Are KJ's Professional?

[kilith]

Originally Posted by muzicman144

Maybe its because i'm neither a dj or kj that i may be missing the point. I don't see what one has to do with the other. Seems we are discussing apples and oranges here where the only relationship is we all play basically the same places. The idea of discussion is to gain new insight or ideas to improve what we do as "Entertainers". How the dj does his job cannot be compared to what a kj does. The only thing in common would be a sound system. The root of the problem seems to be the competition and pay scale.The bands out there that karaoke is putting out of business is saying the same thing about kj's as the dj's are saying about the kj's who are putting them out of business.
I was playing one man shows when if you looked up karaoke on google, google would send you to a japanese site about flowers or some crap. Now look at it. If i was a dj, i would be shopping at MTU and a computer store to get in the karaoke business. Now, having said that, i'm still playing more than i want to, my friends who have the good bands are still playing all they want to, and a couple of djs i know have plenty of work. Talk about each other and complain about each other all you want to, but, the bottom line is the best always play the best places, make the most money, and, will continue to do so. If you are not one of these, quit complaining and start listening to learn how to be the best, so you can survive when the next "big" entertainment thing comes out.

muzicman

You are right... DJ is very much different then a KJ. It is like comparing apples and oranges. Just like it is with a DJ and a Band. Yes DJ killed wedding singers. Back then there were not very good sound systems and carying around a record player and stuff would of really been a hassle. They still did it but not like how it really blew up when CD's came out. Video killed the radio star even tho MTV has now killed themselves... Man what ever happened to the MTV of the 80 and early 90's before this TRL crap and reality shows...

Ok that got off the point.

Anyway the point here is the difference between DJ and KJ. Well most DJ's I have seen are long winded, talk alot, and try to be very flashy. Well that is their job. They play music and give a personal show of themselves. They are the center of attention the whole night. With the KJ they are only center of attention part of the night the rest of the night they are adjusting and working their PA to make their singers the center of attention.

Now what sets a KJ apart of a DJ. Way I look at it and why a KJ moving to DJ is better then a DJ trying to become a KJ is...

1. KJ is use to running the show all night long and keeping everything sounding great. A DJ blasts their music and there really is not much for adjustment.

2. A KJ is not use to being the center of the show. A DJ is always the center of the show even if it is suposed to be a bride and groom the DJ still is the center. So when a KJ starts to DJ he keeps it like he always has and does not take over the center of the show but shares it with everyone else.

3. DJ is always use to being the center of attention. I just dont think that makes a good KJ because your singers are your show... not you.

4. All the behind the scenes a KJ does to make his show sound great... just not something a DJ has to do. a DJ starts his music and if it is too loud turn it down a slight bit and if it is too soft turn it up a bit... a KJ is adjusting bass, treble, singer volume, music volume, knowing on how to stop feedback over a mic. A DJ just does not do this.

5. A good KJ has the ear for the music. To me a KJ just have the right kind of ear. It is almost like a sounds man at a big rock concert. You have to have that right ear to be able to adjust and blend everything in to one smooth operation.

If anyone objects to these (which all of these I consider to be something a professional KJ does) lets hear yout thoughts. I am just stating why I think a KJ (a good KJ that really loves this job) can be a better DJ then a DJ trying to be a KJ. These are my views on the difference and why I think a KJ is just getting the bottom end of the deal.

[bryant]

Just remember: It's all good!

[bobcox- with the Lord]

I am a kj not a dj, although i will play some dance music if need be.
when i see a pro DJ he is the one playing and scratching and making his own mixes. two turntables/ cd player mixing on the fly. these guys are pro DJs.
what i see in my area is guys playing out of a laptop and letting the program
fade to next song. or playing from a cd just one song after another.
these are NOT pro DJs.
seems anyone with some equipment and can play some CDs calls himself a DJ.
watch some of the pros at the big clubs in the big citys and you will see what i am talking about.

I think the same for KJs, i see so many one night a week KJs with a few disc and a player, and do not know how to use it.
then i see guys and gals who do it five times a week, make a full time living at it.
spend a lot of time and money upgrading and studying sound and equipment
trying to be the best they can be.
they are the pro KJs.
Just My Two cents. Bob

[kilith]

Originally Posted by bobcox

I am a kj not a dj, although i will play some dance music if need be.
when i see a pro DJ he is the one playing and scratching and making his own mixes. two turntables/ cd player mixing on the fly. these guys are pro DJs.
what i see in my area is guys playing out of a laptop and letting the program
fade to next song. or playing from a cd just one song after another.
these are NOT pro DJs.
seems anyone with some equipment and can play some CDs calls himself a DJ.
watch some of the pros at the big clubs in the big citys and you will see what i am talking about.

I think the same for KJs, i see so many one night a week KJs with a few disc and a player, and do not know how to use it.
then i see guys and gals who do it five times a week, make a full time living at it.
spend a lot of time and money upgrading and studying sound and equipment
trying to be the best they can be.
they are the pro KJs.
Just My Two cents. Bob

I think that was very well put.

[bryant]

Exactly, so the response to the poll can really be only one. ""Some are and some not"", as the case in any occupation or job in this world. There are serious ones and there are "not so" serious ones.

However, my initial posts only referred to "whether the occupation in general was considered to be a professional one" by the typically understood definition of a "professional occupation", regarding rights, liabilities, licensure, qualifications, malpractice and good practice, etc. That is why I responded "No", in the poll.

