Are KJ's Professional?

[kilith]

Originally Posted by bryant

That's correct in the DJ/KJ world. But in some other "regulated" professions where safety for the public is concerned, they better, at the very least have ALL the credentials before you practice, in additon to being highly competent. Sometimes, even with all the necessary credentials, because of lack of competence, a license can be taken away and the "allowance to practice" becomes disallowed by law.
Here's the big difference, in the DJ/KJ world, regardless of competence, those less competent can sill
be considered qualified and continue to practice. We've all seen it, the "Sh-t" DJ comes in at half-price, already been kicked out of two bars in town, gets the gig and packs the house.

Well I hate to say this but I have seen that with police officers as well. They have degrees (depending on state) and they are to serve and protect. Yet one from around the Twin Cities Metro area was caught hiding drugs, got fired, got hired in another town where he was caught doing the same thing, got fired, and got hired in a nother town, where he got fired for something that I am not sure of, and is now a sheriff for one of the counties in the Metro area.

Now days a DJ/KJ must carry liability insurance. Almost everyone in this area are starting to require it. So thoes who can not afford it are starting not to recieve jobs and I am happy for that. Another thing I have found in this area of the mid-west is that your reputation gets around very fast.

For Doctors, Lawyers, computer techs, and other jobs that require schooling there is a reason for that but it does not make you a professional. You could have a degree in anything but still be a horrible employee. The only difference here is that in that certin profession you are required schooling to make you creditable in that field. Some kid sitting in high school right now could be better then half of the professional web designers out there. He could maybe end up getting a job with no degree if his work is better then most with a degree. It happens all the time.

So really no matter if you have a degree in a field of work that still does not make you a professional. Just because you have a karaoke getup or a DJ get up that does not make you a professional. In the end it is going to be your work ethics, your job proformance, and your reputation. To me in any job whether it be flipping burgers or brain surgery it is going to take them 3 factors at a high standard to make you a professional.

I have a degree in network support but I am not a professional Network Support Technician. I however am a professional KJ/DJ. It is my job, and my profession. Just because I have never gone to school to make me a DJ/KJ I do have 12 years of experience which in most of your so called "professional jobs" more then 5 years experience makes you a professional there.

Yes in this world like you said

Originally Posted by bryant

But in some other "regulated" professions where safety for the public is concerned, they better, at the very least have ALL the credentials before you practice, in additon to being highly competent.

Even in the world of entertainment you are going to need proof of insurance, a great reputation, and much more before you are ever considered a professional DJ or KJ. On the Knot a forum for Brides to be... There are MANY DJ companies on there that are ripped apart and if you go to their websites you see they have very little work. The ones that are highly recomended can be filled up for the next 2 years already.

So really no when people come and say they are professional DJ/KJ's they do have the credentials to back it up. It is just not int he form of a piece of paper. It to me is at a higher standard then a small piece of paper can give you. If you have 10 weddings a year that is like 10,000 plus people rating you every single year. If you are good one of them 10,000 plus people are going to tell their friends and so on. If you are sitting in an office behind a desk and you have a degree in computer repair... yeah one personyou might help a day but they are not going to go home and tell their friends how great of a computer repair person you are.

So I am in no way using the word professional in a loose mannor. If a DJ does not pay their dues, does not buy all their music (gets music the illegal way), does not have liability insurance to cover them in case of accident, so on and so on could also go to jail like your unregistered engineer could.

[bryant]

You're right, but you've been missing the entire point all along.

[admin]

My 2 cents...


First, we are talking about ENTERTAINERS... not Doctors, Lawyers, Professors. To be good at anything, you must have been born with that Talent. You can polish a skill you learn, but you can't gain a new Talent if your spirit didn't have it already when you were born.

Professional for KJ/DJ I believe means "Making an income at it", versus being a hobby. It requires one thing to be respected as a "Pro" (versus just called pro)... a God given Talent. If you have an entertainment Talent, people wll come and pay to watch you. It can be a VOICE Talent, or an EAR Talent to make others sound good, or a people Motivation Talent to encourage others to do their best. It also takes the right mix of ego and respect to be a "Pro". Personally, I find DJ's to be ego laden and rude-fully loud, while Karaoke Hosts are respectful of their singers and audience.

