alright every1 I just thought I needed to get some **** off of my shoulders so I thought I could come here and get some warm adivcelol

well again as most of you know I am only 15 and I am gettin so frustrated lately at djing...

example ..tonight... my bride and groom were both B*tches and they were young...the bride changed the entire introduction list 2 seconds before I had to do it.. and then made me start this song wen they walked and It had to hit at this exact beat... my companys cd players screwed up n it didnt work out for their special request to walk at this certain part of the song... so that made me look like an idiot.. I was so tired and frustrated it was just messed up and I felt horrible at myself and for the bride and grooom...

so the night goes and the bride keeps giving me these ugly looks... and so that gets me frustrated UNTIL i found out that she was not feeling good at all and she was not mad at me...

then the night goes on.. food was horrible by the way lol...

**** happens throughout the night and my night was just horrible I found I did a good job on the dance portion of it but I was not satisfied with how I did because of how frustrated I was getting...

the end of the night comes and I ask the bride what song she would like as her last song... she asks her dad and they want some frank sinatra (very differrent for their type of people at the wedding?) and so I did as she asked... and then I announced that It was the last song and I played it and the groom came up and yelling at me... he was telling me that his wife never requested this and he would bet me that she didnt..I just calmy told him to go and talk to his wife about it... I tryed to keep my coool...

now everybody the thing that gets my so frustrated and so confused and upset is that lately people have been complaining about whenever I dj...like they don;t complain about me in particualr but they compalin about not gettin a discount or not having the right lightin stuff like that (which is not my concern) ..so they complain to my boss about different things but I have realized that they are not about me (the dj???) they are about him as he has been slacking off alot and is about to get fired (I heard--rumors) but...one complaint was from a couple tghat gave me $60 tip.... so that couldnt have been about me/? I try and tell my boss this but he continues to make me take the blame.. I HATE IT..i am only 15 and I am getting so much pressure put on my shoulders and I am just starting to break down I cant stand it...

my boss is an awesome guy....late 30's....eally famous in the area for djing.. has me and djs over all the time with some ladiez and we jus chill all night..he is a really nice guy but lately he has been a jerk... like I think it has something to do with him about to lose his company that he owns (long story).. and every week he drives me home from my gigs and today he told me when I asked him if I could get a ride home... he said.. "MAn we gotta stop doing this and you gotta start figuring this out urself"... like he wud never say that i wudnt think/??

I think I jsut need a long break a month or something.. I have missed a few partys that I have been asked to dj OR YET GO TO FOR A SOCIAL LIFE :@:@:@@: and I never can cuz they are on saturdays when my boss needs me to work...

funny thing is is that this is suppose 2 b the biggest company in windsor but he needs me to work every week?? like I was going to tell him I wanted to take a month off but I just cudnt do it to him tonight..the bride n groom from 2nite r gunna call on tuesday (the usual) and complain and I am gunna get in ****..what do i do?/? i am 15 and I am gettin mroe frustated then my parents do with their jobs??? why am I still djing/? I love it? I hate doing weddings? I want clubs?

