Bar Mitzvah DJ

How much do DJs typically get paid to work a barmitzvah? How does it compare to the cost to hire a live band?

Asked by ren_stimpy over 12 years ago

Emcees, the hosts of the party doing all the talking get paid anywhere between $300 and $1500 a night depending on seniority. Some high level emcees have base packages that start at $6000 or $7000 but you also get some dancers and a lighting package with that.

What's your backup plan if your equipment fails (i.e. no music playing)?

Asked by speakercity over 12 years ago

5 years ago the only backup was to blame it on the kitchen for blowing a fuse with their big strong powerful equipment. These days, all you need is a backup ipod....providing you really didn't blow the hell out of your equipment. The emcee can buy some time in between songs by talking on the mic to make up for the dead air in between choosing songs. These days, djs are djing from macs and digital turntables, so there's a lot less fuses or connections that can malfunction.

Have you ever put your foot in your mouth big-time while on the mic?

Asked by togato5 over 12 years ago

Yes, I was on the microphone and trying to get everyone on the dance floor excited. With the bat mitzvah girl Erica up on stage with me, in an effort to clear some room on the dance floor for a break dancer i said on the microphone "Now, everyone take 3 giant Erica-size steps back". Before i could realize what i had just said, she turned to me in front of everyone looked me up and down and remarked, "Ewww, you're rude". There was a brief awkward moment of silence...the longest 3 seconds of my life. Luckily the music picked back up quickly and i was able to smooth it all out...sorta. It also didn't help that Erica was visibly overweight.

Why are event DJ's such jerks when it comes to song requests?

Asked by mastercraft over 12 years ago

Judging by the tone of your inquiry, i'm willing to bet you're one of those " it's 11:30, im drunk and know what's best for the party" types. I'd be lying if i said that i haven't been a bit abrupt with guests on occasion in the name of my personal favourites BUT for the most part its all about flow. I have a set list of songs A - F in my head that i know i need to play and mix well together. When i say mix, i mean that they have similar beats and can allow me to blend the songs seamlessly one into another to keep the energy high on the dance floor. I can tell you with absolute certainty that if you change the music too abruptly, people use it as an opportunity to say "hey honey, lets get a drink" and your dance floor starts to thin out. If you keep the vibe going, so too does the energy. We meet people like YOU every weekend of our life who ask for songs that ONLY you and your 3 buddies will get a kick out of and have perfected the "for sure man, its coming right up" or my favourite "i'm playing one request at a time man, ill get there in sequence"; to buy us some time and hope you forget about that idiotic request and let us do what we KNOW is best. All that said, i had a guy slip me $100 to play ACDC and i obliged immediately. So do me a favour, next time 11:30pm rolls around and you're just DYING to hear that played out Black Eyed Peas song, make sure you hit the bank on the way to the venue first and i'll get your song on WAY BEFORE the rest of your drunk buddies for 1 low payment of $24.99 (plus applicable taxes).

What's the craziest thing you've ever seen at a bar mitzvah?

Asked by 2live2 over 12 years ago

Once a kid made his entrance on a helicopter, at another party the mother of the bat mitzvah girl fell off the stage, broke her wrist and had to be rushed to the hospital and my personal favourite, the bat mitzvah girl with enough product in her hair to pollute an entire country stands too close to the batmitzvah candles....POOF!

Have parents ever complained or refused to pay after an event because they were unhappy with your work?

Asked by rentz over 12 years ago

Always, thankfully I’m not the owner of the company and i always get paid. Sometimes people just don’t want to dance and there’s nothing I, or Justin Bieber can do about it...it’s just a stale crowd. The key is to always get the adults liquored up. Having servers bring shots onto the dance floor is a little secret of mine.

What songs gets requested most?

