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Why your school dance budget is unrealistic – A business owners perspective

Cheap DJ in CT 
It’s November and schools are well into their first period before the holidays. And now is the time you’re looking for your school dance dj for the dance next week. Next week. You’ve been given the task of rounding up the lowest bidder to give the students something to do on a Friday night in the gym to help raise funds for the athletic department, yearbook committee or prom.

Logic tells you that you need to keep costs low in order to maximize profit. That makes sense in most cases. Unless you’re talking about entertainment. And here’s why. Have you ever gone to a show, a concert, or event where the promoter had skimped out on a few things? Guaranteed you have. And you’ve noticed it right away. You walked away second guessing the decision to purchase that ticket because of the lack of quality in the show that you had hoped to see.

Maybe the PA was too loud or the lighting wasn’t that captivating. OR, maybe the folks on the stage just weren’t up to par that night. Then you recall that time you saw this other show that blew you away. The tickets were more expensive but it was an experience you’ll never forget. Sound familiar? This same scenario can be applied to school dances. Your goal is to make money on the event. You can DOUBLE your money with the right entertainment. And as every savvy business owner knows, you’ve got to spend money to make money.

The youth of today are very tech smart and picky individuals when it comes to entertainment. There’s not a whole lot that impresses them. Which is why if you want to have a successful event, you really need to step things up a couple notches. To have the english teacher bring his band gear from the 70’s and play Uptown Funk or the chicken dance just doesn’t work any more. Music is more accessible today than it ever was and if your DJ doesn’t have the latest music, he won’t have the opportunity to win them over and ensure a series of successful events for your school thus, earning more income for the school.

The sound also has to be on par. If you’ve ever been to a school dance where your ears rung after, chances are the $400 or less DJ you hired didn’t have the proper equipment for the job. He might do small kids parties or have a bar gig. But when you’re in a gym with 300 students, it’s got to be heard and felt. It’s gotta be exciting and mind blowing. Teenagers are in such a rush to get to the club scene in college and you can create that same atmosphere when you book your school dance dj.

Lets talk about lighting for a moment. Again, going back to the giuse of students being hard to impress. If you’ve gone to the bowling alley on a Saturday night for glow bowling, you’ve probably noticed that there aren’t many teen students there. As fun as it is, the atmosphere is very stale. There is nothing to capture their attention other than a few twinkle lights and glowing pins. Bowling alleys are closing up shop in record numbers because they just aren’t getting the draw that they used to. Same can be said for school dances.  If you invest in your DJ and they can deliver a performance and atmosphere that will blow your students away, they are more likely to attend another dance or buy a $100 prom ticket in May.

But beyond the lighting, sound, music, and performance, there’s one other VERY important necessity for school dances. Insurance. When you book with a PROFESSIONAL DJ, he will have insurance to protect both his and your investment. He will have a 2 million dollar commercial liability policy ready and waiting to send to your administration as proof to them that they can not be held liable should damage to the school by the Dj or their equipment occurs. It also covers personal injury as well. Those two reasons are some of the MOST important when it comes to booking your school dance dj. And if you’re looking at a cheap prom dj, chances are, they don’t have insurance. What they might have is a stolen catalog of bootleg music with all of the 4 letter words and obscenities you can choke down.

And last but not least, the contract. Contracts are a necessity for hiring your dj for school dances and proms. We no longer live in a society of hand shakes and atta boys. If your school is going to invest in an event, you want your entertainer to show up. Early, prepared, and ready to go. In the last 5 years alone, Pryme Tyme Entertainment has been called by various schools in CT who have gone the cheap dj route only to have them not show up. This is not only a devastating blow to the event, but to your reputation as well. The school will look at this as you dropped the ball.

So ask yourself this question, do you roll the dice on a $400 bet? Or do you make the investment that is a sure thing? The choice is yours.

School Dances: Back to the grind

School Dances: Back to the grind…

I recently saw a post in a mobile DJ forum that seems to be a hot button lately for school dances. The grind issue.
Now speaking from my experiences from when I went to high school, the “dance” trends were a little different. It was all about who could show off their best MC Hammer or Michael Jackson moves or maybe a battle of the headbangers would ensue when Metallica was played. My parents did the twist and the stroll. And their parents did the swing and the foxtrot. But kids today are pushing the envelope and grinding teachers and faculty down to a fine powder.

So what is grinding exactly? To put it metaphorically, it is a vertical expression of a horizontal desire. This type of “dancing” is inappropriate for people of this age group and teachers are counting on us as entertainers to enforce strict “no grinding” policies when it comes to school dances. That being said, where does the responsibility lie? The DJ is there to provide music entertainment for the students and faculty. The chaperones and teachers are there to ensure that the school dance is a safe environment for the students. A true experienced professional who specializes in youth events would never encourage his audience to participate in destructive or lewd behavior.

So, what can we do as DJs to help create a fun environment without grinding? It’s simple.
Every consult that I go to with a school I always say the same thing. “Grinding for kids is like a big red button. The more you tell them not to push that button, the more likely they will.” I’m sure we can all remember when we were teens, we pushed boundaries and tested the waters to see how far we could go. The truth is, most students are there to have a good time. Not all kids participate in grinding. The best thing a school could do is to leave well enough alone and take care of the few “bad seeds” when necessary. The DJ can also support this by playing more upbeat songs with a higher BPM. Engaging the audience with a simple, “PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR. NOW EVERYBODY SCREAM” is a sure fire way to keep the excitement up and the grinding to a minimum.

All of these small steps can be taken to keep the kids happy, the faculty happy, and the DJ happy. So just remember the next time you are planning your next school social event… Don’t stress over grinding. Just plan on having the time of your life…