General
Event Questions
1.
How long have you been in business?
Since
1980, and still growing. In 2004 we expanded our facility to 4
times it’s original size.
2.
How good is the equipment you use?
We
were an audio production company before we entered the DJ biz.
We have done concert shows for Dokken, Warrant, Slaughter, Quiet
Riot, Great White, Brad Delp and many many more. We do shows for
up to 30,000 people, and our equipment has to work or the show
can’t go on. The point is our roots are in professional
audio. We order bulk cable in thousand foot rolls and make our
own speaker and mic cables. We know good sound and we know what
the top brands of gear are. And we know what gear has a high MTBF
( Mean Time Between Failures ) , and which equipment is prone
to frequent failures. We use Shure Mics, Crown Amps, Pioneer CD
players, JBL and Yamaha speakers, Ultimate speaker stands and
so forth. These are among the very best names in sound equipment.
Simply put, we are audiophiles.
3.
What if the DJ equipment fails?
Redundancy
is our buzz word. We build in 2 of virtually everything to our
systems. 2 discrete power amps. 2 speakers, 2 CD players with
4 drawers, 3 microphones - one wireless and 2 hard wire - and
on and on. That being said, if the unthinkable happens the DJ’s
are instructed to call the office or office cell phone, and if
that cannot produce what is needed they are told to go to any
store anywhere and pay any amount of money for what it takes to
make the event happen. And we are not kidding. We will do whatever
it takes to be sure we are not responsible for anything that impacts
your special event negatively, even if it costs us 4 times what
you paid us to DJ your event.
4.
What if I want extra mics, stands, speakers, mixers, amps,
etc for my event?
Because
we have rooms and rooms full of audio gear, we always have whatever
is need for special requirements, and we know how to hook things
up and “jack” instruments in to consoles and mix good
sound.
5.
If I play a slide show or DVD can you amplify the sound track?
Yes,
we do it all the time. Just tell us what kind of equipment is
being used to make the presentation or put us in touch with the
person who will be supplying or running the presentation. We will
take it from there. We have all the cables and connectors.
6.
Can I see your DJ at an event?
I wish
the answer was yes. We protect the privacy of our clients fiercely.
We cannot tell who is who, and who is going to help themselves
to free drinks at the open bar and then fall into the potato salad,
or even worse. [ I could tell you stories you would not believe.
] It is an invasion of privacy and a breach of faith to send some
one to your event to sneak a peak, and it is improper and impertinent
for us to ask you if it is okay to send a perspective client to
have a look at your DJ at your special event. So we simply won’t
do it.
7.
Do you use a DVD or videotape that shows your DJs in action?
No.
We used to, and it carried problems along with all of the sales
it made for us. If we made the presentation real and true, the
videos and DVD’s were not as slick as other ones being used
in the biz, so people hesitated to hire us because the sound track
wasn’t perfectly mixed and the lighting wasn’t breathtaking.
So we made a souped up, turbo version, which made every DJ look
like the ultimate emcee and “dance floor doctor”,
taking tiny snippets from here and there and linking them all
together, along with a lot of studio wizardry. This backfired
because the clients expected the out of control packed dance floor
with the bright flashing lights and perfect sound track all night.
When it didn’t happen, event though they had a wonderful
event, they felt as though their event had fallen short because
the dance floor wasn’t packed all night. They just could
not get the vision of the perfect DVD out of their heads. So,
we then moved to the face to face meeting, which does not “sell”
as many clients…but the clients who do allow us to serve
them are thrilled and we sleep better at night.
8.
How do I know which of your DJ’s is right for me?
Any
of our top, well trained, professional DJ’s will do a great
job for you. If you do not have a certain one in mind because
of a referral or an event you were at, let us speak with you for
a bit, and then assign a DJ to meet with you or simply do your
event. Your satisfaction is assured and guaranteed.
9.
When do I meet with my DJ?
(meetings are with Wedding and Mitzvah clients only)
You
can meet with our DJ, at no risk or obligation, immediately. Once
you have hired us, you can meet with that DJ again, just before
your wedding. If you already know that you will be using our company
or one specific DJ, there is no need for 2 meetings. You can simply
put a deposit on the DJ of your choosing and then have your first
meeting 2 weeks before the wedding. Either way is fine.
10.
Do you have a snow or inclement weather cancellation policy?
