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FAQs

What’s Included?

In recognizing that every event is unique, there are also many similarities.  Most events are based upon a six-hour time frame.  Most events require that announcements be made and music be played in a non-stop fashion.  With those basic parameters, Music Box offers one, standard package which includes:  Two DJ’s, articulate sound and contemporary LED dance-floor lighting and six hours of continuous music.

Additionally, your package price includes a face-to-face detailed planning session with your chosen DJ that typically occurs four weeks prior to your event.

Your unique event may require more or less time and other variables may apply so know that we are ready and willing to adjust the standard package to meet your needs.  Bring it!

Are you full-time or part-time?

We are here Monday through Thursday 10am to 9pm; and Friday 10am to 4pm. Our fifty hour work- week is consumed with meeting our customers’ special music requests, weekly maintenance of our sound and lighting equipment, continuous training and development of our team of djs, and most importantly, we are ready to speak with our clients to assist in any of their planning needs. Rest assured, when you call our office, you will be speaking to a Wedding Professional, not an answering machine or voice mail. No matter the reason, we are here to assist. It requires much hard work and attention to detail to insure a memorable and flawless night; and a talented pool of disc jockeys are only as fabulous as their supporting staff.  The attentiveness doesn’t stop in our office once your event is over; now we have become your friends and we are here for you when ever you need us.

Why two DJs?

As the originator of the “Two DJ” method in the early ‘90’s, we are certain that two, well trained, seasoned DJs will not only keep your dance floor full but assists in organizing and facilitating the details of your event in a fluid and seamless fashion.  In essence, your lead disc jockey is your reception coordinator and emcee.  You have met face to face with your DJ to articulately plan the details of your event, he/she understands every nuance of your celebration and is ready to make those visions a reality.  While one DJ is outside organizing the bridal party for an introduction in the hallway, the other is attending to the guests and music inside the room.  When your DJ introduces your Best Man for his toast, the other DJ is at the mixing board making sure he sounds perfect.  While one DJ is mixing with headphones on, the other is able to facilitate your guest’s needs.  There is never a time when the DJ table is vacant; there is always personality and experience attentive to making the party perfect.

A Music Box second DJ is as qualified as the lead in mixing, organizing, guest relations and any other aspect of the job.  The difference at Music Box is that the “producers” typically do not have the flexibility in their daily jobs to commit to a client a year or more in advance.  An example would be our DJs that are in public service such as fire fighting or health care.  Because their schedules often change, it is impossible for them to commit to being a lead disc jockey however; this does not make them any less experienced.  We have several producers that have been with Music Box between 5 and 10+ years.

 

Any event can “be executed” with only one DJ.  Epic events have every resource available.

Selecting Your DJ:

We know how important your DJ’s role is.  The person that you choose to run your reception should provide you with not only absolute confidence but also an undeniable stoke that your event is going to be exactly like you envision it- and then some.

Choosing your DJ is key in feeling an absolute comfort level.   Music Box makes it easy for you to choose who will run your celebration for you.  You can see profile videos of our DJs in action, read multiple reviews or arrange a personal meeting with your DJ before you book.

Once you choose your DJ, his/her name will be printed on the contract and that’s whom you will meet and plan with, face-to-face, four weeks prior to your event.

What kind of gear do you use?

Although we are complete sound snobs, it’s not the gear that makes or breaks an event: until it doesn’t work correctly.  We’ve scoured the Michigan DJ websites and with regards to gear, everyone seems to love the term “State of the Art” and “Top Notch”. We don’t use “high-quality”; we use the best quality available

Experience has shown us the best equipment to use in all sorts of venues and situations.  Some venues need big sound while other events need very small, discreet set ups.  No matter where the party is, Music Box is well equipped and provides crisp, articulate sound.  If we haven’t already played at your venue, we’ll scout it out to make sure that when it counts, it will sound perfect.

Visit our Equipment Page if you would like to see the type and brand of professional gear that we use for audio and lighting.

