Recently, I was asked by a pal from high school if I could DJ her wedding reception, and I was hoping that I could make the logistics work. However, traveling from Indiana to Massachusetts just will not work out at this point. I didn't want to leave her high and dry, because I know that she wants a DJ who will work diligently to make for an awesome event. In response, I came up with these 21 questions and criteria that I would be concerned with if I were hiring a DJ. And yes, some self-reflection has been involved in this.
1) Find someone who is personable, but not fake - genuine. They should be likable if you're going to work with them.
2) Must do requests, both before (from you) and during the reception (from anyone). After all, they need to be flexible and it helps to truly customize an event.
3) No plug-n-play with laptops or other devices (e.g. iPod, Zune). Laptops are cool for requests and looking at available music, but your DJ has got to earn their keep.
4) No straight up techno/house guy - unless that's really what you want. I went to a wedding reception once where that was all he played and it was turned up so loud, that although the lights were dimmed, they were dimming much more with each bass hit. A DJ has to be aware of their limits at a venue! Besides, everyone over 30 was complaining (and could not be heard).
5) If they do any beat mixing or matching, you may want to ask for a sample of their work. What you're looking for here is whether the DJ is going with the dance flow, or whether they're just trying to make it sound good to their ears.
6) How far will they go to get the songs you want? Seriously, they need to be willing to dig deep.
7) How much do they charge? Why do they charge those rates? Remember that just because they charge a lot, does not necessarily mean they're worth it. Of course, worthiness is why we're asking all of these questions!
8) Is the person who you are talking to going to be the DJ? If you can't talk to the DJ who is going to be at your reception, they're not worth your money. Same thing for the MC.
9) And speaking of the MC, you want to listen to their voice, preferably in person. Make sure that they have the type of voice that anybody can understand, as far as dialect and speed of speech are concerned. Nobody wants an MC who is boring or who cannot be understood by everyone. You'll want an example, either in person or on a promotional tape.
10) Attire. What do they wear? Are they willing to change it up for your reception?
11) How long have they been around? What is their background in DJing?
12) What is their personal philosophy on DJing? Why are they in the business? Money? Art? Fun?
13) Personal taste in music. Many DJs claim to be eclectic or to embrace all kinds of music, like yours truly. But what do they listen to when they turn on the radio or the CD/MP3 player? These questions are a test of honesty.
14) Are they willing to meet face-to-face to go over everything? It beats phone tag and puts a face with the name before the event.
15) Don't book by email or use PayPal. You want a written contract signed either in person or via snail mail with the deposit paid in check or cash with a receipt.
16) Did they design their own brochures and other promotional material? Another test of honesty.
17) Dinner music - are they sticking in a CD and letting it play through or are they working at it? Unless you really want a whole CD played, they need to earn their keep. Good DJs customize for the event - the whole event, not just after dinner.
18) What's the biggest mistake they ever made or the worst event they ever did? Every DJ has a bad moment or observation.
19) You can also ask the opposite, on top of #18. What's the best event they ever DJ'd or the best move they ever made?
20) Do they abide by any formula? In other words, do they ever play the same music in the same order (or roughly the same order) at each event?
21) Do they have any suggestions for the special songs?
These questions are a great start in weeding out the DJs. I'm sure I'll come up with more. And yes, of course I'm going to answer my own questions. And while I'm at it, I might just publish a document on the official AMP Indiana website, so that you can print out these questions.
