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The Singing DJ     *     Rick Hyburg     *     704.975.4833

 

Q. How long have you been DJ'ing?

A. I began doing this in Buffalo, NY in  1995 as a Karaoke jock working for someone else.  My whole life has been music.  I have been singing and entertaining since I was 4 or 5.

Q. Do we get to choose our DJ for the evening?

A.  Nope!  You get me... the owner, the DJ, the M.C., the Vocalist and anything else you want to call me.

Q. What type of music do you play?

A.  Whatever makes the crowd happy and keeps them dancing.  Some dj's advertise they have 10,000+ songs...yada yada yada.  I truly do not know how many songs I have.  It is alot.  Probably not 10,000+ but I have all of the staples and am always buying more music.  My accountant laughs when it comes to tax time because of how much I spent on CD's throughout the year.  If i do not have the song you need it probably has never been requested at any other wedding I have done.  I will get anything you want prior to your event if I don't have it.

Q.  My neighbors son has an Ipod and said he can do it for $50.00.  Why should I pay you $xxx.xx to do the same thing?

A.  Ah a difficult one are'nt we?  No really...your neighbors, brothers whatever may have 20,000 mp3's on his handy dandy Ipod but has he ever had to announce the important parts of a wedding?  Probably not.  Has he ever had to deal with a banquet manager that woke up on the wrong side of the bed and wants to run the show? Probably not.  Most people who have had bad entertainment at their wedding will tell you they should've paid for the pro.  Entertainment is the one thing that can single handedly make or break your reception.  Bad food or a dry cake is forgotten when...come on say it with me....the dance floor opens and that 1st note of  The Electric Slide or Celebration is heard.  A pro can turn things around.  But a great meal is also forgotten as soon as your guests hear bad audio or a terrible M.C.  Moral of this short novel is...pay the extra money and let an experienced pro take care of the entertainment and announcements.

Q.  Do you take requests?

A.  Most definitley, let's face it it makes my job much easier to know what you want to hear ahead of time and not have to guess.  I will honor any request as long as it fits into the event.  Stairway To Heaven is one of the most popular songs of all time but it may not work well at a wedding. 

Q.  Will you meet with the Bride and Groom prior to the wedding to "iron out" the details?

A.  You betcha!  It will take numerous face-to-face visits, emails and phone calls to ensure a successful event.  I strongly suggest and almost require the B&G to make a must play list and a DO NOT play list for me so I know what my borders are.  This is your night and no song or dance will ruin it as long as I am behind the "turntables".

Q.  Do you offer wireless microphones for toasts or guest singers, etc?

A.  Most definitley...I travel with 2 handheld wireless mic's and one headworn wireless that i use throughout the night but anyone is welcome to it if it helps.  And by the way....I don't charge extra for them like some of my other DJ friends.

Q.  Do your charges include set-up and tear down?

A. No I do not charge for set-up or tear down and if another DJ is charging additional set-up or tear down fees I would like to meet them.  My charges are for the time I am actually performing at your event.  I do not charge additional for the incidental stuff.  I travel with everything I own and it should not cost anything more for lights or smoke or wireless mic's.  On the other hand if you choose not to have lighting effects or wireless mics I do not deduct from the cost either.

Q.  Why do we have to sign a contract?

A.  The contract is more for your safety than it is for mine.  Although it insures me against a bogus event,  it moreso insures you that I will be there at the time agreed upon until the time agreed upon. If I should get sick or some other unforeseen disaster should happen I will do everything in my power to find an equivalently priced and experienced replacement for you and you will not have even a hiccup to worry about.  If you want to review a copy of my contract prior to reserving your date just let me know and I would be glad to provide one for you.

Q.  How much is your deposit and when is it due?  When is the balance due?

A.  My deposit is generally 25% of the total cost of the event.  It is due upon receipt of contract and your event will only be "penciled in" until it is received.  The purpose of the deposit is to guarantee your date for your event and allow me to get started on your event.  Every event costs me money.  Whether it be for music, accessories, tux or attire rental/purchase, equipment rental, etc.  The balance is due 10 days before the event unless otherwise agreed upon.  The reason I do this is because I find it rather unprofessional to collect money on the day of your event.  Believe me you will have more to be bothered with than making sure the DJ is paid.

Q.  Do we need to tip our entertainer?

A.  A tip is never expected or required.  Remember you have paid me already both monetarily and just by being given the pleasure of helping make your day special.  It is entirely up to you if you feel my services were so great that they deserve a tip.  But remember I may not always accept it and I NEVER expect it.

Q.  How much room do you need for your equipment?  Is there any special requirements you equipment has?

A.  One of the things I will do when you choose to reserve your date is visit your venue if I have not already been there.  I will take pictures of where I would prefer to set up or give you options of where you can have me set up.  Most banquet managers know where the DJ's generally set up at their venue and can help you with that as well.  As far as special requirements go It makes it nice to have 2 separate electrical outlets near each other as some equipment is sensitive to others and it helps to plug into separate outlets.

 

 

 

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