Yes
we do. We never, ever cancel for any reason. No matter how deep
the snow gets your DJ will be there - absolutely.
11.
What if my DJ cannot attend my event due to ill health or personal
tragedy?
Over 25 years and more than 26,000 events only once,
( fingers crossed ) did we have DJ miss an event. He, in his car,
was hit by a tractor trailer and injured severely. Because we
keep your event notes on file at our office, and only allow copies
to be taken from our office, we assigned the event to one of our
other ( 41 ) DJ’s and he did such a great job, the client
called back a year and a half later and requested the DJ that
had filled in (the injured DJ healed and came back to work, and
is 100% healthy, today).
12.
Do you have music for non traditional events like Spanish, Latin,
Portuguese, Asian, Arabic etc?
Well…yes,
we do have some music for just about all ethnicities, but in truth,
we are not experts at it. If you will help us pick the music or
loan us a few CD’s we will do a wonderful job for you.
Travel
Questions
1.
How far will you travel to do an event?
Anywhere
in the world, as far as you like. The cost for the event stays
the same. You simply have to arrange our travel and accommodations.
We currently operate in the 6 New England states and Eastern Canada
- The Maritimes and New Brunswick .
2.
Do you charge a travel fee?
Yes
we do. If your event is 51 - 100 miles from our office in Billerica
, MA , we charge $50. If it is 101 - 150 miles, we charge $100,
and so forth. This makes your event more attractive to our top
DJ’s who can opt to stay close to home, if they like.
3.
Do I pay for set up, tear down, travel? Set up and tear down ?
No.
There will only be a travel fee if your event is more than 50
miles from our office in Billerica , MA.
Event
Planning Questions
1.
How long before my event should I book my DJ?
A year
to a year and a half before the date, if possible. The good DJ’s
are requested and frequently get booked early, and many clients
call us as much as 2 or more years before their event. In contrast,
we frequently have a client call us for the first time on the
day before their wedding and ask if we have a DJ available to
do a wedding “tomorrow”. With 42 DJ’s on the
roster we have a DJ available 99.9 % of the time.
2.
Do you need to speak to the event coordinator at the event location
or see the location in advance?
No.
We have been in the business long enough to know our way around.
When we arrive at the location, we take a quick look at where
to set up and have a 3 minute chat with the coordinator, to be
sure we are on the same page, and then we are ready to go. It
really is that simple.
3.
What time will my DJ arrive?
On the
day of your event, unless we are given information that impacts
our set up, we arrive one hour before music has to be playing.
It takes us about 20 - 30 minutes to load in and set up. We allow
the extra time, just in case there is a long access route to get
from the curb to where the event is, i.e., a zillion stairs, elevators,
etc.
4.
How will my DJ be dressed?
By default
we always opt for Tux / Gown. If you tell us that your event is
a barbecue in the back yard, we will ask if you want the DJ to
be in a Tux / Gown or Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts. We want
to be attired the way that makes you most comfortable.
5.
Where should my DJ be set up?
At the
exact edge of the dance floor or dance area. If you stick your
DJ far away, in a corner or back against the wall, it directly
impacts the connection that the DJ is able to make with your friends
and family or co-workers. The closer to the guests your DJ is,
the more of an impact the DJ presentation will have. This is a
very important detail that often goes overlooked.
6.
What does my DJ need to do his/her job?
We need
one electrical outlet to plug into, and a 6’ or 8’
banquet style table to set the equipment on. Two tables is optimum
for us, but it rarely happens. For an added touch of class, you
can make sure that a table cloth and skirt are provided, if applicable
and desired.
7.
How will my DJ proceed at my event?
We ask
you, up front, what type of presentation you would like to see
and then we’re are as involved or reserved as you like.
If you simply turn us loose, we read your friends, family, co-workers
and feel the mood, and play the right music with the right amount
of interaction - Never over the top or obnoxious.
8.
Will my DJ act as an emcee / master of ceremonies?
Absolutely,
if that is what you want. Every Curtis Knight Entertainment DJ
is trained to play great music and to act as an emcee to the degree
that you wish. You tell us how involved you want the DJ to be.
We will be happy to run the entire event and control the flow,
or stay in the background and simply play good music., Just let
us know what you would like to see.
9.
Should I make arrangements to feed my DJ?