It did not mean that I act "unprofessional "when I KJ,
or that anyone on here does. But put simply, it is not a professionally recognized occupation and therefore we have little protection from "impersonators", and also have little liability to worry about either.

[kilith]

Originally Posted by bryant

Exactly, so the response to the poll can really be only one. ""Some are and some not"", as the case in any occupation or job in this world. There are serious ones and there are "not so" serious ones.

However, my initial posts only referred to "whether the occupation in general was considered to be a professional one" by the typically understood definition of a "professional occupation", regarding rights, liabilities, licensure, qualifications, malpractice and good practice, etc. That is why I responded "No", in the poll.

It did not mean that I act "unprofessional "when I KJ,
or that anyone on here does. But put simply, it is not a professionally recognized occupation and therefore we have little protection from "impersonators", and also have little liability to worry about either.

I carry liability insurance and reason being if someone gets hurt on your equipment you are liable to be sued because of their injuries. We are also not talking about the actions of the KJ. We are talking about if they are a professional "as in this is what they do and the do it with poise and respect" Just like a Doctor. Not all doctors are professional and nowdays they are just people that write out a piece of paper. They take very little time with paticents nowdays.

I consider myself to be a professional KJ/DJ because I work to be the best. I am always up there doing my job tweeking volumes and peeks to make every person sound the best they can. I try to keep the show going til the end of the night. I give each and every singer the same respect and same attention.

It does not matter in this world if you have a degree or not anymore. It based on experience. Someone out of college even if they were in there for 10 years studying computers for example would not get a job right out of college. Everyone looks for 5 to 10 years hands on experience before they will hire someone fresh out of college. Even if that fresh kid out of college has more knowledge in the new technology or not.

People for weddings look for someone with 5-20 years experience before they will take the first $100.00 Ipod DJ. They rather play $500-$1500 for a professional DJ before a nobody.

Bars are a different story. They will pay for the first non-professional KJ running on a home karaoke system for $50.00-$100.00/night over a professional KJ who has all band equipment, great song selection, killer sound, and all the other flashy stuff who might charge $200.00-$300.00 a night. (this is in my area of working as in the Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa region)

They are the bars who do not have anyone in them. Try it once go to a ton of shows, check them out on quality and crowd. You will know who is better by the 10 people sitting in the bar or the 50+ persons crowd. You will know who is the professional KJ and who is the amatur KJ.

The word "Professional" does not just stick to a piece of paper you get from a college. I can call myself a professional Network Support Technician then however I am not. That little piece of paper I got from college means nothing in the world with out experience.

It is infact the college system that changed the word "professional" to what it is now. Back in the middle ages they had the system of the master and the apprentice. The master was the professional. Did he go to school for this? No he has many many years of experience to work for his title.

Unions, construction workers, plumbers, carpenters and so on. Not many of them ever went to school. They started as a 15 year old kid doing the crap jobs and now 10 years down the road they are the ones building the houses we live in now. They never went to school to become a professional they had 10+ years experience. This is why the word professional is not the word you are talking about. You are being to spacific on the word to only a person who went to school to learn stuff to get a piece of paper that can be burned in a fire. These people who have years of experience have something far greater then that and that is experience and reputation. A good or bad DJ/KJ will be talked about and word of mouth spreds much faster then a piece of paper that is in your hands or on your wall. A bad DJ will not get jobs and will be branded on forums and by word of mouth. A good DJ will have jobs booked years in advance. So yes some brides can be BURTAL to DJ's and that DJ would never see a job again unless someone would take the chance. There is some protection out there. Heck me showing my liability insurance gets me jobs in many bars because they have a little more peace of mind that they are hiring someone who is professional.

Also not even your so called professionals have protection against "impersonators" just because you have a degree like I stated above does not make you a professional. You pick the wrong doctor who takes chances on peoples lives insted of this other doctor who wants a little more money and then the bad doctor kills someone taking a risk that was not needed.... Or you get a police officer who has a bad rep and has been fired in other cities for drug use, yet you take him over another police officer who wants more money and that cop makes a mistake and gets someone killed. Really there are two professions by your terms and there is no protection. People are still going to spend less money to save money.

[peppe]

I like what you have to say for the most part. all my experience has come from hands on and just watching and living it. my husband and I are good and we know that, BUT, we also work very very hard at making it that way. we have years of being apprentices and have enjoyed it tremendously....it is now us that are the masters and i really enjoy teaching those who have an interest in being kj's or musicians. I really enjoy telling them the truths of the business and seeing the reactions when I tell them you can't just get up there and do it....your gonna have to watch for a while, because your just going to look stupid if you don't. I like knowing that I may be turning out some great KJ's for the future. a bad karaoke show is pretty ugly!!!

[bryant]

I agree 100% with ya, KIl. However, in my quoted statement shown in your post, please read carefully that the word "education" was not mentioned once.

I also agree that education cannot replace experience,
and also "the other way around is true as well".

I also stated as you did that there are bad performing professionals and good performimg ones, but at least when you go to the Doctor's; whether he is a bad or good one you may not know at the time, but at least you were made "ever so slightly" more comfortable by the fact that you saw, M.D. next to his name, and that he is insured and liable to an extent.

In essence, you may want to jump off your "experience over education" horse and look at the whole picture, as we all seem to agree with you for the most part anyway.