I have seen many home users discover they have a Talent to entertain and help others by Hosting karaoke "sings" at home. Then, they get asked to do a Birthday party, or the Elks Lodge banquet. Then, someone with a Bar or Restaurant asks them what they would charge to do a show at their venue... their Talent has been discovered... and the hobbist turns "pro", earning an income.

In 1999, after talking to thousands of "KJs" and singers, it became obvious to me there are two classes of persons running karaoke shows:

1. Most KJs are basically disc shufflers. They don't have a console, they skimp on equipment, they don't have the "ear" to mix good sound so they crank up the volume to overwhelm you, they are more likely to have bootleg songs, and some work for close to nothing just to be the "big cheese". Their ego is inflated, but their shows are deflating.

2. HOSTs... have heart... and use a mix console to make their singers sound good, AND entertain the audience. Many are recording studio engineers, or singers turned Host because they have a TALENT to mix the audio live, AND... entertain and motivate the audience to get up and "risk it all". It takes real heart to be a Host... a true desire to help someone find the type of music that best fits their voice, and a song they can sing. Sometimes it takes joining them to keep them on stage versus bolting and never attempting karaoke again. It takes sincere encouragement to turn a meek spirit into an Entertainer on stage. To me, that defines a Professional Host.

Singing karaoke on stage is TOTALLY different from listening or dancing to music... be it a Juke, a Band, or a DJ. You are up there alone. You must overcome the fear of going on stage. You WILL experience an Adrenalin rush - the "fight or flight" hormone - to either bask in the applause or head for the door. You will do the best you can... if the Host has built you and others up over the evening. Humans know respect and love, and our spirit responds to it.

Karaoke, in my humble opinion, has the power to change the human spirit. It can lift a common person... who may be too fat or too thin, too tall or too short, pure ugly or just plain... and give them a chance in the spotlight to show their Talent. As we all know, there are those with Talent, and those with NONE, and their physical appearance has nothing to do with their Talent. If they are rich they may dress well. If they are poor, they don't. But a Talented voice... even in a drab garb... can bring tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.

When you attend a Karaoke show where your spirit is lifted, you know you are in the presence of a Talented Host. It is an evening to remember, and you want to come again. To me, this is a "Professional" entertainer.

I have never been in any situation where a DJ did anything but strut their ego as they try to "bring the house down". In fact, I used to go away emotionally drained, versus my spirit lifted up. My ears hurt after a DJ'd show.

Sometimes my heart hurts after a Karaoke show, but I respect those who got up the nerve to try, even if their talent was still a bit raw. Over time with more practice, you have the joy to see their spirit shine... the glint in their eyes comes alive, even after a draining day at work.

My wife and I visited Alanross' show in Nags Head, NC. There was a rather gangly fellow who got up several times and sang British songs. Every song he entertained us. Alan explained that this fellow, who clearly was shy to go on stage, months ago didn't know what to sing. Alan encourage him, listened to him, and guided him into British songs. What I saw was a PERFORMER on stage, who earned his applause. Then, I watched him return to his meek self afterwards... but his spirit was glowing. The evening was a success, and one we will never forget. I observed the best of Karaoke... a HOST who cared for and worked his audience, and a common man who truly ENTERTAINED us with "his" songs.

Professionally hosted karaoke shows feed the spirit...

[alanross]

First, let me apologize for not finding this thread earlier. Admin alerted me to it with an e-mail for which I am grateful. I also appreciate his posting, he is an amazing person that I am thrilled I had the pleasure to meet.

I'm going to take a personal moment here to give props to the man. I've had the priviledge and honor to work with MTU as one of their beta testers for several years now. In all my dealings with admin, he has personified professionalism. I'll detail that later for purposes of this forum, but for now I want to share with you what it was like for me to meet admin and his lovely wife and to have them visit our show.

We play at a local restaurant 7 nights a week and I personally do three of the nights myself. On one of my nights off, I got a call from this restaurant telling me that there was a couple in town that wanted to meet me. When I found out who it was, I threw on some clothes, grabbed my wife and headed over.

I was nervous the whole time because I knew, it was not going to be a good night in the bar. It was off-season, not a Friday or Saturday night, I had a rookie, fill-in host working the show and the crowd was bound to be small at best. I was thinking that this was not going to be the best way to show off our shows.