We sure
think so. Your DJ and your location / food make or break your
event. The DJ plays a big part in how your event is enjoyed by
your friends and family. It just makes sense to feed the DJ. If
you tell us in advance that the DJ will not be fed, we are grateful.
This way we can send a lunch with the DJ. It’s a small price
to pay, to make the DJ “feel the love”. They will
do their best job whether they are fed or not
10.
What are the benefits of having 2 DJ’s?
Picture
a DJ standing in the middle of the dance floor making announcements,
or playing a game, or having a bride throw her bouquet. As the
segment progresses, song after song will play, seamlessly - one
right into the next. The music is being controlled by the other
DJ, that is running the equipment, while the emcee is free to
travel through the room, without having to worry about running
back to the equipment to change songs or turn mics up and down
for toasts, etc. If you can easily afford the 2 DJ price, it’s
a nice thing to have, but if you are watching your budget, it
is not necessary (maybe 3 or 4 out of 1500+ clients per year choose
a 2 DJ package).
11.
How long should my event be?
A party,
like a birthday or an anniversary, can normally sustain interest
/ excitement for 4 hours and then begins to thin out - usually.
A wedding reception should last 5 hours if cocktail hour is one
of those hours. If the ceremony is to take place “on site,
add one hour for a total of 6 hours. It’s always better
to “get in, make your mark, and get out” before your
guests get restless, bored, uncomfortable, etc. “Always
leave ‘em wanting more !” There are exceptions, but
these are basic guidelines.
12.
Should I book more time than I anticipate needing, just in case?
We think
not. Shorter is almost always better than longer when it comes
to the length of an event. Our overtime ( $50 / half hour per
DJ ~ $100 / hour per DJ ) costs the same in advance as it does
on the day of your event. So we recommend that you commit to an
appropriate amount of time, and then add over time in increments
of ½ hour, if you want the celebration to continue. We
are happy to stay as long as you like, and we have often done
events where they continue celebrating for as much as 4 hours
of overtime.
13.
How involved should I be in planning my event?
There
are a few schools of thought. Here are two: 1) You can make all
of the schedules and lists, pick all of the music, and be the
hands manager of every detail of your upcoming celebration, in
advance, and on the “day of”...or 2) You can tell
us that you “don’t want to deal” with all of
the details, and we are happy to handle the lion’s share
of the music selection, making announcements, handling the flow
of segments and events, so you can just sit back and enjoy your
happy celebration. You can also fall somewhere in the middle,
and specify certain things that you want, and leave the rest to
us. At most of the events we do, we delicately and sensitively
handle nearly every aspect of the presentation of the event.
14.
Should I pick the music for my event?
The
best DJ’s on the planet will tell you that they do not proceed
with a predetermined play list. They read the crowd, and then
they experiment and change directions many, many times, throughout
an event. For someone to try and set the play list in advance,
is very risky. We have an expression: “If you pick your
music in advance, your friends and family will not dance.”
We feel it is best to give us a list of music that you would like
to hear, if it fits the mood. Of course, if you want to pick every
song, we are happy to accommodate you.
15.
Should I fill out and return the song list that came in my package?
Only
if you want to let us know what kind of music you like or what
kind of music you want played. It’s almost always better
to let the DJ pick the music, as they read the crowd and switch
the music along with the mood in the room, as it changes throughout
the length of the event. The only reason we send a song list in
every package is because so many clients kept asking us to mail
one to them. Now, we simply include it. I frequently tell people
to throw the song list in the trash and let the DJ handle it.
Up to you.
16.
When should all of my song choices be finalized and sent to your
office?
No
later than 2 weeks before your event. It’s important. In
order to serve you well, we need time to go over all of your notes
and requests, try to figure out every little detail you have indicated,
and more. We often do 25 or more events in a weekend. We need
several hours to do the music for one event. When we get 15 song
lists in the mail on a Thursday, we sometimes have to go on very
little sleep, in order to have all of those events ready for Friday
and Saturday. We frequently have to pull an “all nighter”,
doing research, finding songs, making CD’s and completing
packages for the DJ’s to take to their respective events.
We need time to do the job right. 14 days, minimum please.
17.
How many songs will my DJ play?
The
DJ speed limit is 15 songs per hour. Four hours = 60 ish songs.
Five hours = 75 ish songs. Also, of interest, the party / dancing
/ fun segment of most wedding receptions is the final 2 hours.