Why is face-to-face planning prior to your event a must?

You have a lot of last minute little details during the week of your celebration! Who wants to plan on the phone during the chaos and how well can your vision be interpreted via the telephone?

Planning weeks in advance, face-to-face is vital because this is the best way for you to clearly communicate your wants and expectations. Similarly, for your DJ this is the time to understand who you are, connecting with your personalities in order to represent you well at your event.

During planning, you will discuss every detail: how to pronounce everyone’s names properly, establish your timeline, define your music guidelines of what you do and do not want played. Should you find yourself without a clue of, “what song to cut your cake to” or “what you would like for your introduction upon arrival” etc.; your DJ will offer suggestions based upon your musical tastes and play songs for you until you choose a tune that represents you perfectly. Ultimately your Music Box DJ provides not only Music but is your Emcee and a Day of Coordinator.

Experience:

As you are presented your DJ choices, know that all of your “Lead” DJ’s have from 8 to 20+ years of experience as entertainers. “On The Road” experience is certainly valuable but our continuous training and development guarantees an innovative team that is ready to deliver new and fresh ideas that enhance your event. Both personal and company-wide coaching and development enables our DJ’s to foresee any potential pitfalls ensuring a seamless, worry-free event.

Our Team is committed to their “Continuing Education” courses, which are designed to perpetually enhance creativity and originality. Our monthly courses range from “Improvisation” to “Gear Trouble-shooting” and “Human Relations”, just to name a few. Much like an athlete, practice and education is vital to being the best in the business ~ we take it very seriously!

Finally, it is worth noting that more than half of your DJ choices have been with Music Box for more than a decade.

How do you handle music requests?

We LOVE requests! Requests however are simply that, “requests”. This is NOT a free-for-all to play the B-sides of obscure songs. So have no fear that when crazy Uncle Fred requests, “Tip Toe Through the Tulips” it won’t be played because we know that song does not fill a dance floor.

Due to the fact that we sit down together a month prior to your event, we have a clear understanding of what you want played and what you do not want played. You set the parameters that we work within. Great crowds are a HUGE part of the success of your event, by taking their requests we are engaging them to participate in your celebration.

Our office employs a Music Director whose job is to make sure your DJ is supplied with all of your “special” music needs. Whether it is Greek, Hindi, Italian, Polish, or your mom and dad’s anniversary song—we’ll get it for you.

What types of payments do you accept and when is payment due?

We accept in our office cash, personal checks, corporate checks, and credit cards. We also accept credit cards online.

Your deposit is required upon signing your contract reserving your DJ and date. The remaining balance is due 30 days in front of your event date, or no later than 2 weeks prior to.

What is “Beat Mixing”?

For Music Box DJ’s, “beat mixing” is the method of putting together a continuous flow of music without a break or gap. When mixing is done correctly, the music moves from one song to another without you even knowing the song has changed. Seamlessly you have just “end up” into the next song. This is a huge benefit for your party in that the flow and energy is always consistent.

Beat Mixing is not “whicky, whicky, whicky,” noisy or obtrusive; it doesn’t mean you will only hear 30 seconds of a song. It just means seamless flow and momentum on the dance floor. If a DJ does not mix and plays every ounce of every song, in a 3-hour dance period, he may be able to play about 40 to 50 songs. When Music Box DJs employ the mixing method, closer to 70 songs get played in the same amount of time. Talk about bundle and save!

What is subcontracting and why is it bad?

Subcontracting is taking several independent DJs with their own DJ get ups and umbrellas them under one company. There is typically a list of qualifications that must be met initially but after that, there’s usually little to no governance. DJs that can’t find work on their own often gravitate to these “agencies” with hopes of finding work. The parent company would then book these individuals under one company name; sometimes these independent DJs may even work for multiple companies.