When we arrived, I was disappointed that my fears had not been groundless. The room was more empty than not, my host looked like she had jumped out of bed, forgotten to get dressed, threw a baseball cap on and ran out the door. My heart sank as I quickly debated whether I should take over and do the show. I decided that I wasn't going to embarass my host like that, so I just let her continue.

We met admin and his wife and they were perfectly delightful. We sat up at one of the tables near the stage and while admin and I talked about MTU products, our wives were happily engaging each other.

As I listened to admin, I quickly realized I was in way over my head. I had no idea how brilliant this man was before. I knew he was smart and a good business man and a man of deep religious and moral convictions, but Holy crap is he smart!! As I sat there, wallowing in my ocean of ignorance, this man was eloquent not only about the highly technical side of the MTU programs and Karaoke as a business, but the personal side of it, too. He got it.

I've met a lot of techno-nerds who seem to have 4-digit IQs, but most of them haven't got the first clue how to talk to another human being. Admin, has a true understanding of people. He understands their feelings and their motivations. I think what makes MTU stand out for me is the combination of technological brilliance coupled with an understanding of what people want that is evident in their products.

I found myself fumbling to try to say something that sounded even remotely intelligent, but when I am not on stage, I communicate much better through the written word. I felt like a caveman trying to discuss quantum mechanics with Albert Eistein (no offense to the cavemen). What could I bring to the discussion?

Don't get me wrong, admin and his wife were perfectly charming and gracious, but when they left, I thought I must have looked like a total idiot and to top it all off, the show was mediocre at best. Until reading his post today, I thought they were horribly disappointed with me and the show and that's why they never came back. (A large part of humility is a generous helping of self-doubt).

Anyway, here's why I feel admin personifies professionalism. First, he has a firm grasp of the technical side of his craft. He thoroughly understands exactly what it takes to make A work with B to produce C. He also has an understanding of why one would want A to work with B to produce C and how producing C would be beneficial. This knowledge base is essential to be "professional".
Professionals know their stuff.

Second, he's willing to hear ideas that may help improve what he's doing. These forums are a perfect example of what I mean. Admin is willing to listen to suggestions and incorporate ideas into his products that others suggest. He respects the input of people who use his product.
Professionals respect the people they serve.

Third, his products are user friendly and easy to learn. He doesn't try to overdo a product or make it too technologically advanced for the average user. He keeps it as simple as possible while hiding all the really cool programming hidden in the background.
Professionals make it look easy.

Fourth, everything related to the MTU products has a crisp, sharp look and everything works from an operational and aesthetic viewpoint. When you go to the MTU website, things are laid out well, the links all work and it's easy to navigate. Open any final release of an MTU program and it will not only look good but function brilliantly.
Professionals make everything look good. AND
Professionals deliver the goods.

Finally, admin cares about the quality of his products. He could put out programs which serve the purpose, but there is a commitment to quality inherent in all his work that surpasses the competition. I don't know if you can quantify without serious examination of each program, but the attention to detail shows just how much he puts into everything he makes.
Professionals care enough to never give less than 100%.

When you think about what makes someone a professional, they have to have all these qualities without exception:
Professionals know their stuff.
Professionals respect the people they serve.
Professionals make it look easy.
Professionals make everything look good.
Professionals deliver the goods.
Professionals care enough to never give less than 100%.

So when we're talking about what makes a KJ, DJ or MC more "professional" than another, a lot of it is more esoteric than literal. You can use Websters to find the definition of a professional or you can know it intuitively. When you see it, you know it.

It's like the difference between a local commercial and a network commercial. For example, you would never confuse a nationally run commercial for Pizza Hut with a locally run commercial for Fred's Pizza Emporium. You can instantly tell the difference in the level of quality. One is very "professional" looking and the other... not so much. It's true for almost any business.

You take your car to an auto shop. The shop is well ordered, people move about with purpose, the mechanics are all wearing matching work clothes, no one is standing idle, and the girl at the register is smiling to the customers. Your car is examined within minutes of your scheduled arrival and an estimate is given shortly thereafter. You agree to the work, and before you know it, your car is functioning perfectly again. This is a very professional auto shop.