Two hours = 30 - 35 songs.
18.
Will my DJ play CD’s that my friends, family and I bring?
Yes,
if that is what you want. We make sure you have approved it, before
we agree to play anything that is handed to us. This way, if there
is any questionable content on the CD, it has been approved by
you, in advance.
19.
Will my DJ take requests?
Yes
we will. We are happy to, but…requests can wipe out a dance
floor quickly, and sometimes you can never get your dance floor
raging again, after you have lost it with a dud song. A good DJ
knows when a request is going to make your friends and family
sit down. If you tell us to handle requests the way we think best,
we will tell people who request questionable songs that we will
play it later on in the event, if possible, when there is a lull
in the dance floor. This way, we do not risk slowing down the
great celebration that you have orchestrated. If you tell us to
take all requests and play them immediately, as they are asked
for, we will do it without question. We just want to be sure that
you know what can happen.
20.
Should I have Karaoke at my event?
Karaoke
can be a great segment, with beautiful voices, loving dedications
and boundless love in the room… or a disaster, with drunk
idiots, singing out of tune and using profanity over the mic.
And you usually will not know which way it is going to go till
your event is over. When you interrupt a dance floor to begin
Karaoke performances, many people wince and want to go home. It
can also be very entertaining and add a live element that will
be remembered fondly for years. If you do decide to have Karaoke,
our collection and presentation is superior in every way. Weigh
this decision carefully, and ask for more input if you like. We
are here to help.
21.
Am I supposed to tip my DJ?
Some
do. Some don’t. The DJ does not expect to be tipped. By
our rough guestimate, about 30 - 40 percent of our esteemed clients
choose to tip. It does not mean you are cheap if you don’t.
If you choose to tip, the most frequent tip we get is $50, and
there is the occasional $100. Again, it is not expected.
Wedding
- Specific Questions
1.
Will my DJ provide music and protocol for my wedding ceremony?
Yes,
it is an area of expertise for us. We will offer you all of the
options and possibilities for your ceremony. You simply accept
the options you like and reject the ones you do not like and together
we create a beautiful ceremony. We know al of the components and
fine points and we will help organize and execute the flow, so
it turns out wonderfully.
2.
What if my ceremony and reception are in two different places?
We can
provide music anywhere. Whether your ceremony is 25 miles from
your reception or just down the hall, we can do 2 set ups, or
run a long speaker cord if the ceremony is close enough. It’s
never a problem.
Price
Questions
1.
Why is there a price difference between a Party Package and a
Wedding Package?
Great
question. When we provide a DJ for a party, the client calls,
we send a quote, they call back, give us a deposit, and we send
a DJ to the event. Done. If the event is a wedding. We 1) spend
a lot of time on the phone, taking volumes of notes about the
wedding day, and every aspect - from song selection to presentation
and more. Also we 2 ) set up one or more meetings for the bride
and groom and the DJ that will serve them, so they can go over
the details, item by item, face to face. 3) If the bride and groom
have song requests that are not on our published song list, we
spend hours and hours ( and hours and more hours J ) finding all
of the music they want and preparing it in a logical cataloged
order, on CD, in preparation for the big celebration ! A LOT more
service and preparation goes into the wedding experience that
requires a higher ticket price.
2.
Why is their such a wide range of pricing in the DJ business?
Great
question. You can pay as little as $200 for your DJ or $6500 as
one of our colleagues in New York does. It comes down to each
company owner. We charge a price that helps us grow our business,
but is not unreasonably high. Often we are asked to explain why
2 companies in our area charge more than twice what we charge.
We are asked what they will get from the higher priced DJ company
that they will not get from us. I am never sure what to say, so
I just shrug and smile.
3.
When should I pay my balance due for my DJ?
Two
weeks prior. On the day of your event, usually things are pretty
hectic and crazy. We find it is better to take care of as many
details, in advance, as is possible. Two weeks is usually far
enough away from the event, so that you are still focused and
calm and can take care of details easily.
4.
Is my deposit refundable?
Our
paperwork states that your deposit is non-refundable. This due
to the amount of work we do to set up your account, spend office
time on the phone with you, schedule meetings, send resource materials,
etc. It really does take a lot of time to serve a client well.
It also needs to be said that when we are told that there is a
family crisis, health problem, etc, we send all money received
back to the client immediately, regardless of what our paperwork
says.