Asked by MC_Wrench over 12 years ago

It's always changing. The nostalgia songs change as the parents’ generations change. Springstein is a hit with the current parents. Anything about sex or drugs gets the kids going. They like to sing the choruses as loud as they can, the unedited version of course, and emphasize all the naughty words and/or sexual innuendos, e.g. Cee Lo Green’s F___ You.

Have you ever been stiffed on your fee? Or are you paid up-front?

Asked by cameljoe over 12 years ago

I've always been an employee of the companies i work for so i never have to worry. There have been cases where a client wasn't happy with the dance party and put up a fight with my bosses. Because the event scene is tight knit, bad reviews travel quickly; i know they have discounted clients before, but the at the end of the day...sometimes you can't do much with a stiff crowd that just doesn't want to dance

Is there an age at which you think you'll be too old to DJ bar mitzvahs? Does being the lifeblood of a party require a young person's mindset?

Asked by DRC over 12 years ago

It's all about how you see yourself. You need to go out on the dance floor without any inhibitions. So 18 or 40. it doesn't matter, you just gotta be genuinely excited about what you do and be able to respect yourself while looking at an empty dance floor.

Ever seen the clip of Paul Rudd DJ'ing the bar mitzvah?

Asked by Kunu over 12 years ago

Yes. It’s kinda dated and doesn’t reflect the amount of money thrown into events these days, but it certainly reminds me of some of my earlier gigs. I kinda wish I had footage of myself from way back when.

Does a large percentage of your work come from referrals after kids or their parents see you work someone else's barmitzvah?

Asked by MC_Wrench over 12 years ago

Yep. But also I’ve had the good fortune to work with a very reputable company for the past 10 years. A client is happy to hire the company and then when provided with me as an option, having heard of me, choose me to host their event happily.

Have you ever had a client ask if you yourself were Jewish, as a criteria for whether they should hire you?

Asked by Vickers over 12 years ago

Yes. And its a deal closer. "Oh yes, our bar mitzvah DJ is a "nice Jewish boy"" And then they try to set me up with their friends Jewish daughter.

Do you still use turntables, or do DJs do everything iPods and computers now?

Asked by proballer over 12 years ago

No tables. It’s all Mac's and mixers. There are virtual turntables that allow you to pass an MP3 onto specialized records that you can fully scratch with, as if you were actually playing the record. It’s pretty cool, and certainly brought a bit of legitimacy back to the DJ’ing industry.

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 over 12 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.

Have you DJ'd any bar mitzvahs where the parents sprung for a celebrity appearance?

Asked by wherezkobe over 12 years ago

I havent personally been there, but my company has done many. Through Magen Boys Entertainment in Toronto, ive seen performances by members of Glee and some rock bands. THeres another company in the city, who shall not be named, who actually had justin bieber show up at the bar mitzvah under the condition that it remained silent, no pics, no videos. The dj in charge couldnt resist and is being hit with several lawsuits

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

Asked by Mickey_M over 12 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.

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

Asked by Smil77 over 12 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.

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 over 12 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.

Do you ever get your music selection boo'd?

Asked by Raffi over 12 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.

What's your favorite song to play?

Asked by dancedance! over 12 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!

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 over 12 years ago

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

Besides nostalgia, why would a DJ ever use vinyl anymore?

Asked by whogetz about 11 years ago

People dont even use Vinyl at clubs/bars anymore..everything is digital.  Only other reason I could conceive of is for street cred...but even the hard core DJs are switching over because its cheaper and more efficient.

Where do you get the "swag" like cheap lightup bracelets, etc

Asked by Carter over 7 years ago

What is the best way to get started djing bar mitzvahs?

Asked by radgrif over 6 years ago

How much on average do unknown singers charge to sing at B ar Mitzvahs thank u

Asked by marsha about 10 years ago

Can you tell when a party is one of the first for a class of kids (they are overly excited, they participate a lot), and when it is one of the last (kids are tired and bored of huge parties)? As a kid I could definitely see a difference.

Asked by 123 about 10 years ago