OR you could take your car to Lousey's Auto. The shop is filthy; tools lying on the ground, old tires stacked up along the parking lot, two mechanics are standing off to the side of the building having a smoke. There are three cars up on lifts with no one around. You check in at the desk and they tell you they're backed up - it'll be about an hour before you can get an estimate. You wait two before some guy in ratty jeans and a grease and sweat stained t-shirt gives you the bad news about your car. You agree to have the work done and they tell you to come pick it up tomorrow. After three days of trying to get a real answer about your car, you're finally told it's ready. You pay twice the amount of the estimate and drive away only to discover that there's now a strange rattling noise coming from the engine which still isn't running right. This is a very unprofessional auto shop.

The point is, no one has to tell you what makes one shop more professional than the other. It's obvious to everyone. The same is true for Show Hosts. You know it when you see it.

How you help someone become "professional" is a whole different story.

And lastly, (I know I rattle on and on, sorry, but thank you for getting this far, if you did...) the following quote is proof positive of how impressive admin is to me. I'll explain after...

Originally Posted by admin

Singing karaoke on stage is TOTALLY different from listening or dancing to music... be it a Juke, a Band, or a DJ. You are up there alone. You must overcome the fear of going on stage. You WILL experience an Adrenalin rush - the "fight or flight" hormone - to either bask in the applause or head for the door. You will do the best you can... if the Host has built you and others up over the evening. Humans know respect and love, and our spirit responds to it.

Karaoke, in my humble opinion, has the power to change the human spirit. It can lift a common person... who may be too fat or too thin, too tall or too short, pure ugly or just plain... and give them a chance in the spotlight to show their Talent. As we all know, there are those with Talent, and those with NONE, and their physical appearance has nothing to do with their Talent. If they are rich they may dress well. If they are poor, they don't. But a Talented voice... even in a drab garb... can bring tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.

Admin doesn't frequent Karaoke joints, he doesn't sing at every opportunity and he certainly didn't sing at our show, but he understands what it takes for someone to get up there and do it. He understands what the person goes through, what it means to them and how it can change them.

We've all seen the wallflower blossom with the right encouragement and one of the things a true professional is going to do, is be the one offering that encouragement.

My hat is off to admin, because part of being a professional is knowing your stuff and to know your stuff, you have to know it from many different perspectives. His understanding from the vocalists' perspective is perhaps the most impressive, because he's not a vocalist. That's what I mean about knowing your stuff. He knows way more than I ever will.

- Alan Ross

[bryant]

And my hat is off to both of you, as well!

[goonie227]

I went to a show tonight the guy that was running it is a DJ that has been in this area for 20+ years he is a very good dj but about two months ago he added KARAOKE with a "cavs" unit 14000 songs and nothing in the last 2 years Then his external drive wouldn't load discs from the singers
God am I glad I bought HOSTER. DJ's need alot of work to become "KJ's"
The Buddy system of singers doesn't work and roation is what is all about.

[kilith]

Originally Posted by goonie227

I went to a show tonight the guy that was running it is a DJ that has been in this area for 20+ years he is a very good dj but about two months ago he added KARAOKE with a "cavs" unit 14000 songs and nothing in the last 2 years Then his external drive wouldn't load discs from the singers
God am I glad I bought HOSTER. DJ's need alot of work to become "KJ's"
The Buddy system of singers doesn't work and roation is what is all about.

To me going from KJ and adding on DJ is pretty easy and I have been doing pretty good for the past few years doing it. You are more down to earth DJ who already knows what people likes to hear and what they do not. To me a DJ is high winded and listens to themselves talk. That is what they do and have always done. Yeah they can go out and get CAVS or Hoster and buy CDG's and import them. They have NO CLUE on how to make a person sound good. They never had to do it before... DJ's pound their music to me that is easy to do... When it comes to being a KJ it is more of an art form. You have to have a good ear... you need to adjust all the time because like every good KJ knows no one sings or sound the same!

Another thing I have noticed is DJ's charge at least $400.00 to add karaoke to their DJ shows. Then they brag they have 1000 plus songs lol. KJ's are very under rated and maybe thats why karaoke is so flooded with many KJ's that give karaoke a bad name. I think a lot of people on the MTU site here are here because they want to be the best they can be and has a company that stands behind them and puts out a product with everything we want!

We need to just as a community work had and keep showing that you can not subsitute a DJ for a KJ by giving the best karaoke show we can. I know that I am willing to help and I do make a good living with karaoke from $250-$300 a weekend night. We have all heard that Alanross gives a heck of a show and I know he is willing to help out.

lets show DJ's we can keep doing one better