Since 1994, Music Box has provided the sound, music, customer support and maintenance for all of the DJs that work here. That consistency benefits our clients in a multitude of ways:

All Music Box DJs are outfitted with the same, impeccable sound, hundreds of gigabytes of music, modern dance-floor lights and of course a professional code of ethics that is unwavering. Music Box DJs are bound by “Policies and Procedures” that are overseen as our team enters and leaves one central location. Finally, the camaraderie and feeling of family that you will experience when working with a proud community of brothers and sisters is like no other. At the end of the day, it is our sibling-like competition over who’s party was better that generates a family gratification in knowing that Music Box DJs are providing entertainment that sub-contractors just can’t include in their multi-point checklist.

By NOT sub-contracting, your party has less room for errors. Our Music Director ensures that all special music is available and that any other special needs for your unique affair are attended to well before your DJ even walks into the building.

Because we do not sub-contract, Music Box has a standard, ethic and style that is uniquely ours and that’s not just our belief ~ the proof is in our client’s feedback.

Describe the volume of your system.

Understanding how sound travels and how to efficiently fill a room with sound is a science. Highs, mids and lows all move at different rates and speeds. It is our job to understand that science and turn it into a perfectly balanced blend of awesome. During cocktails and dinner, the music remains at conversation level and sets a tone and mood for the event. As the evening progresses, your dance floor should be full of thumpy lows and crystal clear highs and mids but beyond the floor, guests will share conversation with ease.

Back Up Strategy:

“State of the Art” and “Top notch” equipment is useless unless the DJ using it has the education and experience to maximize its performance. Remember, a DJ is his/her own sound engineer at an event, so if something stops performing, that DJ needs to possess the know-how to do any repair at the drop of a hat.

Our back up strategy is a culmination of over 18 years of experience. As all of the “game day” DJs depart for their events, the back up crew is on premise in the MBP office, assisting the teams in departing; making sure that every detail has been double-checked. The support crew remains in the building until every team member has phoned in indicating that all is well. The back up person is assigned to ensure that if anything goes wrong, that person is ready to take over at a moments notice.

Back up equipment is on premise at your event. Two amplifiers, additional computers, hard drives full of music and even iPads/iPods are utilized as a third and fourth music source. Our back-ups have back-ups!

Planned maintenance is key to minimal breakdowns. Our gear is maintained weekly to ensure peak performance.

In summary, don’ t forget to ask some of the bigger questions that often go unanswered: “Do all of your DJs know how to use and troubleshoot the equipment you use?” and “Is your equipment regularly maintained by a qualified professional?”

What are the attire options?

Many of our events are black tie affairs in some of Michigan’s finest venues. Tuxedos are often requested. Music Box DJs pride themselves in being modern in fashion. Suits, business casual, Vegas style club, dressed for the beach or in costume for a theme party- let us know and we’ll dress the part.

Do you have a drinking policy?

Music Box has zero tolerance for drinking at an event. This policy is enforced with a Breathalyzer. There is also zero tolerance for inappropriate fraternization with your guests. We are there to be 100% focused on your event with a clear vision and one goal in mind. That goal is to provide the best party that you and your guests have ever been to.

Are you insured?

At Music Box, we carry comprehensive insurance policy that provides coverage to protect you, your guests, your venue and of course, our DJs. Many MI venues require proof of insurance before permitting us roll a single speaker in the door; you may want to check with your venue to make sure the vendors you hire meet their insurance requirements. Rest assured, Music Box meets every venue’s required coverage.

Meals and Tipping

Keep in mind that providing service for a six-hour event translates to an average of 10 hours of work from portal to portal for your DJ. Although it is customary to feed your vendors, it is not mandatory for our DJs. Many venues provide “vendor meals” so you may want to inquire with them as well. Tipping is also not mandatory but sure does guarantee gratitude from your DJ!

Do you travel?

Our standard rate includes service within a 40-mile radius of Clinton Township. Beyond that, the standard government per mile allowance is charged. Anything outside of an 80-mile radius encompasses a mileage charge and over-night accommodations for your DJs.