WHY CANT ANYTHING BE RIGHT FOR ME????? help please

djcorbett

My advice would be to start your own DJ company and not work for someone else. You would make more money too. Weddings are a bit touchy sometimes. I'd rather do stag and does, or banquets, fundraisers, birthdays, and such. Just lately I've been doing some trade shows, and outdoor gigs that don't require getting a dance floor going, just playing good music all day. These are the kinda gigs I like to do. Not to mention not having to set up lighting since it's during the daytime, which also gives you the rest of the night to yourself, or being able to do a second gig in the same day. I think we all get frustrated at times, but that is part of the business. I get another DJ service calling me up every now and then to do gigs for them. If it is just a regular type of bash, I'll do it for them, however when they ask me to do a wedding, I usually tell him I'm booked for that day since I like to meet with the couple myself and get to know them a bit before the gig and go over every last detail so I know what to expect, not to mention I can't get the price I want from him to do a wedding which is twice my normal rate of doing say a stag and doe. Why should I do a wedding for the same price as a stag and doe when I have to be there for 9 hours as opposed to being there for only 5 hours. By actually meeting with the bride and groom I can also see what they are like and if I think they will be a problem that's when I usually come up with some excuse to not do it and send them to someone else. I've only had to do this twice, however I think it was a good move on my part. One of the couples actually ended up breaking up before the wedding which tells me they were screwed up in the first place.
Being only 15 you've still got a lot of learning to do my little grasshopper friend, but don't let that frustrate you, I've been doing this for 30 years now and still end up getting frustrated sometimes, however at the end of the night when you get that paycheck, it's all good, and worth the trouble. If you do something wrong at one gig, remember it and try not to do that again. Live and learn. I learn something new each gig I do, and you can't beat experience.
DJ's are like cops, once a cop, always a cop I say. Even if you stop doing it, at one point you'll get back on that bike and start again.
YOUR OWN COMPANY = MORE MONEY in YOUR POCKET.
Keep the faith brother, and keep spinnin', you won't be sorry. Just be the best you can be, and you will be rewarded in the end, not to mention keeping ADJ in business by buying their products,,,,,LOL.
I used to love DJing years ago, and would have been glad to do it for free in the beginning. Now after 30 years it's lost it's fun part for me at least. It's become a job, but it's a job that pays very nicely, especially since I keep raising my prices, and keep getting the gigs. Last year I doubled the amount of gigs I did the year before. Don't get me wrong I still do have fun after all is said and done, just not as much as when I first started out, maybe it's because now I have way more equipment and lighting which I never had in the beginning, and it takes that much longer to set up and tear down. That's probably what I hate the most about it, just doing the grunt work. I'd love to have someone else set up my stuff for me, however there is no one I trust that could do that for me, at least right now. One of these days I'll maybe hire on some other DJ's to work for me, but as of now it's only me doing all the work, with the exception of the wife who does all the financial end of it, and actually takes the bookings, she's more business oriented and seems to get more money for the gigs as opposed to me doing it where I tend to give discounts and such if I book it. She has the gift of gab. That's why I let her do most of the talking at the gigs also.
Anyhow, don't let it get you down man.
THA DOGG.

Amen!

Corbett,

Those are some wise words from Tha Dogg. Persistence is the key, no matter what type of gig you do (Wedding or club) there will always be someone or something to annoy the cr@p out of you. Experience will eventually make you more tolerant to them but in the meantime it's probably a good thing, at this stage in your DJ career, that you are exposed to the bad and ugly over the good. It's called paying your dues in the DJ world and all of this will make you a better DJ in the future. For every bad gig there is always a good one just around the corner, and its the good ones that make up for the bad ones anyway so I wouldn't get too worked up about it. For your situation I suggest branching out on your own, you'll never look back once you do. I know its hard but try not to dwell too much on the past, think of those bad situations as a learning experience, suck it up and continue to go forward. It's all character building and the more you do - the more you absorb, the more confident you will be which will only lead to future success for you. Remember...Persistence! Good luck man.

ROQ out.

Corbett, don't let it sweat you. You obviously know when you messed up and when you haven't. That's a good place to be. As for the boss getting angry about driving you home, dude, you're only 15 it's not like you could drive yourself. I agree with Dogg. But before you branch out on your own figure out how to get back & forth from the gigs. Make sure you have everything you need to DJ. Then have a serious talk with your boss (atfer you have all your ducks in a row) If he can't seem to meet with your expectations time to go elsewhere! If you were working in a factory you would go to another company right? Remember to be kind to your boss when you have "The Talk" so there arren't any bridges burnt (you may need him later in life) and even if he is an a$$, at least you did try. We as DJ's need to stick together as tight as we can before the other forces out there start trying to disban us. All of us acting in a single unit is a strong force to recon with and will keep price wars down and profits up (in an ideal world)...But bear in mind I'm not telling you to "let him have it" I'm merley saying that it sounds like things arren't working for you so talking things out might help (after you are setup for yourself). Who knows maybe he is thinking some of the same things. Just make sure if you do decide to leave his company that you can still work and have your own equipment. Cheers and good luck! It isn't allways that bad that great show is sitting around the corner and you will eventually see the bad is smaller than the good.

Rage on!

Good advice all around.

Just want to add vote for talking to your boss about the situation. Privately, not in front of other employees, mind you. And definitly be cool, don't go off on him. Maybe he's going through some unknown-to-you personal problems. Like everyone above said, it's a small world, you don't want to burn bridges.
Starting your own DJ business sounds like the way to go. Of course, transportation seems to be your biggest obstical right now. Would your parents (or another relative) be willing/able to drive you and all the equipment to and from gigs? Do you have all your own equipment and music? It sounds like your doing everything yourself at the DJ company anyway, so it probably won't be that big of a jump for you. You'll just have to get used to booking the gigs, keeping track of appointments, call backs, and money. Just check with your local government offices about starting a business in your town.
I'm with Tha DOGG, I tend to stay away from weddings. I like school dances, block parties, graduation parties, Sweet 16s, those sorta things. I've done a couple weddings, and each time, I was a nervous wreck. Much respect to you for pulling off a wedding at 15!

Good luck, I hope every thing works out.