Ask a Bar Mitzvah DJ anything

26 Questions

Last Answer on April 03, 2013

Have you ever seen any barmitzvah kids have complete meltdowns a-la Supersweet Sixteen?

Asked by Mickey_M almost 13 years ago

Yah, kids get really bitchy. The sad thing is they don't know any better so it’s hard to hold it against or judge them. I’ve seen plenty of bar/bat mitzvah kids cry at their own party. Its usually because they’re not part of the cool crew and see the "cool kids" snickering at them/not participating or conversely, they are part of the cool crew and something mortifying happens that compromises their credibility and they get incredibly self conscious.

880 Votes

If a client tells you not to play songs from a particular artist (read: no Black Eyed Peas), but you know from experience that these songs work at parties, will you play them anyway?

Asked by Rambis almost 13 years ago

There's usually enough to pick from that you dont have to...and for the most part, a host is more concerned with her guests having a good time...so if it comes at the cost of a little Boom Boom Pow, generally thats a sacrifice theyre willing to make. Usually they ask not to play a song because they think theyre party doesnt need all the tried and true winning songs ie) OMG no Justin Bieber,....hes so awful. And without fail, if you do play the song, everyone is singing and dancing along. People hire professional DJ's because they know what to do to make the party rock....otherwise they would just plug in an ipod. So to answer your question, we'll try not to....but will establish at the initial meeting that we may need to use said songs to get the party going etc.

880 Votes

What do you do to pump up a crowd if they look like they're just sitting around?

Asked by Smil77 almost 13 years ago

Stop the party, and tell every kid that whoever can bring me back an adult twice their age I will give them a prize. The bribe generally works and when they bring back an older woman quickly follow up with "heyyyy, no cheating, there's no way she’s twice your age". The kid gets their prize, the woman LOVES it and I hit them hard with one of 9 Black Eyed Peas tracks that are consistent winners on the dance floor.

878 Votes

If the bar mitzvah boy hands you a list of songs to play, do you stick to i? Or do you go off-script if you think other songs will work better?

Asked by Ray_C_Slater almost 13 years ago

Yah, they often do, and the way to handle these requests is very simple. Often times, a majority of the songs will be ones you would play anyways. For the others, if they are not danceable tunes or you dont want to risk spinning the party in the wrong direction by taking a chance on that new Alanis Morrissette track during peak dance times, you find in between moments to play the songs. So when people are going to take their seats, as background during dinner or at the end of a strong dance set. Sure you want to play all the music that the guest of honour requests, but if you gave them the option between having an amazing party or having an ok party where ALL your requests were played, 9 times out of 10 they will choose the great party....with the understanding that DJ knows best and will steer the party/music accordingly.

874 Votes

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Do you ever get your music selection boo'd?

Asked by Raffi almost 13 years ago

All the time. It actually kind of hurts. You can never make EVERYONE happy. When people get drunk it’s the worst because they have no filter. I once had a guy try to take over the DJ’ing station. I think he fell over soon after he put on my headphones.

871 Votes

What's your favorite song to play?

Asked by dancedance! almost 13 years ago

I've spent the balance of my 10 year career perfecting the dance. I only bust it out if the dance floor is absolutely rocking or if its the end of the night. I always get the dancers in on it with me too to make me look like a stud. "Backstreet's Back" Alright!

852 Votes

How many gigs do you average a week? Is it enough to make a living or do you have another job as well?

Asked by boogieondown about 13 years ago

At my peak I was doing 2-3 gigs a week...netting about an extra $40-$45k a year

835 Votes

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Bar Mitzvah DJ

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Have you ever seen any barmitzvah kids have complete meltdowns a-la Supersweet Sixteen?

If a client tells you not to play songs from a particular artist (read: no Black Eyed Peas), but you know from experience that these songs work at parties, will you play them anyway?

What do you do to pump up a crowd if they look like they're just sitting around?

If the bar mitzvah boy hands you a list of songs to play, do you stick to i? Or do you go off-script if you think other songs will work better?

Also on Jobstr...

Do you ever get your music selection boo'd?

What's your favorite song to play?

How many gigs do you average a week? Is it enough to make a living or do you have another job as well?

Bar Mitzvah DJ

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Have you ever seen any barmitzvah kids have complete meltdowns a-la Supersweet Sixteen?

If a client tells you not to play songs from a particular artist (read: no Black Eyed Peas), but you know from experience that these songs work at parties, will you play them anyway?

What do you do to pump up a crowd if they look like they're just sitting around?

If the bar mitzvah boy hands you a list of songs to play, do you stick to i? Or do you go off-script if you think other songs will work better?

Also on Jobstr...

Do you ever get your music selection boo'd?

What's your favorite song to play?

How many gigs do you average a week? Is it enough to make a living or do you have another job as well?

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