reason you can't be congenial and actually engage with the guests. Every event is different and sometimes you're just not available - but, family events are pretty relaxed.. even weddings. So, if the time and circumstance is right I have no problem making the right kid a guest DJ. It proves you're approachable and every job gets 100% easier when the requests start rolling in.
I thought the sign of a good DJ was that the requests didn't come rolling in because you have the right pulse of the party and your playing just the right combination to keep the majority of the people happy.
My job get's much harder when i start getting requests for Teach me how to Dougie or Teach me how to Jerk or Cat Daddy or songs like this when i am at a adult party with a sprinkling of teenagers who love to requests songs that they want to hear.
Some of the superfluous add-ons are used by some DJ's to justify their price (either to themselves or their perspective clients). I would like to think that most DJ's on this board do their best to make their setups look as best as possible. I have never used a facade personally, though I have considered it, but always talk myself out of it thinking it does look like a barrier and while may look cool with lights... looks un-inviting and unfriendly to me. I have in the past and continue to find most guests actually prefer a simple un-obtrusive setup. After all the attention should at no time be on my equipment setup. I continue to see no need to draw attention to it all. In the end, the only people who notice it are: other dj's, audiophiles, or sound enthusiasts. In the end, as long as the music was good and it helped people have a good time either through listening or dancing... that is all that matters, when it comes to sound at the reception. I even try to stand to the side of my setup at every opportunity. I have found it makes me more approachable by guests for their requests, comments, questions, future business opportunities. Anyway my 2 cents... change anyone? 
It depends on the circuit you roll in. Higher end party planners who have invested a lot of decor in the space will insist that your gear be out of sight in some kind of booth. They are standard issue at Bar Mitzvahs if for no other reason than you need a place to hide all the extra stuff the gig requires.
It's also nice when you have a LOT of collaborative control side equipment to just lay out your interlinks & cables in the most logical way and know that it will all be hidden once the set is in place. Hides all the ancillary materials like scripts, props, and even video or light jocks who may be seated behind the booth as well.
I'll let you reply for me...
...Seriously, that hurt my head. LOL!In my opinion, if one is required (or just feels the need) to have a lot of unsightly trusses, gear and wires, then I suppose facades, scrims and accent lights are practical. The irony is that some of the very things being used to make things look better, now need to be beautified as well.
For me, the logical solution is to "simplify". Adequately function with less and book myself according to that formula.
We all have a choice and an opinion. At least it's nice that neither of us has to hide or excuse them.
.
Well, good luck with that whole mind-reading thing. When I want the "pulse" of the party I take their blood pressure in the form of requests.
For one thing... it's not YOUR job, someone else has employed you.
Secondly, you should expect people to do more than just "hear" a song. If you're going to play "Teach Me How To Dougie" (still quite popular BTW) then have something visual prepared to go along with it. Teach the dance, or do a follow along with the teens to make it more interesting.
Instead of dividing your audience into "teens" and "adults" find ways to bridge that gap so you can satisfy both at the same time with whatever it is you choose to play for them.
But you have to admit, Hank...a bride-to-be with big dreams may find those things appealing.
Especially if she sees it in action at another event.
(and personal taste is a regional thing)
One can be approachable, flexible, interactive, take requests etc one also have to be in control of the situation. I do enjoy requests from guests what I do not like is a long Playlist from a Client such as a Bride. A few guidelines is all I need.
No offense, but that has to be one of the most vague statements I've ever read. Are you running for president by any chance...?
I'm not voting for you... xf
Vague to you perhaps, I can tell that comprehension is not one of your better attributes!No offense, but that has to be one of the most vague statements I've ever read. Are you running for president by any chance...?
I'm not voting for you... xf
Vague to you perhaps, I can tell that comprehension is not one of your better attributes!
I appreciate your kind words Canute -- they bring a smile to my face, every time I hear you offering praise to your peers...
May I bow down in front of you, and lick your shoes Sir...? It would make my day, to be in the presence of one so great, that they do not need to have a boat to cross the oceans, and make "pro" DJ gear out of fridge parts and bottle caps.
Since you seem to be handy with your Godlike attributes, would you kindly send me a million dollars in cash, and part the seas so I can walk to Antigua for a few days...?