DJs are always asked “Why should I pay some guy to play music when I can just plug in my iPod into my speakers for free? How hard is that?” The answer is simple. It doesn’t take a genius to plug in an iPod and press play, but you’re not paying for someone who just sits there and pushes buttons. You’re paying for Live, Interactive, Entertainment. Real DJs interact with the crowd to get them fired up, they change what music they play based on crowd reaction, they take requests, make shoutouts, dance to the music, they pick songs that match up to each other and fit the crowd, and they make full use of skills on the TURNTABLES.
At events like Weddings, Proms, Homecomings, Corporate Functions, Sweet 16′s, and other events with different sections and parts, the DJ takes on the additional role of being the Party Director / Emcee. In events like these, the DJ completely runs the show according to what the host has planned out. For example, in a wedding, the DJ will coordinate the entry of the bridal party, directs the special dances, begins the toast section, ends the dinner section and begins the dancing section, etc. He is the one who keeps the party on-schedule and leads the key sections within the party.
What sets DJ Maskell and his team of DJs apart from many other DJs is that he makes each event seem like a night at the club because he has mastered the art of using turntables. He beatmatches, scratches, and transitions as a professional should. This skill eliminates the annoying and interruptive silence between songs that occurs when two songs are not mixed together, and it eliminates the audiable dissonance that occurs when two incongruent songs are played back-to-back. This skill gives an incredible enhancement to the Live Entertainment feeling and is exactly what is done in top nightclubs worldwide to make the beat seem neverending and the music seem completely fluid and uninterrupted.
This is exactly what you DON’T get by just plugging in your iPod. Without a DJ, You get a long pause between each song, then frequently a bad song comes on (or one that just totally doesn’t fit in), and you have to stop whatever you’re doing to go fumble with the iPod, stop it, try to find a better song, play it, realize that you didn’t play the right song, stop it again, find the right one, and hit play. During this time, you’ve completely killed the groove of the party and everyone at the party is just standing around in silence, looking at each other wondering where the music went, and complaining that the music stopped every 3 minutes.
Lighting is another accent that DJs bring to events. DJ Maskell and his team of DJs have a full complement of lighting equipment from strobes and blacklights to DMX Controlled Intelligent Sound Responsive Lights. The lights he uses are the same lights that are used in nightclubs worldwide. He also developed a dynamic live projected visualization system that is only available with DJ Maskell. Using his computer, a video projector, the turntables, and a large projector screen, DJ Maskell floods the room with lights, colors, and images that dynamically change with the music. Some DJs have random visualizations on video screens, but none of them have the graphics respond and change based on the music. Its an effect that you have to see to believe. Without a DJ and his lighting effects, you’re just dancing in a boring, dimly lit room.
When it comes to setting the price for a DJing event, many aspects are considered. One of the big aspects is that Professional DJing sound/lighting equipment sounds great and looks fantastic because it costs thousands to buy, operate, and maintain. It pays for itself very slowly. Another aspect of DJing that most people do not see the “behind-the-scenes” work done by DJs. For every one hour that a professional DJ spends playing at a party, he has already spent at least two additional hours of his own time finding and buying new music, burning cds, creating playlists, setting up / breaking down / hauling / upgrading / maintaining all the expensive equipment, and of course practicing his skills. This means that an average 4 hour gig really requires up to 8 additional hours of outside work. The amount of outside work will vary with the event’s: Size, Location, Amount of Equipment Required, Date, Time, and Length of the event. Those are the factors on which rates are based.
Be sure to check out the individual event pages to learn more about what DJ Maskell and his team can do for your upcoming event. For a quote, see the contact page or send an email to bookings@djmaskell.com
